#john and smith

[magpiedminx]

The gerbil update:

I had switched them to a fancy food because that's what the pet store had. (Not muesli mix but biscuits and seeds) Their fur got spikey and looked almost oily. I figured that was not a sign of good gerbil health. So, i switched them back to the budget Walmart brand.

They are once again possessing soft fur coats and squabbling over who gets to use the wheel. (I have tried getting them two wheels, apparently the squabbling is part of the fun.)

This style of wheel is often pooh-pooh because "Tails and claws get caught!" .. i can't speak of their claws, maybe it does super rarely happen, but I've yet to meet a gerbil who isn't very tail aware. They love it and so far they haven't managed to damage it in any way. So, I'll let them be happy.

John and Smith would like to remind you they only get pumpkin seed treats ONCE a day and they're terribly abused. Just like your pets, who should also get more treats.

[magpiedminx]

Today's cardio:

Take two gerbils and put them in their travel carrier. Fortunately, they're very good-natured about being picked up.

Take their travel carrier and put it in the bathtub .. so I don't have to listen to their scritching on the plastic if they get impatient to be let out. (Typically about three minutes after confinement.) The sound has a remarkably similar effect as metal scraping along metal to me. The bathtub because if they somehow escape the carrier, they're not going far.

Back to the dining room and take out about 25L of fluff from the condo and dump it into a box on the ground. Most of it makes it inside.

Remove all toys / tools / hidey / wheel for cleaning.

Shake the 15lb cage to get rid of 98% of the remaining fluff. Then brush out the rest with a paper towel.

Clean down the wires/shelves/ramps with dawn/water solution. (They complain about that scent the least.)

Go clean the toys / tools / hidey / wheel and re-oil the wheel with olive oil.

Put about 20L of fluff back into the condo, re-add the toys / tools / hidey / wheel.

Put towel over top so they feel safer on the top floor.

Clean water bottle and food bowl, refill food bowl, add pumpkin seed bribes to the mix.

Release the kraken, er, release John and Smith back into their nice clean condo.

Two gerbils declare they're running away and they're leaving a one-star yelp review after talking to my manager.. and.. Oh, wait.. are those pumpkin seeds? Well, maybe later then. Dump all the fluff into a garbage bag, much bending and brushing up the bits that didn't make it to the box for easy transfer. Easy, of course, is a relative term.

Turn on the kitchen extractor fan and start the floor washing with a bleach solution. Surprisingly, they don't care about the stench of this, it bothers ME far far more. Do I post this as an excuse to support my favourite hellsite via a Blaze? Yes. Absolutely.

[magpiedminx]

The gerbils learned that if they thump their ramp up and down I will become irritated and come investigate what their problem is.

This is how they trained me that they want either music playing or the fan on. I'm not quite sure what they want drowned out, but fine, whatever. My computer is on anyway - have music.

This is also how they let me know their treats are late and that I don't actually need coffee before they get their pumpkin seeds.

Today, it was how they let me know that all that was left in their food bowl was the food they don't really like. So I did what any mean human does - dumped it out and gave them a new bowl full of all the foods. I'm sure I'll be dumping the we-don't-like-these seeds out again in a few days.

It's a good thing they're not spoiled!

[magpiedminx]

Here we have two abused, completely starving, never get any toys, treats, or love, gerbils.

No idea how they manage.

[magpiedminx]

I ran out of pumpkin seeds last week, so they got a little peanut butter (no sugars / sugar alcohol). I, unfortunately, set a new standard.

Today we show the fuzzicus braticus after hunting a toilet paper roll that has a little dab of peanut butter on either end.

I placed it by the door, a nanosecond later, it'd been hauled into their tunnel.

[magpiedminx]

I treated the furry brats to a tunnel when i went to get their litter, their opinion seems to be "Best thing ever!"

They're happy, simple, souls.

[magpiedminx]

John & Smith have a certain cheep when they're sexing it up. For no reason, today they decided to set up on the one spot I can see them from the couch.. it's like "DUDES! I do NOT need to see that." Much sympathy to Smith than John is a 20 second mouse.

[magpiedminx]

I decided since i was already in pain and limping, I'd clean the furry felons habitat.

Does this look like the face of a gerbil who lept off the side of the sideboard to go explore the kitchen? (Yes, intentionally this time)

Fortunately, they're hand friendly enough i could scoop him up and transport him back to his condo.

They're now complaining about someone ransacking their home and ruining EVERYTHING!