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Since I was a very small child, I have always had the pleasure of being surrounded by animals.

I grew up in the heart of Prahran, but between the ages of 3 and 5 we lived in a rural area (which now houses outer burbs McMansions).

 In any case, it was a fabulous place for any child to grow up. Not only were there hours of swinging into the Yarra river Tarzan style, thanks to a huge willow tree, there was exploring to be done and, yes, lots of pets to look after.

During those two years I had a retired draught horse called Mystery, bantam chickens, a border collie called Ben, a cow called Moo, a cat called Gaggles and a wild willy wag tail bird who nested outside my bedroom window who was loving and originally called Willy.

My love affair with animals began early, and as I was an only child, they were my buddies, my friends and my companions. Not only did I love my pets, I loved all creatures. Nothing was too creepy to not be cute, as evidenced by the time I came inside with my hand outstretched and presented my horrified mother with a handful of baby red back spiders and let’s not even get into the yellow belly black snake story, or the time I was convinced that a bunyip lived at the end of the yard backing onto the river. My stepfather turned this little story into a children’s book some of you may remember called “The Bunyip of Berkleys Creek”.

I digress….pets, animals, creepy crawlies…I love them all. I still can’t bring myself to step on a trail of ants or suicidal snails that crawl onto the footpath after rain. Pets do not care how about your age, height, looks or hair colour…oh no…if you feed them, provide them with fresh water, walks and pats, they in turn, provide unadulterated adoration.

What could be more comforting after a particularly crappy day than coming home to a warm, cuddly bundle who is always happy to see you?

We are the owners of two cats, both strays, who have become firm members of our household. Both have very different and distinct personalities and both are very much loved.

Dubbsy, I found in a plastic bag amongst her dead brothers and sisters one day walking to the supermarket, a tiny handful of a thing she was only meant to stay with me until Monday when I could take her to the vet and offer her “free to a good home” …ahem…ten years later she is still with me and is currently representing the cat world in the Orson Welles look alike contest.

Millie, a recent new addition, was found amongst the rubbish in a skip bin. She’s currently going through her teenage phase and treats the house like a hotel, only popping in for food before disappearing off to party with the other cats in the ‘hood.

They each have their own quirks, their own sounds (meows) and their own likes and dislikes. They sometimes drive me up the wall and I hate that every item of clothing I own has to be brushed down with that double sided sticky tape stuff or that we need to find people to look after them if we want to go away. On the flipside, I love to lie on the couch on a winter’s night with the “girls” cuddled up on my lap, or have a power nap in the afternoon with them curled into the small of my back and purring contentedly.

Dubbsy has been through 4 house moves, a new car, numerous friends, flatmates, jobs and sometimes boyfriends (none of whom she has liked until present partner - smart puss that one). She has been my one consistent throughout the last 10 years and I could not have imagined my life without her.

Millie wakes me up bang on 7.15am every morning for her breakfast with a raspy meow and a tap on the nose, it’s better than any kind of music or whooping alarm for getting you out of bed in time for work every morning. Maybe not so good on weekends, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad, right?.

What an absolute privilege and joy it is to have pets! I am a firm believer that they find you NOT the other way around. They bring joy and happiness and can even contribute to a healthier and longer life for their owners.

We pet owners should feel blessed that they chose us and ask so little in return.

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