Tell us about your pet

We’re always telling you about the quirky behaviour of our cats and dogs and for a change it would be nice to hear about your fantastic moggies and doggies.   Are they angels?   Or little rascals?   Too clever for their own good or so laid back they can’t be bothered about anything much.   We don’t have two dogs or cats who are alike.  Miss Nolene, shown here, is a feisty character and as sharp as a needle.   I’m sure she can hear a pin drop, no matter how deeply asleep she seems to be, the slightest noise and she’s up and at ’em!   Nolene is also the fussiest little creature imaginable, the food has to be just right – ‘is this meat from Sainsbury’s?’ – she won’t eat anything that isn’t ‘simply the best’.   She’s fussy about what she wears too – if the colour isn’t right or she doesn’t like the label – off it comes.   How does she get out of such well fastened coats?   Nolene’s favourite outfit is a jumper, or the sleeve of one, with leg holes cut out.   For years she wore one of Pete’s cardigan sleeves and very cute she looked in it too.

Can’t you just tell from her face what a little madam she is?    Of course, we love her to bits, even though she could take a starring role in the Princess and the Pea fairy story.    Pete was the first person Nolene trusted when she came in to the sanctuary many years ago and he was the only person she ever allowed to pick her up.   The first year with us was full of trauma and Nolene had to have a life saving operation to cure her paralysis.   After fantastic surgery at a specialist Veterinary Hospital (nearly £2,000 in total!) and her hind legs in a trolley for several months, then swimming, which she enjoyed, Miss Nolene made an almost complete recovery.   Pete was her best friend through it all and she idolized him.

Nolene is well in to middle age now and although she sometimes wants to sit on my knee, she has problems jumping up.   Has she mellowed enough for me to pick her up……. I wonder?   If you see me with a bandage on my fingers this weekend, you’ll know that it was wishful thinking!

We’d love to hear about your quirky, unusual, brave, lucky, lovable and fantastic pets – pictures too please.  Maybe we could do a book of pet stories??    (Photos need to be resized before sending please)