|
How do I get my gerbils to like me? I had two (Sam & Crow) last summer, they started in a smaller (2x1 foot) cage and they were as friendly as could be. If I talked, they would both come out to investigate the sound, and if I stuck my hand in they would come up to it looking for almonds. Two months ago I got a 55 gallon aquarium for them and they were happy as gerbils could be, until Sam passed away. After a period of mourning I got two new gerbils to keep Crow company. The problem is I never see the other two, like, ever. All three sleep together in their nest (I can shine a light in and see them snoozing, all of them are still breathing) and if I talk and make commotion, Crow will still come out and be social but NEVER the two new ones. I'll hear them playing at night sometimes when I'm in bed but when I get up to look the two new ones dart back into hiding. How do I fix this? How do I get the new ones to stop acting like skittish wild gerbils who are afraid of movement and sound? edit/ my theory is that in the wild, gerbils are very shy. In a tank the size of a bedroom, they would be just as shy as completely wild. In a 55 gallon tank, it's so large that they never get tame (as opposed to a tiny tank where they get used to you very fast bc they have no other choice). Dignity Van Houten fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Apr 7, 2012 |
#
?
Apr 7, 2012 03:26
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 10:52 |
|
|
935 posted:gerbils Patience and bribery should work. Gerbils are very curious so if you go stand to the aquarium and talk to them while making a bit noise by poking the bedding, they will come out and look sooner or later. That's when the bribery comes in. I'd go with sunflower seeds, in my experience it's a pretty suitable currency gerbils understand. Just hold your hand on the bedding level and let them come over. Even if the two new ones won't do it, the old one will. The new ones will realize that hey, that rear end in a top hat is eating something without us  and can't stand it for long.
|
|
#
?
Apr 8, 2012 15:26
|
|
|
I think Fewd is pretty much on the ball here- just be patient and continue to talk to them and bribe them with treats. It isn't your fault that the new ones are afraid, and they'll probably come around over time. Some gerbils are super friendly right away, while others are just skittish for no apparent reason. I've had my current pair for just over a year now, and it wasn't until last fall they they really started to settle down. They started out much like yours, freaking out at the slightest movements, refusing to be handled and snubbing treats that weren't in their bowl. Now, they're very calm and perky, always watching what I'm doing and begging for treats. It was very frustrating at first, especially since my previous pair were lovely from the start. Just be persistent- they don't hate you, they're just being goony gerbs. All of the gerbils I've had have lived in a 40 gallon enclosure.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 03:31
|
|
|
Aghhh Super Pet. I bought one of the Fiddle Sticks hide outs for our new chinchilla. And wouldn't you know, Super Pet screwed it up again. Avoid anything they make. I asked what type of wood they use and this is what I got back: "Thank you for your recent e-mail. The Tropical Fiddlesticks are made from miscellaneous branches such as oak and fir. We hope this information is helpful. Thank you for your support of Super Pet products. " Both of those wood types are toxic to chinchillas. Wouldn't you know.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 17:04
|
|
|
I find that largely, outside of plastic igloos, water bottles, and food dishes, anything you can buy at a pet store that is marketed toward a specific small animal is at best completely worthless for that animal and at worst actively dangerous.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 18:34
|
|
|
SmellsOfFriendship posted:Both of those wood types are toxic to chinchillas. Wouldn't you know. You should email them back and say "Oh good, thank you for the proof that I would need to sue Super Pet when my chinchilla gets poisoned by your negligent marketing of wood that is toxic to chins." Edit: Actually, I took it upon myself to email them and ask/chastise them about it. Every site that I can find says that both of those woods are dangerous for chinchillas, they shouldn't be allowed to continue with such disgusting, uninformed marketing practices. If others want to contact them, their customer service email address is customerservice@superpet.net and I believe their parent company can be reached at info@centralgp.com Even worse, found at Central Garden & Pet's site: "We are dedicated to providing the finest small animal pet products in the industry. The goal of our brands is to continuously study the health and environmental needs of small animal pets and to provide perfect solutions to their needs." Well, they certainly aren't fulfilling their mandate very well. Help me shame them! thexerox123 fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Apr 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 18:54
|
|
|
thexerox123 posted:You should email them back and say "Oh good, thank you for the proof that I would need to sue Super Pet when my chinchilla gets poisoned by your negligent marketing of wood that is toxic to chins." I e-mailed them back saying "both of those are toxic to chinchillas!" and have been all over amazon 
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 19:40
|
|
|
kazmeyer posted:I find that largely, outside of plastic igloos, water bottles, and food dishes, anything you can buy at a pet store that is marketed toward a specific small animal is at best completely worthless for that animal and at worst actively dangerous. Death balls piss me off. And people who actively use them after being told they're dangerous!
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 19:42
|
|
|
SmellsOfFriendship posted:Death balls piss me off. And people who actively use them after being told they're dangerous! Death balls? I hope you're not referring to hamster balls, I just bought a new one, and my hamster loves running in them. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 19:48
|
|
|
thexerox123 posted:Death balls? I hope you're not referring to hamster balls, I just bought a new one, and my hamster loves running in them. I think they're ok for hamsters. But they're deadly for chinchillas.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 19:51
|
|
|
SmellsOfFriendship posted:I think they're ok for hamsters. But they're deadly for chinchillas. They're pretty bad for guinea pigs too, iirc, and someone posted a flyer here a couple of years ago for a Petsmart event that showed a guinea pig in a ball.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 20:04
|
|
|
RazorBunny posted:They're pretty bad for guinea pigs too, iirc, and someone posted a flyer here a couple of years ago for a Petsmart event that showed a guinea pig in a ball. Yep! Made by Super Pet too....
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 20:06
|
|
|
Yeah, hamster balls are fine for hamsters. The big ones are marketed toward chins and guinea pigs, and they're unbelievably unsuited to either. I can only speak for guinea pigs, but their spines don't bend the right way, their toes are prone to getting caught in the vents, and flipping around inside the ball can cause major injuries. It's just an all-around bad time for them. It's kind of a running joke among guinea pig owners that every one of us bought one of those things before we knew better, and the moment we got serious about our pets' welfare was the moment we threw the damned thing away (or turned it into some kind of avant garde art piece). That goony CGI guinea pig movie a couple of years ago even had a guinea pig in a ball...
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 21:02
|
|
|
SmellsOfFriendship posted:I e-mailed them back saying "both of those are toxic to chinchillas!" and have been all over amazon Here's a site I have used before. http://www.chincessories.com/index.htm I've even emailed them asking to just send me a random variety box of stuff worth a certain amount and they're happy to do it. Other sites: http://www.simplychintastic.com/index.html http://camphorchins.com/ Also the classifieds section on the Chins and Hedgies site has people selling food, dust, hay, toys, treats and random stuff all the time. In fact last week I got a 20 lb box of Blue Cloud for pretty cheap from a member there. Awesome Kristin fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Apr 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 22:32
|
|
|
kazmeyer posted:Yeah, hamster balls are fine for hamsters. The big ones are marketed toward chins and guinea pigs, and they're unbelievably unsuited to either. I can only speak for guinea pigs, but their spines don't bend the right way, their toes are prone to getting caught in the vents, and flipping around inside the ball can cause major injuries. It's just an all-around bad time for them. It's kind of a running joke among guinea pig owners that every one of us bought one of those things before we knew better, and the moment we got serious about our pets' welfare was the moment we threw the damned thing away (or turned it into some kind of avant garde art piece). I've heard they make great hanging cage toys/hay mangers.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 22:37
|
|
|
Awesome Kristin posted:Here's a site I have used before. Oh I know, I spend way too much money on CnH vendors! *Camphor is one of my absolute favorites.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2012 23:58
|
|
|
I've finally upgraded Wheatley's cage from the basic small cage to a larger one (I was hesitant because of the 8mm, iirc, bar spacing; his previous cage was just 5mm and it made me feel safer). So far he hasn't managed to bust out though, and he's been trying to get into the girls' cage for the last hour so   I have colour coded matching cages for my mice don't judge me
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2012 17:34
|
|
|
Good news! My previously underweight guinea pig, Clover, is now at a healthy weight! I celebrated by letting them run around on the porch-balcony-thing with a large blanket covering the area they were running on and kept them contained to a single corner so I wouldn't have to worry about them getting into something they shouldn't (supervised the whole time though). I have never heard Clover be so vocal. She whistled for about 5 minutes straight while running around out there.
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2012 17:43
|
|
|
So if the stars align properly and I make the appropriate virgin sacrifices, I'll hopefully be getting a job in California. I live in Virginia, so getting out there is going to be an adventure. What's the best way of getting a chinchilla from one end of the country to the other? A week long road trip in the summer doesn't sound like fun times for the little guy especially if my car craps out in the desert (a distinct possibility), but putting him on a plane and airport stress sounds equally un-fun. If I could teleport him I would. My parents are willing to take care of him for me if I decide not to put him through the stress of moving (they've already offered, they love their little fuzzy grandchild), but I'd rather have my little buddy with me. Has anyone done this? I know he'll survive, but I'm just worried about his mental well-being.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 19:00
|
|
|
Aquatic Giraffe posted:So if the stars align properly and I make the appropriate virgin sacrifices, I'll hopefully be getting a job in California. I live in Virginia, so getting out there is going to be an adventure. I've never done it myself but I know it gets done all the time. I've even seen "chin railroads" put together by a group of people. Honestly ask here and you will find people who have done exactly what you're doing. They should have the best advice for you! I feel weird posting about that site a lot but honestly if you ignore the weird "crazy chinchilla lady" syndrome some of them have, you can learn so much since a lot of them are breeders and care so much about chinchillas.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 21:52
|
|
|
Awesome Kristin posted:I've never done it myself but I know it gets done all the time. I've even seen "chin railroads" put together by a group of people. Thanks, I'll start looking into it more if I get the job offer. I'm kinda leaning towards flying if he can be my carry on bag, one day of stress is better than a whole week. I'm going to have to find an apartment that allows chinchillas too (some places around here specifically forbid chinchillas. WTF), but that's a whole different ball game.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 23:49
|
|
|
I have a general question about guinea pig health. I had a bit of a freakout earlier because Bailey's head was tilted and she seemed kind of unresponsive to me for a bit, but she's eating and drinking okay now, as well as peeing and pooping fine. I'm taking her in to the vet tomorrow and I suppose it's probably inner ear infection, since she seems fine otherwise and was completely okay earlier today. I wanted to know the causes behind these infections, and if there's anything I can do to help prevent them in the future. Right now Bailey is fine, if acting a bit drunk when she orients herself. Right now she's asleep. I've been monitoring her for close to 4 hours now and she's able to do everything pretty much on her own, would it be okay to put her back in her run with the other guinea pig or should I continue to keep an eye on her separately? I'm about to keel over myself, so I wanted to know if I should grab a red bull or go ahead and let her back in the run until I take her to the vet in the morning? Or if I should alternatively check on her every few hours and try to get some sleep in the meantime. Sorry for  , it's the first time I've dealt with this so I was uncertain. As a sidenote, I bawled over the way she looked when I first came home and saw that, I was certain she'd broken her spine or something up until I went and re-read this thread.  Thank you for existing, thread.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 06:23
|
|
|
Ear infections are actually pretty uncommon unless you're keeping them in damp, filthy conditions, so that wouldn't be my first guess. I've only seen one or two ear infections in 10 years and hundreds of pigs, but I've seen a lot of other conditions that present with head tilt. I've seen it in pigs with molar overgrowth, ovarian cysts, mite infestations, pasturella/upper respiratory infections, and bladder stones - it can be a generalized pain sign. Make sure the vet does diagnostics to rule out molar problems and bladder stones - those are the two most common pig ailments. Treating a presumed ear infection with antibiotics without any diagnostic testing can be a risky shotgun approach, if something else underlying is wrong, the antibiotics could send the pig into stasis. I know you say he's eating, drinking, and pooping, but how's his weight trend? They can lose weight while still appearing to eat and poop quite normally. If he's still the same weight he's been all along that does help make several of those conditions less likely. Good luck and keep us posted!
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 14:36
|
|
|
I went to the vet today with Bailey. I've been keeping her in pretty okay condition I think, but she did have an inner ear infection. I got Bailey from a rescue but they didn't have much information on her when I had her, so the vet thinks she's had one in the past and it just reoccurred, apparently that can happen sometimes? But it was an ear infection, she's supposed to get two drops of Baytril in each ear twice a day for 10 days. Her weight is at a pound exactly and has been for a week or so (ever since I started weighing my underweight guinea pig I was weighing her too) so there's no weight loss or gain there, and the vet said her teeth looked great. So I'm curious now, about the reoccurring ear infections now. Is it normal if they've had those in the past to have them again periodically? Because I got no warning whatsoever on that one, she was just fine when I left to get some food last night and when I came home her head was cockeyed and she was kind of lethargic. I'm just confused now because I brush down the run and wash it/dry it twice a week and replace the bedding every time I do. Could it maybe have something to do with something getting in her ears? I don't know I'm just trying to figure it out sorry if I'm rambling But yes, she is fine now, eating and drinking okay too. I gave her a rather hefty slice of bell pepper along with timothy hay in the travel cage and by the time we got there she'd eaten the whole thing. I'm glad that she's acting a lot better than she was last night, though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 15:23
|
|
|
Yes, recurrent ear infections are a thing, mostly because they're so drat hard to eradicate and most commonly don't show signs anyhow. Merck says most don't respond to treatment. She may have them on and off forever, and keep in mind she may be able to transmit it, so don't let these two interact with any friends' pigs. I highly doubt it was anything you did. She probably did have it when she came to the rescue (I forgot you just got them). I would let the rescue know - they may want to step up their quarantine if they got other pigs from the same source. Both my ear infection pigs traced back to the same petstore who apparently bred their own pigs out in a barn. I also wouldn't stress over the suddenness of it. Pigs hide their illnesses, they're fine until the moment they're not. Just keep a close eye on her weight and behavior and you should be able to spot any changes. You're doing good.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 16:25
|
|
|
Called the rescue to let them know, they said they know now because there was another guinea pig rescued from the same place (a BYB breeder/hoarder I think) got an ear infection again too and has a permanent head tilt now. Poor girl. Thankfully my other guinea pig rescued from the same place hasn't shown signs of anything other than coming in underweight and overgrown nails, but I'm keeping a close eye on her to make sure. On another note, the vet mentioned that rabbits can get this too? I didn't know about that, is it the same basic cause in both? Can chinchillas or other rodents (or lagomorphs) get it as well? One last question, can it be transmitted to other animal species besides other guinea pigs? Thank you for all the help, alucinor. I've calmed down considerably since then, and Bailey seems to enjoy me doting over her. She's been very calm through this whole ordeal. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 22:48
|
|
|
Bear Rape posted:On another note, the vet mentioned that rabbits can get this too? I didn't know about that, is it the same basic cause in both? Can chinchillas or other rodents (or lagomorphs) get it as well? One last question, can it be transmitted to other animal species besides other guinea pigs? Hm, did he mention pasturella or bordetella? Both are common in rabbits, pasturella is a major problem for them but they can often carry and transmit bordetella without symptoms; and both cause URI problems in pigs. It's not uncommon to see these diseases in pigs who are housed with rabbits. And yes, other animals can get these too - chinchillas and even people can get some strains of pasturella, and bordetella is actually what causes kennel cough in dogs. You're probably fine with just recommend basic quarantine procedures - wash your hands after handling them or their bedding, don't prepare food in the room they're housed in, don't let your dog kiss them on the lips, etc.  Glad to help and I'm glad she seems to be doing better!
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:46
|
|
|
They didn't mention that, no. I was curious because for a while I was considering getting a rabbit, but I probably won't because of having carpeted floors in every room. I do have a dog though, so I'll be sure to keep everyone separate. Thanks again, I'll try to get some pictures of the scamps later tonight to share with the thread.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:58
|
|
|
Any advice on how best to keep a Syrian hamster healthy in a 29 gallon aquarium? I'm interested in keeping it in an aquarium since I already have one, I've heard it's easier to clean, and it seems like it'd be better for watching the little bugger. I don't have the hamster yet (I work at a pet store and our Syrian just had babies, one of which I've called dibs on). I know that aeration can be a problem in aquariums, and I'm willing to just go ahead and get a more typical cage if the aquarium really isn't a good idea.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 00:03
|
|
|
Well....gently caress. I thought Bailey was doing a lot better but she passed away an hour ago. There was just no warning that I could see. She was active, eating and drinking, pooping and peeing, and yelling at me for giving her the usual dose of Baytril. Then at around 2 am, she was jumping around but didn't seem to be moving much from one spot, so I picked her up. Her front end was limp. She stayed on her side, unable to stand up for about an hour, then started having seizures while I was searching for an e vet. She passed away when I woke up my roommate to drive me to the vet. I'm just too in shock and confused about what possibly could have happened to really think straight. She even nibbled on some bell pepper while she was going downhill, and drank water. I'm taking her body to the closer vet when they're open on Monday for a necropsy, and I'm taking my other guinea pig in to make sure she's okay too. Right now I'm disinfecting the gently caress out of everything. Any idea what could've happened? I'm just really, really confused. I'm going to tell the rescue about what happened too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 10:20
|
|
|
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. There's so many things it could have been, almost all of which you couldn't have done anything about. If she had this before the rescue got her it could have caused infection too deep for meds to touch. A necropsy will do a lot to set your mind at ease. Keep us posted on what they find.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 13:49
|
|
|
Oh geez, I am so sorry. I have had many pigs over the years and, sadly along with that, many have had ends that baffled me. I even had a necropsy done once that came up inconclusive. It's possible that you may never find out the cause, but you should know you were doing everything you could for her. Pigs are really masters at hiding what's going on with them internally.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 14:10
|
|
|
I was able to find a vet open today that was okay with doing a guinea pig necropsy. It's the same vet I took her to for the ear infection. She looked really shocked when she realized it was the same guinea pig she treated the week before. I should have the results by next week on that. My other guinea pig is fine and doesn't seem to have been too badly effected emotionally, either. I'm pretty relived but now I'm worried if she'll be okay without a companion. I'm just going to keep an eye on her for now. Still kinda in shock over the whole thing, but I wanted to thank you guys for offering your support and advice. Don't think I'll be getting from that rescue again though, as I adopted rats a few months ago who all ended up sick with URIs within a few weeks of having them. Kind of uneasy about them now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 22, 2012 22:51
|
|
|
I need help diagnosing a bald patch on one of my robos. She is about a year old and in the past two days I have noticed a bald spot on her back and a spot of dried blood. I checked her and her roommate for mites and I can't see anything. Within the past two days I've changed the litter, but it is the same as I have been using. When they fight I only ever see them shove and never biting, they get along well otherwise. They have two of everything (including attached cages and wheels) to avoid the fighting except they share a food bowl. Does this look like a fight injury or something else? http://imgur.com/a/yIj3i I am taking her to the vet in the next couple of days but any advice in the meantime would really help put me at ease.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 02:38
|
|
|
My chinchilla keeps draining his water bottle. It doesn't leak normally, but he's managed to do something to it to flood his cage within the span of a few hours. At first I thought something must be wrong since he was suddenly drinking tons more water, then realized he'd just been draining the bottle. I've watched him to figure out what he might be doing, and it looks like he just sits of to the side and chews at the end of the tube to let all the water out (when he's actually drinking he'll drink from it normally). I'll refill it and watch it for a while and it won't leak at all, so I'm inclined to think it's not the bottle that's the problem. I'm getting pretty tired of having to refill his bottle a few times a day and replace the soaked bedding, and the little idiot gets upset if he gets thirsty after he's emptied the whole thing and there's no water left to drink. He's got one of these at the moment. Is there some other way I can provide water that won't allow him to flood his cage, like a type of bottle that's slightly harder to get water out of? The little dude still needs water, but I'd rather it be either in the bottle or in his tummy than all over the cage.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 19:25
|
|
|
Aquatic Giraffe posted:My chinchilla keeps draining his water bottle. It doesn't leak normally, but he's managed to do something to it to flood his cage within the span of a few hours. At first I thought something must be wrong since he was suddenly drinking tons more water, then realized he'd just been draining the bottle. I've watched him to figure out what he might be doing, and it looks like he just sits of to the side and chews at the end of the tube to let all the water out (when he's actually drinking he'll drink from it normally). I'll refill it and watch it for a while and it won't leak at all, so I'm inclined to think it's not the bottle that's the problem. Ball bearing water bottles that keep the water from dripping with a vacuum are poo poo . Honestly I don't know how compatible this will be with chins (works great with my pigs), but try to find something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Fill-Water-Tank-32-Ounce/dp/B0002UL3F4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1335294581&sr=8-13 It's hard to tell in the photo but essentially it has a stem coming down the water tube that the animal has to manipulate with their tongue/teeth before the water will come out. They will not drip, and it will be harder for your chin to drain the thing in a day. (They're also so much quieter  .) I'd also recommend putting a small bowl under the water bottle to catch any water that doesn't make it into their mouths. Those two changes should eliminate a lot of your problems.Edit: That bottle doesn't seem to have stellar reviews. Here is what I personally use: http://www.amazon.com/Water-Buddy-ounce-Topfill-Bottle/dp/B00123WWEQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Very very very much unfortunately, these were discontinued more than a year ago. I have two of them and they are practically treasured possessions at this point. I'd still recommend trying to find one of this style to try out. Sirotan fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Apr 24, 2012 |
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 20:14
|
|
|
Sirotan posted:Ball bearing water bottles that keep the water from dripping with a vacuum are poo poo . Honestly I don't know how compatible this will be with chins (works great with my pigs), but try to find something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Fill-Water-Tank-32-Ounce/dp/B0002UL3F4/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1335294581&sr=8-13 It's hard to tell in the photo but essentially it has a stem coming down the water tube that the animal has to manipulate with their tongue/teeth before the water will come out. They will not drip, and it will be harder for your chin to drain the thing in a day. (They're also so much quieter I might give that a try. This is a new chin I just adopted and I'm not sure what his background is, but he might've had one of these before since he couldn't figure out how to use the bottle I have at first. We went from one extreme to another-- he didn't drink at all the first two days 'cause he couldn't figure it out and once he did he's draining it. I think part of the problem is that I think he just likes to make noise for the sake of making noise, and his water bottle is a good source for noisemaking. When I let him out for some playtime he kept jumping on and off a paper bag and into a bowl of marbles I have. My closet door makes a loud banging noise when it's hit, and he wall jumps off of it at every opportunity at maximum velocity. When he's not chewing excessively loudly on his chew toys he's idly squeaking at me. This little guy just will not be quiet and it's quite the adjustment from my other guy who's content just to sleep most of the day and isn't very vocal (except for yelling at me if I dare to sleep in for too long and he wants breakfast). And on the topic of new chinchillas: It's only been a week and a half but I'm seriously looking to keep them separated permanently, once I move I'm probably going to get the new guy a big chinchilla mansion cage of his own instead of borrowing Dex's old superpet cage. I've let them out to play individually where they can see/smell each other but not contact each other, and Dexter does not give two shits about another chinchilla in my house but Smokey (the new one) flips the gently caress out every time he sees Dex, growling at him and biting at his cage. I'm hoping it'll get better as Smokey settles in more and gets used to his new life/routine, but I'm legitimately worried about Dexter's safety if they interact. If he eventually decides to chill out then I might consider letting them play together in a neutral place, but for now there's no way in hell I'm letting them get to each other. Again, I have no idea what Smokey's background is and why he ended up at a rescue. His foster mom doesn't seem to have any idea. He's a super cute black velvet, and I've never seen anything but a standard gray in a pet store which adds to the mystery of his origin. Other than him hating poor Mr. Dexter and being noisy he's a sweetheart and I don't know why anyone would give him up. My only issue I've had with him is that he's a really sound sleeper, to the point where I have to poke him to wake him up, AND he likes to sleep stretched out on his side which has led to a few heart-stopping "OH GOD HE DIED" moments until I poke him and he wakes up. And he's got the cutest fluffy tail and eeee  Here he is chillin' on top of my toilet (Dexter is never allowed in my bathroom due to his taste for wallpaper (and also he fell into a toilet before I got him and don't want a repeat experience), so it's a nice neutral place for him to stretch his legs). I'm not sure what's going on with his nose hair, I think he'd just stuck his nose into something. This is the only non-blurry picture of him I have. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 22:30
|
|
|
I think he needs more time to settle in. Give it a couple more weeks, or even up to a month. Also outside time isn't generally recommended right off the bat. I guess they need time to feel safe in their new space before they're let out to play or something. (It's also supposed to be a quarantine time) Though if he seems to be doing fine, just keep up what you're doing. Definitely don't try to put them together for a couple more weeks though. When you get to the point of introductions, you can try releasing them in the same room, or keeping the aggressive one in a small cage (like a show cage) and put it in the larger cage so the non aggressive chin can sniff around and sort of be in charge of the interactions. Another recommendation is to put them both in a cat carrier and take them for a car ride. The stress of the new environment and atmosphere can cause them to ignore each other and "bond" in a way. But I don't know if it's the best idea since you don't know if the new guy has ever fought before. I think the best way to introduce them is in a neutral place though. And if they do get along in the neutral place, be sure to change everything in the cage you're going to keep them in so it seems like a totally new cage. I did think Charlie was trying to attack Oscar when I introduced them. After I waited a moment I realized Charlie just wanted to hump him. He still does it every now and then when they're playing in the bathroom, but it never has been as violent as the first time.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 22:54
|
|
|
I'm planning on letting them play together only after I move (about a month or so from now) because in a new place everything will be absolutely 100% neutral and the cages will have to be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled so that's as fresh of a start as I can possibly get. And on the humping thing, Smokey has tried to mount my hand a few times. WTF is that? Dexter tried to have sexytimes with a Russian fur hat once. Poor confused little dude.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2012 23:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 26, 2024 10:52 |
|
|
Necropsy came back with inconclusive. Welp. I guess if it's any consolation, that means I probably wouldn't have been able to spot what was going on anyway. My other guinea pig is still doing okay. I was delayed in building the ultra-huge-amazing cage setup for her, but I'm back on track now.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2012 13:16
|
|