October

Zorro wins again! (2nd October 2002)

Three days in a row!

Zorro and Pirate are living in an attic apartment on top of the main cage. This means that they don't get fed at exactly the same time as the other boys, they're either a few minutes before, or a few minutes afterwards.

But Zorro has started a new game. While the boys below are queued up by the door, waiting to be fed, Zorro takes hold of the water bowl clipped to the cage, gives it a twist with his mouth, and sends the contents down into the cage below.

I can't believe it's an accident. The little horror has done it three days in a row, just when the others are getting a bit of attention. I'd take the bowl away and just leave their bottle, but Pirate loves to wash his face in it.

Note to self: remove water bowl before feeding time.

The carrot fights back! (6th October 2002)

You know those scenes in cartoons where someone hits a punchbag and it swings back and knocks them over? Well that was the game Gonzo played the other day. I gave them a carrot fixed in the cage door space on their hanging holder, and Gonzo discovered that he could reach it from the top of the castle igloo. The problem was that each time he bit a piece off, he let go of the carrot, which swung out and back to hit him on the nose. The dozy boy stood there while it swung back and forth, bopping him on the nose each time!

(This picture shows the holder but Pirate, the white & black boy, is no longer in that cage)

I've been busy (29th October 2002)

The diary has been neglected for a while because I've been helping to revamp the site for the Midlands Rat Club.

We've gained two more hamsters, brother and sister to Drucilla, who were still sitting in the pet shop waiting for a home. They're called Bethany and Samuel, and are settling in well despite their lonely start.

Annette