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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2005Visit to PetCo (OT)
While on our trip, John (my LLL) and I were driving around checking things out. We passed a PetCo and I said, "I want to go in and look at the little critters." He said, "You'll just want to take them all home!" Well, yeah, but I know I can't so hush! So we went in. First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was drinking from a water bottle. Was *I* the one who stopped to say "Awwwww" ? Nope; it was John! "Awww, look, he's drinking from the bottle!" LOL He asked me, "How do they know to do that?" Heck, I don't know. My aunt Winifred had a rabbit that was housebroken and used a litter box. I don't know how the rabbit knew that. Then he exclaimed, "Look at these little ferrets!" He walked all around the cages with the mice and the rats and the hamsters and the guinea pigs. Some of those guinea pigs were *big*, too! Like half the weight of Persia! Yikes! There was a really pretty one that was like an orange tabby with a white 'collar'... so pretty! Big guinea pig! And here John was worried about *me* wanting to take them all home! LOL He was totally enthralled! Snakes, toads, okay. He's not a snake & toad guy. We got back to where the birds are. This particular PetCo had them in a glass enclosure like a gazebo but you could walk in and look at them in their cages. Tons of finches, different kinds. Bee-bee-bee-bee! The noise they make! Two cages of parakeets all sitting in a row. I showed him how you can tell the difference between a baby parakeet and a slightly older one. They didn't have any lovebirds; they did have some pretty cockatiels. The cages for the larger parrots were empty and marked "I'm sold!" I sure hope the people who bought them know how to take care of them, whatever they were. They had goldfish in a tank and my first comment was "there are way too many fish in that tank". Like goldfish are second class citizens. When I was 13 I had a goldfish named Micheal who lived for 9 years, so *there*! They had some nice saltwater fish, and salt water aquariums are pretty but are so much work. It's worse than maintaining a swimming pool so I'll never have one. John had hoped we'd see some dogs and cats. The sign said the adoption hours were from 1-4 so I said nope, they won't bring them in until later. We saw some funny little mice and hamsters running on those wheels. Who decided rodents like wheels? And why do they? They were really going at it. Are they health nuts?! Ladies and gentlemen: next the mouse will demonstrate the thigh-master! LOL They were all too cute. We had a fun time wandering around the shop and it really was a good thing we didn't see any kitties or dogs who needed to be adopted. It's too sad and we can't do this right now. Going to bed with Persia, now. She's glad I'm home and I think Peaches is glad to be home, too. Purrs for all in need of them. Jill >First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was drinking from >a water bottle. Was *I* the one who stopped to say "Awwwww" ? Nope; it was >John! "Awww, look, he's drinking from the bottle!" LOL He asked me, "How >do they know to do that?" Heck, I don't know. I've sometimes wondered that myself. They just know! When I get a new litter of mice, I always worry and fret over them when they're weaned. Is the water bottle too high for them? I had it set at adult height. Do they know what it's for? Maybe the ball bearing inside is too heavy for their baby tongues? Maybe I should give them a dish of water... Maybe I should give them bread soaked in milk... And so on. But they always figure it out. >> First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was >> drinking from a water bottle. Was *I* the one who stopped to say [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > water... Maybe I should give them bread soaked in milk... And so on. > But they always figure it out. Amazing, isn't it? And who figured out mice, hamsters, etc. like to run in those little wheel things? We saw this little black mouse, I swear Tak, he (she?!) could have been training for a marathon. That tiny mouse was going 90 MPH (that's mice miles per hour!) and we just stood there for the longest time, fascinated. That little mouse would have beaten a hamster in a 3 minute mile no problem :) Jill >Amazing, isn't it? And who figured out mice, hamsters, etc. like to run in >those little wheel things? We saw this little black mouse, I swear Tak, he >(she?!) could have been training for a marathon. That tiny mouse was going >90 MPH (that's mice miles per hour!) and we just stood there for the longest >time, fascinated. That little mouse would have beaten a hamster in a 3 >minute mile no problem :) They don't have the big personalities of dogs, cats, birds, or ferrets, but they are surely small and cute, and they have their own ways, and they're never any trouble to take care of. I don't quite understand their thing with wheels either, but they're extremely acrobatic, and are natural climbers, which is probably the behavior they're exhibiting on their little wheels. It's funny to watch a bunch of them mob a wheel when they're little. They climb all over both the outside and inside, try to move the wheel in opposite directions, and do all sorts of crazy things. >>Amazing, isn't it? And who figured out mice, hamsters, etc. like to run in >>those little wheel things? We saw this little black mouse, I swear Tak, he [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >over both the outside and inside, try to move the wheel in opposite >directions, and do all sorts of crazy things. I understand that rats are very amiable creatures when domesticated. I think a lot of people would probably need a lot of convincing, though. :O Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > I understand that rats are very amiable creatures when domesticated. Apparently they're pretty smart, too. A friend of mine had a pet rat (with a very original name: "Ratty". :)) He used to hang out on her shoulder and hide out behind her long hair, occasionally peeking out from between her locks. She had quite a few cats, too. Some of them were allowed in Ratty's room (the bedroom) because they were safe around him - they knew he was family, not food. :) But some of the cats were definitely barred from the premises. Joyce > I don't quite understand their thing with wheels either, but they're > extremely acrobatic, and are natural climbers, which is probably the > behavior they're exhibiting on their little wheels. I don't know about mice, but in the wild hamsters can roam up to 3 miles every night, so I suppose the wheel should allow them exercise of a similarly extensive nature in the confines of a cage. Deb.  Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield >>First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was drinking >>from [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > water... Maybe I should give them bread soaked in milk... And so on. > But they always figure it out. I used to breed mice once upon a time and show them too. Do you have mouse shows in the USA? Tweed >I used to breed mice once upon a time and show them too. Do you have mouse >shows in the USA? Oooooh, you showed mice? I don't know of any mouse shows here, but it's possible that they have them. I've been fascinated by the variety of seemingly random and endless colors and patterns that fancy mice end up being born in, so I can see the attraction. If you breed some of those mice, each little must be like receiving a new bag of marbles. >>I used to breed mice once upon a time and show them too. Do you have >>mouse [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > some of those mice, each little must be like receiving a new bag of > marbles. <g> Well, I certainly enjoyed them. I used to keep a notebook of what pairings produced the best winners over time, father and mother, number of babies born, outcome, sort of a pedigree. Have a look at this site: http://www.nationalmouseclub.co.uk/ Tweed ex-mouse fancier > "Takayuki" <Takayuki9z@yahoo.com> wrote in message > > I used to breed mice once upon a time and show them too. Do you have mouse > shows in the USA? > > Tweed No! I have never heard of a mouse show. What's it like? I sure am partial to guinea pigs though. They are just the cutest things. The longhaired ones look like little dust mops. Sherry >> "Takayuki" <Takayuki9z@yahoo.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Sherry I've never heard of a mouse show, either. I love guinea pigs! When John and I were in Kansas earlier this year we went to dinner at the home of one of his patrons. They had bought their two pre-teen boys a guinea pig. Of course the boys lost interest so the poor guinea pig was relegated to a glass fish-tank type cage in the upstairs master bedroom. It was the sweetest thing and I felt so sorry for it, sitting up there all alone. The man, Steve, took it out of the cage and I wanted to hold it. He said, "Oh, he bites!" Nonsense! I took the fuzzy little critter and it nibbled on the ends of my hair, then it licked my cheek and I swear it PURRED! Steve was astounded! John said, "Animals just love her." :) I really wanted to spirit it away from its exile to the upstairs. Jill >>> "Takayuki" <Takayuki9z@yahoo.com> wrote in message >>> [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >love her." :) I really wanted to spirit it away from its exile to the >upstairs. They do make a whirring noise when they're happy. They also whistle, when they are less so. ;) You've seen the guinea pig song, of course, haven't you? Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War > I've never heard of a mouse show, either. Well, you have now! It happens in America too, apparently ;-) Have a look at all these lovely show mice at http://www.fancymice.info/whymice.htm Tweed >> "Takayuki" <Takayuki9z@yahoo.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > No! I have never heard of a mouse show. What's it like? It's great! They are all pure breed mice bred as near as we can get to the standard of excellence and hope for the best on the day. They all have to be in their own little box, called a Maxey, which are all identical. This is so that there is no chance of the judge letting his friends win ;-) it's impossible to know which mouse belongs to who, so there can be no phone call the night before saying "My mouse will be the one in the box with a blue lid and a red mark on the back of it and if you give me best in show, I'll do the same for you next time I judge." > I sure am partial to guinea pigs though. They are just the cutest > things. The longhaired ones look like little dust mops. I've bred and showed those too. It's in my genes. My grandfather bred and showed exhibition rabbits. I did that as well.. Tweed > First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was drinking > from a water bottle. Was *I* the one who stopped to say "Awwwww" ? > Nope; it was John! "Awww, look, he's drinking from the bottle!" LOL > He asked me, "How do they know to do that?" Heck, I don't know. It's basic to all mammals, I would think. We're born knowing what a nipple (or anything that functions like a nipple) is for. :) Joyce > > First thing as we entered were some rabbits. One of them was > drinking > from a water bottle. Was *I* the one who stopped to say [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Joyce I suppose so, although the water bottles don't have nipples on them... they are just metal tubes hanging from a jar on the cage. I suppose the same instinct takes over. It's cute, though. Jill > While on our trip, John (my LLL) and I were driving around checking things > out. We passed a PetCo and I said, "I want to go in and look at the little > critters." He said, "You'll just want to take them all home!" Well, yeah, > but I know I can't so hush! So we went in. <snip> The goldfish were probably feeders. -L. >> While on our trip, John (my LLL) and I were driving around checking >> things out. We passed a PetCo and I said, "I want to go in and look [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > The goldfish were probably feeders. > -L. Probably so, but they were very pretty. Didn't see a tank of guppies which I tend to think of as feeders. At any rate, the rodents and birds were more interesting and more fun than the fish! Jill > Probably so, but they were very pretty. Didn't see a tank of guppies which > I tend to think of as feeders. At any rate, the rodents and birds were more > interesting and more fun than the fish! > > Jill I love the salt water tanks but when I think about how the fish are taken from the reefs and how many die in transport, they just don't look as pretty to me anymore. At least the birds and rodentia are captive-bred - but then again, why pay to breed when so many need to be rescued? BTW, I met a rexcued Senegal Parrot the other day that was absolutely delightful. He talked a bit and was extremely social. The breed is definitely a possibility for DS "someday". -L. |
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