It never ceases to amaze me the amount of joy I can get out of my pets. I have Karma – a staffy pup, who is part human, part guinea pig and part bird – it’s confusing to her having so many siblings who are all so different from one another. She spends 90% of her time right beside me when I am home and her unconditional love is amazing. She eats fruit and vege like a guinea pig, trys to sit on my shoulder like the birds and then occasionally acts like the dog she really is!


Then I have Mr Puppy a cockatiel who is elderly now and in retirement and he likes to be left alone mostly but will squark to let you know when he does want a cuddle or to remind you to turn out the lights at bed time. Clarisse is a baby ecclectus parrot (female so red and purple) and she is adorable. Very independent she chooses when it is cuddle time and when she needs personal space. She loves coming outside with Dan and I when we go for a cigarette, just to check out the scenery and talk to the birds flying past. She is moody like her mother and stubborn like her dad (yes we are the sad people that call their pets their children and refer to themselves as parents).


Lastly there is Eloise and Tash the guinea pigs (or skinny pigs as we call them – even though they’re anything but). Tash is very vain always preening and she’s a real fatty knocking Eloise out of the way to get the best and the most food. She loves a cuddle but especially loves a brush and will purr when I brush her. Eloise on the other hand is far more independant, I’m fairly sure she would be sporty spice if she were a spice girl. Always running around like a crazy person and burning those calories. She can’t sit still long enough for a cuddle and doesn’t see the point in having a brush.

So that’s our menagerie, our family, as we are choosing not to breed people pets. Who knows what I’ll fall in love with next – but there’s always room for more babies in my life (of the animal kind!); mind you I have to convince Daniel which is never an easy task!