DWARF UPDATE - Photos. Meet My Third New One.

[Die Fledermaus]

Last week I took the plunge into dwarfs, and you may recall my threads about them, with photos.

I have many Syrians and many gerbils, but I was hesitant to get dwarfs as supposedly they were so "bitey". These three are not "bitey" at all and can be easily handled, and all are quite pretty. But they will be living separately. Here is what happened. . .

I first got Snowball, an albino female.

I then got Tad, a mottled dwarf I eventually sexed as a male.
He was originally called Snowbell but I changed that to make it easier to differentiate between the two.

I then got Jerry, a biege dwarf with ruby eyes who was with sexed as a male. He was very calm in my hand and in his tank in the store. However, despite my using all the tricks to help with introductions, the ones I know from gerbils, the introduction did not go well. Even with a screen divider Jerry started running around and back and forth - and then started climbing up the nine inch high divider! He jumped off and attacked poor Tad, and a noisy fight ensued. They were quickly separated with no damage being done.

So, they all live separately, and apparently happily. Snowball really loves her wheel, but as the store ran out of 5.5 inch Comfort Wheels I took a Van Ness wheel and added cardboard to make a solid running surface - see photo. It works well, but I will get the Comfort Wheel when available.



Tad



And Jerry, who, unlike the others, has never had his picture in this forum before:

[Hamsters82]

Aww..there very cute. Your albino looks as if her cheek pouches are full as she's running. Your Jerry looks like our: Keith & Pal (from when Harret had her 7). Good luck with your cuteys!

[calvinator1]

They are such cuties. Snowbell does indeed look like she's packed those cheeks! Picnic anyone? ;D

[jeannie]

They sure are cute! Jerry looks like a sweetie

[dosergirl]

DF have you thought about moving to someplace larger?
If the SPCA came to your house do you think they would think you are a "hoarder"?

[Die Fledermaus]

I really need to move out a lot of old stuff, to my storerooms downstairs or in the garbage. I don't have a single rodent in the bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. Although now Petey and Whitey (the biggest gerbs) are on the hutch in the dinette with Snowball the dwarf in a ten gallon bin on top of them. . . likely keeping them awake with the wheel.

I have been told the screen I used for the introductions was too wide - thus allowing Jerry to climb it. I will look for a smaller, tighter type of mesh soon. We shall see; Petey and Whitey seem kind of lost in that big 20 gallon after being in the 10 for so long.

Nothing else. . . oh, I put Boudicca in a bin as I checked her Habitrail; that bin had a hole in the bottom Ebony chewed two months ago but that I reinforced and covered with wood. However, Boudicca found the hole, and as it was sitting on top of Raven's 30 gallon bin, she went "plunk" right in with her sister. I instantly went for her, but within two seconds they were locked together in a death match! It was really hard to pry them apart. Damage: slight nick to me; Boudicca lost some fur; Raven declared the winner.

Remarkable indeed how such docile gentle critters can instantly turn into little demons.

[dosergirl]

You didn't really answer all of my question

[Die Fledermaus]

dosergirl said:

You didn't really answer all of my question

Of course I didn't as I am not the SPCA. Ask them - not that they are getting in.

I am not even sure what "hoarder" is; but if it is somewhat synonymous with "pack rat", maybe so. It comes as a reaction to my anal-compulsive father, dear old Dad , who always wanted to throw everything out. He even threw out his army uniform and some rare pistols he got in the Army. It took me over a decade of nooging to get him to put one single painting on the walls. I think he would have prefered to live in a monastery. He also acted the same way about his colon - if you know what I mean! ;D And if you don't, just as well.

[calvinator1]

Hoarding is an acknowledged mental disease. People who have suffered some sort of trauma, usually women who have suffered sexual abuse, take in more animals than they can properly care for. Usually they take in stray dogs and cats, so I guess that means you're in the clear DF... ;D

[dosergirl]

What is an animal hoarder?

An animal hoarder is a person who amasses more animals than he/she can properly care for. Such individuals generally fail to recognize—or refuse to acknowledge—when the animals in their custody become victims of gross neglect. Animal hoarders are sometimes referred to as animal "collectors" or animal "addicts."
What characteristics do animal hoarders generally share?
An apparent need to have many animals, and usually many inanimate objects as well (an addiction to clutter).
Intelligence and communication skills, combined with a shrewd ability to attract sympathy for themselves, no matter how abused their animals may be.

A stubborn refusal to part with any of their animals, be it through adoption of relatively healthy ones or euthanasia of sick ones (sometimes they even keep the dead animals).

A clandestine lifestyle—there is often a stark contrast between the hoarder's public persona and his/her private life.
A tendency to deny reality—they insist that ill animals are healthy; that those confined for long periods in small cages or kennels are comfortable; that overcrowding does not subject animals to severe stress and related diseases; etc.
Recidivism—unless expert psychiatric help is obtained, hoarders almost invariably return to old ways, even if convicted of cruelty to animals

What motivates anyone to accumulate and "warehouse" large numbers of animals?

No comprehensive psychological study has been made of the hoarder syndrome, and most people tend to think of hoarders as motivated by a "love of animals that got out of control." This is one—but not the sole—possible factor. There are undoubtedly several types of influences (or combinations thereof) such as the following, and they are not the same for every hoarder.

A "love of animals" combined with a failure to care for them responsibly. For example, an elderly woman who feeds all of the neighborhood strays, but has none of the animals spayed/neutered or given other necessary veterinary care. This type of person is usually genuinely fond of animals, but quickly becomes overwhelmed when they multiply.

A perception that reverence for life is synonymous with preservation of life, regardless of its quality. Some people find the thought of death so abhorrent that they deem an inhumane life far preferable to humane death. They often go to great lengths to "rescue"dogs or cats from traditional shelters, sometimes boasting of having thus removed them from "death row," the brink of euthanasia.

A "hero/martyr complex." Hoarders often receive very favorable publicity about the personal sacrifices they make on behalf of animals.They become enamored of their own public image and won't risk tarnishing it by openly disposing of animals that have become burdensome.
A need to control. Many hoarders create situations which assure them absolute power over every aspect of the existence of animals in their custody. They keep their victims crowded together behind locked doors and gates, denying them human companionship, veterinary care, exercise,bedding, fresh air, and adequate food and water.

[dosergirl]

Die said:

Of course I didn't as I am not the SPCA. Ask them - not that they are getting in.

What does this mean, not that they are getting in?"
does that mean if the SPCA came you would refuse to let them in?

[Die Fledermaus]

calvinator1 said:

Hoarding is an acknowledged mental disease. People who have suffered some sort of trauma, usually women who have suffered sexual abuse, take in more animals than they can properly care for. Usually they take in stray dogs and cats, so I guess that means you're in the clear DF... ;D

Ohhhh. I see. Like the Crazy Cat Lady in "The Simpsons"! Or the ones we hear about with three dozen cats in a two room apartment that smells so bad the neighbors call the police. What about that guy with the tiger and alligator in his apartment?



This would be me - except I'd have hamsters, not cats!



Oh, I never knew the sexual abuse connection with them.

[calvinator1]

A tiger and an alligator aren't hoarding...just strange. On the other hand, Siegfried and Roy have a lot of tigers - maybe they're hoarders... ;D

[jeannie]

Now the guy with the 6 monkeys, 2 cats, Great Dane and tarantula in the Manhattan studio apartment, who was sleeping (with his room mate) in the kitchen - *that* was closer to hoarding!

[Die Fledermaus]

Actually, I am now down to eleven Syrians - Rainy's nine surviving children, and Maggie, and Prince who "replaced" (in a sense) Princess. I consider all of them "rescues". As for the gerbils, Phoenix and Rudolf are rescues. So in effect half the critters currently here are rescues.

Speaking of rescues, my neighbor, Mary, who just adopted a new (black) lab, Charlie, from Long Island Lab Rescue, to replace her deceased (yellow) lab, Jerry, has better be careful while walking - I saw her today and it looked like she had been whacked on the side of the head with a baseball bat! Charlie saw a tree, went for it, and pulled her right off her feet. . . and onto her face. It was really too early after adoption for that dog to be out walking. (Everyone will be fine).