Youngsters Making Progress

I just realized that it has been two weeks since I posted, and while things have been relatively quiet there are a few things to write about.

On November 16 Rossby and Sprite had their baseline wellness check-ups with Dr. W, and they are doing just fine. They actually behaved very well, although Sprite did protest a bit. She still crabs at times if you bother her while she is in the pouch, but usually she quiets down when a) she sees that you are offering her food or a treat or b) she sees who we are.  We also had our son's new glider Ghost with us at the vet for his checkup.  We initially spoke with a fourth year student who then went to get Dr. W.  A few minutes later the door opened and a couple of students walked in, and then a couple of more, and eventually a total of ten of us in the room! It was rather funny in a way - it seemed like a scene from a comedy!

Ghost was a big hit, being a baby and a white mosaic at that. Ghost passed his exam with flying colors, and he is now scheduled for his neuter next week. We'll be taking him for that and caring for him through his brief recovery.

I have been taking both Rossby and Sprite into a tent a night for an hour or so to play. Sprite, still the crabby one at times, will sometimes crawl under the sheet we have laid down in there, and if I try to pet her through the sheet or otherwise disturb her while she is under it she will crab and complain. Rossby spends a lot of his time on the wheel,and occasionally Sprite will join him.  What is interesting is that they neither of the jump on to the wheel. The both climb up the stand, and then on to the wheel.  The trio always jumps on to the wheel from the front. Rossby, in particular, seems hesitant to make any big jumps.  Maybe it's his young age and experience, maybe some other reason. Rossby and Sprint don't have a wheel in their cage, but they do have a glider treadmill they like to run on.

We have already started switching out blankets in the pouches for each set of gliders as the first stage of introductions.  They are starting to get used to each others smell, but there is still a lot of marking going on.  After a period of switching blankets, we'll switch pouches between the cages and see how they react.