River Cottage

Aww. How cute. 

Thought I'd show mine off while I'm here:

 Shes a five month old Dogue de Bordeaux and we've named her titch as she was the runt of the litter.

I just went to start this as a thread JoJo but you beat me to it!! BTW are the pictures the wrong way round or is it me reading wrong (long night already!!)

So here we go with the "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" ...

Or perhaps not until I figure out how to post pictures the new way-grrr.

TopBannana

This is Shadow. He was a tiny puppy in the RSPCA Shelter in Brisbane, Australia when I found him. He was sitting all alone in the middle of a concrete run. At the front, near the wire were dozens of puppies jumping up and saying 'pick me!!' and Shadow was all alone looking depressed. I thought he was sick, so took him home in the full expectation he would die soon. But he picked up and has had a life of adventure since. We moved to New Zealand a couple of years later, and then he joined me in the UK a couple of years after that. And now he is back in Australia, living the good life and enjoying country living ...

And here he is now:

When I arrived in the UK I found myself catless for the first time in many a long year. Bob, my 19 year old cat had died shortly before i left New Zealand, and Sofie, my blue burmese, had settle in so well at the home of my friend who cared for her and Shadow that she stayed there.

So the search was on and I found an internet forum dedicated to cat rescue as well as a breeder in Chester (or just out of Chester) whose pedigreed abyssinian had had a fling with the local barn cat.

The result of this miscegination was Smidgen (and his siblings):

My genuine cheshire cat! He is quite keen on country living and is doing his best to rid the place of vermin - he had a ball during the mouse plague.

Finally Esther arrived - my little black cat. She spent her formative years in the back alleys of Dartford, Kent, where she bred an endless supply of kittens and was quite worn out with the effort. She was rescued, speyed, vaccinated and arrived at my place still lactating from her last litter. Smidgen, despite being bigger than her, though this was good and helped himself to the milk supply. And she, poor darling, let him until I showed her it was OK to say no. She still mothers him, despite him being twice her size.

Poppy Cat

Won't post a picture of our bees, even if I knew how to. They only come out to feed anyway, so not as cuddly as your pets.

Hmmmm, I'll give this one a go. The preview makes the pic massive despite resizing it on Photobucket so apologies if Jake turns out the size of a small hippo.

Aha it worked!! Anyway this is Jake, a 2 year old working cocker.

Flick, geocaching at Dancing Ledge nr Swanage. Unbelievebly she is 10 years old now but is steadfastly refusing to behave with the decorum she should at her age!

Now Ollie on the left, a 3 year old RSPCA rescue panther, and next to him Oz, a 4 year old working springer.

Success so early in the day, what WILL the rest of Tuesday bring me!!

TopBannana

It's lovely when the dogs and cats get on together isn't it. Shadow adores his Smidgen, and Smidgen pined for him while they were in quarantine ...

Our lot tolerated each other until I was very ill with depression then they all sat as close as possible touching me.  Comforting.  The house cats were OK but any which entered our garden were chased by the cocker LOL!

I'm full up with your pictures and stories.  What a joy.  Ozzi's sleek and shiney black Shadow, with Smidgen, the Cross-Abby cat.  Poppy, posing like a superstar, with Ollie & Oz, pretending to get on, well most of the time and only when Ollie says it's OK.

This all makes me think of pets long gone . . .

I particularly love Poppy-Cat, posing, beautifully with the front feet forward, and with back-end nicely angled towards the radiator.  What a smart cat.