Closure…
October 1, 2005 l Comments Off
Stephen buried Napster this afternoon, near the spot where we laid little Millie to rest just over a year ago. He said he wanted to do it alone.
I cleaned out Napster’s cage, washed everything. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I think I’ve used up every tear, anyway…
Sometime, I think within the next week or so, I’ll start modifying the cage to make it more habitable for the two mice (who still are nameless…) It’ll be good to put it to use, instead of just packing it away.
Napster’s gone.
September 30, 2005 l 1 Comment
Around 8 o’clock, I took him out of his cage, and mom held him while I cleaned his bottom. I also noticed that his chest was wet with drool. His teeth appeared to be overgrown, but I didn’t want to take care of that right away, for fear of stressing him too much.
After he was clean, I sat down on the couch and laid him on my chest. He stayed there for over an hour, cuddled in warmly under my hand, and fast asleep.
At 9:30, he started to stir a little, and so mom and I took the opportunity to get a better look at his teeth. I had to weigh the potential stress it would cause him against the fact that he could very well starve to death if this was left untreated.
Turns out I didn’t have much of a choice to make.
He had another stroke, in my hands. It was very fast. As he was breathing his last, I held him, and stroked him, and told him it was okay. He could go. I leaned over, kissed him, and whispered into his ear, You’ve been a wonderful boy. You can leave now, it’s alright. And he was gone.
There’s nothing I would have done differently. No better way I could have imagined for him to spend his last night. And yet…it hurts so much.
Napster Update
l Comments Off
Well, he was still here when I got home from work. I was so worried I wouldn’t be coming home to a live hamster…
Doesn’t look like he’s eaten much, but I got some baby food to tempt him with, and also some Pedialyte to add to his water (he’s drinking, just not very much).
He seems okay. He likes being held and petted (I think he enjoys the warmth of our hands). He’s not too happy about being cleaned, but we’ve made sure to give him lots of TLC afterwards.
I know he could possibly hang on for some time, or he may not live out the weekend. I just want to make sure he’s comfortable for as long as he is with us.
*sigh*
September 29, 2005 l 3 Comments
I think Napster’s had a stroke. He’s been very wobbly and uncoordinated (listing, falling over, etc.) and when I hold him, his hind end is noticably weak.
I also think he peed and pooped on himself last night, because his little bottom was wet and had poo caked on it. I know it’s not Wet Tail, because there’s no diarrhea or any of the other symptoms.
I don’t know what to do about him, besides keep him clean and warm. I’m really hoping that when he does go, it’s fast. I just couldn’t bear it to drag on for too long…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eta:
He’s really gone downhill. Took him out of his cage tonight, cleaned off his bum (again), trimmed some of the fur, and put Neosporin on the areas that were irritated by the urine. He was in obvious discomfort and sqeaked a few times.
I’ve set up a few nests around his cage so he’ll have a place to rest if he can’t make it back to his little Igloo. No sooner did I gently set him down than he started rearranging the toilet paper. It’s nice to know he still has some spunk in him…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A lot of the reading I’ve been doing suggests that most hamster, even elderly ones, will recover from a stroke within a few weeks. So I guess there is a good chance he could return to normal. Or not, but I refuse to lose all hope just yet.
I’m going to pick up some baby food and Pedialyte tomorrow after work, just to make sure he’s eating and stays hydrated.
I love this little guy, I really do…
When it’s not one thing, it’s another…
September 27, 2005 l Comments Off
The cats are doing great. Scully finished her course of antibiotics for the UTI, and she hasn’t peed outside of her litterbox once. Also, the diet change (in response to food sensitivities) has been resisted somewhat, but there hasn’t been a single case of stomach upset in over a week.
The mice are settling in quite nicely, they seem to like the little habitat I set up for them (pics to come…) No new names yet, but we’re working on that. Mom is lobbying for “Peter” and “Piper”.
The rabbits are doing good, as usual.
But the hamster…
I think he’s becoming senile. He’s started sleeping next to his litterbox, putting food in his litterbox, and seems disoriented about 30%-50% of the time. He’s two, and hasn’t had the greatest past, so I suppose some of this is to be expected.
I guess the only thing to do is just keep an eye on him and make sure there are no other signs of illness. Oh the joys of being a domestic zookeeper!
hip-hip-hurray
September 24, 2005 l 1 Comment
Around this time two years ago, a baby Syrian hamster was born. A little less than a year after that, I was able to rescue him from the rough and uncaring hands of his young owner and bring him into our domestic zoo. He’s slightly quirky, and not very social, but I love him just the same.
Happy Birthday, Napster!
I love my little Napster man
September 5, 2005 l 1 Comment
As I’ve mentioned before, he has a little problem with “sticky eye”. Basically, his eyelids get crusted over and he can’t even open them. Looks like his eyes have been glued shut, poor guy.
And he hates when we have to hold him still and wipe them clean (though he’s never once bitten us). But as soon as it’s done, it as if he’s been transformed. The slow, doddering old guy becomes a spry and voracious young hammie.
Of course, the fresh sprigs of parsley help too.
A General Update on the Inhabitants of the Domestic Zoo
August 20, 2005 l Comments Off
Cats:
We seem to have the feeding situation under control with the three youngest felines. Stephanie has been (mostly) eating all of her share, and Scully has not thrown up once. It still makes me nervous to feel just how thin and small Steph is in comparison to Miko, but it doesn’t have me worried enough to warrant a vet visit. She’s alert, active, has a good appetite, and is the very picture of health. Just…small, is all.
Beeper’s 16th birthday is in just 5 days. The old girl is as aloof and cantankerous as she has ever been, spending most of her time asleep in one of her chosen spots in the backyard. She’s also had me concerned with regards to her weight, but there’s not much to do besides monitor her for any other significant symptoms. To take an elderly ex-feral to the vet would be tantamount to torture for her, resulting in far too much stress, and only to be justified in the case of extreme illness or injury. Honestly, she is not my cat, and while I don’t always agree with the choices my parents make for her, I know that they would never intentionally bring harm to her. She is happy, she is loved, and she spends her days dreaming of chipmunks. What could be better?
Rabbits:
Rex and Peanut have been their usual selves. Sleep most of the day, rouse themselves at mealtimes, do a little digging/chewing/cage rearranging, and spend the majority of their waking hours snuggling and grooming. It’s been too hot to let them go outside, and my room is not entirely rabbit-proofed yet, so they don’t get out as much as I wish they could. They do get a lot of TLC, though, and will melt into ooey-gooey-puddles-of-bunny-love when they get their daily ear rubs.
Healthwise they couldn’t be better. Eating/peeing/pooping machines, of course, and Rex is molting now which means they get extra doses of pumpkin and Laxatone. But their weight is perfect, their teeth look good, and I think they may just stick around for another 5 or 6 years. I couldn’t be happier if they did.
Hamster:
Napster will be two in September, which means he is fast approaching his senior years. His skin and coat look really good, though he hates to have me brush him. He’s also got a recurring problem with Sticky Eye but there doesn’t appear to be an infection or anything.
His appetite is still strong, and he loves to eat his fruits and veggies. He’s beginning to accept treats from my hand, but it’s hard to socialize with him when he simply refuses to be active when there is anyone around. Little stinker.
I’ll admit that I feel like I haven’t really bonded with him, and yet I know I’m going to miss him when he’s gone. Crazy how a little fuzzball can worm his way into your heart…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Anyway, that’s the update for now. Purrs and love licks from all the critters here!
sticky eye
June 28, 2005 l Comments Off
Occasionally a hamster may get a sticky eye where the eyelids are fused together and older hamsters may be prone to ‘sticky eyes’. This is often because a hamster may have something it its eye such as a piece of dust or it could be because the hamster’s cage is placed in a draught or could be a symptom of a cold or allergy. The closed eye should be wiped with a small piece of cotton wool soaked in luke warm water. This is usually sufficient to open the eye but if not the eyelids can gently be pulled apart.
If a hamster has recurring problems with runny or sticky eyes or the eye appears cloudy the hamster could have an eye infection. This can be treated by mixing half a cup of sterile (boiled and cooled) water with a teaspoon of boric acid powder (available from a chemist or pharmacy) and using an eye dropper to bathe the eye twice or three times a day. If the hamster does not show improvement within a couple of days veterinary advice should be sought as antibiotics may help.
Poor Napster’s begun to have this problem. You should have seen the look he gave me when I had to wipe his eye yesterday…
A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do.
How an entry about hamster tunnels turn into a rant on packaging…
June 11, 2005 l Comments Off
So I had to go to the pet store yesterday. Bought the cats their high-quality organic canned food (yes, we recycle the cans), bought a bag of recycled paper pulp bedding (environmentally and economically friendly), and purchased several plastic tubes for the hamster’s cage. Heck, I even bagged it all in canvas bags.
Now, the hamster’s cage isn’t really a “cage” so much as it is a converted Tupperware bin. Cages tend to be poorly designed, and decent sized ones are ridiculously expensive. A bin cage? $10, plus the time it take to drill holes in the lid. Anyway, there’s my plug for bin cages…
(Napster’s bin sits atop the rabbits’ cage)
I noticed that Napster had been attempting to burrow in the bedding, a natural behavior, but he had little success. Just my luck I manage to find these tubes at the pet store that actually fit a larger hamster (FYI: tubed cages are designed for dwarf hamsters, not Syrians) So I bought several of different sizes and shapes and began crafting my idea for a tunnel system.
I wish I had thought to take photos of the tunnels before they were covered, but here’s a photo of the completed habitat:
You can see the tubing there, poking through the substrate. The key to designing a Syrian-friendly tunnel system is lots of exits. Turning around in those tubes tends to be very difficult and they could potentially get stuck. In Napster’s simple set-up, there are three exits:
Okay, so there’s the new set-up. When it was all said and done, I was left with one very happy hamster…and a pile of packaging.
So much for my low-ecological impact day.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, packaging. The bane of any recycler. No matter how much you try to avoid excessive waste, there’s no getting around the fact that manufacturers will package their items in completely useless (and non-biodegradable) materials.
Case in point: I have to order more hamster food. The only place I can find this particular food is online. Napster only gets the best (spoiled twerp), so I suck it up and pay the extra $$ for shipping. In about a week, a box will arrive on my doorstep, with 6 pounds of hamster food in it – and packing peanuts (the cardboard box itself is not an issue, the cats will love it)
But what am I supposed to do with packing peanuts?
Throw them away, of course.
At any rate, I’m gonna mull this over some more, there has to be a way to break out of this terrible cycle of waste…
