Jack

[Member ID2]

I decided to clean Jack's cage today which i haven't done in a very long time. He pees in the toilet so i get away with spot cleaning.

By cleaning i mean taking everything out including the hamster who goes into a transport box.
I then sort the substrate into two gardening buckets (kept indoors) miffy or laced with poops in one bucket and reusable one in the other. Then give the base a wipe and remove stuck poops and grains from the rim.
Put reusable substrate and some of the old hoard plus fresh bedding back in and add furnishings and hamster. Done. I don't clean the toilet or wheel because i don't want to freak hamster out.
I then chuck in huge heaps of torn into strips toilet paper as a peace offering and scatter food about.
Here's Jack with his nose stuck in the substrate foraging for food. The toilet paper has already disappeared into his house and corner nest. I'll add more Kaytee later once this lot has settled down and he's flattened it.
Everything is back where it was, just cleaner and no tantrums from Jack. It went well but one hamster wasn't happy. Lilly. I'm going over to that little madam's thread now.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Aww Jack seems okay with the cleaning. He sure loved having some new tissue to hide.

 

[elusive]

Such a laid back boy

 

[Member ID2]

I left a spare house in the playbox and watched Jack disappear into it with a mouthfull of bedding! I had to open the roof to get him out. He was making a nest.

He's back in his own house inside his cage now.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Aww that is so cute.

 

[Member ID2]

This hamster always makes me feel guilty about eating in front of him.
I'm eating stewed apple with cinnamon and plain yoghurt but don't think that hamsters can have spices.
I got up and got him the yoghurt pot with a tiny piece of banana in it!

 

[Maz]

Ooh that is definitely a look! You're eating and haven't given me any!

 

[Member ID2]

Jack is very good at giving me looks.

 

[Member ID2]

Jack's been out twice tonight and sometimes he decides that he has to go home right this minute.

He was climbing around the basket and then suddenly came rushing over to me, put his paws on my lap and looked at me.
I picked him up, put him back and he rushed to his food bowl, pouched food at speed, picked up his fresh food en route and run to his nest.

I'd love to know what he's thinking when he does that.

 

[Maz]

Maybe he was just telling you he wanted to go home now. Felt hungry suddenly maybe. Or maybe you eating the apple made him feel hungry and want to go and get his own snacks!

 

[RainbowBrite]

Aww, no wonder you could ignore that little face! He knows how to make you feel guilty.

 

[Member ID2]

There is something wrong with Jack that came on very quickly. His poops always looked black and firm which i knew because he chucks them out of his house.

Tonight i found blood in front of his house and his poops didn't look right. I did think for the last couple of days that his wee smelt a bit stronger but wasn't sure or alarmed enough to worry. Maybe i should have.

Jack seems fine in himself and doesn't appear to be in pain. He wanted out of cage time so i let him run around on the blanket in the hall which i'm going to wash. I've also disinfected all the wheels as a precaution.

Jack's running in his own wheel now.
I'm going to phone the vet first thing to make an appointment and hope that it's a treatable infection and not something more serious.

He's only around 17 months old, going by the age i was told when i rescued him.

 

[RainbowBrite]

Hopefully it is an infection that can be cured with antibiotics. I am sorry to hear this and know how worried you must be. I hope you can get a vet appointment tomorrow.

 

[Maz]

I'm sorry to hear that. He is not particularly old. Maybe it is a UTI. Also though, with blood it can be a torn toenail or something or they have caught themselves on something, so a good checkover might rule that out (which you've probably already done). I always think their wee smells strong anyway! But maybe if it smells different ..........

 

[Member ID2]

There's no injury, i checked him over.

He's very annoyed because i didn't let him out a second time but i need to find out first what's wrong with him and also protect the others, in case it is something that could get passed on.

I turned the light off and came downstairs so he'll settle down.

No, he's not that old, providing i was given the correct age and yes, i am very worried about him. See what tomorrow brings.

 

[Maz]

I hope everything goes ok.

 

[elusive]

So sorry to hear Jack isn’t well, my first thought was maybe a UTI too, hopefully it’s nothing too serious & can be easily treated.
Good luck at the vet Jack.

 

[Member ID2]

I have an appointment later today.
One of the hamster vets is off sick and the other is booked up till end of the week. I'm going to see a vet i don't know but i expect the outcome will be a course of baytril at this stage anyway.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I hope the appointment goes well. I will be thinking of you both.

 

[Member ID2]

Thank you all.
I don't think it is a uti because there were no traces of blood in his toilet and that's what's worrying me. The blood was where he chucks his poops and that could be something serious. I hope it's an infection and not a tumor.