No sex please, we're turtles

MY THANKS to all the readers who have sent their condolences on the death of my one-eyed Siamese Angel. As one reader pointed out, even when you know the end is close, death still comes as a shock.

One reader complains that I haven’t written much about the turtle-herd recently. They’re all well and thriving, thank you, although the Indian roofed turtle boys are a bit depressed since I separated them from the girls.

The girls don’t mind at all. In fact, they’re much more relaxed now that the boys aren’t hassling them for a hot date all the time.

The boys, though, would really like some fun. They know, of course, that the girls are in a nearby tub; they can smell them.

Bugsy, my snake-necked turtle, is really happy in this comparatively cool weather. His appetite has increased considerably, so much so that I have to change the decorations in his tub.

I’ve always hung plastic baskets full of vines and flowers from the edges of his tub. These are so very pretty, and they give the boy a sense of safety from birds who sometimes fly into the patio.

Some of these birds don’t realise that Bugsy, being strictly carnivorous, is capable of catching a bird. Alas, once he drowns the poor thing and pulls out all the feathers, he’s not quite clear on whether it’s a meal or not. It’s my job to fish the late birdie out of the water and give it a fitting funeral.

Just recently, I’ve been finding pieces of plastic in the water too. They’re blue, the colour of the baskets. Yes, the baskets seem to be falling apart.

At least, that’s what I think until I see Bugsy standing on his back legs and raising his body out of the water. Then he stretches his long neck upwards and pulls at the baskets.

The boy may love his shrimp and red worms, but he’s willing to check out any opportunity for food.

Has he swallowed any of the plastic? I don’t know, but so far, the plastic pieces I’ve found in the water have matched the holes in the baskets. For sure, I have to change to decoration. I’m now looking for stainless steel baskets that can stop a turtle full of curiosity and the will to pull anything apart that he can.

Another reader asks for more information on eosinophilic granuloma, the problem affecting Phantom, my American shorthair boy.

I’m not a vet and don’t know much about it myself, except what I’ve read on the Internet.

Most websites say that it is “troublesome”, not fatal, these skin eruptions that might appear anywhere on the cat’s body. The cat, however, may start scratching at these tumours, bumps or rashes, sometimes so hard that the skin is opened, leading the way for dangerous infections.

Poor Phantom’s granuloma is on his gum, and it has evidently been causing him a great deal of pain.

Many vets think that this condition is caused by a severe reaction to a mosquito or flea bite, perhaps even food allergies. I have no idea how Phantom developed his tumour or how long he has had it.

Right now, he’s receiving a high dose of steroids as an allergy treatment to reduce inflammation, but prolonged steroid use is certainly dangerous, causing, in cats, breathing difficulties, aggressiveness, liver and kidney diseases.

The most noticeable side effect is Phantom’s increased appetite. He’s eating almost 50 per cent more than his usual intake. Even in the night, he calls for more food.

In a few more days, we will begin reducing the steroid dose, eventually stopping the drug entirely.

Of course, we all have the hope that the tumour is gone, or at least reduced enough so that it doesn’t disturb him.