Summer 2018

Bubbles celebrated her twelvth birthday this July and for her birthday received a very exciting bottle of blowing bubbles. She loves playing at patting the bubbls and watching them float to the ground and always makes funny little "nang nang" miaows.

Here she is receiving her birthday card. The envelope was stuffed full of Whiskas Chicken and Cheese....

A few days later, Bubbles was discovered staring seriously into the mirror - i.e. dropping very unsubtle hints that I should blow some bubbles for her to play with!

This summer was the hottest on record since the drought of 1976 which my parents experienced during their wedding and honeymoon. I was not yet born, however, apparently the summer of 2018 gave 1976 a good run for its money. It has been blisteringly hot here in the UK. With yellow and brown lawns across the country and nobody wearing a jumper or coat from the start of May until October.

Personally, I adore the heat. Bubbles has not seemed particularly affected by the soaring temperatures. The only real difference in her behaviour was that she slept less on our bed and more on the floor - as well as spending time during the day lounging around on the wooden laminate floor which was nice and cool for her.

The summer additionally signified a very exciting event in our family.... The addition of a new fur baby....

Scruffy is a Lunkarya Guinea Pig who came to us as a little twelve week old baby with the curliest hair you've ever seen!

Bubbles at first was unsure what to make of our new furry friend but has soon got used to his funny squeaks and noises. When Scruffy is zooming around his cage, Bubbles looks in haughtily as if to say "What's all the commotion?" Especially when bits of hay are flying about everywhere!

Usually she just likes to watch Scruffy when he is playing or eating.Scruffy likes to watch Bubbles too and if one gets a treat I make sure the other one has a treat too.

Recently, Scruffy has had some medicine. He is a very sweet and mild mannered lad and let me give him the medicine mixed with water in a syringe. Although he clearly didn't like it and yanked his head back startled whenever the syringe loomed, he still took it nicely and got lots of peppers and other veggie treats as his reward for being a brave boy with his medicine.

Usually, Bubbles is nowhere to be found at the slightest whiff of medicine from the vets, but because it wasn't for her, she desperately wanted it and got on my knee - queueing up to try to have some. Of course I did not give her any medicine not intended for her but made sure she had lots of extra Whiskas Chicken and Cheese treats so she would not feel left out.

Scruffy is very chatty and talkative and although cats and guinea pigs obviously do not communicate in the same language, Scruffy seems to be chatting in a friendly way towards Bubbles as he watches her.