Nugget's thread - Page 33

Pebbles82 · 04-02-2019, 03:43 PM

Thank you Coco. Yes he has settled nicely to the changes and I am more relieved everything is at floor level. I moved his food dish to the top of the labyrinth house as a "shelf" which may be why he moved back in there. I tweaked the rainbow bridge so it's the right angle for him now when leaving the piece of cork in front of his wheel

When I clean the wheel next I am thinking of putting that back on its stand instead of screwed to the bars. Now everything is a bit lower it bangs the cage base a bit, although Nugget doesn't seem bothered! It means it will stick further out in the cage, but also means he'll have a secure hidey place under the wheel again that won't collapse. Unfortunately his burrow near the wheel caved in when I was spot cleaning -probably another reason he moved back in the labyrinth house! Honestly theamount of hoards -all over the cage base! I think I'm feeding him too much! He never seems to take much from the bowl, but there were masses of hoards all over the place! The one in the labyrinth is still in tact under his nest in there - it was clean and dry when I spot cleaned that end the other week so I left it - it was so neat and tidy. Had to remove most of the others as he seems to pee in different places.

Anyway I think he's finding it easier to get about. He behaves as if he doesn't have anything wrong with him.

If the pressed down lower Fitch doesn't help much I may put a hemp mat over the top of the fitch so he has a level surface but not a bare-ish cage base.

Pebbles82 · 04-06-2019, 01:26 PM

Nugget continues to enjoy his wheels and his baby food - licks all the baby food up (metacam and probiotic) twice a day. He also loves spending ages gnawing at the bark base of a Mr Woodfield fruit tree - which is about 5 times as big as he is! He isn't so bothered about chewing the food off it but loves chewing the bark. Whereas Newt strips all the food off it overnight and then ignores it.

Cotton · 04-06-2019, 05:26 PM

Serendipity, glad to read Nugget continues to enjoy the wheel and baby food. I love your set up for a Roborovski. Is Nugget your first Roborovski?

Pebbles82 · 04-07-2019, 03:03 AM

Thank you Cotton

Yes he is our first Robo. The first attempt at a set up was "technical" - along the lines of what I read was good for a robo. The second one was based on the cage and access and basically as long as he has a shelf, a wheel and plenty of substrate he was happy. He ignored houses and used to burrow under the Fitch. Until I got him the labyrinth house which is dark inside and mimics a burrow with rooms - he loved that and moved straight in. But he doesn't like you taking the roof off - so he keeps two burrows and moves out of the house if disturbed. Then moves back in again if I disturb the other one.

If I get another robo I will try harder at taming initially!

Creampuff · 04-08-2019, 11:40 AM

Aw, Nugget looks ADORABLE!!! I hope he likes his new home!!

Pebbles82 · 04-08-2019, 12:02 PM

He has settled very well to the changes, thank you Creampuff. It's made life a bit easier for him. Last night he was sitting in his cheese cube having a wash when I put his baby food meds out and he immediately left the cheese cube and tucked into the baby food

He looks ok from the front, but from the side he looks quite old - but I suppose he is quite old now.

Thin Lizzy · 04-20-2019, 03:22 AM

So pleased to hear Nugget is much better and that he had adapted to the changes you made. Bless him enjoying his cheese cube and baby food meds. He's such a good little boy.

Pebbles82 · 04-23-2019, 10:58 AM

I've moved Nugget's cage into the same room as Newt's as doing some decorating in the living room. He might stay there now so as not to upheave him again, but I'll see. He was fast asleep in his house when I moved his cage and didn't seem bothered. As a special treat to distract him from the change I gave him a bit of the Country Hunter dog food at lunch time (the stuff he gobbled up when on Baytril) and sure enough late morning he came out and ate some and looked quite happy.

He is losing fur now - has a large patch missing on one side and a smaller patch on the other side. Also one of the lumps seems larger and is hanging down more.

Despite all this he seems happy in himself. Uses his sandbath and his wheel and gnaws on his tree stump and carries on doing normal hamstery things at some speed.

He is on Metacam long term though so assume that relieves any discomfort he would otherwise have.

Coco61 · 04-23-2019, 11:11 AM

Nugget sounds as though he is doing his Hamstery things despite his health difficulties. Giving meds long term can be a problem but you have found the key to it as I did with Mocho. Keep the treats rolling as it obviously makes him happy!

Pebbles82 · 04-27-2019, 02:18 PM

Nugget seems to have accepted the cage move easily and is carrying on as normal. He did seem to move out of his house for a while as a new burrow appeared in front of his wheel under the piece of cork there (where his old burrow was before it collapsed). However I have also seen him going in the house a couple of times, so if he is unsettled it's about where to settle. Either that or he is trying to keep me guessing where he is. He still enjoys his food and his wheels and sand bath.