Re: I would suggest against the 100% cotton fluff -- for the love of squirrels

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Date Posted: 04:42:21 11/29/01 Thu
Author: Beverly
Subject:

Re: I would suggest against the 100% cotton fluff
In reply to: RR 's message, "I would suggest against the 100% cotton fluff" on 18:15:03 11/27/01 Tue

That's even better advice, Rob, although I had heard, and it has been my experience, that the 100% cotton does not form "threads", only the polyester cotton balls do. Still, paper - like cotton unscented uncoloured bathroom tissue, is an excellent choice; one that Molly clearly preferred, as she had run of the linen closet, and made herself a nest in the package of bathroom tissue, and another in a box of Kleanex!

>When I was younger I had a gerbil that I noticed was
>pregnant so I put some of that cotton fluff stuff in
>the cage for a nest. She made a great nest out of it.
>I didn't look in the nest cuz I didn't want her to
>cannabalize her babies. Three weeks later out popped
>the babies and one only
>had three legs. The fourth got fluff wrapped around it
>and fell off. Since then I only use nesting material
>that tears easy like paper towel and other wood
>products.
>
>
>>Tom, I love your story about TJ! But do be very
>>careful about TJ, where the rats are concerned. I
>>like rats (well, wood rats, anyway), but I have read
>>accounts from the Audubon studies that rats will
>>attack other rodents, including flying squirrels.
>>Last winter, two wild flyers were killed in my peanut
>>box, on two separate occasions, and it was most likely
>>done in a fight with a rat (the rats easily climbed
>>the maple tree, and would go into the box, and stay in
>>it, while eating.) I stopped the problem by taking the
>>plexiglass front off the peanut feeder at night, so
>>the flyers could not get trapped by the rats, and
>>also, I started empting the peanut box, and putting
>>the peanuts in a basket, hung from a thin wire from a
>>branch of the maple. The wild flyers could get to the
>>basket - the rats could not. (I would put some
>>sunflower down in the ivy for the rats - and some
>>whole corn, too. I know even rats have to eat...)Re:
>>the mirror, Molly also showed no interest in her
>>reflection, but once or twice, in the bathroom, she
>>would jump toward the mirror, viewing it as part of
>>the room. Birds sometimes hurt themselves in the same
>>way. When flyers are babies, they often develop a
>>little "raceway" - a path they like to run over and
>>over. When Molly first started doing this, I was
>>afraid it was a sign of neurotic behaviour, from not
>>being out in the wild. I was advised by someone who
>>had studied the flyers in the wild that the wild
>>babies do the same thing. It helps them develop their
>>skills, while being on terrain with which they are
>>completely familiar. Re: squirrel pee, in the
>>mountains of Asia, where the giant wooly flying
>>squirrel lives, squirrel pee is considered an
>>aphrodisiac! So you're getting a bonus, there! Don't
>>worry that TJ has not used his nest box much, and
>>don't take it away from him. It's nice for them to
>>have options. Did you give him some 100% cotton fluff
>>for bedding? And if you put a roll of toilet tissue
>>(white, unscented, only!) in his cage for him, he will
>>make some bedding for himself. It's a good wee hours
>>of the morning project for the flyers, you know...
>>
>>> TJ is really starting to become a great little
>pet.
>>> I decided to go check on him tonight because I heard
>>>some squeaking. Turns out we have rats somewhere in
>>>the house, cause something got into the squirrel food
>>>I had bought for Jasper, and ate quite a few of the
>>>sunflower seeds out of it. Then I noticed the small
>>>hole in the wall, so I am pretty sure we have rats.
>>>Damn cats a getting lazy! Anyhow, back to TJ. He
>was
>>>already awake when I entered the room, and as soon as
>>>I came in the room, he ran to the door of the cage
>and
>>>put the "I want out daddy!" face on. So I melted,
>and
>>>opened the door. He immediatly jumped off of the
>door
>>>onto my chest and buzzed around me a little bit.
>Then
>>>he jumped on to the top of the cage and buzzed around
>>>his boxes (I say his because he seems to enjoy
>running
>>>around over them). Then he runs to the edge of the
>>>door and looks at himself in the mirror. He must
>know
>>>it's himself because he shows no interest in the
>>>mirror whatsoever. He then ran around the top of the
>>>cage for a while, and then I put my hand up and he
>ran
>>>down my arm. TJ proceeded to run around me for a
>>>little while, then he jumped back up to the top of
>the
>>>cage. You've got me why he likes it up there so
>much,
>>>but he seems to enjoy it. This cycle kept up for
>>>about oh 20-30 mins. Then he decided to get brave
>and
>>>jump onto the exposed spot on my wall where I took
>off
>>>the molding to fix the other wall. He decided it was
>>>a bad idea, because he could only hold with his front
>>>feet/paws so when I put my hand up, he jumped into
>it,
>>>ran down my arm, and onto the top of the door to his
>>>cage. He then jumped back onto me and let me pet him
>>>for a little bit. Then he jumped into the cage.
>>>Now's the time I say I've been worried because I
>never
>>>saw him use his water dish. Well he's been using it,
>>>I finally noticed that quite a bit of water is
>>>missing, and I actually SAW him use it when he jumped
>>>back in. I gave him a couple small pieces of pecan,
>>>which he gobbled up quite quickly. Then he stored
>the
>>>largest piece, and ran into his pouch to go to
>sleep.
>>>He always uses the pouch. He won't use the nest box
>>>that I so graciously prepare for him, before I even
>>>picked him up from Orlando. I left it in his cage in
>>>case he wanted to see something he was used to, and
>>>yep, he found it alright. He always sleeps in it as
>>>far as I can tell. I guess it doesn't hurt
>anything.
>>>I'm pretty sure he's already asleep by now. I also
>>>thought he wasn't using any of the food I put in the
>>>food dish. It has quite an assortment of foods in
>it.
>>> Corn kernals, sunflower seeds, pellets of some kind
>>>for rodents, peanuts, and little heart shaped thingys
>>>he likes to chew on, but not actually eat. There
>were
>>>little holes dug in it, so he must have found
>>>something he likes and ate a few of them. In total
>he
>>>was up for about an hour playing around, so I think
>>>he's doing really well. I'm working on getting him
>to
>>>stop peeing on me, but it isn't so bad. It doesn't
>>>stink pretty much at all, and it dries fast ;-) I'm
>>>pretty sure I posted this pic before, but it's one of
>>>the best ones I've took of him so far, so it is a
>good
>>>one for people who haven't seen TJ yet. Ya'll have a
>>>great night/day!
>>>
>>>Tom & TJ
>>>
>>> rel=nofollow target=_blank >>>href="http://www.geocities.com/mrboomy01/image-13.
>jpg"
>>>
>>>Click Here for Pic!

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Replies:

Re: I would suggest against the 100% cotton fluff -- Tom McDill, 06:54:36 11/29/01 Thu