Pets 'R' Us

I know that yesterday I said that I would not be blogging until after the Eostre break, but I have snatched a few moments to put this one together. I am thinking of putting a large illuminated sign on the roof of my bungalow which reads “ Eat At Joe’s” for, of late, we seem to be attracting a lot of waifs and strays. Two weeks ago, on the Saturday afternoon, Dawn returned from work and as she pulled up on the drive, saw through her rear view mirror, what she thought was a feather fall behind her car as she stopped. When she got out of the car, there on the drive, was a budgie. Quick thinking, she took off her coat and threw it over the budgie catching it. .The budgie was then picked up and brought into the house where, after calling me and explaining, a suitable small cardboard box was quickly prepared with holes as a temporary home. A telephone call to her sister, who lives a few doors away and who happened to have a spare bird cage, was made and the budgie was given it’s new home. On the Sunday a trip was made to the local ‘pets at home’ where a new large cage, feeders, toys, bells, mirror, swing and food were purchased (free budgie – I’m all for that, £50.00 for setting up house – not so sure) Settled in his new abode the budgie is giving hours of entertainment with it’s antics and loves to ‘squawk’ along with any music that’s playing and, strangely enough every time the Dyson is switched on! It appears as happy as Larry and reacts as if it’s lived here all it’s life even taking to it’s new name of Joey, (even though it’s a hen bird).
Last weekend an almost identical event occurred, when \dawn got out of her car, hopping about on the drive was what \Dawn at first thought was a sparrow, which made no attempt to fly off as she approached. She walked straight up to it, bent over, and simply picked it up. Coming into the house she said “your not going to believe this by I;ve caught an unusual sparrow on the drive, I think it’s injured though because it did not fly off”. And so the empty ‘spare cage’ which had not yet been returned to her sister as she is in America golfing, was purloined as a ‘temporary house’ for the sparrow while it gets better. When released into the cage I could see it was not a sparrow but in fact a canary that was absolutely flown out and exhausted. Fearing another expensive trip to Pets at Home, I said “doesn’t look very well, don’t think it will survive” and so for the moment anyway it is reduced to living in it’s ‘council house’ and not a ‘luxury detached desirable property with extensive facilities’. (Although I’m sure that is to come)
We also have two stray cats which regularly visit for feeding as well as our own tortoise shell cat and yellow Labrador. Dawn is, and always has been a bit of a sucker for a sad story as far as animals are concerned as over the years we had taken in many unwanted animals. I have said before that Dawn own’s a hair dressers and customers regularly come in with a “you don’t know anybody who wants a kitten-puppy etc. And so in the past we have taken in a pair of Dutch rabbits, a guinea pig, gerbils, hamsters and the list goes on, even the two cats weve had and the Labrador are from rescue. We often take unwanted blankets, duvets, towels etc. To a local dogs/cats home in Penkridge where she insists on looking at all the residents ‘while were there. Poor old George is now a pensioner and 13 years old and showing the signs of old age with deafness and arthritis setting in. Already Dawn is talking about a puppy!
Blossom