Thursday, November 29, 2007

Just a quick entry

I have lots of news but only a little time, I need to use the rest of the night to clean some cages. We have some adoptions :) Chomper and Rafeal the turtles were adopted, as well as Envy the rabbit and Nickel the guinea pig. This Saturday we may be receiving some sugar gliders in need of help and rehoming. I will post more tomorrow and go into more detail about all these happenings. What a great day though :)

Saturday, November 24, 2007

The ratties cage




So far I have been spending the day cleaning hamster cages, then I need to clean fiona's cage and guinea pig cages. I gave the guinea pigs some canteloupe yesterday , they loved it!
This is a picture of Jack and Davy Jone's cage after I cleaned it. Both Jack and Davy Jones have recently been adopted, and they are doing fantastic. I like these pictures that they show all the "fun" they had in the cage , the toys , feece, hammocks, tubes. for any rat owners and lovers this may help with you with fun ideas for your furry friend. If anyone else would like to give me some idea for more fun, let me know, I can add it for future rat rescues.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

And more babies

Yesterday , I isolated a female hamster that I was sure was pregnant into her own cage. And sure enough, today I discovered she had a batch of babies. This came from the group of nine hamsters that were a mix of 3 females, 2 males and 4 babies, all in one cage, a recipe for baby making. I seperated them all immediately, but I knew it was too late, I KNEW those females were already heavy with babies. I oringinally thought the 4 babies that I had named, Glitter, Jitter, Jules and Jubilee were all females. I inspected them today, and one is a definite male and the rest are females, thankfully they aren't old enough to procreate for another week. I always double check the little guys, sometimes they don't "show" until they are a little bigger what gender they are. So, Jubilee is a boy, and he moved in with Marco, Marcus and Nicholas, all boys that are only a week older than he is, they are getting along wonderfully.
Yesterday 3 guinea pigs arrived here. They are females, their names are Squiggy, Margo and Mini Margo. They are dark colored short hairs, and they are nervous and frightened in this new house, but I am sure they will calm down and open up very soon. They love timothy hay :) They will be getting checked out by Dr.T in the near future and I'll have pictures of them to post soon too.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I sure did , turkey, stuffing, mashed potatos , all the traditional foods. Then I had 2 slices of pie, I couldn't help myself. Ray and I played a game called Taboo with the family, it was a blast, a great day. What did everyone else do?

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

some of the pictures







Here are a couple of the pictures I took.



Paprika the hamster, she is cleaning herself. Pumpkin Pie the hamster eating some millet. And Martie our cat, all stretched out and relaxed.

A batch of babies

First off, I do have sad news. The white male dwarf hamster that I was worried about, he was brought to us all lethargic and not responsive.. I had an appointment for him at 4PM on Monday, but sadly he passed away before that time. He sure was cute and I wish we could have helped him, if only he had made it to us sooner, before he was so acutely sick. *sighs*
The female that came along with the male, she was bloody and extremely pregnant... She looks a whole lot better, and she had her litter of babies last night. If she had stayed in the same cage with all those other females and males that were beating her up, who knows how bad she would be right now, and she never would have safely had her babies. Right now I'll let her be, I won't disturb anything or count the babies for at least 2 weeks, that is when they will be poking their heads out of the nest and starting to crawl. I'll just fill up her water bottle and provide fresh food while she does her Momma business.
I took a whole bunch of pictures of some hamsters, hopefully some turned out. I took pictures of the babies that just weaned, plus some of the 43 hammies that are still with us here at Life Long Tails. I named some, Pumpkin Pie, Itty, Bitty, Itsy and Honey, Then Marco, Marcus and Nicholas, plus another female I named Paprika. I should have them on Petfinder soon.
I also took loads of cat pictures, mainly Motorman, Martie and Melissa, they were being too cute!
I'll post the pictures as soon as they are downloaded

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Brrrr...

It has gotten cold enough that we needed to start up the space heater in the basement, can't let anyone get too cold.

Weekend of Adoptions




This time I will relate all the adoptions we have had , starting on Friday.


Friday , Dawn G and her son, Nate, stopped by for some photo taking she took pictures of Rocky Road the guinea pig, Fiona the rabbit, Snowy the rabbit, Elso and Pugsley the rabbits, Jazz the parakeet and Ben, Bill and Bart the hamsters. Oh, and also Spade and Diamond the hamsters. I have added most of them to Petfinder, but Elso and Pugsley have been up for adoption since March 2007, Dawn just took better pictures of them than I did. Dawn also adopted Davy Jones and Jack the rat brothers. They finally have the perfect home :) She just sent me an excellent picture of Jack the rat in his new home. He does look very happy, doesn't he?


Dash the guinea pig was also adopted on Friday, he has a nice family. Mom, Dad and daughter and they have guinea pig experience, they recently lost their piggy to old age and missed a piggy around the house. Dash is charming and a great companion, I know he'll fit in well and there Will be lots of love to go around.


Next on Friday, 2 hamsters from the 43 drop off were adopted. Lenny and Ned went home. A couple with a love for the small furry guys took them home and into their hearts. Pictured above is Lenny.


On Saturday another 2 hammies from the 43 drop off was adopted. These 2 weren't named yet, they were just weaned from Momma and old enough to be on their own. Two females, a black one and an albino one were chosen from the group of babies. Momma didn't mind since she had a recent litter that she is tending to right now. This is the Mom I spoke of in the entry from yesterday that wasn't taken away from the males soon enough.
It has been a great weekend, thank you everyone !:)

Saturday, November 17, 2007

More Hammies

9 dwarf hamsters were dropped off today, and I am a bit, well, more than a bit, upset!
These little guys were all in the same cage together, which isn't a problem except they are a mix of boys and girls and they aren't getting along together. There is a female that is VERY pregnant, and she is all bloody and has her face ripped up! I now have her alone in her own cage , I cleaned up her face and wounds and I am sure she is about to give birth any day now. There is a male that I am worried about , he is sluggish, lethargic. I don't see any obvious signs of illness other than his lack of energy. he doesn't have any wounds or lumps. First I'll see if he is dehydrated or hungry, I'll place him in his own cage , by himself and see if that helps him. If not, I'll contact the emergency vet. There are other girls too , which are very likely pregnant too.
I have also discovered one of the female that came from the 43 dwarf hamster drop off has given birth. I haven't counted all the babies yet , but I saw at least six. She obviously wasn't separate from the males soon enough, I took her away from the males the same day they arrived, but they must have already impregnated her. Hey, it only takes seconds for that to happen.
What is it about the dwarf hamsters that many people wind up with males and females when they thought they had one gender? then they wind up with litter after after litter, more hamsters than they ever wanted ..and truly don't want, they are desperate to get rid of them then. It has been happening all too often. I hope to find homes for all these darlings, they may have come into this world under sad and unwanted circumstances,but they deserve a loving home.
The syrian hamsters that are up for adoption, Tator Tot and Power Puff Girl, they really are nice hamsters but they have always been skittish. They try to hard to squirm out of hands and will even jump out of your hands. I've worked with them , but they don't seem to settle down while being handled. I know this lessens their chances of being adopted , since I understand that most people are looking for a handle able hamster to adopt. I have to say though that if someone is willing to give a hamster a home that is a bit of a challenge, it sure would brighten the world for Tator Tot or Power Puff Girl. They are loads of fun to watch at night as they climb and run in their wheels, they both love their exercise balls, especially Power Puff Girl, she'll climb right into the ball when you place it in front of you. They are beautiful long haired hamsters with an orangish coloring with white and black eyes, both are females.
I'll keep everyone updated on the newest litter of babies, the pregnant female with the wounds and the lethargic male.
plus I do have some happy adoption stories, I will tell everyone all about them in the next post.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Allergies and Sinuses


Two of our cats have been stuffed up and sneezy. In fact for a month we thought martie had an upper respiratory infection, he has been on Clavamox for three weeks and a week on something else, I think it was called simplicef. his mucus started out clear , then green , now it has been just been whitish and clear for weeks now. He just sounds stuffed up and sneezes once in a while. He went to see Dr.T yesterday with Martie and talked about Motorman who started sneezing on Monday, here is what I wrote in an e-mail about them both-

I think it is in the air this season, two of our cats don't have full blown respiratory infections but are having sinus problems. Martie the cat has had it for over a month and we thought it was a URI and he has been on antibiotics for the full month. We ( Martie and I) went to see Dr.T yesterday and Dr.T says there is a no way it is a URI at this point and defintely not contageous, because I mentioned how Motorman is sneezing and stuffed up now. He told us Martie may have chronic sinus problems this time of the year ( Marite is new to us, we adopted him just a few months ago) or he may have something stuck up in his sinuses that won't break down or a polyp that needs to be removed. Martie has an appointment now, he will be sedated so Dr.T can look into his sinuses and see if anything is there, plus he will flush out the mucus. Motorman has always had a problem with allergies this season , he overgrooms himself and gets all stuffy and runny ( in his nose). He has been licking off his fur more than usual and is quite sneezy and wheezy. Motorman is now on Prednisone, this always works for him temporarily since we have had him on it before. He stops licking off his fur and he clears right up. Bad news is, he can't stay on Prednisone all the time. We just hope this helps him through the really bad season and make him more comfortable.

Both kitties are acting normal, very active and lovable, and they are eating and drinking and playing.. I just want their noses cleared up. Hopefuly the procedure will help Martie and the Prednisone will help Motorman soon, he gets his first dose tonight when Ray, the hubby gets home. I hold Motorman while he opens his mouth and drops the pill in :)
Here is a picture of Motorman chewing on a carboard scratcher ( after it has been destroyed by scratching and tearing it apart) you can see on his right foreleg where tend to overgroom his fur off. he also overgrooms his belly. He's my firstborn ;) the very first cat I adopted, he is 12 years old now.
c

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Snowy the rabbit

On Monday a new bunny was brought to us. His name is Snowy he is mainly white with small flecks of brown in him. He has small ears, but he is a large bun, not quite sure of what breed he is, probably a mix of all different types. That sure doesn't take away from his adorableness. He settled in quickly here , he was soon eating his pellet food and munching on hay. He also has been using his litter box like a champ. Such a good boy :)
I took the parakeet and the finch back in to see Dr.T. The finch had been open mouthed breathing and we started hm on a round of Baytril, he is all cleared up now and doing wonderfully. The parakeet that I named Jazz, is also in tip top shape. His lungs and heart was checked, his weight is good and Dr.T checked a fecal sample, everything is good with him. he is ready to be placed on Petfinder and go up for adoption.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Bonnie and Clyde, dollar store :):)


Today has been a productive day, I love these days the best. And also a happy day, Bonnie and Clyde and two of the hamsters now have a wonderful home, they were adopted today! Lauren is a new Mom to sugar gliders but she has done a lot of research and I told her what I could at the time, but I am at her disposal when she has any questions. Bonnie and Clyde were very reluctant to come out and make friends since it was day light and they were sleeping. Sugar gliders are strict nocturnal animals, it is best to interact with them at night or in the wee hours of the morning ( 5AM or 6AM) while they are still awake. Lauren who adopted Bonnie and Clyde also adopted two of the 43 dwarf hamsters. She isn't new to caring for hamsters and came with a nice crittertrail for their home. She picked a black colored girl and albino girl, both of them were eager to explore their new cage.
Ray and I had dinner with my parents, then we rented a movie called " Next" that we will watch later tonight. I just found out that Ray never saw "Adventures in Babysitting" a movie that I think was made in the eighties that I loved back then. We will have to rent that next time, he has to see it. Then we stopped at the dollar store, we bought some plastic baskets for the rats and willow wreaths for the rabbits to chew up.
I just cleaned out Fiona the rabbit's cage and gave her a wreath. I had made an appointment to have her spayed on Wednesday, but I have to work during the drop off time and pick up time, and Ray can't make it for these times either. I hate to do it , I'll have to cancel and make it for a different day, hopefully it won't be pushed back too far.
Here is a picture of Bonnie she says, " This is my good side."

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Birthday :)




Oh yes, tomorrow is my birthday, I am turning the big 30! ahh, but I have such a happy and enriched life, with Ray and the animals ( mostly the animals, but don't tell Ray I said that , HA!) I can't even begin to express how much pets and animals in my life means to me. Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to care for and make animals feel better. I remember I was never happy going into someone's house that didn't have any pets, it never felt right to me. From the very beginning to the end, animals will always be a part of me.


Yesterday was a tragic day. Hyde the rat became seriously ill. Hyde was about 2 years old and always had his health issues. Just recently though he developed tumors in his nasal cavity and head area. These tumors either grew or multiplied or both , his head became swollen and he had difficulty even breathing. Foster Mom Dawn F, has been fostering Hyde for many months and she rushed our boy to see Dr.T. At Hyde's age surgery wasn't an option, there was no chance of him making it through such a procedure. It was in Hyde's best interest to have him put to sleep. He was suffering and in a great deal of pain and discomfort. I know it broke Dawn's heart to make such a decision and to say good bye, but it was the right thing to do and she did so many wonderful things for Hyde. He may not have had a great start in life, his previous owner didn't take good care of him, but since he arrived here and with Dawn, he was cherished and loved.


So far, 3 of the 43 hamsters are on Petfinder. Foster Mom, Dawn G takes the best pictures of the little guys :) I love her pictures so much I have asked her if she can be our picture person for the photos needed on Petfinder of all the rescues. Here are a couple of her hamster photos, aren't they spectacular?!


I have had many people let me know that they love this blog and have even bookmarked it. I am very flattered, I don't know what to say, but Thank you for the compliment. I mainly wanted to start a blog to keep everyone in touch with what we do and all the rescues that come in and get adopted out. I am so happy that so many read and enjoy it. I am sorry that there are many sad things, but I feel I don't want to leave anything out, the good and the bad gets added, it is part of rescuing. I promise to continue adding many more stories and happenings, plus pictures , hopefully Dawn's great pictures :)

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Alvin's adoption


Here's Alvin! Yesterday , handsome gerbil boy, Alvin, was adopted. Alvin was brought to us because he was a kid's pet and the kids didn't want him anymore. He has been our very first gerbil rescue and adoption, there haven't been any other gerbils in the house before. His new Mom, Kathryne drove a distance to meet Alvin and I do believe it was love at first sight. Alvin was a tad shy at first, but it didn't take him long to venture out and scoot into Kathryne's hand. He's such a charmer , he's too much :)
We have a new foster home and foster family helping us out. Mom, Dawn and her little boy, I am so bad I have forgotten his name, strike one for me. Wonderful people and a great kid. They picked up a bunch of the hamsters from the big amount we received on Sunday. She took home 3 of the cages , and she'll be giving them lots of TLC until they find their forever homes. This helps me with the load of cages I'll need to clean, and makes more room for us for more rescues. I love foster families .

Sunday, November 4, 2007

hamster workout

Whew, I am now exhausted. Besides working all day , I now spent over an hour and half going through the 43 hamsters that were brought to us today. I made sure everyone is in same sex groups and I must say, the previous owner did have them separated by gender perfectly. I placed everyone in clean cages and gave them fresh food, wheels, toys, tubes and a water bottle. The only issues I have noticed is that one has been getting beaten up and has a scabby bloody tail , he is now by himself to heal. And a female has a large lump on her underside and I suspect a mammary tumor. Otherwise, all the hamsters are healthy and look great. I thank anyone who is willing to foster these lil'guys :)

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Big Hamster Rescue

We are taking in anywhere from 30 to 40 dwarf hamsters tomorrow. They are a result of many oops litters. Some of them are not friendly and may need some socialization or may stay aggressive. I have a feeling some may simply be cage aggressive.
If anyone is willing to adopt or foster hamsters for/from us this is a great time for it :) We need the help.
Thank you