Politicians and their pets: Elena Whitam

Where does his name come from? 
Mr Mojo Risin’ due to my husband’s obsession with The Doors, but Mojo for short. Kids wanted to call him Taco but that wasn’t going to happen!

Breed? 
Black and tan short-legged Jack Russell

Age? 
Just turned eight in the summer

How long have you had him?  
A family in Ardrossan who breed Jack Russells. He was the only black and tan one which was the same colouring as our family dog Rizla, who we had just lost at the grand old age of 17, so we instantly fell for him.

What can he do? 
He can hear you cut a block of cheese from the opposite end of the house with his supersonic bat ears.

What do you love about him? 
He is the furriest, cosiest wee hot water bottle who loves cuddles and claps.

What special talents does he have? 
He is a mole hunter extraordinaire and can spot a mole hill at a thousand paces. He also takes great delight in destroying squeaky toys in under five minutes.

What’s his best trick? 
Giving a high five for treats or donning his life vest for a trip on the kayak.

What are his most annoying habits?  
Batting your mobile phone out your hand when he wants clapped.

What’s the worst thing he’s done? 
We were camping at the Three Lochs down in Newton Stewart and as I walked across the site with him, a wee sparrow darted out the hedge and into his path and he instinctively chomped it. I was horrified!

Do you think of yourself as a pet parent or pet owner? 
My husband Les bemoans the fact that I refuse to be called the dog’s mum… 100 per cent a pet owner.

What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought or done for your pet?  
When he was a titchy wee puppy the size of a kitten, the kids dressed him up for Christmas as Santa Paws. He was not a happy chappy!

What’s your first pet or animal-related memory?  
I mind being fascinated by the guinea pigs my auntie, who was only nine years older than me, bred. Their wee chattering noises made my toddler self roll about laughing out my grandparent’s back door.

What was the first pet you ever had?  
My first pet was a big tom cat called Misty who we had to rehome when I emigrated to Canada at the age of six. I was gutted.

What would be your dream pet?  
I always wanted Sea Monkeys and was never allowed to as a wean as my mum kept telling me they didn’t look like the wee folk in the comic book adverts and that I would only wind up disappointed. Still on my Christmas list to this day.

If you could be any animal what would you be?  
I would be an orca swimming in the deep ocean with my pod. As a wild swimmer I can think of nothing better!