It’s a good thing I like animals…..

It’s an interesting job being an estate agent. You never know quite what each day is going to bring.

Take people’s pets for example.

I was once taking tea with a delightful elderly lady called Hermione in her period cottage when I felt a tug at my sleeve – fortunately Hermione’s pet billy goat was quite gentle and wasn’t trying to pull my arm off.

At another property a Vietnamese pot bellied pig wandered in and out of the kitchen just like a large dog.

I’m not sold on reptiles so the pets in a house near Bungay really tested my resolve. In what looked like a dried out aquarium was a very hairy tarantula.  When the lady of the house rubbed it’s back with the end of her finger it positively purred.  There was worse to come in a cage in the son’s bedroom – or rather not in the cage.  The wire netting front had been forced open.  The escapee was found curled up in a bottom drawer – a 5ft python!

On another occasion the very large chameleon lizard perched on the curtain pelmet watched me with a baleful gaze which was a little un-nerving to say the least.

I’ve never been actually bitten by a dog – but I have had a few encounters.  I’m sure the German shepherd puppy wasn’t trying to harm me – but his sharp milk teeth made a real mess of my brand new trousers.

Over the years I’ve worked out that if you avoid direct eye contact with a large dog look the other way and put your hand out it will have a sniff and then end up licking you.  Please don’t try this though because you never know….

Leaving my brief case open is apparently an open invitation for cats to sit in it. I like cats so it’s not a problem – apart from the occasion when one moggy decided to use my case as a loo.

In a former life I worked at the cattle market in Kings Lynn. Lots of things happened there – but that’s for another day.