Vivastreet blog

It might seem like a late April Fool’s Day joke but it’s even better because it’s true. Annette Edwards, a 57-year-old former Playboy model who’s spent £10,000 transforming herself into the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit, needs help with her pet rabbit Alice.

This isn’t any rabbit. It is the world’s largest bunny measuring 4-feet long and weighing over 14-pounds. The £70,000-a-year job is to help Annette (a.k.a. Jessica) with Alice’s world tour. Annette’s transformation into the female star of the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit means she can no longer handle the enormous bunny while in character.

Annette had received over 2,000 applications for the job but in the end only 14 people had turned up or the actual judging. It was held on April 1st and she fears most thought it was just a prank. It might as well been with a judging panel that included a David Beckham look-a-like, a tanning “expert” and a witch.

“Because of April Fool’s day a lot of people thought it was a joke. We will never again do something like this on April 1,” she said.

There will be eight more regional try-outs with the finals being held in London. If you want to accompany both Annette and Alice around the world then heed Annette’s advice.

“The winner needs to love animals, he needs to know how to behave on television and how to handle the press,” she insists.

Our advice, get a furry costume that looks a lot like Roger Rabbit.

The hedgehogs commonly kept as pets in North America appear to by a mix of species, originally native to Africa. The term “African Pygmy Hedgehog” is a descriptive term (coined by breeders), rather than a true species name. They are 4 – 9 inches in length and their life span is around 4 – 6 years. Though they prefer their natural habitat, they can be easily tamed.

We suggest you buy your hedgehog from a regular hedgehog breeder who has some experience in handling them. We have quite many here on Vivastreet.co.uk and thanks to selective breeding, hedgehogs are now available in a huge array of colour variations.

Housing
African Pygmy hedgehogs require very little space. They can be kept in a cage measuring around 3 – 5 square feet with a solid floorspace and should have some wood shavings as their bedding.

The cage should be big enough to accommodate a shallow litter box, a wheel for exercising, some space for food and water and a small tunnel-like area to make them feel secure.

Choosing a Hedgehog

• It is best to locate a reputable breeder who breeds for good temperament and makes sure young hedgehogs are handled regularly.
• Getting a young hedgehog (6-8 weeks) is the best way to make sure your hedgehog will get used to being handled.
• Look for bright eyes, clear nostrils, and healthy looking skin, quills and fur. Watch out for flaky skin, missing quills, discharge around the eyes or nose, or evidence of diarrhea.
• Males and females generally are equally good pets.
• Plan on only one hedgehog to a cage. Most hedgehogs are perfectly happy to be kept alone and in fact often fight if kept with other hedgehogs.

Micro pigs are the newest trend in itty-bitty pets especially since Victoria Beckham snapped up a pair for hubby David. They’re adorable, extremely clean, and look quite manageable at only 14-18in high.

However If you are purchasing a Micro-pig, make sure it’s from a respectable breeder and be careful of people selling pigs that will grow much bigger than stated. Make sure you always ask breeders where their parents come from.

We have plenty of Micro pigs for sale on the Vivastreet website right now, however please remember Micro pigs are hard work as pets and require the same time and care as a dog or any other animal.

What is it with Mariah Carey? She sings like an angel, but turns into a stroppy teenager when she doesn’t get her own way. The queen of divas’ demands are legendary, and woe betide those who stand up to her.  But that’s exactly what happened when MC agreed to turn on the Christmas lights at London’s Westfield shopping centre.

Not content with the 100 white doves cooing around her, the high-maintenance chanteuse, who has been making a series of promotional appearances in the capital, apparently asked for 20 white kittens to surround her as she played the part of fairy godmother, turning on the lights with her magic wand. No small request then!

To be fair, the Westfield shopping centre did their best to accommodate MC’s needs, but when it became clear that finding 20 pure white kittens, was as likely as England scoring a try at Twickers, the health and safety bods stepped in and banned her request. Good old health and safety – they’ve actually gone up in my estimations for standing up to the shrill one!

Now, while we support MC’s love of animals, here at VivaStreet we’re fully aware that animals, including kittens, are for life, and not just for Christmas – or a one-off event, Mariah! So if you’re in the market for a little bundle of fluffy fun, then check out our pets for sale section, where you will find everything from guinea pigs to puppies.

While we may not be able to offer 20 white kittens in one go, we can promise you a menagerie of different feline friends for sale, including these two white kittens, or how about this adorable white female kitten, all looking to go to good homes. And don’t forget, we don’t just offer kittens. We have a number of older cats for sale who, for whatever reason, are all looking to be welcomed into new homes by caring, supportive owners.

So if, like Mariah, white is most definitely your thing, but maybe you’re not so crazy on cats, then we have a everything from white bulldog puppies, to white baby rabbits for sale and even white racing pigeons! Whether you’re a cat or a dog lover, or prefer something a little smaller and fluffier that doesn’t need quite so much exercise or grooming, at VivaStreet we have every type of white, four-legged or -winged friend for you! Just puurrrfect for completing your very own white Christmas!

Check out this pair of cuties. Not only would they melt even the toughest heart, they’re also an evolutionary first in Britain – the first recorded ‘twin ducks’ born out of the same egg. This chirpy pair were born on a farm in Cornwall and are in perfect health, we’re happy to report.

While we may not be able to promise you such miracle marvels, our Pets for Sale section is full to the brim with an assortment of furry friends. It’s like Noah’s Ark on Vivastreet at the moment…. with guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters, all looking for a loving home.

1. Do not deal with anyone who promises a free puppy for just the cost of shipping.
2. Pets most frequently targeted by scammers are English Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Teacup Yorkers, African parrots/eggs, as well as restricted animals, such as Bats and Monkeys.
3. Online scammers will often copy the claims of legitimate rescue groups and attempt to sound reputable. They may also copy breeder ads and claim to have registration certificates, vet records and health guarantees.
4. Avoid any kind of shipping from overseas, or any type of domestic shipping/flight. You should always be able to meet the pet in person. 95% of the scammers are from overseas (the most popular are Nigeria, Cameroon, USA and South Africa).
5. Do not trust a seller who wants to use Moneygram, Western Union or other irreversible money wire payments.
6. Be suspicious of bad grammar (spelling mistakes) and vague replies which do not make sense or relate well to your ad or enquiry.
7. Do not trust any seller whose phone number starts with 070.

If you cannot see the animal in the flesh, DO NOT part with any cash under any circumstances.

If you are in doubt or you think you might be targeted by a scammer, please do not proceed any further and cease all contact with the advertiser. Please then forward the ad number to us so we can investigate further.

KITTENS REALLY DON’T COME ANY CUTER THAN THIS….

This little chap has some equally adorable brothers, all ready for new loving homes. They’re 9 weeks old, fully weaned with a healthy mother. They’re also used to being around children and other pets.

We have plenty of kittens for sale and cats for sale on the Vivastreet website right now – just remember, as cute as they are, pets are for life, and at Vivastreet.co.uk we want our pets for sale to go to good homes!