Bailey and the Menagerie
by Robert Hudson
Bailey is an adorable Chihuahua x Lhasa Apso (sometimes called a Chi-Apso) and five years old, but is only one of several animals in the menagerie. Clare Walters loves animals.
‘I am the animal nut, and have always had a houseful of animals, both as a child and as an adult (even before I had a child). My boy (Tristan) wasn’t very into animals when he was little, but has gotten more interested as he’s grown. These days he is inseparable from Bailey and loves nothing more than tickling Panda’s belly or giving George a gentle stroke under his chin,” Clare told me.
The menagerie includes:
- Bailey – Dog – Chihuahua x Lhasa Apso (sometimes called a Chi-Apso) – 5 years old
- Michael – Horsfield Tortoise – 5 years old
- Raffy – Musk Turtle – 8 years old
- George – Bearded Dragon – 3 years old
- Pepsi – Pygmy Hedgehog – 3 years old
- Sonic – Dwarf Hamster – 18 months (might be older as he was a rescue)
- Panda – Syrian Hamster – 6 months old
- Stuart – Goldfish – 5 years old
- Eddie – Regal Jumping Spider – 2 months old
- James – Jumping Spider – 2 months old
‘I got more into exotics over the last few years (hence the dragon and the hedgehog). We were never really into spiders, but seeing them gain in popularity (on Facebook) got me interested. I started to see the cuteness in the jumping spiders and the funny ways they act. So I started researching how to look after them properly and then bought a little set up.’
What do you think is the most unusual animal you have with Bailey and the menagerie?
“Probably the spiders, I think most people would agree. Though a hedgehog is quite unusual too. The spiders are a bit unusual for me, as I am a bit nervous of them in general, but these cuties are helping me to get over this.”
Which is the most demanding to care for?
“None of them are too demanding once you get the set up correct. I am careful to make sure I have really done my research beforehand. Things can go wrong from time-to-time, and then it can get complicated. Recently our tortoise became ill and wouldn’t eat. That meant lots of trips to the vets and having to inject anti-biotics (not easy with a tortoise!). Bathing in Reptoboost twice a day and working hard to encourage him to start eating again is time consuming as well. Luckily he is on the mend now. Also, we always insure our animals for when problems happen, The costs can rack up quickly.”
Which is the easiest?
“Bailey, without a doubt. Although she is noisy- she’s no trouble. She is always by our side and loves playing with the whole family. She has also learned to live in a menagerie where she doesn’t know what animal is going to join the pack next. “
Turtle Longevity
“Yes, both the turtle and the tortoise can live for a very long time! Neither runs free though, as they need very specific climates to stay healthy.
Raffy the turtle is an amphibian – but thus particular species (Musk) prefers to spend almost all its time in water. He lives in a heated tank with a UV lamp for him to bask under on those rare occasions he wants to come out of the water. He eats packaged turtle food, with the occasional insect or worm as a treat. Michael, the tortoise needs a controlled temperature environment, so he lives in ‘Tortoise Table’ with a heat gradient from 36⁰C to 22⁰C, he also needs a UV strip. I will take Michael outside if it a very warm day, and he loves to explore the garden. Michael is a vegetarian and eats a range of flowering plants. He is a welcome part of Bailey and the menagerie!”
Your spiders… do you interact with them? Do you let them crawl on you?
“Mostly, I like taking photos of them. When you zoom in, you can see they’re rather cute with their big shiny eyes. I’m not yet brave enough to let them crawl on me, but I am getting calmer with them, so maybe soon. One of them (Eddie) makes a web nest and uses it to hide – the other (James) only seems to use his webs for climbing. They eat daily (crickets, fruit flies and small locusts), unless they are moulting – then they can go weeks without food! They live 1 – 3 years, with females living the longest.’
The hamsters… are they affectionate to humans, do they like attention?
Panda (the Syrian) is very friendly, but Sonic (the Dwarf), not so much. Dwarf hamsters are much more reclusive – but they are so fun to watch, as they move at double to speed as the more common Syrian Hamster.
Do you spend time with all (Bailey and the menagerie) ?
It takes at least an hour every day just to get around them all, making sure all is ok, doing spot cleaning, replacing food and water, and giving attention to those that need it. On top of that is the time I spend interacting for enjoyment – getting nice pics and bonding with them. That’s not counting Bailey, who is just constantly by my side, bringing me toys or asking for cuddles.
It must be a lot of work cleaning cages and enclosures and looking after all the animals. How many hours a week do you spend doing it?
On top of the daily hour of spot cleaning, all the enclosures get a thorough clean once a week – to get around them all takes about half a day.
How did you come up with the names and why the human names?
We’ve used loads of different inspirations over the years – we went through a period of naming the animals after chocolate bars! For these guys, well I am big George Michael fan, so that explains George, Michael and Pepsi (she was a backing singer in Wham!). Bailey was named after the alcoholic drink (She’s cream coloured, and we like Bailey’s Irish Cream ?). Raffy is short for Rafael (the Ninja Turtle).
What will you be adding to the “menagerie” next?
I want a Sugar Glider – but at the moment there is no room for another, so that will have to wait!
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