Please may we present-Jarvis and Mocho... - Page 31

Coco61 · 04-13-2016, 10:46 AM

So I finally plucked up the courage to do the big change last night. Mocho has been in his big house for nearly a year now, the whole time he has been with me. The photo below was taken just before work began. It shows how he has built up the ramparts again. There is a window on the lower level matching the one on the upper. He has gone to the trouble of really mounding it up even on the outside and the window on the other side has been stuffed with Fitch from the inside as he cant reach it. This work has overwhelmed his blue pot which he loved to sit in and pushed it all towards the wheel so I have to check it could still spin every night. As I said earlier I am also anxious to be able to check on him easily as he gets older.
Hubby was a huge help. We got the top off and rehung the second Sputnik and rat tube and it all took ages. Mocho remained determinedly indoors until I began to remove the side slope of the house. Then he went into a tube and into his carrier until work was done. Now there is only one rat tube to reach the second Sputnik and the second tube provides the exit from there and a way down to the roof of the house or to the base. At least that is the theory. I watched him test that route out last night but when he got to the end of that second rat tube (picking up treats in each Sputnik to encourage him!) he sniffed outside and it was nor familiar so he double backed and I left him in peace.

Coco61 · 04-13-2016, 10:53 AM

When I went to bed I was concerned he might reject the whole thing and sleep elsewhere. I had saved his nest as best I could and put that in the room furthest from the door. The middle room just had Fitch and the first room had Fitch and the ceramic potty buried in a corner. I borrowed Serendipity's idea of a bendy bridge approach even though no light could reach the last room. There is substrate below as the house is not as high as his last one. Also some of his hoard went under the nest.
I came downstairs and realised at once he is sleeping in the last room! I didn't expect this sight. I think I will leave well alone until the weekend when I will tidy up the excess! He has also tried to mound up on the outside. Habit I suppose but the wheel does not turn so I will free it at food time!

Pebbles82 · 04-13-2016, 12:02 PM

Wow - it looks really good. It fits so well into a corner. I had tried to picture that house with a bendy bridge over the front and it looks better than I imagined. Glad he is nesting in there. I'm sure he'll love it when he gets used to the change. It should be a lot easier to check on him too.

I'm sure he appreciated his old nest being in there too.

Coco61 · 04-13-2016, 12:16 PM

His blue salt pig is now on the house roof so he has cover there if he wants. Serendipity I remember your photos of Charlie in his house when you showed how it was crammed full. Now Mocho has done it but the roof has popped off. Luckily the roof is in 3 parts. He may well not have burrowed down at all and he was used to a big open area for his nesting.
Also the bendy bridge should give him a way up to the roof for feeding. I know he went there last night as his broccoli disappeared!

Pebbles82 · 04-13-2016, 03:57 PM

Lol at his roof popping off. I'm having difficulty keeping the roof closed on Charlie's house as well as his nest sort of springs up when I lift the roof off. I think it looks really nice - I am sure Mocho appreciates it and is cosy in there. It'll be interesting to see what habits he makes in the house and where his hoards go.

Mine now has 3 legs but two need sawing a bit off

cypher · 04-13-2016, 10:27 PM

That looks great Coco, glad the move went so slowly & it sounds as though Mocho is really going to enjoy his new luxury apartment

Thin Lizzy · 04-14-2016, 08:19 PM

Looking great! Mocho will realise that it's even better than before! I did laugh at him raising the roof lol!

Pebbles82 · 04-15-2016, 05:23 AM

How is Mocho settling in? Whenever Charlie moves into a new house I hear lots of banging about and scratching noises

It sounds like he is wall papering or something.

Coco61 · 04-15-2016, 09:50 AM

I am rather encouraged. The roof over the last room is still up a bit. I brushed off the excess and pushed it down a little. That brought him out and he has come out for treats and at feeding time. Maybe he wants to check that I am not about to dismantle his world again! I have not set up the ham cam yet so I don't know how much he explores the new part of the set up. I do indeed hear him in his house as the hoard must be up again the wall so there is a lot of scratching around at times!
He does seem to have settled in there. He has not gone off in a huff and nested elsewhere. If these multi room houses replicate behaviour in the wild then perhaps he will adapt quickly. No idea what he has done in there. I only know the last room is bung full and on lifting the roof he is no where to be seen so he must be nicely snuggled in.

Pebbles82 · 04-15-2016, 10:08 AM

Glad he is nicely snuggled in - it sounds like he approves!