Thursday, January 24, 2008

Jazz


Ray helped me with an adoption because I was stuck at work. Deb is now the proud (human)Mom to Jazz the parakeet. She was more than thrilled to add Jazz to her flock at home. Jazz was found outside , eating in some one's bird feeder in their backyard in early October. Since Jazz is a friendly bird , he didn't fly away when he was approached and willingly stepped up on that person's finger. We were then contacted to help Jazz find a home, the person had a house full of cats with a high prey drive, she told me a parakeet in her house was a recipe for disaster, so she could not keep her little backyard friend. Jazz can now settle down in his forever home, and tell all the other feathered kids in Deb's house all about his adventures. :)

Rats are now home











I have a few more adoptions stories to tell.




4 of Poinsettia the Momma rat's babies have been adopted are now settled in, in their new home. Dingus, Terrance, Ginger Bread and Egg Nogg are now part of Lisa S's family. Home to 3 boys , a hubby , dog, fire belly toads and 2 bunnies. They lost their beloved rat to old age, he was a gorgeous pink eyed white. The family stopped in thinking of adopting 2 or 3 of the boy rats, but decided on the 4. They are now named , Piglet, Eeyore, Roo and Tigger, I believe.. I know they were all Winnie the Pooh names :)




Here are their pictures.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Vet Visit

Last Thursday I went to see Dr.T with 4 of the crew in hand. Two of our own birds, Sysco the parakeet and KC the patagonian conure went. And also a dwarf hamster and Scout the ferret saw him too.
Kc was up first to see him. As we waited for Dr.T to appear, we played a little , with her favorite foot toy, a plastic barrel with a bell in it, it is actually a cat toy. She loves to fling it and push it and even stick her toes inside it and jingle the bell with her toe. When Dr.T did come in , she ran to me in fear and cuddled up in my shirt, she is so afraid of him and I am her security. KC had a night fright about a year ago that somehow resulted in a severe injury underneath her wing. It was a large , gaping hole , I gasped when I saw it! I don't know what made the injury , I checked everything in her cage, there weren't any sharp areas or points, all her toys were in good condition and there weren't any dangles or frays that she could have gotten tangled up in- but still wouldn't explain a puncture- like wound. She had to have stitches to close up the wound :( and she was on antibiotics for a while. Since her injury , she hasn't been able to fly, she tries and simply ends up on the floor. Dr.T examined her wing on Thursday and told me her wing will not be the same again. The injury had damaged tendon and muscle, she will never have proper use of her wing again :( this is such sad news for me and for KC, she was a skilled flyer and she enjoyed to fly. I'd allow her to fly around the bird room ( door closed to restrict where she went) and she would fly to my shoulder or wherever she wanted to be. I feel awful for her and I know she has been traumatized and is depressed over the whole incident. There are days now where she doesn't even want to come out of her cage. I wish I can go back to that night and prevent that from ever happening.. but I can't.. all i can do is love her and reassure her.
Sysco our parakeet who is now 11 years old, was diagnosed with liver disease over 3 years ago. He frequently needs nail and beak trims since the disease causes abnormally rapid growth. Sysco put up a fuss and bickered while Dr.T trimmed him up. But he did great in the end, he looks superb now.
I took a hamster from the group of 43 dwarf hamsters that were dropped off a couple months ago. A female , that I never named. A gorgeous grey girl, with a feisty attitude. She developed a lump on her chest area. Turned out to be a tumor :( Dr.T told me straight out that the tumor was inoperable. It was attached to her chest wall and her front legs. Even attempting removal of the tumor was too tricky and her survival rate, much too unlikely. If she had made it through surgery the incision area wouldn't have healed well with it being between her front legs, an area of high movement. Also she was scratching at the tumor, making it bleed. Dr.T explained to me that animals do this because tumors don't have nerves, they don't feel the pain of what they are doing, they just want to get the burden and foreign thing off. It was a sad decision but we both agreed it best to have the little girl put to sleep. If I had taken her home, she would have suffered, the tumor growing larger, she may have even bled to death if she had dug the tumor open even further. She was sent to a group cremation and burial. I feel bad I didn't name her, there were so many hamsters to name that came in that day. No matter what, I will remember her.
Scout went in for vaccines. I always forget that Dr.T doesn't want to do both distemper and rabies on the same day. He wants to have two weeks in between to prevent a reaction. Scout only had a rabies vaccination plus a health exam. He checked out fantastic. Dr,T was amazed at how well-mannered and friendly Scout is, a good little patient he was. Scout will receive his distemper in 2 weeks.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Ava


Yesterday Ava went home :):) She has a wonderful home and a nice Mom and dad now. She was adopted by a wonderful couple who has another bunny with head tilt. Ava was brought to us by someone who rescued her from a pet store. The pet store owner was about to "rid" of her because of her tilted head, she was unsellable by his standards grrr , that is not a reason or an excuse to dispose of any animal in a cruel manner. Thankfully a wonderful person stepped in at just the right time and demanded that the store owner hand over Ava instead of doing what he would have done, I cringe at the thought. The wonderful person was unable to keep Ava as her own, so she searched for local rescues that could keep her until a great home is found. She found us, and I am glad she did. We were blessed and happy to have Ava here while we did, we learned more about head tilt and treatments. Her head tilt did improve with treatment but didn't completely go away. No problem for Ava though, she is able and capable in all ways. She loves her toys and to hop and run. Now she has her forever home to run and romp in , and a loving family to adore her. Way to go Ava!

More on adoption day- Herd of Piggies!




Next that was adopted on Sunday was Rocky Road the guinea pig! His new Mom, Andrea, was stopping by to meet and adopt Rocky Road specifically. She has a male herd of guinea pigs, I love how she calls them a herd. I envision a stampede of guinea pigs running across the plains.. HAHA! Anyway, Andrea asked to see Michael and Myers too. The two hairy black boys who are Father and Son. These two piggies have such a unique personlity. They are food driven and motivated, they will do anything for food or a treat. They squeak and stand up and beg, they will climb on you and give you puppy dog eyes. They are so bold and out spoken that Andrea fell in love with them too. They are a stark contrast to shy Rocky Road, but Rocky is endearing in his own way. Andrea has now welcomed three new piggies to her herd :)


continuation- Ohio adoption
















I am going to continue now with telling about the adoptions on January 13th 2008, Sunday. A group of room mates drove all the way from Ohio to adopt some hamsters. They didn't want to buy from a pet store and couldn't find any other local rescues with hamsters near them. They were soon interested in the group of females that included, Zest, Gravy, Ketchup, Sauce and Relish. They decided to adopt all five since they get along well with each other. Zest is the black and white hamster, Sauce is small and grey, gravy is all black, ketchup and Sauce are brown and white. I will provide their pictures since they are all adorable in their own ways.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Many adoptions today and Pirates

The day didn't start out too well, I have a medical condition called Vasa Vagal Syncope. I was at work and my blood pressure dropped very suddenly, and I nearly passed out a couple of times. Work let me leave early, and Ray picked me up since I am unable to drive like that. It was many hours before I felt back to normal. Ray helped me out with the first adoption we had scheduled for the day, while I still lay in bed :( Americana the ferret was adopted, Americana who recently lost her cage mate to lymphoma was adopted into a home that has a single male ferret seeking a friend as well. His name is Joey. Don't worry, Americana is spayed , so there won;t be any babies made in this mix. Just two lonely ferrets needing the company of their own kind. I wish them both luck and hope to hear an update soon that they are doing well and have bonded quickly to each other.
I will write all about the rest of the adoptions tomorrow. Right now, Ray and I are going to watch Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End . All the pets are already tucked in for bed. The nocturnal critters ( rats, hamsters, etc)are exploring and running in their wheels. And I gave the sugar gliders their fresh food since they are nocturnal too.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Cuteness


Who is that peeking out from the corner? It's Gravy! A female Campbell's dwarf hamster and currently adoptable .

Bunny?


Can you find the rabbit underneath all that fur? This is Pizzazz, she is one of the baby bunnies that someone rescued from a horrible backyard rabbit breeder. She is now spayed and adoptable. I can't get enough of her, she is so adorable.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Tator Tot and Chinchillas




Good news :)! Tator Tot the hamster was adopted on Tuesday :) Tator Tot was part of an unexpected litter, her and her Mom were dropped off here at Life Long Tails. Thankfully Mom hamster wasn't too stressed by the move and went back to caring for and raising her babies. For the very first time since we have been rescuing , Momma hamster was the first to be adopted once her babies were weaned off of her. Tator Tot was the runt of the group , but she still grew up strong and turned into a beautiful and friendly girl. She is loved now by a little girl who adopted her, a fellow hamster lover that recently lost her dear dwarf hamster and fell in love with Tator. She is also keeping Tator Tot's name.
Yesterday, Gideon and Cloud the chinchilla's were adopted. These two boys were happily waiting at foster Mom, Dawn F's home until they were adopted. And even though they had a huge disagreement right before the adoption day and had to be separated into 2 different cages, their new Mom still wanted both boys and wasn't phased with having to keep them apart and in their own cages. Maybe in the future they can be reintroduced to each other and they'll form their bond again.
Here is a picture of Gideon and Cloud and also Tator Tot.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Jones and Jordan and a Disney Vacation




I have decided to retire Jones and Jordan the hamsters from being adoptable. They have become much older and must be between 1 to 1 and a half years old now. That is senior age for a dwarf hamster. I have observed that they are slowing down, they don't run in their wheels as much and they sleep longer. They do still have a hearty appetite and are very healthy for senior hamsters. I would be willing to adopt them out to someone who understands that they may not be around for another 6 months or longer. And that they aren't active youngsters. Many people are looking to adopt the younger hamsters, and because of that fact Jones and Jordan will stay here with us for their remaining life. It sure won't be a bad life for them. They get all the perks all the other hamsters get, cozy fleece to burrow and sleep in, great food and treats including veggies and tofu. I do not mind having them as a permanent part of our family for as long as they need. Here is a picture of them, Justin the third hamster was adopted many, many months ago.


Ray ( the Hubby) and I have decided to go on vacation the end of January. Starting January 28th and going into February 2nd I think. We are going to Disney in Orlando Florida. This will be a long list of firsts for me, I have never flown before, I have never been to Disney or to Florida! I am both excited and nervous at the same time. Before this my fear of flying overtook me and I never agreed to go anywhere, but I've become stronger and have a better handle over my fears , so I told Ray " Let's do it, I want to do it, let's go somewhere." and my first choice of where to go was Disney :) My parents and great friend and fellow board member to LLT , Christine, will be coming over and caring for all the animals. I am sure I will have a long list and I will clean everyone right before we leave. I am sure I'll be worried about all of them but they are in great hands. I'll also miss all the cats, and furries, featheries. I know time will fly and I'll be back home to them sooner than I realize.


Now I need to call someone back about Tator Tot the hamster.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Pictures of New Hammies







This is Zest , she is the black and white colored hamster, and a female. Very adorable. Then the brown colored girl is Lola, one of the babies from the 9 hamster drop off from a while back.
Afterwards, when all the hammies were back in their homes, our cat, Martie, decided he would look cute in between the backdrop and props I used for photo time. Awwww.

Boys Names

I have come up with names for the male hamsters. They are Ping, Zing, Zip, Bling, Chip and Pip. So far there haven't been any fights or bullying going on, I am crossing my fingers that it stays that way.

And even more hamsters

More hamsters arrived today. More Campbell's or Russian dwarf hamsters. They were breeding like crazy because the owner didn't know how to separate them. So far I have the females in a cage all their own, away from the males. Now I have to watch for any fighting and possibly take out any bullies. I have names for the females, Zest, Ketchup, Mustard, Sauce, Relish and Gravy. I need to stop coming up with names while I am hungry. I don't have any names for the boys, but I will soon. Pictures soon to come :)

Harry Potter, fruits and veggies and Cadet

I just finished watching Harry potter and the Order of the Pheonix, I did see it with Ray and my cousin at the theatre but I'd watch these movies again and again and again.. It is sad that I have already read the very last Harry Potter book, I have always looked forward to reading another book.
Now I am cutting up some fruits and vegetables for everyone. Apples, oranges, honey dew melon and carrots, broccoli and peas. I'll give this to the birds, sugar gliders, rats and guinea pigs. The hamsters will get only vegetables, no fruits, they don't need the extra sugar that is in fruits, they are prone to becoming diabetic, mainly only the Campbell's dwarf hamsters. I give the rabbits dark leafy greens like collared greens and kale, dandelion and turnip greens. I offer these greens to the birds and guinea pigs too , plus some parsley. Do I eat this well and healthy , no! I am eating a half bacon cheeseburger sub today, yummm, but how unhealthy.
We did take in the bunny that was found outside from the other day. He is mainly white with black circles around his eyes, and black ears, he has the marking of a hotot bunny, but he is larger in size. He is a definite boy, it wasn't too much trouble to find those testicles . I can say he's not neutered and will need to be. I have named him Cadet. He loves to eat the timothy hay and is learning to play with toys. He obviously didn't know what the toys were at first or what to do with them.
I'll hopefully be taking pictures today. Of hamsters that will be adoptable soon and the sugar gliders, plus Pizzazz, Almond and Cashew the bunnies that were rescued from the horrific backyard rabbit breeder. As soon as those pictures are downloaded I will post them.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Poinsettia's babies

Today, Poinsettia's ( the Momma rat) babies, particularly the boys, greeted me at the front of their cage this morning. This is a first for them! Normally they are hiding somewhere, too shy to come out. They did run and hide when I opened the door, but them greeting me while I was in front of the cage is a huge step forward to loosing their nervousness and skittishness. The last group of rat babies is now old enough to be on their own, soon I will take pictues and have them on Petinder, but first I need to come up with nine names, there are more females in this litter :)
Poinsettia herself will soon be adoptable, I will give her some time to recover and relax from all that baby rearing. I am also debating whether we should spay Poinsettia, I'll have to ask Dr.T how long she'll need in between having her last babies taken away and being spayed. I am sure she'll need some time in between these two things. We will also need to save up funds. Yesterday 2 male sugar gliders were neutered, and Almond and Cashew the bunnies were neutered, plus , Ava and Pizzazz the bunnies were spayed. It was a good chunk of money ( well worth it too) and we'll need to start saving a bit before Poinsettia can be spayed. I am happy to say that everyone came through their surgeries wonderfully. In a few weeks time they will all be adoptable.
Now I need to call someone back about a bunny she just found outside, this person is unable to keep the bunny but couldn't bear to see the little one left outside. Poor little bun :(