Confessions of a behaviourist – part 1, 2 and 3

CONFESSIONS OF A BEHAVIOURIST – PART 1

People expect my pets to be perfect!

I tell them there is no such thing as the perfect pet (just as there is no such thing as the perfect human!). They don’t believe me. They think I say that just to make them feel better about their misbehaving cat/ dog/ budgie/ turtle. I wish 🙂

I have lost of pets. My life revolves around them and work fits in wherever possible. Two years ago Thunder and Lightning arrived. Yes it was a bolt, a flash and any other way you want to describe mayhem. Thunder and Lightning are two ferrets. Ferrets arrive and cats, dogs and husband are packing their bags ready to move out!

Luckily ferrets sleep around 80% of the day. The ideal pet in many ways. When they are awake they are fun, fun, fun. The rest of the time they sleep in their palatial mansion. We let them out to run around when we are home. Generally we confine them to where we can keep an eye on them and they can’t steal (Lightning likes to steal soap and hides her cache under my bed!)

Last night we let them out and the usual ferreting party began. All other pets have to be kept away from Lightning who terrorises them. Chilli dog and Thunder love to play (watch video). Suddenly it went quiet. Like little kids you worry when things go quiet…

Investigation revealed that Lightning was nowhere to be seen. The cat flap was spotted – OPEN! So Lightning had ventured into the great outdoors onto our deck and down the stairs to the garden or beyond.

I armed myself with a squeaky toy and a torch and went out into the black night. “Lightning! Lightning” I yelled. Yes I could hear the neighbours wondering what the madwoman was doing now, summing up atmospheric disturbances from the gods. Ten minutes of calling and frantic squeaking brought nothing except a very frustrated Thunder from indoors.

Next there was a knock at the door. There stood my two neighbours ferret in hand. “Yours?” they asked, already knowing what the answer would be. Apparently Lightning had turned up at their doorstep and not being a shy individual had demanded their full attention.

We were pleased to see her. Thunder was pleased to see her. You can get attached to ferrets.

Facts about ferrets

Lightning, my ferret, asleep

CONFESSIONS OF A BEHAVIOURIST – PART 2 (THE HUNTER)

OK I confess – my cats have become hunters. I think. I have yet to catch them in the act.
Well I guess they always were hunters – they are cats after all but I limited their ability to hunt. I value our native wildlife. I know cats are not native to Australia and it is frowned upon to allow your cat access to the great outdoors. In fact I even tell people how to stop their cat hunting:
• Indoor cats

That’s great until you have a population explosion of geckos. These endearing little creatures, in Sydney it is the Broad-Tailed Gecko, like to hide in crevices and cracks in sandstone and in brickwork. In other words they inhabit our house. Try telling your cats not to hunt small animals that live alongside them and wriggle and wiggle.

Geckos are expert wrigglers. Especially when they are caught. Having heads and tails that look identical makes it easy for them to drop their tails and make their escape, the wiggling tail still wriggling and jiggling under the cat’s paw (presumably, I have never seen this happen!). The escaped lizard then runs around my house, appearing when you are about to jump into bed or stepping out of the shower. Or sometimes it’s just the tail you stand on. Prickly things!
This morning I have found 4 geckos. All alive. All returned to the great outdoors.

CONFESSIONS OF A BEHAVIOURIST – PART 3 (MAD PET LADY)

As I said before, my family has two ferrets named Thunder & Lightning. These names suit their personalities as they are a storm of activity whenever they are let out of their cage (mansion!).

One night when we let them out, I forgot to shut our cat flap and they escaped outside. It was dark and I could not see them. Thunder, our large boy came back quickly, as he always does, when I squeezed a squeaky toy. Lightning was nowhere to be seen.

I got a torch and went out in my backyard yelling “Lightning, Lightning” *. OK so now my neighbours think I really am a mad pet lady!!

It turns out that Lightning had gone visiting my neighbours’ house. They brought her home, saying nothing about my nocturnal ramblings. Now we keep the cat flap shut when the ferrets are free.

* Moral of the story – be careful what you name your pets!

Confessions of a behaviourist – part 1, 2 and 3