Politicians and their pets: Emma Roddick

Pet’s name? Blue (after the velociraptor in Jurassic World)

Breed? Cat/possible velociraptor

Age? About 8-9

How long have you had her? Three years

Where did you get her?  The SSPCA in Inverness

What can she do?

She terrifies animals and children four times her size and will eat anything. She is beginning to struggle to jump onto the sofa, though.

What do you love about her?

When I got to the rescue centre, I was there for a different cat. Blue had been there a while and wasn’t on the website. She was sitting up the back on a perch glaring at me as if I wasn’t worthy of her presence, and the staff explained they called her Lady Grey because she considered herself so high above them. They took her out – with the help of gloves – to the meeting room and she had absolutely no time for me, but I knew we’d be pals. She’s a massive sook now and loves cuddles, though she still has those judgemental eyes.

What special talents does she have?

If she has any, she has hidden them well.

What’s her best trick?

The only pets of mine that do tricks are the rats (Ginger, Garlic and Scruff), they’ll stand on their hind legs, and I plan to teach them some more. The axolotls (Axl, Rose, and Mudkip) are pro-starers, and Blue just eats, sleeps, and passes judgement.

What are her most annoying habits?

She howls in the morning for food and will bite me if I don’t get out of bed on time.

What’s the worst thing she’s done?

She ate the blinds in my flat about two months after I moved in. She does a lot of terrible things, though – mainly eating things that shouldn’t be eaten.

Do you think of yourself as a pet parent or pet owner?

I think of myself as being owned by my pets.

What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought or done for your pet?

I once got my pal to take me on a two-hour round trip to Elgin because the pet shop in Inverness didn’t have my rats’ favourite food available. I also bought a big TARDIS ornament for the axolotls’ tank, which Rose likes to hang out in.

What’s your first pet or animal-related memory?

My little sister as a baby - who couldn’t even walk yet – trying to climb onto our dog, Pax, and laughing away. Pax was very relaxed and didn’t seem to mind.

What was the first pet you ever had?

Pax, the collie-cross. We had to give him to another family when my dad died, as he was the one who did the walking and feeding. Mam took a lot of convincing to get any more pets, but we ended up getting goldfish while at primary school and mine was called Simba. I was very upset when he died, but also a budding scientist who had just been gifted a scalpel set and a kids’ microscope!