Petition: Modify Ban on the Import of African Rodents into the United States

This issue is very dear to me. I created to get this ban changed. Please sign and pass it on to anyone that might like this petition. Thanks!

Knitted Hamsters

Attempt 1

Attempt 2

Attempt 3

This is my latest knitting projects. I made some knitted hamsters. Not as good as my knitted gerbils but close.  What do you think of them?

Bud had a Fall

Bud was having some out of cage time with us last night. He was having a blast running all over our laps and on the sofa chair. He got to the top of the chair. Either I slightly moved the chair or something on TV startled him. He took a flying leap off the chair and landed right into the wooden magazine rack that is next to the chair. I am not sure if he hit the magazines or the wood part. He was pretty dazed.  Mostly likely in shock of what happened. We put him back into his cage ever so gently and let him recover. Steve stayed up with him for an extra hour. He did eat and drink but he definitely was not his normal self. This morning he looked better. We had his food and water bottled brought down to the first level. He ate his food and his morning cheerio. He was chewing some and even jogged in his wheel for a few seconds. We drove home for lunch to check on him. He is doing better. His side is a little sore. I had some leftover Metacam which I gave him. It is just going to be day by day. I read online that something like this takes 2-3 days before he is back to his normal self.

Gerbil and Hamster Update

Just an small update on my babies.

Sam is doing fine alone. He does get a little bored. He recently started purring when we take him out to play.

Bud is thriving on being alone. Not at all depressed.

Spot and Little bear now a tad over 2 years old. Starting in the senior realm of gerbils. Spot recently started jumping into my hand and climbing onto my shoulder without any bribery. Little is starting to do the same.

Toby and Dexter are doing just fine. We still need to work with Dexter more. Still a little skittish. Toby is as friendly as he can be.

Mona and Simone are also a little over 2 years old now. Simone still has her nose problem but it is under control. Mona is now a good friendly gerbil. I can pick her up with no problem. Simone loves to be picked up.

Fred the Hamster is now abut 1.5 years old now. He is still going just fine. Still loves his ball. Loves to be brushed. With his long hair. He needs it.

Bud and Sam Not Meant to Be

Poor Bud and Sam. Putting them together was not meant to be. Their personalities clashed. They won't even interact when I held each one in my hand. They have been in a split since the end of the July.

Last night Bud went to his own digs. I took the divider out and gave Sam the big 20 gallon for now. I will just have to give them extra toys and stimulation. Bud was always good with the ladies. I might get him a senior female to love. I might do the same with Sam later on. Male to female bonding seems to always work better.

Bud is about 1 1/2 feet away from the other two boys. At least he can smell them and know they are around. I am planning on putting Sam in the 15 gallon (where Mona and Simone are currently located) and give the girls the big 20 gallon to romp around. That sounds like the best option I have right now. This is my first failure in try to put two gerbils together.

Also, while I was cleaning an extra small cage, I found Trixie's last thing she chewed. A partial paper plate. It brought sadness to my heart.

Gerbil Updates

It's been awhile since I posted. A bunch has happened over the month. A couple of days after this last post, Trixie passed on. She developed pneumonia.

We didn't want Bud to be left alone. So we got three wonderful 8 week old pups on July 24th.. We thought we might make a foursome. It wasn't to be. The pups were all too old to be put together. So we left two pups together. The other pup we are split caging with Bud. The pups names are Dexter (after the tv show), Toby, and Sam.

Bud and Sam have been in a split cage for almost 4 weeks. I swap sides regularly. I tried an intro last week. They ended up in a gerbil ball. No blood drawn. Alot of back arching and shoving and
tense nose to nose sniffing. Lucky I was wearing gloves. These two want to be dominate gerbil. Sam is over 12 weeks old now and Bud about 2 years old.

I know they want to be together but someone has to be the boss. Bud needs the company of another gerbil. Bud started purring in my hand when I take him out now. He really wants company. Even little Sam sometimes purrs when I take him out to hold.

I try using "hand" intros but they seem to don't want to really interact in my hand. There is plenty of butt sniffing though. They are both sleeping near the wire almost everyday now.

Any suggestions to help? By now, they have to smell alike. I want to try again this weekend. Would doing brief intros at night for a few minutes help? I have never had a split cage go this long.

Trixie's Weekly Update

Trixie is holding on. She still weighs about 60 grams. She has slowed down. Breathing is becoming more labored. She is still eating and drinking on her own with supplement food from me. She starting to like bread crust. So I have been feeding that also. She now likes to sit in my lap in her pouch where it is nice and warm. She is losing some muscle mass.

She still likes to chew on paper plates. She still grooms Bud. Bud grooms her and trys to keep her warm. I am still giving her twice a treatments. She is still peeing and pooing. The poo is getting a little less. Trixie will tell me when it is time to go. Not today.

I have not seen her in the wheel in the past couple of days. She is still very spunky. Eyes and ear bright as ever. Still purrs when I hold her. She still likes to sit on my shoulder when she wants to. She will sit there for minutes. My shoulder must be a warm place.

I know her time is coming soon. Her fur is starting to shed a little. Why do gerbils have such short lives? I wish Trixie could live to four (December 8 birthday) but I know that is not to be. I will cherish everyday that she is here with us. Trixie loves being with her people.

Send her comforting wishes.

Senior Gerbil Trixie

This is my little grey agouti Trixie. She is 3 1/2 years old. About the beginning of May there was a small lump on her belly. Vet said to watch it. While I was away at the gerbil show. The sore opened. Took her to the vet the day after I got back. Vet gave me medicine and brown liquid stuff to keep it clean twice a day. Trixie seemed to respond well to the treatment.

After two weeks, I took her back in for a checkup. Vet was concerned that the sore wasn't healing properly. He took a small sample to send it to the lab for analysis. Trixie did lose some weight. Vet suggested supplement her diet with baby food. That was a week ago.

Vet called yesterday evening. It is not good. Trixie has cancer. Surgery is too risky. Vet and I agreed to continue the same treatment. Supplement her diet with veggie baby food and cooked noodles and any extra sunflower and pumpin seeds she want.

Trixie is still a very active little girl. Doing all the normal gerbil stuff. Trixie also purrs when I hold her. She only does it for me. I will treasure everyday that she has left.

Happy New Year and Gerbil Family Expanded

My gerbil family has now expanded to seven gerbils and a hamster. I did want to mention that I also had a little baby gerbil Stewie. He was a very small little gerbil. I think he may have been the runt of the litter. He was a beautiful gerbil. A rare color also. i got him on December 14th and he passed on December 18th. Mostly likes from respiratory infection. He never made it back from the vet. This is baby Stewie. I will always remember you.

This is my new baby gerbils. Meet Little Bear, Spot, Simone and Mona. All their birthdays are in October. Spot and Simone are Halloween gerbils. Little Bear and Spot are with Buddy.

Passing of a Wonderful Friend

I have lost a good little friend January 30th. It was my favorite little girl gerbil Digger. She had an ovarian cyst. the vet thinks it burst. She was suffering and I enend up taking to the vet. She was a super friendly since she was a pup. She was my shoulder sitter. It came to the point where I can carry her around from room to room and she loved it. She was only year and 2 weeks old. A spotted agouti. She is survived by her best buddy Trixie. I have kept a journal of little Digger. You can read it here: Digger's Journal. I have also posted her last webcam pictures. You can view them at the webcam site. Digger's last request is that Trixie is not left alone. She is getting a new buddy Friday night.