Hi all! I hope this is in the correct placement of the forums and appreciate your time to read it!!
SO I've done a zillion rescues but this lil lovely boy shall be my first furever fuzzy niblet. I'm adopting this little gorgeous boy when he's weaned around my birthday!!! Having studied genetics thoroughly through interest though I have lineage on him have PLENTY of time before he'd be breeding age obviously, but I do not want him to feel lonely. What is the opinion on minimum age for a companion? I AM looking already but want to find a perfect companion and figure out if I'd be ready to take the step into breeding- I have worked with countless in pouch Joeys and even hand fed from a dropper when needed and IF I decided to get him a mate would thoroughly check lineage and be ready to care for ALL joeys if must. It would be purely out of love for suggies and my distaste for the mills at malls around here with heating rocks and parakeet cages, so please no spiteful comments as I have unfortunate but a plethora of horrid to wonderful experiences with rescues- MANY sadly adopted as brother sister pairs advertised to the people as "neutered" males. I've seen terrible things and only wish to offer another option and education on their ACTUAL care, and love them enough that if they could not find homes WOULD have him fixed and keep the joeys myself.
ANYHOW I do want to take EVERYTHING into account BEFORE I would plan that step, so I suppose my question is, as he will only be just weaned when I bring him home- (I'm used to sick, fed pellets, always depressed at first suggies, not healthy companions) what age would you suggest is the latest to find him a friend- note he will be spoiled rotten but as colony animals know it will not be enough forever. I don't plan to wait too long, but want time to
bond with him before he gets a little pal, be it I neuter him or consider a normal gray as I know breeding mo to mo would eventually have lineage issues and am WELL informed on genetics- no expert by any means, but I WOULD take every precaution into consideration and ask help from YOU lovely experts SHOULD I decide to take that step. ALSO- I used to use the BML
diet with added fruits and meal worms, is that still by opinion the healthiest way to go? I ONLY want the best for my snuggly. I looove tent time and am over the moon that it's a healthy, loveable baby where I have no worries of illness- yet DO have a generous
vet fund available (through a
vet I worked with a thousand times with rescues, she knows I always come through and agreed if anything goes wrong would do any and everything- also have monetary means if anything arises and enough to spoil him, not rich by any means but would NEVER adopt an animal I could not properly care for no matter what. Should anything happen (knock on wood it won't) ALL would be taken care of any time day or night by the
vet, I have her personal cell and I'm fairly sure though she adores rescues as well was tired of hearing from me. Note: I no longer can manage a rescue as I had to move to my home town to help care for my grandmother who is on oxygen, she cared for me so now it's my turn. The RVS laws here, I refuse to euthanize a HEALTHY baby raccoon so even if I HAD room no longer do much but help tame domestic abused animals with them in foster homes, I still often work with large abused birds but at my apartment have only our old rescue dog who is now about 14 and a cat that I never intended to keep, but, it's a long story. SHE kept me and both are fixed, up to date on vaccines and healthy as can be (Well poor ol' daisy at 14 has arthritis but the best I can offer). Just side info so the whole picture is clear in case anyone was wondering. Any thoughts?
Also, I've NEVER worked with a lone BABY. The closest I came was that first sick pair I thought were strange flying squirrild dropped on my porch about ten years ago now. The mother passed away days after arrival and the
vet tried but it was just too late for her. The joeys were so small they did not have fur and I never though I could feed and make something so tiny live. The father helped SOOO much and they were so friendly but one seemed... off all the time. As he grew furry he'd almost seize and bite so hard even so small he'd draw blood and not leg go, and of course I could not dare risk pulling him off so just waited it out. The
vet couldn't find anything wrong physically but said he was just off in the brain. He made it to about 8 months old- When old enough (weaned) the father and his brother were adopted out to a thoroughly checked AMAZING family but as the other drew blood so much we didn't dare try to adopt him out. He never developed male or female parts exactly- no pouch but no.... boy parts, the
vet said it was mostly inbreeding and nothing could be done. He had days he was so happy and loving so euthanasia was an option we reserved for only if he started to suffer. One day I went to play and he was excited all jumping around and then literally shook and fell dead in a moment from a seizure. The
vet assured me he couldn't have hurt but I always feel so sad thinking of it and wonder if she only tried to reassure me. Just literally bouncing, shake, gone.
I share that so anyone worried I could not handle breeding IF I decide to much later- I know what can happen, and how mills and certain
breeders have lines sterile or inbred, I know lineage must be TRIPLE checked and would ask so much you'd all be sick of me.
I know it's a bit of topic to topic, but I just want to have my lil one safe and happy and healthy more than anything, and if that means for now getting a male friend as I do not wish to jump to a HUGE decision to breed I would do so. I'm a bit scared too- it
sounds silly but even if I'm great at FIXING rescues I've not had any experience with a friendly happy one of my very own.
Thanks all so VERY much, it's more appreciated than you can imagine!<3
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