January 2003

Piratty visits the vet (2nd January)

Pirate has been to visit the vets, and is now minus some essential manly parts. I still feel very guilty, but he's just so unpredictable. One minute he's a cuddly friendly boy, the next he's going for your hand. I think it's all nervousness and over territorial tendencies, but I hope that castration will calm him down a little.

He had to go under anaesthetic twice today, because as soon as he came around from the op he took his stitches out and had to be redone. The second stitches are hidden so we hope he will leave them alone for a while.

He's slept for most of the evening, venturing out for a chestnut snack.

Chestnuts

I seem to have started chestnut wars this evening. I gave out a chestnut each, but we still ended up with Jasper in the bottom igloo making an awful noise defending his chestnut, and Fox wandering around without one. I gave Fox an extra one, but he lost it again soon after and he's too jumpy to come out to eat it before the children are in bed. Maybe I need to stick to slow reward nuts like walnuts. By the time they get into them the novelty has worn off.

Pirate's Progress (3rd January)

Pirate is sleeping most of the time, but he's back with Zorro, has had a meal and came out for a brief cuddle and to lick my hand and scent mark my wrist.

Cuddling Up (7th January)

I don't know whether Zorro is feeling sorry for Pirate, whether it's colder than usual, or whether they're both feeling more friendly, but Pirate and Zorro have actually started cuddling up together to sleep. They have a hammock, an igloo and a flower pot and are usually found curled up seperately. Now they're both crammed into their igloo together. It's so good to see them getting along well.

Getting Together (12th January)

I've decided that as both Pirate and Zorro are neutered now, I might as well try to reintroduce them to the main cage. They've been in close smell with the others ever since they were seperated, so there's a small chance that it will work. Zorro gets on OK with the others out of the cage, but Pirate has been very nervous of the others.

It's going well (17th January)

I've divided the big cage into two equal parts and I'm swapping the boys over every evening in the hope that they will all end up smelling like they belong together. They're also having a joint playtime every evening and seem to be getting on fairly well, although Quicksilver is desperate to make babies with Zorro. I should have had Pirate neutered sooner, he's so much calmer now. I hadn't realised just how jumpy he was until I saw the change.

Annette