Well the Tavern has reached its capacity, so Sarah123 and I have decided that it's time we had a forum menagerie. This is a sanctuary for animals, and a great place for all the animal lovers to come to unwind after (before, or during) a busy day.

Fido, Biggles, Ammy and Ludwig will of course still be living at their home, the Tavern, where they are well liked by the regulars.

Our fist resident in this sanctuary is Johann Sebastian, Sarah's Easter bunny, but there's lots more space here for new residents and Johann Sebastian will need some company.

These little fellows look in need of a good home too.

Aww. Do they have names, Petrat?

I've brought some nice juicy dandelions for the bunny and some cucumber for the rats (mine loved them!!)

Aw sweet. What are they called?

They look rather like my old pal Ratner. So Ratner 2 and Ratner 3 perhaps?

Thank you Dawn.

Hi Ratners 2 and 3!

This is a little friend of mine who I like to call Oliver. He's quite a sad little penguin but is getting better with some TLC. He'd like to stay with some other animals here, as long as there's some water he can swim in.

I have a feeling Oliver will love the pond, Miss Ross

Nice juicy fish Oliver?

THese two are looking for somewhere warm.

Hello Oliver.

We'll make a nice tub and enclosure for him, Floss, so that he can swim whenever he wants.

Tomorrow, I'll nip into the DIY store SueHM set up and see if I can get a little shower for him. Penguins like those.

That's a lovely cat and dog, The Old Lady, do they have names?

I should now offer some dog and cat food....

biccies anyone? meat? fish? Fruit? veg?

(Fills a few bowls)


That should keep any new arrivals happy for a while.


There's water too.

Thanks Dawn.

Just as well that we have a hundred acre site here. How kind of those National Lottery poeple to fund it all.

I wonder if any of our lovely new residents like music? My old cat used to love my flute (although she hated the piccolo) and she liked my cello enough to try and eat its strings!

It is kind for them to fund it isn't it. It should offer a good place for all the stressed-out music teachers to come to unwind - as well as being good for the animals.

Hi Flossie. I'm Beverley
I think they are called Bill and Ben. They are too young to realize they aren't supposed to like each other
What a lovely place to be with all these animals.

Which is which?

Bill is the dog and Ben is the cat. I love ginger cats, and labs, and spaniels, and German Shepherds.

Meet Igor

Ben was the name of my old ginger cat. She was lovely (and yes, she was a female ginger cat - we didn't name her). She adopted us because she liked my flute so much.

Edit: I want her back again. I've just realised I still miss her even though she died years ago...

Hi Bill, Ben and Igor.

I love Igor. He looks a wise old thing.

Well, seeing as we have so much ground, I would like you to meet ...Trevor

Hi Trevor I hope you're not sitting on Oliver!

Igor and Trevor are great.

I've always like elephants and turtles.

I hope Trevor won't spray Oliver and upset him.

Igor isn't a turtle!

He's a tortoise!

Oh. Umm. I don't think I know what the difference is...

No..they're good pals already...

I think that the other two padding along behind him probably do. Do we get to keep all of them?

Turtles live in the sea an have flippers...



Antonio is a turtle



Only if you can think of names for them

Antonio is gorgeous. Should we get some fish to go in the tank with her, like you get at the Sealife centres? Or would she eat the fish?

Antonio is a man

I'm sure he would love some fishy friends though.

I love both.
We had a tortoise called, ahem Speedy.
She was so pretty, with a pale shell and dark hexagons. I had her for 10 years. When I went away to darkest Birmingham to train at 18, I gave her to the neighbour's daughter, and she died the following winter
I miss my cat too. Scamper died 4 years ago. He was a large ginger tom.

Right, the other two tortoises are called Rudolph and Ivan. They have just revealed their names to me.

Is Rudolf the one on the left?

Did they flash open their raincoats??

No, they whispered gently as tortoises are wont to do.

Nice Do they speak English or Welsh?

They talk tortoise!

What a lot of lovely animals.

Awww....cuteness unlimited!....

This is Frank. He likes cuddles

Are you sure Frank likes cuddles, BB2?

He looks a bit scary...

Aaargghh, tiger!

Big teeth, big roar...

*runs*

Don't worry, Barry.

I've made sure his enclosure is really secure. BB2 reared him as a pet tiger, and says that he like cuddles, so hopefully he'll be okay.

*phew*

Cool!!! I like tigers! GRRRrrrrrrrr! (But don't expect me to feed him )


Reminds me of a tale I heard as a kid (true story) A boy visited a zoo with his mum. They were wanting volunteers for the tiger show. They needed a volunteer to put their head in the mouth of a tiger Much to his mum's horror this child volunteered. (I'd freak out if it was one of mine!!) All was fine much to mum's relief when he removed his head from said tiger's mouth PHEW

.... The kid was bit by a dog on the way home!!!!!

Swear it's true!! It was someone my Mum knew of.

*Gives Frank a big cuddle and a scratch behind the ear*

Don't know what everyone's worried about! He's a big softy