'You've got a friend in me' - National Pet Month

We all love our pets, with many of us considering them wholeheartedly as part of the family and the team here at Sheffield Mutual are no exception.

April is ‘National Pet Month’ and we could think of no better time to celebrate our pets.

Join us as we meet and get to know the team’s furry friends.

Paul Galloway, Chief Operating Officer

• What are their names? Bowie, Nefertiti (Neffie) and Perrie
• How long have you had them? 7 years 7 months, 2 years 6 months and 4 years 7 months
• How old are they? 7 years 10 months, 4 years 6 months (we think, she was an RSPCA Sheffield rescue) and 4 years 11 months 
• Any funny stories?

The words bath time and bedtime are more commonly associated with toddlers than with cats, however my two female cats bath time is a necessity and is a regular occurrence. Both hate it with a passion but in two completely different ways.

Perrie, the eldest hates being in the water but the moment you clean her nails it is like she is at the nail salon purring away until you stop. Whereas Neffie hates the mere idea of her paws being touched and kicks up a big fuss, but she does enjoy the water being poured on her. But at the end of bath time, it’s hard to tell who is more soaked me or the cats. Bedtime is always a fun time at home and both girls love nothing more than being tucked in, by me, no one else just me.

Their blankets must be wrapped in a certain way or I will hear about it (literally). Once in bed they are out for the night. Bowie on the other hand is the most relaxed cat I have ever had and makes sure his girls are safe by checking on them whilst they are in bed or standing outside the bathroom door when they are in the bath. Good practice my family have said…whatever that means!

Dawn Barnes - Member Services Administrator

• What are their names? Freddie and Miley (affectionately known as Fat Fred, the vet says he needs to lose weight and Smiley)
• How long have you had them? Just approaching a year
• How old are they? 3 and 4
• Do you have any funny stories?

They are rescue dogs, mother and son. They have come on leaps and bounds since we adopted them and really have taken over our home, they even allow us to sit on the settee occasionally! They are both sun worshipers and Smiley is definitely the boss. She loves to hide her chews and Fred will patiently wait, for a full day if needs be, to pounce on them when she eventually moves. They also love to wait until we go out and then precariously climb around the furniture on to the kitchen worktop to steal buns, cakes, and whatever else that we may have forgot to hide.  Life is certainly not dull.

Thomas Rofe – Business Development Administrator

• What is your pet called? Bijou
• How long have you had her? My partner has had her since she was a puppy, but I’ve had the pleasure of knowing her for just over 3.5 years!
• How old is your pet? 5
• Any funny stories?

One that always sticks out is when she broke into the kitchen and ate a tray of lemon tarts and bagels that were made that morning- she wasn’t in the good books for the rest of the day!

Laura Browse – Campaign and Communications Specialist

• What are your their names? Charlie and Frankie
• How long have you had them? We have had Charlie for nearly 4 years and Frankie for 6 months
• How old are they? 4 and 8 months
• Any funny stories?

Too many to remember! Charlie has a habit of following us when we go out walking, or I go for a run. If we spot him, we always try and grab him and put him in the house because he will follow us the whole way round!

One time, he was really difficult to catch and my partner was running around our road trying to catch him. When he finally caught him, Charlie was frantically wriggling about trying to get free and it looked like my partner was trying to harm him! There was a family on the other side of the road who looked horrified and were about to step in, but my partner told them 'don't worry, he's our cat!', before running back with Charlie wriggling around in his arms to our house. I couldn't stop laughing on the majority of our walk! Frankie just being a kitten provides loads of entertainment on a daily basis!

To find out more about National Pet Month, head over to their website.