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Artificer posted:Mine just crawls into the nearest small space and goes to sleep, often. rodents.txt
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Jun 21, 2015 10:50
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We just put some veg on the table where we wanted them and that was enough to keep them still.
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Jun 22, 2015 10:33
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I gave my hamsters each a big corn puff treat, the pink and green ones, and the female hams ate them all within half a day. The loving puffs are almost as big as the drat hamsters themselves. WHERE DOES IT ALL GO
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Jun 22, 2015 10:38
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Rodents are incredibly efficient poop machines. At least I have a compost bin now so I feel like I'm getting some value from our peegs.
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Jun 22, 2015 10:43
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We adopted two Guinea Pigs a few days ago, two males. This is Toby! Toby is a very calm and cool Guinea who loves to cuddle and be held and seems to be more friendly towards humans so far. He also loves to pee on my wife, but hasn't had accidents on me yet.  And this is Oreo! Oreo is very skittish and seems really afraid of his surroundings and hides anytime we try to hold him or he hears any kind of noise. I'm afraid he may have been abused before the shelter or he's just very new to humans. But once you get him calmed down and held he loves cuddling. ----- The shelter believes they are about 3-6 months old, a family who decided they made too much of a mess and were too much upkeep had them for very very little time maybe less than a week, it's thought they were pet store Guineas before that. So far the only issue I'm scared of is they really don't eat and drink as much as I'd like. They're eating Timothy Hay really well, but they don't eat a ton of their pellets and so far won't hardly touch the dark leafy veggies and shredded carrots we've left them. They also didn't drink much water the first couple of days. Maybe only 4oz of a 16oz bottle. Though so far this morning they seem to be drinking more. Could this possibly all just be shock from the move to a new environment? Also thankfully they don't eat at the carpet yet. We've been watching them like hawks to make sure. I'm also definitely building a bigger cage later this year for them. It's good now but they're going to need bigger and better. I'm super happy with them though! I have a 3 year old son who we have to watch very carefully and we won't let him hold them just yet but he's taken a huge interest to them already. I've read the OP but any additional tips for these first few weeks would be great. 
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Jun 22, 2015 15:49
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My pig drinks a totally random amount of water, but I think a lot of it has to do with the water content of any veggies I've given her. Just leave the vegetables out and they'll give in.
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Jun 22, 2015 15:51
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Be patient, give them time to settle into their new home and your family's daily routine and they'll be happy piggies. Also give them chunks or a big piece of carrot rather than shredded, they need to chew on something to keep their teeth down. Try tempting them with fruit pieces (apple and watermelon are both good) if you want to give them a treat or, if you want to watch them lose their little goddamn minds, try a piece of leafy celery (not too much or they get the runs, but it's a good sometimes treat). Red Bell Peppers are also pure piggy crack, I'm given to understand.
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Jun 22, 2015 15:55
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My pigs love cherry tomatoes as a treat. Should be a good source of water too.
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Jun 23, 2015 12:43
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My wife and I are out of the country, starting week 5 of 6 weeks visiting her family. We left our 3 pigs with a local rescue that does boarding. One of our boys has had recurring bladder stones and has had two surgeries this year. Couple days ago the woman messaged me to say Peanut was in a lot of pain and they had him on critical care. Just got the message this morning that the Xrays show a large stone blocking the urethra and that they couldn't flush it back into the bladder, and both first opinion and second opinion vets, both skilled rodent vets, said it would take a specialist (and thousands of dollars) to attempt the surgery. His last surgery was really hard on him - he stopped eating all his favorite foods for weeks after, and after only about a week and a half of being recovered and happy, the stones re-formed. He's been dealing with recurring stones for two years. So, although my initial reaction was to attempt this surgery, I realized it was a selfish act so I'd be able to see him again. In the end, we've decided to let him go... not an easy choice when you're on the other side of the world and missing your little guy, knowing you can't say goodbye. RIP Peanut. Bladder stones are a bitch.
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Jul 2, 2015 00:04
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Jul 2, 2015 12:11
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That's a complete nightmare RIP Peanut
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Jul 2, 2015 12:33
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I'm really sorry for your loss. My robo Samus died recently after only 9 months. It's crazy how these little bundles of fluff and personality have such an impact on your lives.
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Jul 2, 2015 14:47
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I'm sorry for you and your wife about Peanut, at least they won't suffer anymore.
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Jul 3, 2015 04:07
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Disappointing Pie posted:We adopted two Guinea Pigs a few days ago, two males. Try cilantro it's the only thing my pigs will eat before tomatos
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Jul 3, 2015 04:08
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Mine always went nuts for parsley. My mom still has a habit of picking out the bunch of broccoli with the most leaves when she's grocery shopping 'cause the pigs loved to eat broccoli leaves too.
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Jul 3, 2015 22:04
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Seconding the parsley, and if you can get a good (washed) batch out of the backyard, mine always went a dozen kinds of bonkers for dandelion leaves.
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Jul 4, 2015 09:03
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Do any of you have preferred online retailers for rodent stuff? My local Petsmart has drastically downsized their small animal supplies down to half of one aisle that's at least half empty pegs where things should be. To my knowledge there are no independent pet stores in my area that sell small animal supplies, so if I'm going to special order something might as well do it myself. I went to Oxbow's website and their "preferred retailer" in my city is a puppy mill front that also has rodents, but they keep the chinchillas in wire bottom cages and house guinea pigs and rabbits together so they're not getting a cent of my money.
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Jul 4, 2015 19:23
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GoingPostal posted:dandelion leaves. Highly recommended! My parents' pigs go nuts for this, and it grows everywhere. Aquatic Giraffe posted:My mom still has a habit of picking out the bunch of broccoli with the most leaves when she's grocery shopping 'cause the pigs loved to eat broccoli leaves too. This but with carrots. Also consider that all guinea pigs have slightly different tastes. My parents own four of them, and one couple eats entire carrots, whilst the others just eat the green leaves and leave the rest.
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Jul 4, 2015 19:41
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Do any of you have preferred online retailers for rodent stuff? My local Petsmart has drastically downsized their small animal supplies down to half of one aisle that's at least half empty pegs where things should be. To my knowledge there are no independent pet stores in my area that sell small animal supplies, so if I'm going to special order something might as well do it myself. I went to Oxbow's website and their "preferred retailer" in my city is a puppy mill front that also has rodents, but they keep the chinchillas in wire bottom cages and house guinea pigs and rabbits together so they're not getting a cent of my money. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ is pretty much my go-to for everything that isn't hay and pellets. For that, I buy from http://www.kmshayloft.com/hay/.
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Jul 4, 2015 19:49
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Sirotan posted:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ is pretty much my go-to for everything that isn't hay and pellets. For that, I buy from http://www.kmshayloft.com/hay/. Thanks! For now the Petsmart near me still has pellets and hay, they just have jack poo poo in the way of anything else like chews and cage accessories and stuff like that.
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Jul 5, 2015 18:06
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Traveling halfway across the country with Gerbils is so much easier than the cats. It took 2 days and we even gave the cats tranquilizers from the vet. The one meowed and screamed the whole time but the gerbils just slept the whole time in their little critter keeper thing. I gave them plenty of chew tos and stuffed everything I could into it so the wouldn't chew through the plastic cage. I had 4 back up carries in case they decided they wanted out. but didn't need them because they just slept through the whole trip.
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Jul 8, 2015 03:44
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Thanks! For now the Petsmart near me still has pellets and hay, they just have jack poo poo in the way of anything else like chews and cage accessories and stuff like that. KMShaloft is great I love her Bluegrass hay. and so do m gerbils and cats.
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Jul 8, 2015 03:46
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Sirotan posted:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/ is pretty much my go-to for everything that isn't hay and pellets. For that, I buy from http://www.kmshayloft.com/hay/. Both companies are great, I get the Vitamin C tabs and other things from Dr Fosters and Smith and the hay from KMSHayloft is top notch and our girls love it
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Jul 9, 2015 03:39
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Anyone good with the sounds Guineas are making? My guineas make this noise pretty much the entire time they're out of their enclosure or being held. https://youtu.be/SxqV8VPKanM Also they don't like red bell peppers or parsley but they're in love with carrots and leave dark greens.
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Jul 12, 2015 21:02
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That sounds like a standard Curious Pig Noise, they're definitely not distressed or anything.
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Jul 12, 2015 21:31
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I call that the guinea pig idling noise Mine does that when I first sit down or stand up (cage is next to my computer) and if she thinks I have something for her. That or a bad rustles somewhere within 1000 feet of her but then that becomes a screeching WHEEEEEEK WHEEEEEK alarm
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Jul 12, 2015 21:40
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Yeah that's just normal pig noise. I could always tell where mine were in the room when I let them out to run around because they'd make that noise any time they moved.
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Jul 13, 2015 01:21
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I got a lady from another forum to make me a version of the Trixie labyrinth house suitable for Cc's fat butt. I am down to 2 wearable skirts but she definitely needed a new house   
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Jul 15, 2015 13:22
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Our guinea pig, Grendel, has a blue cloudy eye. That's it, that's the only symptom. His right eye is glazed over or something. We took him to the vet who was pretty confused. It's normal for them to develop a film over it if they get injured- poking themselves with a piece of hay because they dive face-first into the pile, for example; but those are supposed to fade within a week and his continued. It's not a cataract, no puss, no swelling, he doesn't even seem to have any change in behavior or indicate that it irritates him. We're giving him eye drops and seeing if that changes anything.
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Jul 16, 2015 00:35
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Do they keep damaging it? Might be worthwhile just keeping a general watch on them for a while to see if they are sleeping in a weird place or if something in their environment needs to be moved/changed.
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Jul 16, 2015 15:14
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Wow, I spent today building my piggies a 5x2 C&C cage today with a fleece bottom, they went from a pet store cage and paper bedding to that and they are the happiest little piggies I've ever seen. Popcorning all day today and playing with each other a lot more and just super happy with the new home. Now to start decorating it.
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Jul 28, 2015 01:54
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Last night one of my two pigs was extra sleepy. We just thought he was pooped from running around plus the heat. Early this morning he started hacking up brown fluid. We rush around town desperately trying to find a clinic that actually had a doctor on staff. He's hacking, making terrible sounds, semi-solid green mass is coming up but I'm confused because I thought they couldn't throw up. Finally we find a place that can take him, is 20 minutes away and he goes limp. Seemingly healthy to dead in 12 hours. I'm very sad, confused and worried about my smaller female. My GF is staying home today and is keeping a close eye. So far she has no shortage of appetite or energy but will be taken to the vet tomorrow just in case. These were a bonded pair (insofar that they didn't bite or scratch eachother) and I'm worried about her being alone. There is no shortage of pigs in my area so I'm curious about bringing in a new one quickly. Is it basically the same process as rats?
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Aug 20, 2015 22:32
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Inzombiac posted:Last night one of my two pigs was extra sleepy. We just thought he was pooped from running around plus the heat. Christ. That sounds awful. I'm sorry to hear that, man.
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Aug 20, 2015 22:47
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Did the vet tell you what happened? Give your piggie a little break but not more than a few days before getting another friend. When my first pig died of a brain parasite we got a new friend in around three days. The surviving pig was only about a year old at the time so that may have made it easier.
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Aug 21, 2015 13:54
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lemonadesweetheart posted:Did the vet tell you what happened? We didn't bother going to the vet at that point and paying for an autopsy. We are already in talks with the local rescue and will probably get another in a week. Longer than I would like but we are very busy all month. The surviving one is almost 1.5 years and is sulking all today. It breaks my heart. Edit: Our usual vet finally got back to us and said that it was liquid bloat wich is difficult to treat and pretty much always fatal. Inzombiac fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Aug 21, 2015 |
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Aug 21, 2015 18:08
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My Wife and I have a Syrian Hamster called Pepper. She was bought on a bit of an impulse, as my wife's dwarf had passed away a few weeks earlier. I knew she was planning to get another hamster - I expected another dwarf. Anyway, Pepper is amazing, and I want to make sure she's treated right. I was worried the cage my wife bought with her was too small - you can see in the picture how big she is compared to it. I googled a bit, and it seems it doesn't actually meet the RSPCA recommended minimum size. Poor show on whoever sold it saying it was more than enough. As an upgrade, and something of an apology to the poor little thing, I've bought this mansion of a home (and a comparison to the old one) which should give her plenty of room to frolic. So, question time. Are there any best practices for a hamster moving home? I'm concerned because there is such a size difference, but I don't know if it's justified. I plan to move over some of her old bedding, as well as all her current toys - at least until she settles in. Is there anything else I should be aware of, or that could make the transition easier? Once she's moved in, the plan is to put our other dwarf into her current cage so that it also has a bit more room to play with.
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Aug 22, 2015 20:22
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Hi Pepper! She's so pretty! I have that cage too, it's a great size and the amount of accessories is great too BUT the wheel you get with it is going to be too small, she's going to need at least 8" if not 11-12" if she's grows up to be chunky. A 12" wheel fits in that cage no problem, I'd recommend the Trixie or the Wodent wheels, both come in medium and large. Shifting the bedding and toys is perfect but I would recommend you take off the penthouse and the tubes too until she gets settled in, they have a tendency to nest up there (I guess it feels less open and more secure) and the ventilation isn't great, it's a bit cramped and hard to clean if they decide to pee in there too. Put the tubes back on once she has a nest sorted somewhere sensible! Some people recommend letting them have access to the new cage as a play area for a short while every day before the move so they get used to it but tbh what she's in right now is pretty tiny so I would just make the move in one go if I were you. The RSPCA don't actually give recommendations anymore since they teamed up with Pets at Home. Obviously because Pets At Home are assholes who sell tiny prison cages but they also have money. It's shite. That being said, they did used to recommend that dwarfs have at least the same amount of space as a syrian, they're smaller but way more active. So that cage should be relegated to a travel cage in my opinion.
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Aug 22, 2015 20:37
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Good advice on the wheel, I actually bought exactly that brand already in preparation! It's a Trixie 11 incher, which I'm hoping she takes to more than the spinning plate she had. Again that might have been a size issue though - it was a 6" one that, funnily enough, was sold to us as being more than than big enough for her. She just looked awkward using it. Rather than using her plate, she'd spend hours climbing on her ceiling. Climbing hand over hand on the bars like a little fluffy monkey. She also had a habit of chewing on them, rather loudly. I'm hoping that's a habit she doesn't keep with in quite the same way. Sadly, you've managed to guess exactly where we got her from. They are definitely assholes. Edit: She's in the new house now. I think I should have named her Houdini, because I just turned around to see her chilling out on top of her cage. Outside, on top. The cage is secured to the base with no gaps, the door was shut, and I have the tubes and penthouse in place so the other holes are blocked. I have no god damned clue how she managed it. 
Spider Plant fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Aug 22, 2015 |
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Aug 22, 2015 21:33
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Yeah they usually need a 12" saucer too. P@h are so hit and miss, it all depends on individual staff whether you get decent advice or complete bullshit. I got caught out with a crap cage too. They do now sell a similar cage to yours called the sky metro, its the same but no penthouse so that's something. At least they have one cage that's a good size. Hopefully the monkeybarring and chewing stops! My girl learned to chew her bars to get my attention though so no guarantees!  Edit: check the yellow plates, that's the most likely escape route. Or that the penthouse door is secured? Or just put her back in and watch her, now she's been out once she will be out again!! teenytinymouse fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Aug 22, 2015 |
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Aug 22, 2015 22:10
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Spider Plant posted:My Wife and I have a Syrian Hamster called Pepper. She was bought on a bit of an impulse, as my wife's dwarf had passed away a few weeks earlier. I knew she was planning to get another hamster - I expected another dwarf. Anyway, Pepper is amazing, and I want to make sure she's treated right. It's really weird seeing Pepper in this thread, as I am Spiders wife and am studying abroad in Japan for five weeks. I also wanted to get her the bigger cage but couldn't sort it out before I left. It's so weird not having two hamsters to look after. Does anyone else get that? I really miss them! Talking of pets at home, as already said its just so hit and miss. When I was in buying bedding for Pepper I saw they had a hamster up for adoption. He has the same name as my Grandad and was put up for adoption the week my Grandad passed away. It seemed natural to give the wee thing a good home. The bloke who sorted Jack out for me was nice enough and took Jack out to check he was healthy and active but told me that no-one wanted to buy Jack as he was fatter and scruffier than his litter mates. This is bullshit, the reason Jack was a chunky monkey was because he had nothing but an oversized wheel in his cage. Since I brought him home he's lost a lot of weight, is far more active and his coat is now sleek and smooth. It was a shame as the woman who first sold me Samus my previous Robo, was excellent and really seemed to give a drat. But recently the staff in my local pets at home are rubbish.
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Aug 31, 2015 08:52
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