We discovered a wonderful new game this evening! Because the bags of Ideal Bedding are so large, I scoop it into a plastic bag to take it to the cage. I was changing the litter in the base of the cage when the boys discovered that they could climb out of the door into the bag, so I soon had four of them scrummaging around in there. I eventually emptied them out and popped them onto their balcony, which is suspended about 3 feet from the ground in front of another door to the cage. I stood up with the plastic bag to change the litter trays higher up but they weren't ready to stop the game. One after the other they dropped 18 inches or so off their shelf into the bag, just like in the films where you see of lemmings going over the edge. Not too bad for the first one or two, but by the time numbers five and six dropped in they were landing on top of their cagemates. I'm afraid I was so busy laughing I couldn't stop them.
It's so hard to get a good handful of litter with so many bodies in the way!
We noticed last night that there was a lot of squeaking going on in the cage, and discovered Jasper guarding the igloo and fighting off all comers. He even threatened me when I got my hand too close. This was a total surprise because he's usually such a squishy lap rat.
I removed the top of the igloo to calm things down, but 10 minutes later he was in their castle igloo, doing the same thing, and getting quite testy with everyone else. I eventually managed to get him out of the cage, but he was very much against being touched, so I concluded that he must have hurt himself somewhere, and bedded him down in the travel cage.
He was very vocal, crying out often, until he finally settled and went to sleep.
We got in to see the vet first thing this morning, walking up there in the rain with a small blanket over the carrier to keep the rain out. After gingerly lifting him out for the vet, she spotted what I had missed - a sore patch for about the last 2cm of his tail. No broken skin, just very red and painful.
He's now sectioned off in the base of the big cage, and seems relieved to have space without other ratties walking over his tail. He has Baytril to combat any bacterial infection, and Metacam to help with pain and swelling. Thankfully he seems to be coping at the moment, but if it doesn't improve the vet is threatening to take the infected end off his tail.
Jasper's tail is back to normal, but he has a strange wound on his back that he got while he was defending his sore tail, so he's still on the Baytril. It started off as a bite with a lump, but has now flattened off but become a bald patch with a growing scab. I've taken out the division in the cage and he's joining in with the feeding rush, but he's still sleeping alone in the spare igloo down in the cage base.
The other news is that Gonzo now has a small pea-sized lump under one of his back legs. For now we're just watching it, but if it grows it's got to come off.
Gonzo's lump was an abscess! We were bathing the ratties because some are going to a show tomorrow, and because they were all pretty ripe (They're marinators). While I was drying Gonzie I had a look at the lump, and it had developed a scab. Just a little pick and out came the cream cheese. Brilliant! All I've got to do now is keep it drained.
Jasper's scab is worrying me. The bald patch is getting bigger, and the scab isn't healing. Back to the vet I think.
We're getting everyone ready for the Midlands Rat Club show in Birmingham tomorrow. Lots of nice clean ratties, nails trimmed (apart from Zorro, who I just can't get to sit still), and cages cleaned so they don't get messy again. We're taking five ratties and three hamsters. Zorro, Pogo, Merlin and Fox are entered in the show, as are the three hamsters. Pirate is coming as a shoulder rat, and to keep Zorro company on the way there and back. The hammies are going in as 'Small Furries', because the children want to show everyone how wonderful they are.
We had a great time at the show! The turnout was low, but we enjoyed our first experience of showing our pets. Joe is so proud of his little Samuel, who won first prize in the small furries - it helps when you lick the judge. Bethany came second and Drucilla was third, so the children each have a card to show off. Kim's Pogo also did well, taking first blue, second junior owned, and fourth stud buck. My Fox was the second cinnamon, and I think Merlin came fourth in the pets, although I might be wrong. Zorro was probably too wriggly to do well in the pets, but at least he got to come for the ride, and his brother Pirate came as shoulder rat. Pirate hid in my daughter's dungarees most of the time, but was surprisingly social and actually sniffed other rats without bogbrushing.
I worked out who a few more people are - Hi Kaz! And we met Su in person - Hi Su! I'm sure we will be showing off our menagerie again at the next show.
Annette
Last modified: Friday, 04-Mar-2005 23:56:43 GMT
