To celebrate the acquisition of Florence and Emily, two new lawnmowing elements guinea pigs, I thought I should set out the full dramatis personae at the Maison Des Girrafes. Being as this is pet porn a science blog, I felt I should do this in the approved, zoological fashion.
So, here goes.
PHYLUM CHORDATA
SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
CLASS AMPHIBIA
Rana temporaria, common frog
Mr and Mrs Jeremy Fisher
CLASS REPTILIA
Elaphe guttata, American corn snake
Sid
CLASS AVES
Gallus gallus, chicken
Charlie and Lola (Pekin bantams)
Hermione and Luna (Polish bantams)
CLASS MAMMALIA
ORDER RODENTIA
Cavia porcellus, guinea pig
Bubble and Squeak
Consuela y Juanita
Florence and Emily
Mesocricetus auratus, Syrian hamster
Nippy and Zippy
ORDER LAGOMORPHA
Oryctolagus cuniculus, rabbit
Beelzebun Demon Bunny of DOOM
ORDER CARNIVORA
Felis catus, cat
Marmite and Fred
Canis familiaris, dog
Heidi
ORDER ARTIODACTYLA
Sus scrofa, pig
Peggy and Poppy
Giraffa camelopardalis unicyclans, unicycling girrafe (not allowed beyond this point).
I am so jealous! You are lucky you don’t have a Personus allergicus [to animal hair] in your establishment.
I kept many of these species when I was younger—but also loads and loads of mice, plus the odd shrew and vole rescued from the cats et al. Those were the days.
The funny thing is, I do have a Personus allergicus – Mrs Gee is quite strongly allergic to cats, mildly so to guinea pigs to and straw bedding in which they live. However, Marmite and Fred are orientals, whose hair is less allergenic that the hair of regular mogs. Fred is a pure-bred Oriental Lilac, and Mramite is a Burmese Cross (cross? she was furious). And the guinea pigs live outside.
We’re about to take delivery of two more chickens…
One of the Beast’s Special Skills is raising allergies, which did not go down well with the boyfriend of his former servant.
I would blog about his latest exploits with the birds, but he’s presently exhibiting another of his Special Skills – sitting on people.
None of our animals are there for purely ornamental purposes (though I’d stretch a point for the hamsters). Marmite the cat was good at pest control in her day (she’s now retired) and Fred’s job description is Mobile Self-Warming Hot-Water Bottle. Whatever they say about pets cheering people up, especially if they are ill—it’s all true.
I’d take tips on outdoor-living guinea pigs. I’m about twice as allergic as Mrs. Gee seems to be, but of course my kids are after me to get something furry (and I wouldn’t mind, myself). We have a bunch of neighborhood cats who come by for a meal, though; won’t they get territorial? And what happens when the weather is inclement?
Jack does the hot water bottle thing too. The sofa is very appreciative.
I finally got round to describing the latest news from the balcony.
@ Bob: He’s a lovely cat. I think the birds just want to admire his handsomeness.
@ Heather: guinea pigs live outside, but in enclosed hutches or runs (like the EcoMo™) where cats can’t get at them. Mrs Gee isn’t allegic to the GPs as such – more the straw they live in, which makes her sneeze (we use a kind of straw that’s had most of the dust sucked out of it first, which is, allegedly, less sneezy); and the GPs’ urine, which one comes across while the GPs are cleaned. However, Mrs Gee has a
gardenerslavehusband who can be persuaded, for pathetically small inducements, to do the cleaning. But rabbits are also goodlawnmowerspets, and tend to be brighter than GPs (not difficult).