Politicians and their pets: Councillor Julie Ford

The SNP councillor and deputy provost for Fife Council introduces us to her Siamese fighting fish, McBoffin

Pet’s name? 

McBoffin (Yes, McBoffin – named by my two-year-old daughter).

Breed? 

Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta).

Age?

One

How long have you had him?

Six months.

Where did you get him?

Pets at Home.

What can he do? 

Make bubble nests across the top of the water in the tank.

What do you love about him?

The way he flares his fins when I put my finger to the glass. I used to think it was because he was happy to see me, but recently realised it was him trying to fight with me.

What special talents does he have?

Hiding in the filter.

What’s his best trick? 

Camouflaging as a leaf. 

What are his most annoying habits?

Hiding in the filter.

What’s the worst thing he’s done?

We recently had to have him in a breeding pod in our community tank. He escaped and tried to kill one of our Platys.

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

Pet parent (my two-year-old instructed me to say that).

What’s the most exorbitant thing you’ve ever purchased for your pet? 

Bought an enormous tank for the other ‘community fish’ so he could move into the original ‘big tank’.

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

We bought live water fleas for him to hunt in the tank, which my husband and I then became concerned we’d catch if we put our hands in the tank (don’t worry, Google told us we wouldn’t!).

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

When I tried to teach my goldfish to speak at the age of four (it had to be a fish, didn’t it?).

What was the first pet you ever had? 

A hamster named Tarzan (he used to escape and we’d find him in different places most mornings).

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? 

A meerkat.

What would be your dream pet? 

If not a meerkat, then a giraffe.

If you could be any animal what would you be? 

A dolphin.