Nanny McFur

My mother recently purchased a canary who, using her words, "doesn't do nothing". What she means is that the canary doesn't sing. I had a chance this week to meet said canary. It really is the cutest little thing, apparently less than a year old. My 74 year old mother while cute in her own way, is very hard of hearing. She has positioned the bird's cage on the far opposite end of the living room from where she sits. From this vantage point, she cannot possible see - or hear - such a small thing.

The little bird who doesn't seem to have a name seemed very cheerful to me. It cheeps and also makes a very soft warble sound. I found this amusing and also very interesting. Amusing because hard-of-hearing mama would not be able to hear such a soft sound from across the room. Interesting because I wondered why the bird was making this sound so quietly? Was he shy? Deliberately bugging my mom?

My mom will never admit she has a hearing problem so I tried the subtle approach "Have you ever tried moving the bird to - say - I don't know - maybe closer to where you sit?" She insists everything has been tried and that some friends are suggesting she take the bird back to the breeder.

Poor nameless canary! I wanted to help so I did a bit of internet research and found the video below quite by accident. It seems that various canaries have different song types. This one is called a "Roller" and it has a very soft song - just like my mom's bird.



I haven't shared this information with my mom yet but when I do I will have to find out if cutie bird has a name and I will post a story update. Until next time - hug your animals.

Love,
Nanny

Can you set the clock by your cat as I can? Every day at close to the same time it seems they completely lose their tiny little minds and begin ripping around the house at warp speed. If you have hardwood floors as I do, this becomes particularly funny because they can't make the turns without sliding sideways. Does this slow them down? Oh no. They don't even dust themselves off, they just forge ahead.

In my house they usually start in the dining room. From there they head to one or both bedrooms where they leap over the bed or scoot under it. Leaving the bedroom they tear back down the hall through the kitchen and into the living room. This is where it gets interesting. If they decide to take the route across the floor I'm ok but if they decide to take the shortcut across all the furniture, not so much. This usually involves doing a spring jump off the end table to the back of the couch. It truly is a testament to a cat's agility that none of my things on the end table go flying.  From there it's a dive on to the cofee table which usually ends with them sliding off. Does this slow them down? Oh no. They have to continue on for at least one more lap before collapsing in exhaustion.
They settle right down as suddenly as this wild spurt began.

What a marvel cat's are! So why do they behave like this at almost the same time each day? To satisfy my own curiosity I did a bit of research on the net to see if there is a scientific explanation but couldn't find any satisfactory answers.  What do you think?

Do you have any funny stories about your own cats behaving like this? Please share them.

When pets are taken care of in the comfort of their own home, there is less stress for both you and your pet. Pets stay on their routines, eat and drink well, and sleep peacefully in their own favourite spots. There is little or no anxiety-induced destructive behaviours such as chewing on furniture, or defecating on floors. You have peace of mind knowing that your pet and your home are safe and secure.

The presence of someone in the home bringing in mail and flyers, rotating lights and taking out garbage and recyling acts as an effective deterrent for would-be home invaders. Did you know that you might also be eligible for a reduction in home owner's insurance costs?

Nanny McFur is a new pet visiting service in Brantford, Ontario specializing in cat care. I hope you will enjoy my blog as it develops.