Walk with me to a new land....

...such strange brothers

Even big boys still like to play!

Lazy lazy afternoons...

 

the seasons are turning and as the weather heats up this little guy

just gets fruitier by the day!

There is one thing I always find so interesting, if you had a Rottweiler or an Alsatian or one of those massive guard dogs people will not expect of it to jump on their lap when they come to visit, on the contrary they will steer well clear but now when it comes to a hand reared WILD animal they just expect it to come rub against them or to want to be tickled behind the ears on a first encounter. They do not realise that it takes hours every day just to keep the animal habituated and that it is still WILD and that its instincts will always dominate. They do not realise that closeness to the animal is earned and that it takes blood, sweat and tears- literally!

You spend hours and hours exercising them, showing them new things and trying to expose them to as many different things as possible – the running water in a stream, the first impala droppings, a murderous thunderstorm, the excitement of making it all the way to the top of a large tree or catching its first field mouse – and still try to give them the life they deserve and still respect their WILD nature.

You learn to appreciate their moods, their fear, hunger, aggression, instinct and love that they will hand out in abundance.

You learn to respect their power, claws and their intuitive nature and you just watch in awe as nature looks after their own child and he just knows what his “forefathers” knew without being taught or having a “real” mother to guide him.

And I still wonder – how do people just walk in and expect this WILD creature to accept them right away?

A favourite photo!

My husband has always been the only person allowed to scratch his tummy and he would go all woozy and sleepy whenever he got tickled!

Cutie pie!

After 10 years of being a proud brunette I decided to go back to my “roots”, had my hair stripped back to blond and then added a whole bunch of highlights for good measure… and the first thing I was worried about was how will I smell or rather how my scent will change….because yes, it might sound absolutely crazy but being mom to a wild creature can be quite tricky and something as simple as changing your perfume or body lotion and therefore changing the smell they are familiar to can cause an uproar… so can you just imagine what a whole new “look” might do!

So the first time I went to see this crazy little caracal of ours after the big “make over” I was a bit concerned and a bit worried… will he like the new me…the new smell (I was not sure how the products  used at salons to lighten your hair might smell to such sensitive nostrilsJ)…so, he did a little rubbing, a little sniffing, some hissing and in the end he realised that it is still just mom...and now all I need to do is get use to the stranger in the mirror myself because in the end he is not our little caracal.. we are his PEOPLE!

PS: or maybe he just liked it that the afternoon sun made my hair look like gold!!

Now this is what one should be doing on a Thursday afternoon...

Play time...

It is wonderful to see such a 'dangerous' animal so playful :)

And the craziness continues...

Sometimes he can be so impatient...

Caracal kisses

In Africa you usually need a guard dog or in our case...

The "little" (14 kg!) kitty I just can't get enough of!

nibbling dad's finger

Love love love………………….

Somedays I forget how big he is...

This is such a life of contradictions, you know that “things” cannot make you happy or that you can lose it all at any time but wow, how do you resist that new biker jacket, the cute black one that looks so good with a little lacy dress, some thick stockings and winter boots. The same way I know that a caracal’s claw will rip a chiffon dress even if he just looks at it J yet I can not resists those beautiful frocks. So yes, I am filled with contradictions but in the end they both make me smile, the cold cold nose kisses from our spaniel in the morning and the beautiful bejewelled earrings I  wear during the day just to remind me that even us “ bush girls” can be as fashionable as we want to be. So, today has been declared an unofficial holiday…. A day for beauty and fashion and creature kisses!!!!

But mom... stop ruffling my fur!

My little beauty...