Moths again

[Maz]

Not a happy bunny here. Just found a couple of moths crawling around inside Tino's house in his hoard. And one fluttering outside his cage (which I squashed). It must have been that heat wave, which is a common time - despite my having frozen all the food!

So poor Tino is going to have to have a cage change. And a full cage disinfection of his current cage and contents over the next couple of days.

I took the roof off his house to try and find him to see if he wanted to come out tonight - he'd already been out for his metacam earlier, but I missed him, so thought he might want to come out. Not only did I find a few moths crawling in his hoard but no sign of Tino! A cosy little hollow where his nest is but no sign of him in the house - so I assume he's sleeping under it at the moment.

He has become very doddery again recently in his cage and not using his wheel any more again. He keeps going but he struggles to get up his little ramp to the house roof. Which he doesn't actually need to do but seems to like going up there. So I needed to think about adjusting his set up again anyway.

Saw him on the nightcam later - he emerged from under his shelf! So it seems he is sleeping somewhere else at the moment.

I will be busy tomorrow! But may update in the evening.

 

[Socks' Mum]

It's sad when they get old, but in many ways it brings you closer in a very special way . I'm sorry about the moths, what a nuisance I hope you can get rid of them without too much difficulty

 

[Amy]

I am sorry to hear that Tino is not doing well he is such a little hamster
I hope you are successful getting rid of those invaders what a nuisance they are. My cat used to catch those little white moths and eat them it was here favourite game in summer.

 

[Maz]

Thank you both. He actually did a bit better last night from the hamstercam I saw.

He has never been too bothered about clean outs before so hopefully won’t be too upset by it.

 

[Amy]

Thank you both. He actually did a bit better last night from the hamstercam I saw.

He has never been too bothered about clean outs before so hopefully won’t be too upset by it.

Maybe the heat made him a bit slower?

 

[Maz]

Maybe yes - he did stagger a bit the other night which is what ge was like before he started the Metacam - but then seemed ok last night. Ups and downs maybe.

Funny I couldn’t actually find him and he didn’t come when called.

Just getting organised to get on with the job - had to wait till OH was around as I’ll need some help with a few things. And not sure how much bedding I have left ….

 

[Amy]

Maybe yes - he did stagger a bit the other night which is what ge was like before he started the Metacam - but then seemed ok last night. Ups and downs maybe.

Funny I couldn’t actually find him and he didn’t come when called.

Just getting organised to get on with the job - had to wait till OH was around as I’ll need some help with a few things. And not sure how much bedding I have left ….

I cross my fingers everything goes well and you get rid of the unpleasant invaders.
I hope Tino recovers, it does sound as though it could have been the hot weather that made him lethargic.

 

[Maz]

He has had back leg problem for some time - probably arthritis. Hence being on Metacam. Just have to see how he goes. He is nearly two and a half now. He’s a determined little trooper but I think house roof needs to be lower.

I haven’t checked Higgins cage yet - same food, same hot weather spell - so there’s a chance I might need to do his cage as well

 

[Amy]

He has had back leg problem for some time - probably arthritis. Hence being on Metacam. Just have to see how he goes. He is nearly two and a half now.

Oh that’s a good age metacam is a very good painkiller. I used to have it for my horse.

 

[Maz]

For all the plaza 100 is generally quite easy to clean and maintain - with something like a moth outbreak it’s a bit of a nightmare - the side struts have grooves in them where moths like to lay eggs which hatch into little grubs. The eggs can be anywhere and aren’t visible - so it needs completely disassembling and complete disinfection of every part and every little groove and anything sat on top of the cage as well. Hence it’s not a quick job.

Last time we just took the whole cage out in the garden and poured boiling water in the house before starting.

And then cleaning and hoovering all around the cage area as they can lay eggs on the wall behind…. The ones I saw didn’t look like pantry moths though so maybe some species do survive freezing - hopefully will nip it in the bud.

Plan is to have Tino in the pet carrier today - do what I can and set another cage up for him to go into.

 

[Amy]

Oh dear, that sounds like a lot of work. I hope you are successful getting rid of them. “Scratch scratch”

 

[Maz]

Well the idea was to get the cage outside without disturbing anything and keeping them in the house with the roof on. But had to remove some bedding first or it was too heavy to lift. Unfortunately that disturbed them and two flew out. So now we have to find those two moths and squish them before they start laying eggs!

I’m suspecting it was a chew stick with food on. But in the kind of heat we’ve had, things hatch out.

Tino is snug in his pet carrier under a blanket upstairs.

Yes I’m itching too

 

[Maz]

He may have been sleeping under the platform due to heat but also the doors in his house are circular so need stepping over and maybe that was getting too hard. So he’ll need a different house anyway.

 

[Amy]

Well the idea was to get the cage outside without disturbing anything and keeping them in the house with the roof on. But had to remove some bedding first or it was too heavy to lift. Unfortunately that disturbed them and two flew out. So now we have to find those two moths and squish them before they start laying eggs!

I’m suspecting it was a chew stick with food on. But in the kind of heat we’ve had, things hatch out.

Tino is snug in his pet carrier under a blanket upstairs.

Yes I’m itching too

It never rains it pours

 

[Socks' Mum]

I hope the job goes well

 

[Magpie]

Aw Maz! I feel your pain!

I think my weekend is going to be spent in a similar fashion and this time I think I need to dismantle the bucatstate to get into the gaps between the frame and Perspex and inside the legs which are hollow.

Lots of love to Tino. I hope he’s doing ok and that he’s not too fussed by the big clean. X

 

[Maz]

He’s out in the playpen at the moment. He went into his new set up and had a good explore around, ate his baby food and Metacam and seems fine with it. I decided to set up the 80 x 50 cage for him with no wheel and very shallow ramps. He has used both of them.

He is very very doddery but he is still quite speedy out on the floor and has energy. He doesn’t look great - he keeps getting sticky eyes and I bathe them but they still are a bit sticky. One has gone quite milky and he might be blind in that eye. Looking at him I almost think - he is probably ready for some help. But then he attacked a sisal carrot and threw it across the cage and energetically scratched inside a new cardboard house. All he wants is to be out of the cage running around. Not surprising if he can’t use a wheel any more.

The last one is him wanting to be out after exploring.

He’s very doddery on substrate hence the slightly smaller cage and all his food and water near his house but on the floor he nips around as always. And still chews at he carpet at the edge of the playpen.

Had some difficult decisions to make - which was to move Higgins cage to where Tino’s was and put Tino’s smaller cage where Higgins was. I felt mean doing that is it will be quite a change for Higgins - but needed Tino easily visible to keep an eye on him.

He can’t get up to that tall platform - it’s just there for a bit of cover in that corner. Took me ages fiddling about with the cage so it was accessible everywhere and a few places to go.

The house is a long one from another cage with a bit door and no step at the bottom of the door so easy to get in and out of - the ladder is over the door so you can’t see it. I put a little mini fuzzbutts corner hammock in - would t normally put fleece in but he won’t chew - he can’t really - I’ll keep an eye on it though - but a cosy place for a wash if he feels like it.

I think he wants to stay out all night.

 

[Amy]

Aww bless him he sounds such a sweet little guy and the foto is adorable
He seems to be still very happy and not giving in to his old age.
It’s difficult to make a decision when our beloved pets get very old. But Tino does seem to be enjoying his life sending lots of hugs

 

[Amy]

He looks very good for his age, not as though he’s lost a lot of weight.

 

[Maz]

And this is the rest of the room - complete tip - hamster stuff and bedding everywhere. That’ll have to wait till tomorrow now. Cage is still out in the garden!