Re: Highland Wildlife Park (including photos)

Hi KatTai

Fabulous day out along with fabulous pictures.

Thank you for sharing all your day with us here.

Love the 'Cat' one the best

wow Kezmo your cat must have been something else. Just to have a semi-wild cat, and the way you loved her as she was.  I understood that Ferral cats cannot be domesticated and that is so true

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Brenda H

KatTai, thanks so much for sharing your photographs. It is lovely to see that if these animals must be kept as captive animals, then they are kept in really excellent conditions. I just love tigers.

I agree, the animals there have plenty of space with trees, pools, logs and all kinds of things to keep them occupied.  I think they have to be rated as one of the best zoos in the UK, even if they do have only a fraction of the animals of other zoos!

Hi KatTai

Sorry to hijack your thread but just needed to say

Hi MarJus and Blacbird

This is going to sound bizarre but here goes. The only time I ever got to stroke her properly was the night before she died.  I found she had got into one of the spare rooms and was sprawled out on the bed (she never used to lay on a bed).  Her eyes were wide open with an expression (if you know cats) of wanting to interract with you.  I initialy went in to sling her off (which normally meant with a cushion or something else rather than a hand as she would have you) but then I noticed she was "cuddly" for a change so I sat for at least 20 minutes gently stroking and fussing her.  I'd never seen her so receptive to being stroked to the point she was purring her head off and dribbling like mad.  I'm a bit of a believer of "knowing" things and the next morning on my way out to work I found her on the grass verge she had been run over - I cried all week.

My oldest cat by the way was 23!!!!

Sorry Kat Tai but had to explain as she was an exceptional creature.

*sniffle* what a sad story Kezmo - she sounded a real character!

Kezmo, that is one of the saddest stories. To have had that intimate breakthrough and then to face that trauma the next day. To lose a pet, at any time, is like losing a family member but  your experience was particularly heart wrenching.

Hi Cartimandua and Brenda H

It is sad isn't it but there is a funny side to this story.  The day I found her it was pouring with rain, I rang work and said I wouldn't be in as I had to bury the cat (I know some people will think that's pathetic but I was so upset that I couldn't go in).  Anyway I decided I would bury her in the garden.  I lived on my own at the time so I got the shovel out and started to dig the hole.  We hadn't had much rain up until that day so the ground was rock solid, added to which I kept stopping as I was crying so much.  By the time I got what I thought was a big enough hole it was several hours later.  Of course the hours had also had an effect on poor old Poppy.  When I found her I' had just scooped her in my arms and then gently left her on a towel in the kitchen while I did the digging outside.  When I came back for her, she was obviously very stiff and I hadn't thought to arrange her body in a suitable burial pose.  Sorry this sounds really sick, but she was all legs and tail if you know what I mean.  When I got her to the hole, it wasn't big enough (I almost started crying again at this point) and I just couldn't bear the thought of more major digging to make the hole even bigger as it had taken me so long in the first place.  In the end I cheated by making a few changes to the hole I already had -  in the shape of her body - YEP I dug a trench for the tail and one each for her four legs and gently put her in!!!!

I remember that our Girl cat was always so timid of children due to an early experience which was nothing to do with us but when Danny our boy cat died, Cay (sp?) came out of herself and became the most loving and tender cat towards me and my little sister.  We had another 3 or 4 years with her before she passed away, aged 18!!  You don't need to explain to me how special Cats are.

Sorry Kezmo, but you did say there was a funny ending. I have just laughed so much.

Oh Kezmo! I had tears in my eyes reading all about your intimate moment with Poppy then the tears rolled down my cheeks with laughter at the idea of a 'shaped' hole!! Thank you!!

Kezmo

Sorry Kat Tai but had to explain as she was an exceptional creature.

No problem at all Kezmo!