Whitey, our last gerbil, died on 09/26.

Whitey, our last gerbil, died on 09/26.  Thankfully, I think it was old age because unfortunately, rodents just don't have long life spans.  Whatever it was - she declined fast and died in Shaun's hands.

Now my feisty dragon, Pomona, looks like she's losing weight.  She's getting a geriatric sort of wobble.  🙁  She was a rescue so I have no idea how well she was cared for before Laurel took her in, but she's had proper care since 2011.  I don't think there is much to be done for her, so I'm pretty bummed out.

Last night I was talking to Midna and noticed that one of her eyes is swollen.  I tried to check on her this morning, but she was hiding and I couldn't get to her.  She was out today and while it looks better I'm planning to investigate more thoroughly when Shaun gets here.  If she needs to see a doctor, of course, she will.

And finally, I'm concerned about Tobi, the orange foster kitten.  I found out that he's what's called a "rumpy" - which is a bobtail cat with not even a stump of a tail.  Unfortunately, that often comes with nerve issues and other things like that.  He's been having potty issues... so a Google search led me to learn about Manx Syndrome (damaged spinal cord and nerves, causing a form of spina bifida, as well as problems with the bowels, bladder, and digestion) and megacolon (which comes with the aforementioned bowel problems and can be fatal).

Poor buddy will go in the box and scratch, then squat... and then nothing happens.  He'll cover that nothing and go about his business, but then a few minutes later I'm picking a turd off his butt with a tissue.  Thankfully, he doesn't seem constipated - just maybe like he can't push the poo out very well.

I am honestly not sure if this is the kind of thing that gets better or worse with age, but I'm all Googled out.  He seems ok right now, so depending on how Midna is doing he might see a vet in the morning, or he might see one later.  In any case I'm keeping a close eye on him.  He was the first to get sick with upper respiratory crud, and the last to get over it (even on antibiotics).  So I'm just hoping that he's ok and that everything works out.

On a related note it looks like some people keep Manx Syndrome babies and just diaper them.  I'm hoping it wouldn't come to that for Tobi, but hey, a pamper isn't the end of the world.  🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GqYsLjzpA8

Dang.

Dang. Looks like our little black gerbil, Melon, has passed away. 🙁 She was a funny little fat thing. It must have been old age because she was fine yesterday. Rest in peace, sweet girl.

I got to work in Access...

I got to work in Access in computer class tonight, so that was fun.  Makes me more excited to work on my database.  IF I CAN EVER FIND THE TIME.  🙁

We are doing exponents and all that in Algebra.  Seems easy enough, but remembering all of the rules is gonna take some doing.  We cover so much in one class that it doesn't feel as though it has time to sink in.  So I have to really study that to make sure I get it.  I made an 83 on my last Algebra test, so BOO for that.  I really wanted an A.  So I super want to ace this next one to make up for that.  If I have to take 3 Calculus classes then I need to be good at this stuff.

Anyway.  Shaun buried Tamari today.  We didn't have time yesterday and by the time we found her on Sunday it was already late and dark.  Speaking of things like that - one of my neighbors died today.  It is really sad.  I think her family needed her; I have no idea what things are going to be like over there now.  I really hope they all manage to be ok somehow.  ❤

Well, I'm exhausted and have an early class tomorrow.  It would be AMAZING if some jackass would take their screaming dog inside so that I could sleep.  I don't know where it's coming from, but there are two different dogs that scream off and on all night somewhere in my neighborhood.  If they are bothering me then surely they are bothering their owners who are much nearer to them, right?  I try to always bring my pack of mutts in before it gets too late.  I would feel so bad if I knew they were disturbing someone.

Well, goodnight, Internet.  I'm ready to put this Tuesday behind me and get on with my Wednesday.  ❤

I feel really down...

I feel really down and like I've been beaten up. It's just an emotional thing. I'm sad about Tamari and every time I do anything with my left hand I'm reminded of her because my thumb hurts. I'm not usually very sensitive about Shadow's birthday, either, but we did a paper in English where I told the story of having him so I've got the feels today - for better or worse. 

It's the kind of day where I just want to go to Shaun's couch and get snuggled. My own couch wouldn't even suffice today. But I have to go to work so no snuggles for me. 🙁

Also, my nails are ugly and I'm super nauseated. The two are not related. 

Later, friends. I hope that Monday is going easy on you. ❤

Tamari didn't make it.

Tamari didn't make it. We are so sad. Rest in Peace, sweet girl. I'm so sorry I didn't move you sooner. 🙁❤

She's nibbling her carrot...

She's nibbling her carrot. But she falls asleep on it. She's so pitiful. 🙁

We're going to check her wounds / medicate her shortly.

My goodness.

My goodness.  I have never had a group of gerbils that didn't get along before, but officially all of the girls now live separately.  Melon made it clear when I bought Whitey and Tamari for her that she didn't want friends and I guess that's understandable since she'd lived alone for so long by the time she came to me.  But Whitey and Tamari have lived together since the pet store... and we've had them for (I'm guessing) about a year now.  Things have been fine all of this time - there have been some small scuffles and play-fighting, but that's normal. Today when we checked on them, though, Tamari's back end was bloody and chewed up.  She is not looking good.  🙁

Since she was so bloody I thought I should wash her wounds.  I did that and she bit the hell out of my thumb.  I haven't been bitten like that since I bought Testiclees (my first gerbil who I chose because he bit me and dangled).  Poor Tamari was also dangling from my thumb over the sink and it hurt.  But she clearly doesn't feel well and I know that bathing them is stressful so I understand.  I'm not mad at her.

Right now she's resting in her own home - where no one can hurt her.  I Googled what to do for an injured gerbil and there is not a lot of information out there, unfortunately.  I know that they are pretty resilient so I'm hoping we got to her before she was hurt too badly.  I'll post an update tomorrow.  I'm REALLY hoping that she hangs in there.  She's Shadow's gerbil and it would SUPER SUCK to have her die on his birthday.  I mean, obviously I don't want her to die at all, but the timing could make it harder on my son.  🙁

Today has been busy.

Today has been busy.  I was SUPPOSED to be working on my Etsy (and I still might), but I haven't started yet.  LOL  I came home and didn't even sit down.  I just started cleaning.  I did the bathroom, the kitchen, and cleaned and organized the living room some.  I didn't feel very good, so I figured "Why not?"  LOL  (Before you all think I'm a mess and that my house is always in a state of chaos - it's not.  I just have a low tolerance for clutter and filth.  It drives me crazy.  I had let some things go while getting ready for OxfordFest, but the house is almost back to normal now - THANK GOODNESS.)

I've been taking care of my animals all this time, so no worries, but you know how you just get too busy to appreciate the good things?  That's where I've been mentally the last few months.  Basically feeding everyone and cleaning up after them and that's IT.  Pat the dogs on the head and off I went to make things.  But today I feel like I finally got to see my kids again and it was SO nice.  🙂

Shaun fed Bruce - who ate his rat IMMEDIATELY.  First time he's done that in a while.  Then Brucey drank some water, and yawned (I guess to help his jaw back into place).  I don't care what anyone says.  He's totally adorable even if he is a snake.

I cleaned up the beardie girls and fed them, too.  Mona gave me the stink eye because she wasn't happy with my roach offering.  I managed to dig her up a few worms, but that was the last of them.  Teyla just crawled into the roach container and ate her fill.  She can really be a hog sometimes.  LOL

And just now I was cleaning up the horned lizards and I saw Peach sleeping near a rock.  She was too tired to move and that was pretty cute.  I started scooping at the other end of their house and I hit a big mess.  I was thinking "What the hell?  They are too small to make a big mess like this."  Right about that time it dawned on me that I was digging up Koopa.  LOL  He'd tucked himself in under the sand already and I was about to scoop him up with the poop.  I'm sure I would have realized it before I got to the trash can with him - at least I hope I would have.  LOL  Poor boy was conked OUT - he didn't even move.  I just tucked him back in with sand and left him alone.

All that's left is the gerbil girls, then I'm having a shower and calling it a night.  If I'm not completely exhausted I might do some Etsy, but if I am too tired it will be there tomorrow.

Here it is over a week after OxfordFest is over and I'm JUST NOW starting to feel like myself again.  On the bright side to that not going over so great, I've got so much stuff made that if I make A FEW things every week I'll still be really ahead of where I wanted to be.  Maybe Etsy will pick up for Christmas.  I am planning to do some more markets and other craft shows, so there is always that, too.  Either way, I'm done rushing around for a while, and I'm REALLY happy about it.  😃

P. S. I won some nail polish today. Can't wait to see what it is! 😃

I'm sorry I haven't posted photos yet...

I'm sorry I haven't posted photos yet, (I swear - this weekend I will photograph EVERYONE! - gerbils, cat, foster dog you haven't met), but I have an update on Sugar.

She has gone from being super timid and standoff-ish to bouncing a little and sitting when she sees the treat bag come out.  🙂  Today has been the first time I've seen her look even remotely excited about anything.

She is crated and whining right now - she was barking at our little Booka over some food so she can eat separately.  Other than that she's getting along just fine with everyone.  Yay for that!

I was not aware that I had a weenie dog.

I was not aware that I had a weenie dog. Emma runs away from the gerbils when we let them out. She also ran from a big fat cute bee just now. 😂😂😂 What a weirdy!

I've had a big weekend. 😃

I've had a big weekend.  😃

Yesterday we went to the zoo because I'd promised Shadow that for his birthday, but we kept getting rained out or other bad-timing things happened.  It was busy, but that's ok.

My friend Emily met me there so that was awesome because she lives TOO FAR away from me so we don't get to see each other often.  The other awesome thing that happened is that a snake came to me.  Like, not in a cage.  He obviously was a wild snake that thought living with the geese was pretty fun.  Some asshat was poking at him with a stick so he went into the water until that guy left, then came close to the edge again.  We were all just standing there watching him and then he came and tried to come out right were I was standing.  He was literally inches from my leg.  😃😃😃  He couldn't fit through the fence-y thing so he went around the corner more toward my friends where the fence was different.  He came out over there then went across the sidewalk to the other pond.  We made, like, a snake entourage so no one would mess with him and he could cross safely.  Because unfortunately some people are douchebags to snakes and that is not cool.

Then we went to Ulta for girly shopping.  Laurel met us there.  I hate that I didn't get to see her for longer.  🙁  Hopefully we can get together again soon.  Anyway, I spent TOO MUCH money on nail polish, but I always do.  They have things I can't get around here.  They had this one brand I'd never noticed before and it wasn't one of the crazy expensive ones, either.  They had this blue... oh my gosh, my heart skipped a beat when I saw it.  OF COURSE it came home with me.  It was the last one left of that color - obviously because it was so beautiful.  I got a bunch of other great colors, too, most of which were on clearance so HELL YES for that!

Then we went to Outback since ours is closed now.  That is Shaun's favorite place to eat so it was good that we could go.  It was packed, but we didn't have to wait long so that was nice.  😃

THEN we went to Petco.  One of my friends brought me a gerbil a few weeks ago.  She was all alone, though, and that bothered me so I wanted to get her some friends.  We went in and got the two gerbils they had.  They were new at that store and then had to ride an hour home in a box and so when I tried to introduce them all in a neutral space last night it did NOT work out.  The black one might have been alone for too long, too.  😕  I might try it again some other time, but I don't know.  They are housed near each other, but not together.  Maybe that will help, too, that they can see each other.

Shaun seems to really like the original gerbil.  She's black.  The two we brought home last night are lighter.  One is gray-ish and white with a dark tail.  She's really interesting looking.  The other is albino.  Shadow has claimed the interesting-looking gerbil so I guess I have the albino.  I think I'm gonna call her Whitey McHumpy because she's white (duh) and because she keeps humping (or something - I'm not really sure) the water bottle nozzle.  She just gets all up on it and lets the water drip down, then licks it off.  She's kind of bizarre, so really she's my kind of girl.  😃

I also found it funny that for now Shaun's gerbil lives near the other gerbils, but not with them.  It's kind of like how we 3 are in real life - even down to the fact that Shaun is almost always in black, Shadow's the mixed one, and I'm white as shit.  I SO did not mean for that to happen.  It was actually quite hard finding female gerbils so I took the first ones I could find and that is just how it went.  They are all adorable, though.  I will try to get some photos soon.  🙂

And finally my other big news:  I am off to visit Chupa.  She is with my friend Sherri who is going to love her and spoil her.  Sherri is the only person I can think of that I would let have my StupiChupi.  I love that little girl, but she really needs more attention than I can give her.  She was wearing me OUT.  I think that Sherri's house will be a much better fit.  There is always someone home, always a lap available for sitting, and lots of kitties to love.  The best part is that I will still get to see her and now I'm seeing Sherri more, too.  I used to go and visit all the time, but then I don't know what happened - I guess I got busy with work and animals and life got in the way.  🙁  It's been really great seeing her so much lately, though.❤

So that's what I've been up to.  And napping.  Lots of napping lately.  😃

This girl that I love who does animal things with me.  ❤

I keep forgetting that I have a gerbil now.

I keep forgetting that I have a gerbil now.  I don't even remember that she's here until she makes noise and startles me.  Geez.  I need to pull myself together.  😳

Rest In Peace, Toad

Sweet little Toad - you were Shadow's baby. I think the only reason he's not completely freaking out right now is because he's known for a while that you were sick. He's been preparing for this for a while because you are a fighter. You held on longer than any of us thought you would and it was pretty amazing.

The look on his face was so sad when I broke the news. He had to pet your little head one last time. I wish you hadn't had to leave us, but I'm sure your little tumor made you very uncomfortable. If you had been younger and in better shape I would have totally found a way to have that removed, I swear. Thank you for being so sweet to him. He really loved you. We all did.

Nursing

Toad (Shadow's gerbil) hasn't been doing so well. I've been going all "nurse" on his ass. I hand feed him. I give him little things to do to keep him from going insane, but don't let him expend too much energy. I give him dust baths. I medicate his wound. I think he has a scent gland tumor and due to his age surgery probably wouldn't be the best idea. He's doing much better over these last few days so he's earned wheel privileges... if he keeps improving, hopefully I can put him back in with the other gerbils. I know they are not supposed to be alone, but they were chewing at his wound so I couldn't leave him with them. Gerbils can't leave anything alone, unfortunately. 😕

Also, Minuit looks like shit. I'm doing all that I can for her, too. I guess she's getting sort of up-there in ratty years. This damn sucks. She's kind of the last piece of Hairy that I feel I have left. Not that I don't love Minuit for who she is... because I do. I love a lot of things about her - one of the most awesome being that she tells me secrets. 😊 She always has. I hope she will be ok.

R.I.P. Little Girl

I should have posted this weeks ago, but I haven't spent much time near the computer.

This little lady didn't exactly have a name... we just always referred to her and her twin sister as "The Girls." She was very sweet... I watched her grow up from a teeny tiny baby. Her father was my first gerbil, Testiclees, so in a way she was my grand-gerbil.

I've been pretty distraught over the way it happened... those puppies that I took in temporarily got ahold of her somehow... what an awful way to go. 😭 She was still young so I know she had a few good years left in her. I feel completely and utterly responsible for her death... I just wasn't thinking. If I had been I would have known better than to leave puppies alone with my other pets. I was just kind of at a loss as to where else to put those dogs... if I had left them in the streets they would've been hit by a car eventually - probably right in front of my house. I guess that was life's way of telling me that I can't save everyone. Damn if I don't keep trying, though.

Anyway, little darlin' I am SO sorry and you will be missed.

Rest in Peace

I chose this picture of Cleo because Shadow remembered that she was a good momma... the first thing he said when we found her was "Will her babies be ok?" (They're grown; they will.)

Goodbye, my little fat hammy. 😭

Sammy, I've dreaded this day since the day I met you. I wish you were not gone, but I know you needed the rest. Time was starting to wear on your old bones and it showed. Sleep peacefully, love.

Death takes two around here.

This morning when I was feeding all my babies breakfast I found one of our hermit crabs dead. I also noticed Sam (one of our gerbils) acting a little weird. He looked normal; he just wasn't acting right. Well, gerbils have lots of little weird mannerisms and stuff, so I didn't think much of it. Alas, when I came home today with an upstairs in tow to make their little gerbil apartment into two stories, Mr. Sam was dead.

I'm not sure what happened, but there was blood smeared on the glass in several places. Oh no... He was buried under the wheel this morning and I picked it up off him. What if he was hiding?? What if he knew the other gerbils were up to something and was hiding out?? ... ... Fuck... I feel sick. Well, here's Mr. Sam's little memorial. I will miss you, pretty boy.

[Edit, 02/06/2007]: When I wrote this last night, I was pretty upset. For what it's worth I'm not blaming my other gerbils... those guys had been living together for months without problems so I don't think they hurt him. But they do chew corpses, which makes things look bad when all is said and done. Anyway, I guess that's it. Just wanted to clarify things a little now that I'm more calm.

Blondie

Well... more sad news. I can't believe I'm doing this twice in one day. *sigh* So I was cleaning the gerbils' cage today and noticed that Blondie was missing. We freaked out thinking that she'd escaped and looked for her for a few minutes. Well, I had to finish cleaning the cage so I got back to it thinking I'd see her scurrying about in the room before long. *sigh* Had she gotten out that would've been a better alternative than what happened next. I found her buried in the cage - not moving. I'm not sure how long she'd been that way, but it had to be a day or two, at least.

We're not sure what happened to her... we were thinking she might have been preggers again so she may have had complications with that or something. Her bottom half was kind of red so maybe that's what it was. I didn't see any babies, though. Honestly I'm just pretty baffled. I hadn't paid attention to the fact that I haven't seen her out playing lately because they tend to rest and not come out so much before they give birth. I figured if I hadn't seen her that's what was going on. Also, she looked a lot like Toad so I may have just thought I'd seen her out but really didn't.

Well, the saddest part is that Shadow was right there when I found her and those gerbils are like his babies. He cried and I felt terrible. I'd been thinking I was going to give Blondie's first litter away, but I told Shadow we'd keep them all since they were a part of her. Speaking of - I also told him we'd find a way to keep her. *sigh* I wonder if the crematorium offers a two-for-one deal. (Sadly, that was not a joke).

Newest family members (^_^)

Not too much to say... just wanted to post up some pics. Tell me how cute they are. 😁

This is Niq and our newest guinea pig right after having a bath... we haven't named him yet (the black one), though they called him "Big Perm" at the pet store. 😂

This is Testiclees (the proud papa) with two of the babies. I didn't know this until recently, but the dad gerbil will do everything for them (aside from nursing them) that the mom will do, too. So far I think he's been a good helper; I've seen him fluff up the nest to keep them warm and run down to check on them lots of times. I like that... they're a little family. 😍

This is Blondie (the mama), with two of the babies. She's chewing up a toilet paper tube to go in her nest. This morning one of them got too far away from the nest so she picked it up by the leg and carried it back. I know she didn't hurt it, but it was funny to see.

This is Cleo, (who was Blondie's roommate before they came to live with us, btw - we didn't name either of them... the girl who gave them to us did). Anyway, this is Cleo snoozing on her back with babies piled up on her. *sigh* She looks so comfy I kind of wish I was a gerbil...

And this is Cleo and the babies again... it's really neat how everyone pitches in to help out (they all check on the babies and try to keep them warm and stuff). So as far as we know there are only four... but yesterday we thought there were only three, so... we don't really know how many are in there. Put it this way - four is the most we've seen at one time. 😄 Anyway, there you go. 😊

Check these guys out!

 The gerbils in their new and improved bachelor pad (they now have an upstairs and downstairs). 😁

I think they like it a lot!