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Post by pinky on Aug 10, 2008 23:41:33 GMT -4
Sheesh! Tonight I went about spot-cleaning Mallory's cage--removing the soiled bedding where she pees--but this time I did it with her in the tank. BIG mistake! She went into attack mode! She behaved just as she did when I first put her into the tank from the CT1 and then later tried to pick her up. I could tell that she was just waiting for my hand to come down so that she could lunge at it. . . . however, once I was done and had laid down a little more fresh bedding I got her play area ready and picked her up with no problem--and as usual, she didn't nip at all the whole time we played. So I'm seeing the territorial side of dwarf hamsters!  VERY different from the Chinese, who didn't care if I removed bedding. Actually, if I removed bedding they'd just burrow in what remained so as to hide from me. . . |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 11, 2008 4:07:03 GMT -4
You know Caerbannog the rabbit grunts loudly and lunges if I reach down into her place--no doubt she is scared of attack from above. She is perfectly sweet outside. Not uncommon behavior. Yes, many critters are territorial. I am. This place is my cave and STAY OUT! ;D
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Post by pinky on Aug 11, 2008 15:18:25 GMT -4
So DF is a caveman--and he can get Caerbannog to do grunt voiceovers when someone dares to come to the door. . . ;D
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 11, 2008 19:19:58 GMT -4
I have indeed been called a "caveman" before. My doorbell was disconnected ages ago. >> Who can it be knocking at my door? Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more. Can't you see that it's late at night? I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right. All I wish is to be alone; Stay away, don't you invade my home. Best off if you hang outside, Don't come in - I'll only run and hide. Who can it be now? Who can it be now? Who can it be now? Who can it be now? Who can it be knocking at my door? Make no sound, tip-toe across the floor. If he hears, he'll knock all day, I'll be trapped, and here I'll have to stay. I've done no harm, I keep to myself; There's nothing wrong with my state of mental health. I like it here with my childhood friend; Here they come, those feelings again! Who can it be now? Who can it be now? Who can it be now? Who can it be now? |
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Post by Hamsters82 on Aug 11, 2008 19:42:42 GMT -4
"Whoa Mallory settle down, you want your home to be nice don't you?"
"Yes, but this is MY home and no one else's."
"But in order to keep it clean, someone else is going to have to clean YOUR home for you. Wouldn't you rather have your mommy do it than a stranger?"
"Well yes, but........."
"But what?"
"My my look at the time! It's time for my playtime: MOMMY!!!! Where art thou?"
;D
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Seriously though, talk about a protective/possessive hamster! Maybe you can trick her with a treat and clean her home or take her out and put her somewhere else.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 11, 2008 19:54:12 GMT -4
Just block Mallory off with some cardboard as you spot clean. I did that with the rat moms almost two years ago (yes, time flies) when I had to take each baby for a little while to play with them for socialization. The moms might give me a slight nip if I didn't.
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Post by pinky on Aug 11, 2008 22:41:17 GMT -4
If I do what I'd done before and just take her out before doing anything with the bedding, all will be well. Now that she's well-adjusted to the aquarium she can be picked up with ease. I can see that when she does nip, she does it for a reason. In the normal scheme of things, though, she never uses her teeth on me. We have to give her a break--she's had at least 5 different homes (habitats) in her short life, so it's no surprise that she would want to stake her claim to one!  Oh, and nice, DF! Men at Work!  |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 11, 2008 23:07:18 GMT -4
Yep, Men at Work singing about my domicile! |
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Post by pinky on Aug 12, 2008 14:18:01 GMT -4
And was it you who disconnected the doorbell?
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Post by hamgermourat on Aug 22, 2008 19:02:57 GMT -4
The pygmy mice, duh.
(I saw you talking about them in an old post I didn't know at the time was old and don't know if you still have them)
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Aug 22, 2008 19:56:45 GMT -4
And was it you who disconnected the doorbell? Absolutely. Too many drunken friends of the Russians next door were ringing the wrong doorbell bothering me.  |
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Post by pinky on Sept 3, 2008 1:08:48 GMT -4
Well, I guess Mallory is stressed again, because she's pulling out fur (so far, not as bad as last time). Stressed? How? She lives the good life! I can't figure this one out. Oh, well--it's just fur. But she is also chewing on her front leg again too. Sigh.
You'd never guess that she was an uptight hamster.
Poor girl--I guess she's got baggage from her previous life pre-rescue. If only she could talk. . .
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Sept 3, 2008 13:40:18 GMT -4
Yea, many rescues have baggage. Some never fully get over it even with time. Think any distractions and toys and tubes and such would keep her occupied? You have of course checked the skin condition. She uses the wheel? Maybe a new wheel would be helpful. I don't know if putting some bad tasting liquid ("Bitter Apple"; "Yuch", etc) on a bare skin sport would help or be safe.  Best. |
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Post by pinky on Sept 3, 2008 21:33:04 GMT -4
Yea, many rescues have baggage. Some never fully get over it even with time. Think any distractions and toys and tubes and such would keep her occupied? You have of course checked the skin condition. She uses the wheel? Maybe a new wheel would be helpful. I don't know if putting some bad tasting liquid ("Bitter Apple"; "Yuch", etc) on a bare skin sport would help or be safe. Best. She LOVES her Silent Spinner. She uses it all the time. It's what caused her to lose all her excess weight. She has a toilet paper tube that she chews on at night. She has run-around time for a good 20 minutes each night. If I see her out and climbing the walls, I take her out, even if it's briefly. So she's not neglected and shouldn't be bored. She also does this thing where she stops running around and just lies, resting, in one place, calm as can be. I can pet her endlessly when she is in this state. It's not a "freeze." If I pick her up she's very relaxed, and when I put her down, sometimes she goes back into repose and other times she starts to run around again. It's very interesting, and it's really at odds with fur-pulling, because she seems so mellow and relaxed when she's this way. Fuzz would lie down beside me, looking like a dog, but if I tried to pet him he'd move further away. But again, it's just fur. The leg is red, but not bleeding/scabby. Things could be much worse. |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Sept 4, 2008 0:06:08 GMT -4
>> So she's not neglected and shouldn't be bored. <<
Obviously in both cases. I meant different toys and things with slightly different scents. But I suppose that is not the issue.
Interesting condition you described; I have not seen the like in the dozen or so dwarfs I had, although I had not had one in a few years after they passed.
>> Things could be much worse. <<
My motto and eventual epitaph!
If it gets worse let me know and I will search for dwarf experts online. But not right now.
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VERY different from the Chinese, who didn't care if I removed bedding. Actually, if I removed bedding they'd just burrow in what remained so as to hide from me. . .
