Stewie!!!!!

It's been a hectic week!!!

There are two stories that should be posted in other forum topics, and I'll get to that. But for now, I'll catch everyone up...

So, before we picked up this little fella, Kim (aka Feather) and I decided to have him neutered by her experienced vet. I wanted Lazer, pom off... Before I picked him up on Sunday, June 3. Well it didn't go well. They had to super glue his now injury and put him into an e-jacket... More on that story in another topic...

So we traveled 605 miles to Kim's to pick him up... Kim had me take him out of his cage. He was so cute! Tiny little man, little green equally tiny e-jacket... But boy does he have a set of lungs!!!!! Crabbing, lunging... But there is one nice thing about an e-jacket. You can get ahold of them, and if you're smart about it, you can avoid those razor sharp teeth. He also couldn't run away very well. Kim has told me he can run very fast and is a bit onery... But oh my, he is so cute!!!! So, We we talked about care, and medication. Then we went on about other stuff...

Let's see I forgot to mention hubby... He was there quietly watching and listening, oh and the girls were there too. In their travel glide-arium.

So I passed 'Squirt' over to hubby he was in his sleeping pouch. He peeked inside, and the tiny beast within looked up at him, ears wide on each side of his head. Hubby said his head was the shape of a football, and Stewie Griffen came to mind.Then the crabbing began... He quickly closed the pouch and cuddled him and he quieted down...

Meanwhile Kim and I are talking about the girls, I took them out one at a time so she could meet them. Dot first. So Dot was wide awake, and I was holding her. Suddenly she leapt to Kim, and crawled around. She took me by surprise because she never does that in a strange place. But she has never been anywhere near other gliders since we got her either. She was quick and jumped to the back of Kim's chair, sat up, and was sniffing... Ugh oh maybe she wants to seek out the glider room... So I went for her, and she jumped on to Kim again seeking cover. I had a brief thought to leave her there if she liked her so much, but Kim has many other little mouths to feed, and this little mouth was going home with me! So I caught her and put her up and pulled Fiona out... She did the same exact thing, curiosity, and she came back to me just fine. Then she went into my shirt! So Kim and I continued chatting about everything from wheels, pouches, you name it. I wish we could have had more time... Then it was time to go, put Fiona back into her pouch with Dot, zipped them up, got my sissy bonding pouch for squirt on, and with a little struggle and lots of crabbing, got him in there.

We were hungry so we ate before we checked into hotel for the night... That was interesting... To be continued... Along with pics...

EDIT:

His neuter:

http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/...ter#Post1416674

So Stewie doesn't like being in an ejacket. So he doesn't like the bonding pouch either.

But while we went into Arby's he was good. He didn't make a peep till we got back in the truck. Ok, lets check in the hotel...

So if any of you have traveled with gliders, it's like packing for a newborn...

When you are traveling a long distance to pick up another glider, double that...

2 travel cages, check. I brought the girls glide-arium, and their old hamster cage for Stewie.

2 temporary large cages, check. I brought the huge Genji pop up tent(we use for tent time), and the pop up dog kennel for Stewie.

2 exercise sources, check. 1 travel wheel and a treadmill.

3 dishes for food, 3 dishes for nectar, 2 dishes for kibble, and 2 dishes for water, and 2 water silos, check...

Fruit and veggie salad, nectar, kibble, and bottled water, must have back up for another day, just in case, check....

Whew!!!!!

So we haul all this in, 2 trips each... I'm thinking this is for just 1 night... Oh why didn't we drag the 5th wheel...

So skipping past the set up, feeding, and turning gliders loose...

Stewie. Was not happy... he threw a fit... He began chewing the netting on his pop up kennel... great... I got a chewer....OK, little dude, into the hamster cage you go... it has metal bars and a double lock door. Food, and etc goes in. At least he will be ready to go in the morning...

The girls had a blast loose in the tent!!! They had the treadmill and wheel going all night. The next morning they were already packed in their travel glide-arium, ready to go too!!!

By 7:30 am, we were packed out, and rolling down the road... not a peep out of anyone. They had grapes and apple slices for the trip. We had good weather, took backroads, enjoyed some beautiful scenery and 11 hours later, we're home!!!!!

Stewie travels well. Once the big diesel fired up, he was quiet. When it stopped, the crabbing began... He's a smart little fart. He knew he was going to be touched and handled... Got him into his new cage and he crabbed, lunged and waddled in his tiny ejacket trying to get out.(Sorry little dude, your old home is way too far away to get back to)... Dot and Fiona are curious about the strange little fella... Fiona especially.

I need to back up in time for a few lines. Stewie was taken from Mom and Dad for his neuter. The plan was to put him back with them after the neuter... Well, when he was put into an e-jacket he couldn't be put back with Mom and Dad. He had to experience being all alone, an e-jacket, a bath, and having to take meds twice a day for 5 days. He was not a happy camper...

Bath you ask? Yep. Kim had to drop him at the vet the night before for his procedure, and she fed him in his kennel. He was a sticky mess for doc the next day. No mom to help groom him. This is what Kim picked up later that day:


https://www.dropbox.com/s/0k7kavpaazdxg6r/192_1527876785661.jpg?dl=0


So, needless to say, he really can't groom himself especially now. He got a bath...

So, Stewie has had a few bad experiences. No wonder he is not happy...

Back to present in story.

He's had to be cleaned up a couple of times on his bottom end, and at the 7 day mark of his neuter, he needed to come out of his ejacket for some much needed grooming, a chance to stretch, a little bit of happy bonding time. It was great!!!!!!!

He groomed and groomed, ran, jumped on us, let us help scratch his itches, and I took many pics. Then Stewie was ready... "OK Mom, I'm ready for my close up".


https://www.dropbox.com/s/iut0iyb1mu106lx/Stewie%201st%20tent%20time%2001.jpg?dl=0

He is a ham!

Up next time: "What!?!??? Another bath?!?!??"

Yeah, another bath... My first... Stay Tuned!!!! We are almost caught up to real time!

Stewie!!!

After almost 2 hours of tent time, he was getting tired. I forgot to mention we started tent time at 9am. About 2 hours past his bedtime.

It was time to catch him, which wasn't so easy without an e-jacket. He wouldn't voluntarily go into a sleeping pouch either. He did settle down in a piece of fleece the size of a handkerchief.

So into the bath we go. That was fun... Not! I had filled the kitchen sink to about 3/4" with warm water at deepest part, and let him soak for about 3 minutes. That's all I could handle. I didn't soap him down, but it got all the potty, poo and nectar goo off him from the waist down.

Then I put him into an old soft flannel towel and over about thw next 2 hours, I rubbed,fluffed, and loved him dry while he slept... So peaceful... So sweet... But sorry little man, you're dry. And you're not healed...

EDIT to add pic:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w148x9e5k20ruov/Stewie%20first%20bath.jpg?dl=0


I decided to put him in a bonding pouch so he could rest with out his jacket on. Bad idea... He doesn't like the restriction. After about 20 minutes, he starts attacking his injury/ neuter area and crabbing like there's no tomorrow...

I got him out of the pouch before he re injured himself but it wasn't easy. He's still really small. The minute he saw the e-jacket, the fight was on...

To be continued...

That picture is too much adorable in one image.

Butter just makes it soggy.

Well, I see what happens when a girl goes out of town for a little R & R. Someone starts using her signature color AND font

I started a thread in Health and Hygene here:

http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/...ter#Post1416674

I will also post this at the top of his thread...

Hmmm...?

If that was directed my way, I have to tell you that my post looks normal to me. Besides, if I was to do color, I'd do green.

Quick recap:



I forgot how little these guys are. To watch them and scoop them up is one thing. To force them into an ejacket is not an experience I would want to do very often.

So I've watched those Utube videos where the nice calm gliders demonstrate how easy it is put one of these things on. I know that having experienced hands help with the coordination of all the steps, but a cooperative glider is a must for new and clumsy hands.

Imagine if you will the Tasmanian Devil... Would you want to grab him and put an ejacket on him? Even if it's for his own good??? Of course not. Well that was what it was like. Half way through the biting and twisting and wiggling, hubby comes to my rescue... I'll set the scene:

I'm at the kitchen table with Stewie in my bare hands, sprawled out on my bare leg with his front teeth and front claws burried on into my leg. I have a hold of his body trying to pull him off. The fleece and ejacket that was under him forgotten on the floor.

Hubby walks in the back door to screams of " OMG you little ba$&@#d!!!" From me and from Stewie "Shtt! Shtt! Shtt!" along with frantic crabbing.

Hubby calmly grabbed Stewie's head and releases him from my leg, bent over to retrieve said blanket and jacket which has velcroed it's self to the blanket...

So with hubby's help many bites and 4 more tries, we get the ejacket back on him. The Tasmanian Devil disappears. Now he's just mad...

I do recommend practicing this procedure on a stuffed glider. I had 2 weeks before when the grandkids came to visit. They always bring their toy gliders. It will give you the mechanics on how the jacket goes on properly and how it works. But it doesn't prepare you for the tiny fighting beast...

I pray none of you have to go through this, and if you do, I hope you have the grace to duct tape your mouth shut before you begin.

Ok moving right along...

So Stewie spent another week in his jacket trying to find a place to hide in his cage from me, crabbing every time I was in his presence. Every day I took him out, checked on his wound and applied Quick derm to help soften it up. On the 15th day after his surgery, the scab came off!

Another tent time free of ejacket, ferocious grooming of flattened fur, and his last bath.Yay!!! This cuddle/dry time was met with grooming and cat naps...

This was 4 days ago. Yesterday I checked him for glue, he was fine. Now through this whole process he refused treats from my hand. The next 3 days I plan to feed him, clean out his drop pan and ignore him. Turn my attention back to the girls. After that the bonding process will begin... Friday is cleaning day...

Happy thoughts will be appreciated!!!