Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, House Sitting – Gold Coast

Posts Tagged ‘fun’

I received this in my inbox from a friend.  I do not know who is the author of this story and the photos.  If you do know who is the author, can you please contact me (or leave a comment) so as I can give credit where credit is due.  This story is beautiful !

xox Aunty Vanessa

This is a Story of Love, Compassion, Friendship & Loyalty

About eight years ago a wild Australian Sulphur Crested Cockatoo flew into a car and broke its wing.
The motorist took it to the Vet in Nerang, Queensland, who had to amputate the wing.

We adopted her – for which we needed a National Parks and Wildlife permit – and kept her in a cage outside  where she was often visited by wild Cockatoos.

One of the things that impressed us was how she would push lettuce leaves through the bars of the cage,  offering food to visitors.

Last Sunday 23 July 2006, she again had a visitor.

click on photo for full photo

As usual he spent a lot of time sitting on the cage with a tamper proof latch.

Click photo for full photo

There was a lot of talking and grooming. A bloke has to look presentable when courting a bird!

Click photo for full photo

Things got interesting when he approached the front door.

Click photo for full photo

The clever fellow figured out how to undo the tamper proof latch..!!

Click photo for full photo

He opened the door for a lot of mutual grooming and food sharing.

Click photo for full photo

Oooh!! That’s nice! Scratch a bit more on that side, dear..?!

Click photo for full photo

He was not shy to get into the cage and would go in and out a number of times.

Click photo for full photo

They mated! We are looking forward to beautiful baby cockatoos.
Will keep you posted.

Click photo for full photo

Later on, the whole extended family came visiting but the special mate was back every day so far.

Click photo for full photo

We leave the door open during the day but if we forget, it doesn’t matter – cockatoos have intelligence that rival primates.

Because she has only one wing, she stays inside or just sits on top.

So..?! Guess what happened next..?!

The Babies..!!!!

At first it seemed as though he was annoyed because she did not fly off with him (remember she had one of her wings amputated) and he would squawk a lot.  He soon came to understand that she could not fly so he just stayed.

However, she was no longer returning to her cage.

The two of them would stay in the trees in our garden and because the yard is well fenced, they were safe from dogs but the neighbor’s cat is not kept indoors at night and we often have to chase it away.

Chances are the cat would come off second best in a confrontation with a Cockatoo but – at night – cats remain a danger because they could stalk a sleeping bird on the ground.

Click photo for full photo

Cockatoos make their nests in hollow logs but we noticed the male hard at work digging a hole under a clump of Lilly Pilly trees.

We put down a hollow log for them but they just ignored us.

The nest he dug was a hole with a short tunnel leading off to where she laid her eggs.

Once there were eggs in the nest, the male became extremely aggressive.

You better not get near the nest or he will take chunks of flesh from your foot.

It was difficult to take these pictures because I literally had to steal them while running away from the male.

Click photo for full photo

We kept a vigil to see how things were progressing.

They took turns incubating the eggs and covering the tunnel.

After about three weeks, the eggs hatched.

Have a careful look at this picture and try to spot the bit of yellow fluff.

Click photo for full photo

Whenever Mum & Dad Cockatoo leave the nest, we try to get a look but you have to do it while running because Dad Cockatoo is chasing you!

Click photo for full photo

This is our 2nd lap running around the Lilly Pilly Trees..!!

Click photo for full photo

Well, I hope his mother thinks he is pretty and – eventually, I might think so, too.
But at the moment, both of them just look like pink balls with a bit of yellow fluff.

Click photo for full photo

Now…. How’s that for a true Aussie Love Story..?!!

It definitely has the aaawwwww factor..!!

I caught Dr Chris Brown aka The Bondi Vet on the outside stage at the Gold Coast Pet and Animal Expo 2010.  Here he is speaking about bathing your dog.

Did you know you can bathe your dog too much ?  Do you know why your dog rolls around after its had a bath ?  Have a listen!

Did you attend the Gold Coast Animal and Pet Expo 2010 ?  Did you catch Dr Chris Brown ?  Find what he had to say informative ?  What did you like about the Expo the most ?

Tess (Left) + Kimba (Right) | Photo by Vanessa | © Gold Coast Pet Sitting - All rights reserved

From Vanessa (The Owner):

1 – My clients (the dogs) always have a positive attitude !

2 – Plenty of the pet parents have commented on my slender frame – this is because my “job” keeps me fit !  At the same time, do not underestimate my strength.

3 – I love making Marnie jealous !

4 – I’m a forever student amongst the animals.  Animals are the best teachers and listeners in the world.

5 – My love for all the animals in my care and life is endless and it is returned ten-fold.

Connor (Left) + Tosh (Right) | Photo by Francy | © Gold Coast Pet Sitting - All rights reserved

From Francy:

1 – It’s not work, it’s going out for a play with my four-legged friends

2 – A dog’s tail wag is not fake and wider than any human’s smile !

3 – Your “customers” are always happy to see you

4 – Because walking, running, playing and laughing keeps you very healthy

5 – As a professional pet sitter I get to “hang out” with a great variety of all kinds of animals and also discover some great hidden walks, lakes and forests on the Gold Coast !

By Ebrown

Many people feel that they are limited in their choices for the pets they can own when it comes to apartment living. The pet shouldn’t be too large, noisy, smelly, annoying, etc. However, people with this idea are not thinking outside of the box. Come on people! Expand that mind and just think about all of the small furry (and not-so-furry) creatures that could bring fun and joy to your life.

First, one of my favorite animals for apartment living is the classic kitty cat. I am partial to cats because I like my independence, which is something they cherish also. That’s not to say dogs aren’t wonderful – they are super fun to cuddle with and make you feel happier when you’re sad. However, cats have an advantage on dogs for apartment living as they are generally smaller, make less noise, and don’t have to be let out to do their business. Another plus for cats: you can leave for a whole day and not worry that they’re going to starve or pee all over your carpet.

Now bear with me on this one: I love rats. I know, it sounds nasty, but from every rat owner I’ve ever listened to, they are amazing pets! Despite the reputation of being dirty animals, rats are actually quite clean and affectionate pets. They are social animals, so having two of them (preferably the same sex) will keep them happy and provide you with entertainment! Rats are a little larger than mice, so they are easier to hold and with human interaction, they are sure to be a friendly critter.

On the flip side, a few pets I am NOT fond of (although I hear they make good apartment pets):

• Snakes (not because they’re “scary”, but because they eat my friend mouse and just lie there for the most part)

• Fish (they do not provide me with enough entertainment)

• Birds (so loud and messy, way too annoying for me)

• Ferrets (although they can be quite funny to watch, I’ve had personal bad experiences with one evil ferret…and they smell disgusting!)

So there you have it. My suggestions for some fun critters to liven up your life. Let us know what type of animals you have found to make awesome pets, send pictures of your sweet cuddle bugs in, or disagree and argue me with the animals I have chosen!

Article Source: Articles Engine

It’s Friday the 13th !!  *que scary music*

Do you believe black cats are bad luck or good luck ?

Have you shared your life with a black cat or cats ?  Tell us your story !

I’ve shared my life with many black cats and quite a few mostly black cats. I would say they were more Good Luck than bad. Well, I felt blessed by having them in my life.

The earliest black cat I shared my life with was Pixie.  She was a slender black cat that had this “thing” about sucking one of her nipples. She was named Pixie because when we (my family) bought her she was quite a small girl !  Then she grew up … and well she wasn’t so small!

The next black cat I remember was only a kitten named Blackie.  Blackie loved to follow me around my street.  This was back in the days when the Gold Coast wasn’t so populated and there were only 5 houses on where is now quite a populated area and street.  There was bushland at the end of the street (at the time) which you had to exit my street and cross a road to reach.  It was a white car and a “crack” I’ll remember for the rest of my life.  It is also why I’m intolerant of people having an outdoor cat (and will keep my own cat or cats inside as much as possible or only outside under supervision).

Another one…  yet she wasn’t full black because was more a dark brindle colour (black with tortoiseshell markings)… Bibs.  I grew up with this cat.  She lived to a ripe ol’ age of 14 years before I had to help her transition to The Rainbow Bridge.  I’ll remember Bibs for the rest of my life as she shared my teenage years and young adult-hood with me. She was my best friend.

Puddy * RIP *

Then last but not least was Puddy.  He came into my life via my flatmate at the time.  He was also already around 3 years of age.  He was also the nemesis to my cat, Bibs.  They did NOT like each other.  He liked Bibs however Bibs only “tolerated” him because she “had” to do so ! *lol*  He had some affectionate nicknames such as Hungry Hungry Hippo (in relation to his love of food), Darth Puddy or Darth Fat (in relation to his special breathing and snoring), Satan’s Familiar (as much as he was love-able, there was just something mischievous/evil about him *lol*)….  and the list goes on.

Thanks to Puddy I learnt how to “give shots” as he ended up being diabetic (needing twice daily insulin injections).  Near the end of his life, he was three quarters blind as well (thus giving me experience with nearly blind animals).

Now I share my life with Marnie who is a mostly black with white cat.  You can learn more about Marnie through my website.

www.rspcacupcakeday.com.au

Grab your favourite recipe, dust off your chef’s hat and get your mixer ready for the sweetest event of the year – Cupcake Day for the RSPCA 2010, Monday 16th August.Cupcake Day for the RSPCA is the biggest bakeoff in the Southern Hemisphere and involves Cupcake Cooks around Australia baking cupcakes and hosting a Cupcake Party to raise vital funds for the RSPCA.
With less than one month to go till the big day, it’s time to start organising your very own Cupcake Party.

Click here to register now!

Don’t bake or simply too busy?

Shingle Inn has made it easy for anyone to get involved in RSPCA Cupcake Day celebrations, by offering a delicious range of Paws Patty Cakes available for order or purchase in-store from  14 – 16 August 2010.  Shingle Inn will once again donate a portion of funds raised from the sale of the RSPCA inspired Patty Cakes and Butter Cakes to help support RSPCA Qld’s next big fundraiser!

To download an order form, click here.

With thanks to a heap of suggestions from our Gold Coast Pets community facebook page – Boy #1 is close to getting a name !

Please help give me a name - click on my photo to vote - Photo courtesy of Gold Coast Guinea Pig Rescue

Here are the suggested names for the above (Boy #1) Guinea Pig:

Place a vote for your favourite name from the above suggestions by either CLICKING HERE or post a comment below

Roll Call !!

Marnie (mother cat)

Blue + White Kitten… Bailey

White Tortie Kitten… Bella

Black Kitten… Morpheus

Black Tortie Kitten… Mizery

This is video was originally shot in 2008 when I was a foster carer for the Animal Welfare League QLD.  As is detailed on my website, this is how my current adopted cat, Marnie entered my life.

These are her children.

This is one of my favourite movies I took of her and her children. They all had just finished suckling.

Enjoy xox