It seem that there’s a lot of us who share their households with a pet. So it’s time to put the furry, fluffy, scaly or feathery friend in the limelight, include what makes them special to you.
I’ll start with our blue cattle dog, Diesel. We’ve had him since he was 4, we were lucky enough to rescue with from a shelter. Soon after getting him a friend asked if they could use him in a Top Gear ad for the BBC, the photos below are on the set that day with the “Stig”. Ever since he’s been laying around on the lounge waiting for his agent to call.
Louby Lou (Jack Russell) with Luna (Lurcher on left) and Twig (Lurcher on right) at their favourite place - the beach at Rye harbour at low tide.
All three dogs are rescues. Luna and Twig both came via Battersea Dogs home. Twig walks like a crab and has a tail that cuts a swathe all around him. He is brilliant with people and a wonderful dog with children. We think he must have lived outside most of his life, his people skills having ensured he was kept fed. He now loves his home comforts and loves to run for the joy of it.
Luna is beautiful and moves like a panther, but she’s terrified of pretty much everybody bar D and I. I hate to think what happened to her to make her so frightened and distrustful of people. She’s very hard work as she cannot be left alone, otherwise she panics and become desperate to escape any room. It means she goes with us everywhere. She likes to sit outside on a rug on the lawn and survey the world around her. She also loves to play chase with any other dog who can keep up with her.
Louby-Lou I first met in a park in London. She had been rescued from a puppy farm and when I first saw her she had been muzzled because she barks at just about everybody and any other dog not in her “pack”. When I met her she was looking for a new home and I couldn’t resist. She is very feisty, extremely brave, and is definitely the boss over the others. She loves chasing the ball at the beach, hunting mice, sitting on my lap while I work, driving in the jeep, and sleeping on my bed. Her avowed enemies are the many squirrels that taunt her from the trees around the house. She is now never much more than a few feet away from me at any time and is utterly devoted (but still very barky).
Good to see some lovely dogs. It’s so good to give the rescues another chance.
This is Alf, taken last year on Camber Sands when we were staying near Rye. Alf’s a rescue, originally from Ireland and we got him when he was 2 (ish). He’s now 13, slowing down a bit and becoming a bit of an old man with a few aches and pains. Mostly Jack Russell.
This is Dexy, who adopted us when we moved into our house about nine years ago. She was hanging around in the back yard, and we suspect she’d been left behind when some sub-human moved away.
My dog, Shadow, is on the right. His brother on the left. He was about 3 then. Unfortunately we had to put him to sleep 2 months ago. He was such a wonderful dog.
I’d introduce a law to limit dog ownership to one per household. Why do people want so many? They are generally a bloody nuisance. They jump up and their owner says ‘they are only being friendly’ when they have covered your trousers with mud. They crap everywhere, bark annoyingly, stink and are generally a pain in the arse. Then there are those snub nosed varieties that can’t breathe but their stupid owners think their snuffling is cute when they are simply trying not to die. Then there are pathetic little rat dogs that cannot walk but must be carried. What’s the point. Get a rat.
On the other hand, cats are wonderful. Intelligent. Not loyal. Only want you because you feed them. Bury their crap.
Fish are good. Very cool.
We have newts in our pond. They are cleverer than stupid bloody dogs.
My little guy listening to RP on the Muso. My ex wife and I found this guy roaming our little mountain side community in 2008. We figured since the coyotes didn’t eat him he must be worth saving. He’s been with me ever since.
Nigel, I’m guessing that you’re not much of a “dog kind of person”. No matter. However, note that the thread is not asking for a debate about the relative merits of one type of pet over another, but rather it is all about showing pictures of your pets and telling everyone a bit about them and, as Pete so nicely puts it in his opening post, what makes them special to you.
For the avoidance of any doubt, the clue is in the title; “show us your pets”. Thanks.
I think I have posted before that this is Millie, the cat in my Avatar picture. She is very cute but quite feisty. She’s getting on a bit now and I don’t think she would try this now.
And this is Freddie, our other Maine Coon. He is besotted with me for some reason and contrary to Nigel’s comment about what motivates cats (ie food) he likes always to sit on my shoulders or at least as near to me as possible except if he detects any possible vetinary-related intention on my part.This was nice when he was a kitten but because he weighs 7 Kgm now, I try not to encourage it too much.
We are cat free at the moment. We have too many breaks away to make it practical, but we’d love to have another one day. It would have to be a stray as there is no way we’d spend hundreds on a cat when there are so many needing homes. The same goes for dogs - why spend hundreds or thousands on some born to be ill pedigree (friends have four pugs that can’t breathe) when there are so many around for free, which could bring more love to a family than an inbred runt?
Tilly a Border Terrier had been left at the side of the road and my missus brought her home. She ended up staying with us.
Toby a Jack Russell was my dad’s dog and would have ended up with the RSPCA to be re-homed. He was 15 years old at this time and had only ever lived with my dad. My sister was happy to let the RSPCA take him (and she was the dog’s owner as the sole recipient of my dad’s estate). I contacted the RSPCA and offered to take Toby to which they gladly agreed. My sister left him at my dad’s home without proper care, the next door neighbour had to look after him because he was crying.
Toby got the proper care once he was with us, he was desperate for dental care, and after some weeks of stress he settled in nicely until he died two years later of a failing heart at nearly 18 years old. During this time we spoilt him rotten
He’s my little dog-son .
