Yes, but this week it has become a problem!! It's our fault really, as they've had the exact same routine the whole time we've had them (4 and a bit years)... the problem is their night time routine - we get home from work, let them in the house, they try and get my attention, we play chase, they binky like mad, have loads of hay then I put our dinner on, when our dinner almost ready (and they've been in 45 mins) they get their pellets, then p&p then they go back to bed, where they have fresh hay and and a fenugreek crunchy..
Monday we cleaned them out - a full shed clean, all hay and bedding out, all fresh put in (usually do it sunday but we were out all day and I couldn't be bothered by time we got home), so they don't come in the house because we let them play out.
Tuesday morning I didn't put fresh food hay in, because they hadn't eaten any, and they had literally loads to eat (which they do eat, they love emptying the hay from their toilets and eating that and the bedding hay).... Tuesday evening we decided to just let them have outside time for an hour, we allowed Rupert some grass (if you're not aware, Rupert has serious tummy gas issues, they come on suddenly, the cause is usually something he's eaten) we've not allowed them much grass yet with it being spring grass etc, and he's had no issues since august (touch wood).... any way, put them back in shed and I always check him every half hour to make sure he's ok... the first check I did he was lying down (unusual) with his head pressed against window.. so I rattled pellets, nothing (this is the poorly test for Rupert) anyway he ate a few but not excited, it was 7:30, usual poorly time, so I was starting to panic, half hour later went back out, still the same, anyway it was like this til 930 but he didn't have a swollen tummy like he does when poorly, but what he did do was try to jump from one box to the garden seat and failed so I thought maybe he's pulled something, so I gave him some metacam (vet is ok with me doing this for him if he's looking iffy) he took it, so im confused as he loves it, but when poorly, refuses it... it got to 1030 and he's still quiet... so im in shed giving him a heat pad and he chucked a bit of hay at me and thumped.... so I say to hubby 'did you put fresh hay in tonight?' 'no' he says, they had loads left, I just looked at him and said well I didn't this morning either, go get it... put hay in and all is well!!!! little git!
then last night, our hamster is really old now (he's 2) and in the morning I noticed he'd not eaten as much food, and he got up and looked old all of a sudden, anyway, last night the rabbits were in the house and hubby was getting domino up to check him and Rupert SERIOUSLY took offence, I mean, literally would not stop thumping, and now he won't go near hubby, he was so bad last night I was worried that he was going to make himself ill thru the stress, all because hubby was giving domino some attention, this morning he's still running away from hubby, hopefully he'll get over it by tonight because its so out of character.
This, all because their routine has been broken! its been a stressful week pet wise!
