Wiggle!

Hello everybody! How have you been? I actually have lots of things to post -- including a GIVEAWAY -- so stay tuned! But first I wanted to share with you some wonderful news!

Remember Wiggle? That's him up there, as a sweet baby mealworm. I took this picture after his friends Scriggle and Shake had left :(

But I was determined not to give up and Wiggle was determined too! And look what happened -- Wiggle became a pupa! My Mom was home when it happened; she says it happened really fast. When she came home, he was still in his mealworm state; then when she looked at him about half an hour later, he was like this! See that browny-black thing on the side there? That's his old casing from his final moulting. In the days before he metamorphosed, he acted all uncomfortable; he kept scrunching up and looking like he was dying. I was a little worried, but something told me not to give up hope!

So, thank goodness I kept waiting and feeding him. Although in his pupa stage, he did not do much at all. He just lay about like that. For awhile I kept giving him stuff to eat, but when I saw he was really not interested, I stopped. Day by day, he changed colour, turning just a little darker and browner each time.

At first, he was just this pale thing with no features. But after awhile, he started showing little dark bits. I was glad he was changing more obviously, because many days would pass and he would be so still, I wasn't sure if he was still alive!

So here he is looking a bit darker.

And here he is from the top. My Mom kept saying he looked like an alien.

Here he is looking even darker. During this time, he started moving a tiny bit, which was rather nasty. But I was glad because I felt it meant that he would be transforming again really soon. He had already been in his alien state for quite awhile, maybe a couple of weeks.

Then one day, after a couple of days of twitching, I found him like this! Isn't that amazing? He really changed! I wish I could have gotten a video of him taking of his pupa "jacket", but it was tiring just sitting there looking at him and waiting.

And today he is like this -- a real, proper beetle! Isn't he nice and dark? Here he is enjoying some apples and lettuce. At first, I was all set to release him into the wild, but my Mom pointed out all the birds that were out there. I decided he would be safer and happier in his own little home. It's like a beetle hotel really, with good food! I'll keep taking pictures of him now and then, though I guess he won't be changing anymore now. I'm so happy he is all grown up now! 

See you again real soon! Don't forget -- I have a fun GIVEAWAY coming up!!

Goodbye

Hello. I am very sad. Scriggle and Shake have passed away. That's why I made this little movie for them, to always remember them. I would like to thank the Sylvanians for caring so much and being part of this. Please pray for them, though I am sure they are fine somewhere in Heaven. I think that Wiggle must be very lonely now, but I think he is adjusting. Bye bye Scriggle and Shake.

Here's Wiggle. I hope he is fine. He is eating dried apples and wholewheat bread. By himself. 

My Little Friends!

Hello there! These are my mealworms Wiggle, Scriggle and Shake! I adopted them from school, where they had been part of a Science class. I am now keeping them in a container with lots of holes for air, and feeding them dried oats and mushy apples. Here is a little movie of my mealworms made by my Mom -- please enjoy!

And here are some pictures!

 

Here is a picture of my worms in their container home.

 

Here they are enjoying their oatmeal!

 

This is Scriggle! He is luxuriating in his food.

 

And here's Wiggle and Shake playing together.  See you again soon!

Kipper

Hi there! How are you? I hope you have been having a super week! Well, I've already introduced you to my cats, so today I thought I would introduce you to my doggie Kipper!

Can you tell what kind of dog she is? Yes! She is a West Highland White Terrier. People like to call them Westies for short. They are called Westies because they are a breed of dog from the west coast of Scotland. They are working dogs and were bred to hunt foxes, badgers, otters, and other vermin. They are medium-sized, and have a white double coat of fur, which means they have a soft, thick undercoat, and a rough outer coat.

Kipper is four years old, which my Mom says is about 32 in human years. We rescued her from being put down when she was just three months old. When we first brought her home, she was so tiny I could lift her up in the palm of my hand. Now she is so big and heavy, even my Mom complains when she has to carry her!

In the first days of being at home, she was very quiet and sad. She would just sit all curled up in my lap. I think she had had a bad time with whoever it was she was with before. My Mom says she was the quietest puppy she'd ever known. Usually puppies cry a lot when they're left alone, but Kipper never said a word. She was also really skinny, so I think she had not been taken care of very well.

But slowly, she started becoming happier! She started eating better and playing more, and after awhile she stopped being shy and sad. She is very energetic and loves to play with our cats. See, here is a picture of her with Ming when she was little. They look like they are having a nice chat.

Kipper is also really smart -- when she needs to poo or pee, she just opens the back door herself and runs to her pee tray. She doesn't do her stuff anywhere else, not even if she's out with us a whole day at the park.

When she was about six months old, we started bringing her for obedience training. My Mom said this would also be a good opportunity for her to socialise more with other people and dogs. Puppies need to be properly socialised so that they will behave well with other animals and people, and in different situations.

The training classes were every Saturday morning for a couple of hours for two and a half months. Kipper learnt all sorts of things, like "sit", "down" and "stay", and how to walk nicely on a leash and off it. When my Mom stops walking, she is supposed to stop walking too and sit down.

At the end of the whole course, Kipper had to pass a test so that she could get her certificate. The most difficult part of the test was walking with your dog without a leash. One lady's dog even ran away across the road and a few guys had to go looking for it. But Kipper did great! She kept walking close to my Mom, and she sat down when my Mom stopped walking. So she got her certificate!

Well, I've read that Westies are "the most friendly and jolly of all the Scottish breeds of terrier", and if you knew Kipper, I'm sure you'd agree! She is sooooo friendly and always loves a good cuddle.

Here is a picture of Kipper in the newspaper last year. Isn't she cute? OK, see you soon!

Ming!

Hi there! Remember my cat Sophie? Well now let me introduce you to another of my cats -- Ming Ming! He is a Ragamuffin cat and he is about as big as Sophie. He is quite fat and heavy. His fur is very thick and soft, but it does not get matted very easily. People always notice his bright blue eyes.

Ming is a very quiet cat, you almost never hear him meow. He is also very very easygoing. I don't think he is really friendly unless he knows you well, but he is very relaxed. You will often find him lazing about, lying completely flat on his back on the sofa or on the bed or the floor. In this picture, he is sitting on top of that cardboard cat house my Mom made.

Ming is a little bit older than Sophie. They play together a lot. My Mom rescued him when he was a little kitten. He was just sitting all alone in the rain and his white fur was all wet and dirty. He is very close to my Mom and follows her around the house like a dog. Sometimes he'll climb up right in front of her on her computer keyboard to get her attention!

Sophie!

Hello! Let me introduce you to Sophie! She is one of my cats! She is a Maine Coon cat, and as you can see, she is quite big; she is about 91cm long. Maine Coons are one of the largest cat breeds and they have long coats. My Mom has to comb her or the fur will knot. Sophie is very strong and heavy. She likes talking with us, and when she meows, it sounds like a chirp!

Sophie is sitting on a cardboard house that my Mom made for the cats from two big diaper cartons. They are connected and have a doorway inside. Sophie is a very shy, gentle cat. She is a cat who is pretty hard to get to calm down and sit on your lap, but she is very affectionate and if she knows you well, she will sit next to you and ask to be stroked and cuddled. Sophie is about 4 years old, which my Mom says is about 32 years in human years.

I love playing with Sophie, even if she runs away sometimes.
Goodbye for now!