The Johnson Petting Zoo
For a small suburban houshold, we have perhaps slightly more than the average number of pets. I can't post color pictures due to disk space limitations, but here are some B&W photos of our personal zoo. At least you will know the animals by name when you visit again.
Here's Piglet.
He is about 7 years old and has lived with us about 4 years. We acquired him from a lady who was moving to an apartment where pets weren't allowed (!?!). He's a Pretty Good Cat, though his habit of trying to mate with bath towels is a bit annoying at times.
This is Thermal Holt Tweakweasel.
She is our youngest cat. She was born in a vacant lot in Atascadero about 3 years ago, and is still a bit wild at times. Her coat is sort of a sandy tan color, longhaired.
Rollo the Rabbit lives in an outside pen. He (we think Rollo is a he, we've never checked) is comfortable outside most of the year, as our weather here is mild. He lives in the garage when it gets too cold. Rollo loves to dig; when he gets tired of a tunnel, he fills it in and digs a new one.
Slick Willie
is our slippery brown guinea pig. Willie is about 3 years old, belongs to my daughter Diana, and lives in a cage kept beside her bed. Guinea pigs (IMHO) make nearly the ideal pet: friendly, furry, easy to please, and easy to care for. Maybe they are not blessed with brains, but you can't have everything. If everyone on earth were as pleasant and stupid as guinea pigs, the world would probably be much nicer (not to mention quieter).
Rocky Road is sitting on Diana's lap here. Rocky is about 2 years old and lives in a cage next to Willie. There is a door connecting their cages that we open sometimes, but they occasionally nip each other so we usually keep them separated. Rocky is very friendly, and maybe a little less intelligent than Willie. Could this mean that less friendly = more intelligent? Could be...
Referee Prickear McSqueek (not pictured) is our newest kitten. We got her at the North County Humane Society shortly after Margarita Nikoleyevena died. I don't have a picture of her yet, but expect to post one soon. She is a shorthaired solid black cat with a very long tail.
Margarita Nikoleyevena, pictured here, was born in about 1974 and died of old age on September 14, 1995. Margy came to us as a stray during a rainstorm about 20 years ago, and until her death at age 21 (?) was our oldest pet and Queen of the Zoo. I considered removing her from this page, but she was a Very Good Cat and deserves the space and the remembrance.
We hope you've enjoyed your visit to our zoo. Stop in again sometime and maybe there will be more animals then.
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