Posted by Smartarse
on Fri 18 Feb 05, 12:02 AM to Smartarse's blog.
Found myself in the wonderful world of Wyevale this afternoon. I was taken places I'd never been before, like the pet corner and the aquatic section.
Pet corner was interesting. Stood for quite a while looking at the dog collars and leads, the cages, baskets and dog kennels. Some of the baskets and kennels looked quite spacious. There must be some very big pets around to need baskets that size.
I saw some balls of fluff in cages. If you saw one running round your skirting board you'd be straight on to the council. But apparently these are pets. Syrian hamsters they were. Loners apparently. The Russian hamsters and Chinese can live together quite happily but the Syrians are bastards - they don't get on with anyone.
Apparently March the 6th is Mothers Day. So get down to Wyevale to get your potted plant with ribbon round it. Or your teddy bear that microwaves and turns into a hot bottle. Or your tea-light in a glass vase full of coloured gravel. Or your 5litre bag of Gromore.
The aquatic section was gurgley. On every aisle there was a boy with a net, I imagine, there to scoop at the first sign of any fish floating on the surface. I didn't see any upsidedowners so I reckon they'd been busy. There were signs everywhere saying 'don't tap on the glass - it scares the fish.' It had never occured to me to tap the glass until I saw the signs and then I really wanted to, but the boys with nets were everywhere and I didn't want to end up feeding the pirahnas. I saw an eel-like thing sticking out of a hole in a rock like a cartoon worm in an apple. It was mouthing something but I couldn't read its lips. It could have been 'get me out I'm stuck' but he was no good at forming syllables.
Another tank had a fish like a big red preying mantice. It was probing an opening in the top of a little shell with its pincers. It looked like it had lost its car keys in its handbag.
There were tiny turtles in another tank. They were cute but 30 quid each and they didn't do much. They just sat on a rock looking cute. If I spent thirty quid on a turtle I'd want it to be able to do at least one trick for that sort of dosh. And I don't mean impersonating a tortoise, or sliding off the rock. I mean fetching a stick or riding a skateboard or something.
I've always wanted an aquarium, ever since I was a kid. Now I know you can't tap on the glass I've lost interest a bit. Can't see the point of owning a pet that doesn't know you exist. But I like the stuff you can put in them and believe me, sunken galleon technology has moved on a bit since my youth. You can practically have the whole set of the Pirates of The Carribean in miniature in your fish tank. Or Lord of the Rings if you prefer. Maybe I should just get the tank without the fish.
Moved on, but after the gurgling excitement of the aquatic section, the display of watering cans was pretty tame. So we left.
| 18 Feb 05, 12:34 AM MissyG UK(MK), 8 yrs   |
I hate those lil fukkas, they nip & hang on | ||
| 18 Feb 05, 12:49 AM virgindom UK, 7 yrs |
If you had a cat, you could watch them being brought in, chased around a bit, then mostly devoured. Nothing to worry about there (apart from cleaning up the odd blood stain and squidgy bits). | ||
| 18 Feb 05, 6:44 AM tryst UK, 8 yrs |
a hoover works well (i had one - hamster not hoover - er, i still do have a hoover - and it went for my neck literally, everytime i went to stroke it or get it out the cage little twat) so up the fekkin hoover tube i say...
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| 18 Feb 05, 7:17 AM anomie UK, 12 yrs |
Good to see so many animal lovers among us - I reckon that a hamster is an animal that wants to roam free - not be stuck in a cage with wheels and such or in one of those hamster balls. Thus you let him out of the cage and he gets his revenge where he can! To be honest I feel much the same myself after a day at work - alas biting and holding on is less acceptable in a grown woman! xx | ||
| 18 Feb 05, 7:28 AM Tooddles UK(BS), 7 yrs |
Nooooooooo noooooooooooooooooo Hamsters get bad press... i have 3 Chineese hammies.. i started with 2 *female* ones, and ended up with 2 babies... (try to explain that to a 5 year old). They have never bitten me or my daughter, and they are just too cute to watch.. The only thing that drives me mad about them, is there dam running around and around in those stupid wheels, and not letting me watch tele in peace.. Lovessssss my hammies k xxxxx
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| 18 Feb 05, 2:51 PM subsumed UK, 11 yrs |
I don't have a good track record with hamsters. I still feel a sense of shame when I remember how I was responsible for my daughter's second hamster drowning in a casserole I had left to soak in the kitchen sink overnight. I couldn't bear to tell her how poor Muffin had died. I simply told her that I had found him dead that morning and I spared her the grisly details. She was only 8 at the time. Said daughter is now 18 and I decided that last year she was now mature enough to be told the truth. How did she react? She laughed! Can you believe it? I have been beating myself up over this for 9 years and she thought it was funny!!! The heartlessnes of the youth of today...... | ||
| 18 Feb 05, 10:41 PM Master_Scarpia 7 yrs £ |
Nuffin rong wiv a nice bit of 'amster...few mushrooms,drop of red wine..luvverly...
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