Volya in Oxford

I recently shared pictures from when we took Volya to Festival Gardens, a local park. That was not complicated to arrange, as it was just a short drive from home. But, after that we’ve been with Volya in Oxford for a couple of nights. Even that was in preparation, in a way, for our longer holiday in a few days’ time.

She did well, but we learned how to do a few things differently. For example I bought a scratch pad [rope door mat] and sprinkled catnip on it. She will play and relax on it, as she is less likely to play with toys when travelling. I also know now which toys should I bring, which means no-noisy balls and a couple of soft toys. We are both more confident of taking her outside on a lead, and not only in the garden as before. She comes to us if she is not sure of something.

The first place we’ve been with her was the White House pub in Bladon, a place were Winston Churchill used to go for drinks.

The owners were very friendly and accommodating. With most pubs accepting dogs we knew that there might not be an issue to stay inside with her. She enjoyed the trip, looked around. She feels comfortable and relaxed in her carrier.

We took a photo at the entrance before leaving.

We’ve decided to book a Travelodge. For those who are not familiar with the brand, it is a chain of cheap hotels mostly found on the motorway. When we arrived with her from France we stopped at one and we were very happy with the services. It is only £20 to book with a pet, per stay and not per night. This seems to be a popular spot for pet owners, as we noticed a neighbour sleeping, just as Volya, on the windowsill, see below.

We went to Blenheim, but they were preparing for an event for the following day, so we’ve decided not to go too close to the Palace. The palace is in the background.

She enjoyed climbing in a tree, not too high, as I took her down fast. The last thing we wanted was for one of us to have to climb on top of the tree to retrieve her.

If she is a new place, she would stay near us or come to us, which is why we are confident of going with her on a lead even though we only adopted her just over a couple of months ago.

Another stop, near Oxford, was at the Deddington Castle. It is an earthwork in Oxfordshire, all that remains of an 11th-century motte-and-bailey castle. Because it was such a large space with plenty of visibility, we let her roam, even though there were dogs nearby.

She liked exploring the tree stumps, going up a hill like in the picture below.

When she noticed the dog, she looked closely before going to hide in the tall grass. The dog owner waved at us, as he saw us avoiding them. As a former dog owner, I can understand why they wouldn’t be particularly happy to see people walking their cats nearby. Festus would have wanted to chase the cat without any doubt.

She is almost invisible in the grass, but she keeps an eye on the dog.

We had a lovely time and, with the knowledge accumulated on this trip, we know what to do better next time.