Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week: Pet Sounds

Music that reminds us of our pets...

Rory Ellis
12th November 2018
Credit: Emily rose Jackson

 

On a hungover morning when I was 16, lying in bed regretting how many Strongbow Dark Fruits I had consumed the night before, we met. As softly as she could, my mum nudged my bedroom door open and in her arms was the prettiest boy I had ever seen: Wilfred Bunny. “Your dad just found this in the church yard. He’ll be back soon but I have to go out now, can you look after him for a couple of hours until the RSPCA come?”

Wilfred is a vagabond, a rascal, and adventurous daredevil who (I like to believe) escaped from the merciless clutches of his previous owner to come and live with me and my family. Whilst I waited for the RSPCA to arrive, he and I sat in my front room eating cold takeaway pizza and watching Romeo + Juliet, a film I was absolutely obsessed with at the time. He spent the film pottering around the room, sniffing various pieces of furniture and licking my foot. After it had finished, I put on Dire Straits’ ‘Romeo And Juliet’ and plucked up the courage to pick him up and gently bop him around while the song played. He placidly sat there in my arms, which I took as great appreciation for the song. Nobody ever claimed him from the RSPCA, and just three weeks after we first found him, they returned him to our doorstep where he has lived in happiness ever since.

- Carys Rose Thomas

 

Sheba is a mellow-souled golden teddy bear. Stealing the show wherever she struts around, be prepared to kiss goodbye to receiving even an ounce of attention when she’s in your presence. Every time I hear ‘Team’ by Lorde I think of her. Her cool, calm and collected demeanor is encapsulated in this track from Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine.

It takes me straight back to many a camping trip we’ve shared together, cruising around the splendours of Snowdonia, blasting this bassy mystical tune on a bleak March morning, with her sunshine-smothered face peeking out from over the back seat like some all-knowing dog god, gracing us with her presence.

- Emily Rose Jackson

 

Upon visiting my close friend’s Instagram account recently, I was drawn into one of her old posts. It features her cat Hermione, snoozing at a desk of school work. Hermione is literally my spirit animal. She resonates with me at times when I pro-cat-stinate, simply napping for a few hours instead of doing work. In that way, I consider her as my ‘virtual pet’.

This encapsulates the essence of ‘The Lazy Song’ by Bruno Mars. The feeling of not “doing anything” and just relaxing for a while. ‘The Lazy Song’ is something every student can relate to. Everyone can feel overwhelmed at some point at university. Hermione paw-sitively reminds us that it is okay to take a break occasionally, lay back and enjoy life.
Carl Smith Valdez

Having been cruelly deprived of an animal companion myself, I therefore must write this ode to pets about my best friend’s dog, Dylan Hesk (Hesk being his surname as he is most definitely a member of the family).  And what a gorgeous boy he is too - a giant polar bear of a retriever with the cutest paws and the saddest eyes. He’s probably the most chilled out dog you’ll ever come across and despite the slobber is also one of the most adorable. Here’s a lil group of songs in his honour.

‘Golden Touch’ - Razorlight: His gorgeous golden locks are to die for; he is such a handsome boy, all owners of female retrievers should lock them away.
‘New Shoes’ - Paolo Nutini: Every time you arrive at Chez Hesk, Dylan delivers you a shoe, sometimes your own, sometimes a random selection from the hallway. Either way, it is a welcome gift and can be traded for a hearty stroke and a compliment said in a stupid-dog voice.
‘Begging’ - Frankie Valli: How can you refuse those pleading eyes when you’re enjoying a sandwich and poor Dylan hasn’t had any? Even the smallest glimpse of his begging face will force you to cave in.
‘Blowing In The Wind’ - Bob Dylan: Where this lovely boy’s name came from, an absolute banger at that too. All my love, Dyl!

- Ally Wilson

 

Conker is maybe twelve, thirteen, or fourteen years old. Nobody knows for sure, but that just adds to the mystery. He is an elusive cat that spends most of the day out the house. In fact, he spends all his time out of our house because he spends it in number eight’s living room.

Only once my neighbour came to my front door on her way back from a boozy night out, demanding for her ‘ginger prince’, did it all make sense. Now that I’m Facebook friends with said neighbour I get to see regular updates of him lying in a cream blanket in front of an electric fire.

But part of me loves that he still comes back from time to time naively asking for food like I haven’t seen him being hand fed chicken on social media. ‘Moving On’ by Roosevelt suits him perfectly.

- Rory Ellis

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