The venerable Miss Thriller turned a magnificent 14 last Saturday! And even better, remains happy in herself and enjoying her life to the very best of her ability!
Mobility-wise, nothing has changed much. Thriller still needs assistance to get up, and support when walking to stop her rear end from swaying thus becoming unstable. She still weightbears when walking, and walks quite well and quickly – if the walking is “her” idea!
Her Ladyship’s 14th birthday this year was celebrated in style with the University vets at the nearby rural Camden Campus throwing her most deserving self a Birthday Bash on Friday, granted, a day early, however they do not open on weekends. The party was held at Caffe 104 on Camden Campus. Head vet Jenni Green asked the previous week if it would be OK for them to organize a party for the girl, and they would make all the arrangements including coming out home to help load Thriller into her mobile kennel, then organize a trolley or something to get Thrills from the carpark to the café, about 150 yards away.
Methinks Thriller was expecting something special Friday morning, what with me getting Her Ladyship mobile earlier and “rushing” the little love through her morning routine. And the girl was not stubborn about it either as normally she would be when given a little hurry-up!
About 11-30, Jenni arrived with a pair of students and a stretcher. We tried to walk Thriller to her mobile kennel, however, once through the front door, Thrills just flopped down and made like a stump. Jenni said they brought a towel to get under Thriller to help lift her onto the stretcher, however I suggested placing it along Thriller’s back and rolling the little Miss over onto it – worked a treat, much to the students’ delight!
We carried Thrills over to the girl’s mobile kennel (seldom used nowadays), and maneuvered the stretcher in – then we were off! Don’t think Thriller was impressed with travelling via stretcher, however she was reasonably accepting of the experience! When Her Stubbornness does not want to go somewhere, it is near impossible to walk her, and why the stretcher – easier, quicker and less frustrating for all concerned!
Jenni gave up on the trolley idea at the other end, and had organized a gator (small all terrain vehicle with a tray back) from the University farms to transport Her Ladyship from the carpark the 150 yards to Caffe 104 with the gator driving on the decking to deliver Thriller to the side door near where her party was to be held. No problem getting Thriller from her mobile kennel to the gator as both were the exact same height! Just slid the Birthday Girl across!
Thrills didn’t really know what to make of it all, she was not fond of the stretcher, and the gator ride was something else – but we had her outnumbered! And she quickly accepted it as a means of conveyance, then beamed at the gathering audience.
Stretchered the girl inside and from then on it all seemed excitement and Thriller absolutely enjoyed every moment of it – she knew who was the center of attention, and really soaked it up!
All the staff from the small animal clinic (read dogs and cats) and the avian and reptile clinic showed up for a feed and to give Thriller best birthday wishes! Lost count of everyone. People from the university farm also stopped and wished Thrills all the very best for her birthday! And they had delighting scents of cows, goats, sheep, pigs and poultry about their aromatic persons with a delighted Thriller inhaling it all!
Some vet students were there also cuddling the girl while bestowing more birthday wishes.
Thriller was visited and wished Happy Birthday by all the diners at the cafe, including one toy poodle who was fine walking near Thriller, until the little love actually moved and the poodle realized all that was really one pupper! Then it wanted elsewhere – fast!!!!!
Proprietor Karon brought over a Thriller-burger for Her Ladyship, not expecting that the girl would actually eat it – she hasn’t the last several visits – though some time ago now. However, Thriller, after first trying to bury it with imaginary dirt (to everyone’s delight!), finally had a piece of chicken from the burger, then gobbled down the rest of it leaving only two small pieces of bun. Probably not enough bacon fat in those bits!
Everyone seemed to be taking photos of the birthday girl, and heaps of selfies with Thriller mugging for the camera like a pro! Not something that she has really done in the past. Thiller had a great time, the huge Newfoundland grin never left her face the whole time either!
Even the Dean of the Vet Faculty in at Camperdown sent a birthday video for the girl!
Jenni really went to a heap of trouble organizing Thriller’s Birthday Bash, with everyone really getting into and which Her Ladyship thoroughly enjoyed!
I had reservations that Thriller would be over-anxious away from her “comfort zones”, etc – but the venerable Miss was really into being the party-girl!
Heaps of admin people stopped by to wish Thrills all the very best for her birthday, and all could not believe she was 14 years old, having so few grey hairs about her person, however Thriller is quite vain scattering her grey hairs in her earflaps and on her chest, with very few grey hairs about her muzzle.
After two and a half hours, time came for the gator to return Thriller to her mobile kennel and home. With four of us on the stretcher carrying the little Miss out, Karon (café proprietor) commented that it was like a scene from MASH!
Thrills was happier with her second ride on the gator, perhaps used to it as a conveyance, or perhaps realizing she was returning to her own mobile kennel.
Thriller had an absolutely fantastic day.
She wouldn’t have a drink when back in the car, other than a couple of polite laps, but back home, Thrills had two huge drinks of water, then laying, head up gazing ahead reliving her day, eventually settling down to sleep about five o’clock. Had to wake Her Happiness at nine o’clock for her nighttime meal – and she took some waking too!
I still cannot get over how happy Thriller was up there Friday for her Birthday Party! Amazingly happy!
And the little love knew that she was the center of attention, and totally soaked it all up too!
All the very best!
Arthur Witten
Thriller – can’t wait for my 15th Birthday Party!!!!!
Sydney, Australia