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Phoenix
Jan 25, 2004 23:45:44 GMT -4
Post by rasputin on Jan 25, 2004 23:45:44 GMT -4
First pics I've seen of Phoenix -- he's a real sweetie.
I sure hope he pulls through -- his pic brightens up the screen!
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Phoenix
Jan 26, 2004 15:03:07 GMT -4
Post by calvinator1 on Jan 26, 2004 15:03:07 GMT -4
I think he'd be a drama queen if he was human. ;D ;D
He's such a sweetheart underneath it all.
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Phoenix
Jan 27, 2004 0:33:48 GMT -4
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jan 27, 2004 0:33:48 GMT -4
I think he'd be a drama queen if he was human. ;D ;D He's such a sweetheart underneath it all. Ah, you've met! That second photo sure is a keeper into my archives.
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Phoenix
Jan 27, 2004 15:24:47 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Jan 27, 2004 15:24:47 GMT -4
Yes, Calvinator met Phoenix in the store, before I brought him home, and she has also heard all my stories about him. Calvinator and I talk so much about hamsters and gerbils that we probably drive her office mate crazy.
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Phoenix
Jan 27, 2004 23:15:29 GMT -4
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jan 27, 2004 23:15:29 GMT -4
You're fortunate you can find someone to talk about rodents with. That reminds me of the Sam and Ted story. I saw those two pieds in a tank in the PD and wanted to know if they were male or females, this being almost two months before I got Rainy. The worker - the same one who later infuriated me with Maggie (telling me "she'd be killed and eaten" and not treated for her biten leg) - told me they were "females". So I left. That was when PD still had mixed gender bins, long a subject of my complaints. But I liked them so much, and kept thinking about them overnight in that bin, I came back the next day to recheck, and maybe even get them if female (this is before Rainy and her iitter, remember). The manager assured me they were they were males, and they were, as I could see myself. Quiet Ted died about eight months later; Sam remains highly gregarious, and a great favorite. He was happily climbing on me even in the pet store. Glad I went back!
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Phoenix
Jan 28, 2004 10:47:21 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Jan 28, 2004 10:47:21 GMT -4
It's amazing the amount of time that Calvinator and I can spend on this topic. Of course, we talk about other things too, like you, DF. ;D
The person in charge at the main corporate office told me a while ago that my complaints and suggestions were the reason they separated by sex now. When I first called to tell them to do it, their vet was saying it would not help, but they decided to try it, and saw improvement.
I went to the formerly bad Petland a few days ago, and the animals looked great, so I called her again and gave her a positive report. Last time I was in there, I found a dead hamster in a tank, and the caretaker argued with me, saying it was just sleeping. But then he picked it up, and of course, it was dead. Just like something out of Monte Python...
pet stores...
Who does Sam live with now?
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Phoenix
Jan 28, 2004 22:44:27 GMT -4
Post by Die Fledermaus on Jan 28, 2004 22:44:27 GMT -4
My browsers are open to pet forums, baseball and sports, movie sites, and occasionally history, health, music, etc. Rarely do I get into political discussions as it gives me serious agita. I hop around alot, but of all the pet sites this one of course gets by far the most attention. Right now I'm looking at a lemur special on NJ PBS Channel 50. I think lemurs are the cutest most intriguing of creatures, sort of a dog/monkey cross. I always told PD they'd sell more females if they were separated by gender and not pregnant. They finally figured it out; conditions at my local place and Nassau St. are quite good. They appear to be good at the local independent pet store (with dogs, and that macaw), although I have heard bad stories about puppy mills. . . Sam's tankmate is Dave, a lilac spot, and the most timid critter I have, although he is sure eating well and now bigger than Sam. The intro was very easy on neutral ground, after rubbing their bellies on each other's back. Although, they never have seemed like buds; there is always an odd sort of "who's the boss?" thing with them: Dave is bigger, but Sam much more confident. None of the other gerbs react anything like that. When I was cleaning their tank yesterday, they were in a holding bin doing what looked like "head wrestling" - pressing heads firmly testing strength, or something. But they get along well enough. They all do.
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Phoenix
Jan 29, 2004 10:45:18 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Jan 29, 2004 10:45:18 GMT -4
Could be that there was some unfamiliar smell in that holding bin (possible another gerbil?) that got them a little confused. Phoenix weighed in at 50g this morning, the highest he has been in months
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Phoenix
Jan 29, 2004 22:31:28 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Jan 29, 2004 22:31:28 GMT -4
Here is his eye today: And another one of him just looking cute:
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Phoenix
Feb 1, 2004 23:02:00 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Feb 1, 2004 23:02:00 GMT -4
And here he is today, weighing in at 51g. The eye is looking much better.
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Phoenix
Feb 1, 2004 23:52:21 GMT -4
Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 1, 2004 23:52:21 GMT -4
Could be that there was some unfamiliar smell in that holding bin (possible another gerbil?) that got them a little confused. Sure it's unfamiliar. It's a holding bin with fresh bedding that only stays there. Dave seems scared of Sam, though. Not that Sam is aggressive. (?). It reminds me of a TV show on a cheetah once. She was lonely or something and needed a buddy, so they put her in with a yellow lab. At first the dog started running from the cheetah, but the lab figured it was play. . . and then turned around and started doing the chasing. Cheetahs, being cheetahs, ran away like hell, in circles all over the enclosure, up a ladder, and even slipped in panic and fell head first into a big tub of water. Imagine running in terror from a lab! Anyway, the dog showed who was boss - and they became great buds afterward, inseparable. If only Dave would be a little more confident. Well, he is very reminiscent of the late Ted in his diffident nervous way.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 2, 2004 0:01:49 GMT -4
Nice to hear the news about Phoenix. How active is he? We obviously can't tell from the photos. As my Rainy never uses her Twin Spin wheel I replaced it today with a small ceramic log thingee. I might attach the wheel to a bin side as the Van Ness wheels are getting a bit small for some of them; plus, the hub is so close to their backs it spins up fur, especially from Prince. They do love the big Comfort Wheels. Rainy can't use wheels any more, a back leg is kind of stiff, but she forages like mad. I think Stanley is getting too big for his Habitrail wheel, although he does neatly leave all his poops on the top of the little ramp leading to the control panel. He was very nervous, but is now calm enough to walk on my hand. I don't know what I should do; if I move Prince in there I'd do it only after I cleaned the whole thing (which I just did for Stanley), but even then he might go nuts once more gnawing to get out. Dilemmas. . . Anyway, Phoenix still looks messy from the ointment, but I am glad he's doing well. When I put antibiotic cream on the gerbs' noses I handled them for several minutes at least, otherwise they'd promptly try to groom it off. Salubrious wishes, Phoenix.
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Post by jeannie on Feb 7, 2004 0:02:19 GMT -4
He's not doing so well tonight. Poor little guy has very loud chattering like breathing. The interesting thing is he is very active and eating a lot. He was running in the wheel all night last night.
I've called my vet and started him on the antibiotics again. It seems whenever we stop the antibiotics, his symptoms get worse. Don't know how much longer he will continue on like this. Poor little guy.
Nice thoughts and prayers would be welcome.
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Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 7, 2004 0:35:50 GMT -4
Oh, Christ. All the best, and best of thoughts to him. What else is there to say. . . you know how I feel about these situations. . . No one could have done more than you. I will open tomorrow's posts with dread.
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Phoenix
Feb 7, 2004 22:06:46 GMT -4
Post by jeannie on Feb 7, 2004 22:06:46 GMT -4
he's a little better today. The oddest thing is he is not acting sick and eats and runs in the wheel a lot. He has been put back on the antibiotics...
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