Slightly surreally, I am sitting in work with a tortoise in a box under my desk... Went to feed him this morning but he was in the middle of the lawn rather than in his pen so I think one of our neighbourhood foxes must have got to him last night and then dropped him. I thought he was dead initially but he is moving now - just perhaps shaken, traumatised and overly cold away from the shrubbery. So brought him to work with the intention of taking him to the vet practice attached to the University where I work only for them to say they don't "do exotics." Have now got a lunchtime appointment for another vets! He seems to be coming out of his shell now, so fingers crossed he's OK, but there are distinct teeth scratches on his shell!

Goodness, poor wee thing - hope he recovers soonest!

*pictures fox shaking its head "Good grief, this pie's a bit too tough even for my fangs!"*

The vet thought that he was fine and DID NOT CHARGE A CONSULTATION FEE!!!!! The tortoise just was suffering a bit from shock and had got over cold so he's had a lukewarm bath and will be brought in from the garden overnight for the next few nights to keep him warm and whilst we contemplate how we can protect him in the future. We've had foxes for years as did my parents-in-law with whom he previously lived without any such problems, so I don't know why one would take a shine to him now. Still, I suspect the 'hard meat pie' possibly did more damage to the fox's teeth than vice versa!

Oh that's good news on two counts, chattie - thanks for the update!

Good news. Husband points out it could've been a dog, rather than a fox, which could explain the sudden change in habit.

What a nice vet! And yay that the tortoise is ok!

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"And I'm sure there was blood in the gutter from somebody's head, or else it was the sunset in a puddle."

Less likely, I think. I've never seen a stray dog in the garden but see at least one of our two foxes most days. There was one morning last year when I saw the male standing with his front paws on the edge of the pen staring intently at Wilf. He occasionally sniffed at him and then jumped back a bit. I think Wilf then moved slightly and the fox freaked out and went running off. I think we're just going to have to be a bit less tolerant of the foxes coming so close to the house and bang on the window to scare them off, which is a shame as they fascinate me. I have at least persuaded SLOC that he can't fill in the foxhole at the bottom of the garden, especially as we think they might be a breeding pair...

Updated to say: Definitely a breeding pair - we saw a cub at the weekend!

I was woken up by the noise in the garden this morning, and am now drinking tea and enjoying the sight (and sound) of ten shrieking baby starlings being fed by three harassed adults. One of the babies has just flown to the top of the bird feeder in exactly the wiggly way Woodstock flies in the Peanuts cartoons

Funny to think how much I would be objecting if it were ten shrieking children at six o'clock on a Sunday morning!

Here it's galumphing 9-week-old black and white kittens - Primrose and Wizard. Their pregnant mum was abandoned by a busy roadside (some people are such beasts) and they came to us a couple of weeks ago from our local animal welfare charity. Up till now we've kept them in the dining room with a half-gate across the door while they got used to things and Her Majesty the Tilly-puss gets used to them*, and this morning they had both made it to the top of the gate and jumped down. Adieu to peace and quiet...but they are rather fun, of course!

* Lots of staring and washing and looking away, but no outright hostilities. Paws crossed!

Photos, immediately!

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Someone cooking meat at the den of the fox said, "We do not mention this in front of the mongoose." Sumerian proverb

Outskirts Of The Twenties: Polari

Non-CS fic: Late Back (Good Omens)

Echoes cry for photos.....

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Cestina's dolls houses - Curtain Up!

Oh, Noreen, you've got two Abby pusses. She was a black and white, and I can just picture them. Love their names, and yes, would also love some photos.

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"It takes a long time to live what you learn." May Sarton

OK, link to photos here - there are others either side of this shot.

So yes, Mary, Primrose/ Rosie is indeed an Abby puss - but I think Wizard must be part pine-marten!

Oh fabulous photos Noreen! I am almost jealous....

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Cestina's dolls houses - Curtain Up!

Aaaaaah - I want to give them a cuddle!

Too cute!

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"And I'm sure there was blood in the gutter from somebody's head, or else it was the sunset in a puddle."

Oh yes, extreeemly cute. As cute as a very cute thing!

Unfortunately they both currently have upset digestive systems, needing seemingly endless cooking of fresh food and a fair bit of mopping up of litter trays and floor, which is, well, a bit less cute. Their immature innards are probably wonky because of (a) all the changes (they've come from a small, dark, cosy flat with not just their own mother and three siblings but at least three other friendly older cats to wash them and sleep with them) and (b) they and Tilly are still sorting out their relationship, though progress is definitely being made. Tilly has to put up with not just what she perceives as invasion of her space, food and humans, but some curtailment of her freedom: she's always been an outdoor cat, and loves to spend half the night out round the parish (coming in dew-fresh at four in the morning and landing on you as you sleep ). She currently has to be let out by one of us (though she can get back in by herself) as the kittens are not allowed out till they've had their second set of immunisation in a few weeks' time - and I rather think we'll be keeping them all in at night till the autumn at least.

awwww they're gorgeous! I want to reach into the screen and pet them

Hopefully they'll all do better than Maud and Polly... when Polly arrived Maud spend three days hissing and spitting at not only her but us and her brother too, and now - a couple of years on - they're grand as long as they don't come within a metre of each other, or else more hissing and spitting from both!

We have three black unrelated cats in the neighbourhood - two neutered males and one neutered female - they all get on very well together but woe betide any tabby or tortoiseshell that comes near ..........................

When I shared a house in Spain with someone who had a cat, I was regularly woken up in the summer in the early hours, by Guillermo landing on my bed in the early hours. Closing the window was not an option, because it was so hot during the day!

There are 3 different black and white cats who frequent my garden, all presumably belonging to neighbours. I have seen two of them there at the same time. I think they may be neutered toms as they don't fight, although they are a bit wary of each other.

Since my grass had a much-needed cut last week, there is nowhere for them to hide from each other!

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''He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot