Questions and Internet

I think that everyone that comes into the shop must have a tale to tell about their pet. We often get the complete life story of a favourite cat, dog, bird or even fish. This can all be very interesting but a little difficult to say the least if their is a queue of customers behind the story teller waiting to pay for their purchases.
We really are a nation of animal lovers. Everyone has their own opinions and ideas about animal welfare, husbandry and just about everything else that concerns animals. This is where the Internet can be a great help, but also a great hindrance. All too often a customer will ask us for information. i.e. about looking after a new pet or what type of food to use. We will in all good faith try and help, and if we have the written documentation we will often give the enquiring customer a relevant leaflet. Then sometime later the customer will return and say that he has looked up his question on the Internet and it says ........... This may vary a great deal from what we have said, or it may just vary a bit, or it may be just the same information that we have given but is worded differently. Generally we get it about right as my staff have all been trained in animal management and welfare. But on the Internet there are hundreds of opinions and 'dos and don'ts'. Lots of sites saying different things. One site will tell you that certain types of fish or reptiles do not need heat when we know that they do. The reason that the site says 'no heat' is probably because it come from some tropical country that is hot all year round. Or different animals and birds are called by different names in different countries. I think in some larger countries animals or birds have different names depending as to which state they are in. All very confusing. I guess there are no hard and fast rules so no one can solve the problem. I just hope that common sense wins in the end.

Parrots and Parasols

Over the last few days the weather has been quite warm. Lots of sunshine and a few fluffy clouds. The temperature is about right for our animals and birds. They all seem to be 'comfortable'. I guess it is the 'Goldilocks syndrome' - not too hot and not too cold.
So we thought we would give our two parrots a change of scene and put them outside the shop for a couple of hours to soak up the suns rays.
Sitting in their large cages at either side of the front door made them look like a 'guard of honour' for anyone entering the shop. They just loved the attention they got from passers by.
Everyone stopped to talk to them and even passing motorists wound down their windows to shout 'hello' or whistle. It really seems to lighten a great many peoples day, especially when Tickle was shouting 'hello' or 'give us a kiss', or wolf whistling.
They will be outside again in the next few days - weather permitting as both parrots seemed to have enjoyed themselves immensely. I have even managed to get hold of a parasol that attaches to Tickles cage just in case the sun gets too strong.

Its all in the name.

We had a rather large delivery today of an assortment of products. Nothing unusual in that, but it set me thinking. - What strange names some of our pet products have. Kongs, Chubleez, Snuggle Factor, Critter Chopper, Perfection, Rogz for dogs, Paddywack, Muffins, (for small animals), Calypso Cricket Dust, Rug patrol, Gaylets, Flying Calf Frizbee, Chicken on a Rope, Orkas, Twisters, Wee wee Pads. - The list is endless. Some are simply self explanatory, but others are really strange. Do the manufacturers have teams of their employees making up these strange names and do they award prizes for the oddest?
But I guess the strangest names are those of the animal housing. Bird cages and hamster cages. We had a number of hamster cages delivered and they had names such as Chealsea, Paddington, Bayswater, Westminster, Kew, Pall Mall and Picadilly. I couldn't help but think that they did not have any cages named after the more run down areas of London. No Old Kent Road, or Peckhams or Elephant and Castle. I wonder why? At least they are easy to understand. Why would anyone call a cage a 'duffy'? Sounds a bit 'duff' to me or a 'Yole'? All very weird, but they are good sellers nevertheless.
Guess I should get back to my ordering instead of musing on strange names for pet products - 'Dried earthworms to go' have been requested by a customer. Hope she is going to feed them to her garden birds and not use them for some strange brew. Maybe she would prefere some 'Insect Patee' instead.

'Little Accidents'

When you own a Pet Shop you become rather used to cleaning up all sorts of mess, but yesterday I must admit was a little different. We are certainly used to cleaning out messy pens, scraping, cleaning and disinfecting is certainly nothing new to us. Nearly everyday someone or or other is up to their elbows in buckets of hot water and cleaning fluids. It is always satisfying to see freshly cleaned out cages or pens with happy occupants waiting to untidy the whole lot for you to clean out again. That's just the way life in a Pet Shop is. Once you have cleaned something up then you go on to the next and clean something else up. Animal pens, shelves, cages, floors etc. etc. - all have to be cleaned, and if you work for me you will soon discover that 'this or that' needs cleaning. In my line of work in my opinion no matter how hard you clean and tidy it can't be enough. Keeping animals is a dirty business and I like to make sure that my business isn't dirty.
Now if you bring a puppy into the shop and it has an 'accident' then we don't mind. We are used to bringing out the mop and bucket and giving the floor a good clean. But I must admit that I am not used to bringing out the mop and bucket for human offspring. Yesterday such an incident happened. A Mother was in the shop with her two little girls. The children had been brought in to look at the pets. Mother and daughters were taking their time when all of a sudden the eldest of the children said in a loud voice that she was feeling sick. Quick as a flash I rushed to the kitchen to grab a bucket. I placed it in front of the poor child just in time for her to return her breakfast. And then I was handed back the offending bucket which I speedily took back into the kitchen to be washed and disinfected. Mother and children then spent a bit more time looking around the shop with me following close behind with another bucket. Then off they went on their way. Saying they had some more shopping to do -Fortunately incidents like that are rare, but nothing surprises me. - Just another day in the mad world of running a Pet Shop.

Jemima

Yes, can't nature be cruel? As I said in my previous Post I have a great view from my window as I work in my office at home. Our rather overgrown garden (I really must try and spend more time tidying it up) tumbles down to a river where there is always something interesting going on. It makes it so much easier to do mundane things like the VAT or paying invoices or checking tax returns when I can glance up and see the wild birds or even just watch people walking or playing with their dogs on the bank opposite.
The day before yesterday I was in the garden - unfortunately not tidying up, but just feeding the fish in the pond. I heard a loud sort of quacking noise and there at the edge of the river was 'Jemima'. Now 'Jemima' is an ordinary white duck who has lived on the river for a number of years, and as we are regular duck feeders we always recognise 'Jemima' because she is white. You can't miss her because as a white duck amongst all the other ordinary Mallard ducks she sticks out as they say 'like a sore thumb'. But there she was - the day before yesterday- at the edge of the river with a brood of four tiny ducklings. All little brown round balls skidding across the water at high speed. Jemima fussed about them and kept them close to her as she ventured nearer to us for a quick piece of bread. Then after a few minutes she was off down the river again with her new family quacking as she went and waiting from time to time for the last ducking to catch up with its brothers and sisters. Now we often see ducklings at this time of year, but to see 'Jemima' with her brood really made me feel good. I had always thought that 'Jemima' had been a drake, and was often seen having rather nasty fights with other ducks that she hung around with. (The name Jemima comes from Beatrix Potters-Jemima puddle duck and it had always been a family joke that we thought she was a he, Jemima that is not Beatrix! - all very confusing.) Well regarding the duck I guess I was wrong on both counts. She was after all a female duck and I think that the fights may have been other male ducks trying to mate with her. How wrong had I been?
But this morning disaster had struck. I saw 'Jemima' paddling slowly up the river all on her own. During the night I had woken to hear lots of ducks quacking and wings flapping. There was nothing I could do, and besides we often hear ducks or birds or dogs so there was nothing new. I didn't even think of 'Jemima'. But the noise must have been Jemima trying to protect her ducklings from some predator. Maybe a mink or a cat or a heron? Who knows? Those tiny creatures are all gone. How sad that they only got to see life for a couple of short days. I guess they made some tasty snack for some predators family. Poor, poor Jemima.
Maybe when I saw her paddeling back up river Jemima was heading back to her old nest and will try and raise some more ducklings in the weeks to come. Obviously she had picked a good spot to sit on her eggs. At least they had hatched safely. I just hope that if she is successful she will be more careful next time. I think that she stands out more than other ducks and is an easy target for passing duckling eaters. I guess it would be quite easy to spot a white duck at night. But I shall be watching and waiting. Nothing I can do, but to see her with a healthy family would make my Summer.

Roadworks,bra's and bats

We have been all enjoying the past warm weather. The tortoises have been having a whale of a time. They have been eating really well and looking very happy indeed. That is if a tortoise can 'look' happy. I have yet to see them smile, but they seem to be enjoying life anyway. We have found nice homes for them, and most have been sold in pairs. Their new owners are lovely people in fact one owner is a friend of mine. She has always wanted to keep tortoises and now that she is retired has decided to fulfil her dream and keep not one but two. I think they will be better looked after than the other members of her family. When I last talked to her she was worrying about where to place their vivarium in her house. Her sons bedroom or the playroom?
Back on the business front things have been a little strange. Yet again our wonderful Council has allowed some utility company or other to dig up the main road outside the shop. Why do they always choose a Bank holiday? This has caused chaos. We have traffic lights, very loud pneumatic drills and countless incidents of road rage. Of course our customers come into the shop and complain to us that they cannot cross the road, or they had to queue in their cars for ages to get into the town. As if we can do anything about it!
Then on Bank holiday Sunday our burglar alarm went off and would not be silenced. No matter how many times I put in the correct code it still continued with its screaming. I had to call the engineer out which of course will cost me a fortune. Not only that when it was eventually silenced our Parrot started imitating it. He can also imitate the passing ambulance sirens, so all in all Sunday was not a good day. Good job I did not have a hangover as well.
We are all awaiting the birth of some 'Skinny Pigs'. These are hairless guinea pigs. A member of our staff has a few as pets, and her pregnant sow is due any day now. It is all excitement, and as soon as they are born she will bring in pictures of the new arrivals. Skinny Pigs are a new breed of Guinea Pig which as I have said are hairless. Not to every ones taste, but interesting creatures. They have to be kept warm and are being exchanged for quite large amounts of money from all over the world. A bit out of our ordinary Pet Shop league, but interesting all the same.
Our strange request over the weekend was from a customer that asked if we sold bra's for dogs? Now I have heard of coats for dogs, boots for dogs even hats for dogs, but BRA'S? In the end after a lot of questions of a delicate nature I realised that she meant a harness. - Thank goodness for that.
Back at my house - where I live and type this blog - I have been watching a Kingfisher. It flies past my window as I type. I think it must have a nest nearby. I am so lucky to be able to see this bird almost every day. I know he is coming past as he makes a loud screeching sound when he flies. I wouldn't have thought that that was such a good idea as it must let all the other birds and predators know he is about. And you really can't miss him. His vivid colours just flash and sparkle as he zips past. I wounder if he will fly past with his new family soon. I do hope so.
Its just great to watch wildlife, and my cats think so too. Unfortunately one of my cats walked into the house with a bat the other day. Goodness knows how he managed to catch it. Life can be so cruel can't it?

Wow - how time flies.

I just don't know where the time goes to these days. I guess I have just been busy. - What with Easter and all. Although everyone else seems to have a few days off we still keep plodding on. The shop is open all over the Easter period and the animals have to be cared for so the staff are are all working. Never mind though. We were kept busy.
One of our funniest incidents was a man standing beside our bank of fish tanks which were nearly overflowing with hundreds of fish when he turned to one of our assistants and said -'do you sell fish?' Trying to hold back a look of amazement the assistant spread her arms out wide and said 'are these what you are looking for?' His girlfriend then proceeded to tell him in front of the whole shop what a twit he was and how dumb he had looked. Exit a very sheepish man being heavily chastised by his rather loud mouthed girlfriend!
Spring is always a nice time in the shop as young animals and birds are arriving. We have just got some lovely Lionhead rabbits. About 8 weeks old, cute and fluffy. I keep trying to remember to take a photo of them so that I can put a picture of them on my desk at home. Some folks have photos of their families and friends - I have photos of my animals - I guess they are family and friends too. They have come from an accidental breeder. Two of her rabbits had had a bit of a jolly time and a few weeks later she had 5 more rabbits. Her children had really enjoyed all the maternity bit and now because she cannot keep them all she has come to me. These rabbits are idea. They will make great pets. They have been handled by the breeders children and are very tame. We now just have to find some loving families that will care for each one of them and enjoy them as much as their previous owners. I don't think that will be a big problem. We have quite a few customers waiting for such lovely creatures.
Yesterday I arrived back at the shop with 5 tortoises. (I like to collect and look at animals myself before buying them). We have three Hermanns and two Leopard. They are all lovely. Quite small but feeding well. They look at you with their beady eyes and if not too frightened will also look around for an odd piece of cabbage whilst you are holding them aloft. I am sure they are quite intelligent as they seem to get to know humans that are around them quite quickly. Today we will give them a bath and then polish their shells with a little olive oil. Then they will really look smart. They come with all the correct documentation and full feeding, heating and humidity instructions. They are not cheep, but again will make someone who enjoys tortoises really good pets. We will however have a long road ahead before we can sell them as the prospective owners need to be told all about their requirements and how they will need a heated vivarium and UV light etc.
So I guess I had better get to work instead of sitting infront of my computer writing this blog.
Totoises need polishing and fish need counting.