So, those of you who know, Batman is NOT the kind of Suggie to defend his mealies from his one & only friend, Catwoman. He normally peels his mealies while she gulps her down and then rushes off to finish the half he's working on!

NOT ANYMORE! For the last 2 times, he strategically will eat his mealie off the wall of the cage (props to him for thinking ahead because she likes to sneak attack him from below if he's standing on a platform), but when she goes to steal it, he play bites at her mouth. Like, "BACK OFF, Woman! I mean it!" LMAO!

Well, this morning they've been extra hungry, so I thought I'd give them some treats. Those of you keeping up know that I've been careful about Catwoman's weight. She plumped out, then lost the weight to where she's just a LITTLE chunky but not bad...so 1 mealworm each is what I'm comfortable giving until she drops a little more weight. However, I was able to give Batman a pinenut and 2 yogies and I didn't want Babygirl (my nickname for Catwoman) to feel unloved, so I gave her some juicy honeydew. It was a BIG cube, too! She grabbed it with both hands (SO CUTE!) and was gnawing away at it happily...

...when lo and behold, who comes to steal but BATMAN!!! Batman has NEVER done anything so brazen! I feel kinda bad for Catwoman but karma is a wonderful teacher. I may let Batman steal a couple of more times so she knows what it feels like before I step in.

STILl, LMAO! What great progress they are both making! Batman especially. He is finally coming out to play more--and I don't mean just with us. I mean in general, because he never really played too much with his cagemate, either. At least, not until recently.

GREAT FUN!!!

Here's the short version (I have to get ready for work soon):

Hubby had the day off so he spent tent time with the kids. (Pics to follow!) Catwoman lost some weight, but has far to go. They were both allowed 1 mealworm each this morning. And Batman moves with better ease now. :) I actually thought it was CATWOMAN in the wheel this morning, but on a double take, it was actually Batman. The fact that he is finally getting some exercise makes me sooo happy!

Oh, yeah, and they were both chirping to some food we hand fed them. GREAT progress, like I said. This is at the 5/6 months' stage for adult rehomes, btw. :)

I cannot believe I forgot to put this in our journal entry, but...the last time we had tent time, the kids actually sat in my hands! I cheated yet again: I held their blankie in my open hands and as it had their scent on it, they sat there for about half a minute each before taking off! Still, it gives me hope!!! :D

We haven't had tent time since, but we are looking forward to it soon. Hopefully today, barring any unforeseen appointments.

So, I goofed and Catwoman had gained a significant amount of weight in a mere 2 weeks! Overfed on her treats, especially nuts. I know I shouldn't have but I was so caught up in trying to get them to do forage that I didn't think about the repercussions until it was too late.

I stopped all treats altogether. I count my blessings that she is such an active glider. She LOVES her wheel, and she's always testing out her jumps from one object to the next, just taking my breath away with her crazy dexterity. It saddens me that while she used to be a ninja, she now thuds around. But in three days' time, I can already see improvement, so I know we are on the right track.

For bonding purposes, I've been hand feeding them fruits and veggies from their dinner plate, and adding egg white (no yolks) to increase their protein. They would have gotten added protein from their meal worms but they are currently cut off due to Catwoman being on a diet.

I feel horrible about having to do this Batman, who was never an over-eater. He, despite the many nuts to be foraged, only ate what was necessary and not a bite more. It's so strange that I always thought he would be the one to get tubby since he is ALWAYS in his pouch and seldom exercises.

There IS a bright side to all this. Now that she's gained some weight, she will actually let Batman on the wheel. Before, she used to hop over him, going so fast, that all he could do was hold on, and then as soon as she took a break, he'd get off and make a mad dash for his wheel. (I almost picture him saying, "Jane! Get me off this crazy thing!" LOL) But since she no longer has the endurance to do that, he can actually work out for once. Maybe when she gets back in shape, the two of them together will be equally paired partners in the wheel. It seems he is moving with less stiffness in his joints now. (And he's also getting out of his cage more.)

I am also taking them off of HPW Complete. It appears it doesn't have the Wombaroo powder in it at all, despite its acronym, and only yields 14% protein. Thank God I was not shy on dishing out those mealies before!

We are going to try HPW Original first. That's the one hubby likes best. Me, I am seriously liking Val's Green Variety diet...but as it contains the bee pollen and lists High Protein Wombaroo powder as an optional addition, I think we might eventually try that. I, too, believe variety is the key to a successful diet.

My other choice is LGRS Suggie Soup but with the dried fly pupae...Man, we better NEVER use that blender for margaritas, that's all I've gotta say. That's a glider-only blender after that. Yuck. And then I'm thinking about the time I mistakenly tasted HPW Complete. I used a knife to pop out the cube of supplement out of the ice cube tray, and then used the same knife to cut up some honeydew. Then I decided I wanted some honeydew. And, of course, the knife still had some HPW Complete on it. Oops. Now, flash forward to what if that was Suggie Soup. OMG, I think I would vomit. LOL. Just gotta be sure to cut up fruit & veggies FIRST, I think.

Well, we are on the right track, I think. Catwoman's losing weight, and the snacks are off limits for the time being. When the time comes, I will research and see what an appropriate amount of snacks look like. I don't want to repeat this mistake! But I will cross that bridge if/when we get there.

Month five now and the babies seem to be making great progress!

We've hidden their meal throughout their cage but we still have some food on their plate so they won't stress out with the change--not to mention we still have their HPW Complete on their sturdier divider plate. But this is forcing them to go forage. This turns out to be a great idea because now Batman is getting out of his pouch more and getting some much needed exercise.

We've cheated with the Ball Pit recently and that has paid off. What I mean to say is, we've thrown in some meal worms in their Ball Pit and now even Batman goes in to investigate. He considers it another area for foraging.

Currently trying to get them to use their fleece ropes and Catwoman was quick to pick up on it. We've clipped foraging cups to the fleece rope and put meal worms in there. We had a few nuts and yogies but that didn't seem to be enough incentive for them. The meal worms worked like a champ!!

Batman is still a little afraid of heights but we're working with him. Every day, I see him climbing a little more confidently on the links, poking his little pink nose here and there, even climbing on the hammocks.

He is also getting bolder with us. He doesn't go diving into his pouch anymore. He is less antisocial now that he & Catwoman have been cage mates for 4 months. And she is calmer, though it looks like she is putting on a little weight. I remember reading somewhere that white faced blondes do have that tendency. Well, thank goodness she loves her wheel as much as she does. I can't help but think that maybe it's not so much that she is putting on weight but that she has finally reached full maturity? She was 10 months old when we got her.

I can't begin to describe to you the joy I feel of seeing them both stretch out their patagium from time to time. It especially warms my heart when Batman does it because it is so rare for him to be hanging upside down, enjoying a treat. (Hard to say who is really getting the treat, him or me.)

I'd rather watch them play than watch TV. I'd rather play with them than my favorite video game. I'd rather spend money on them than get myself anything new. I guess this is what parenting must feel like. (I don't have any human kids of my own.)

I love the fact that they let us pet them so much more now. Catwoman will actually sit in your hand for a few while she nibbles on her treat. Month five is wonderful!

We had some friends over for dinner last night & we heard that the babies were out. Naturally, our friends wanted to see, too, so I took them to our bedroom where we keep them and as I offered a handful of sunflower seeds for Catwoman to take, she opted instead to climb up my arm!!!

This happened twice last night so I know it's not a fluke; that she actually trusts and likes me enough to climb on me. :)

I am SO HAPPY!

Last night, JUST when I thought I could not stay up a moment longer, I heard movement in the cage & turned on the lights to discover...

...That Batman was in the wheel with Catwoman! I WISH I had photo evidence of this but it was way too dark & we left the stupid, stinking camera in the living room! [:(!] Grr! But oh well...I figure we have the rest of our lives together to take pictures. This is progress I don't want to fool with.

Catwoman is like an Olympic Athlete. I tell you this so you realize just how much she cares for Batman. Batman--God love him--is probably qualified for the Special Olympics. He's slow, he's lumbering, I think he's even afraid of heights. So, while he's in the wheel with her, there is none of her usual mad dash of a run so she can see how many times she can go end-over-end, upside down. Nope. She gently walks with him so he can enjoy the feel of just being in it. She'll swing him a little, but carefully, like she doesn't want to startle him. Then she hops out of it (and she's obsessed with this toy, mind you) to go play with other things, like the Ball Pit, or to smack a few bells around (which she hasn't done since we installed the Fast Track Wheel). And he's belly-low to the wheel but he's walking in it. And she'll give him some time alone in it, and then hop back in to again, slowly walk him. Then again, she'll leave him alone in it.

When he finally had enough, and he goes back into his pouch, it is then & only then that she does her usual routine of showing that wheel who's boss!

I am touched that she is rehabilitating him, helping him grow more playful, less fearless. She also brings him food in the pouch on occasion. She is so very nurturing!

Both of my gliders have come such a long way. I am so very proud of both of them!

[cheer]

We're making some slow progress.

Tent time last night was amazing. Batman again sat on my arm, shoulder or back and just hung out there. We were able to give him some mealies & he seemed calmer, less stressed out than before.

Catwoman was less spastic in the tent, too, and actually started hunting & catching crickets. She's every inch the huntress I thought she'd be, what with her personality & all.

Both of them let me pet them, which, for Catwoman, was amazing. She's skittish and a little biter but I had my gloves on just in case. Worse she did with me, was take an exploratory nip but I wouldn't call that a bite, no. And they both crawled all over me. It was such a wonderful experience! Makes me smile even now just thinking about it.

Can't wait for tent time again tonight. I am looking forward to seeing how they do this time. Perhaps we'll get a chance to stay up longer. Perhaps this time, we'll bring their dinner in the tent with us so they get a proper meal, instead of spoiling their dinner with crickets & meal worms. [LOL]

But Batman & Catwoman still worry me. I don't see them playing together like they used to do. Their relationship hasn't been the same since she went into estrus. We checked her for mating wounds & didn't find any. Batman wasn't too piggish in his treatment of her, I don't think. That is to say, I caught her "running" from him, look at him over her shoulder & wait for him to catch up.

When he went back to his old reclusive ways of just staying in his pouch except to get food, I first thought that he was merely tired from all the mating. But it's been over a week now and he's still in his pouch, acting like a little hermit.

More tent time may cure him of that. Perhaps once he gets used to being "out" and that nothing bad is going to happen to him once he's out & about, that he'll come out more often.

Well, tomorrow, they go to the vet again for another fecal float/smear test & to get their nails trimmed. Might has well have the vet look them over to make sure they're not losing weight or anything. Just an overall comparison between their last visit and this one would be great. It'll be good to have a professional opinion as to how they're doing.

I hate worrying over them. Wish they'd play together like other ppl's gliders. Wish Batman would eat more and Catwoman eat less. Wish Batman would be more lively, and Catwoman would calm down.

I'm not so worried about their being bonded to us as I am about their overall happiness & well-being.

Well, at least they snuggle when they sleep together. And she did crawl on me to check up on him. Which I find sweet that she cares to make sure he's OK.

Alright, time to get ready for work and...oh yeah, Halloween.

Batman let us pet him inside his pouch! OMG, he is SO SOFT! And I may be imagining things, but I believe his bald spot is starting to grow back some. He looks at me & it seems he's finally understanding that we love him, & that all this is for him.

I feel so bad for him. We discovered last night that he cannot close his bad eye. The vet said that it was scarred from an old ulcer that was never addressed by his previous owners & quite possibly, his vision is impaired. As he cannot close that lid, I would have to say, yes, he is probably blind on that side and there's really nothing the vet can do at this point about it, except, perhaps remove it. :(

The good news is, he's with us now. So all future ailments or weirdness at all, he is getting rushed to the vet ASAP.

Catwoman, on the other hand, is still crabbing us as if crabbing is about to be made into an Olympic Sport & she's determined to win the gold medal. She is sweetest first thing in the morning where she'll shyly, tenderly, and/or cautiously take food from your fingertips. But at any other point of the day, she darts back & forth in her cage trying to get far away from you as possible. (We don't push the issue of holding her. We were just changing out her food plate or putting up her monkeys again.)

She sure eats a lot but I can't really compare what she eats to what Batman eats because I think we've already established the fact that Batman has shown signs of depression (which is slowly lifting, thank God). Luckily, I am a light sleeper, so when she barks, I go & check in on her & when her plate is mostly empty, I go & give her more food. Yes, I've become a glorified waiter. :)

Still, I love my kids & I'd do anything for them. Been working double shifts trying to pay for all the recent expenses put on the Almighty Credit Card. And while I'm exhausted, I still spend a little time with them every night because I want them to know how much I care.

Tired but happy seems to be the norm for me now. Welcome to parenthood, eh?

Okay, okay, so she's not actually a baby at a year old but you know she'll always be mama's baby no matter what. Of course, right now, she doesn't consider me to be her mama but she'll know sooner or later that I care about her.

She woke me up with her barking last night. Several times, actually, so I ended up sleeping on the sofa so I could cater to her every whim. Same as for Batman, though he didn't bark when we first got him & oddly enough, didn't bark last night in response. I sometimes wonder if he even knows she's here.

She ate like a pig last night & still wanted more. Wow. But that's why I wanted to be close to her, so I could tell what's going on. And she even took some dried mango from my hands. That only happened once, though. I couldn't get her to take the dried papaya from me this morning at 7:45am but I guess she wasn't as hungry then. And forget about meal worms. She ate them when I served them with her dinner as a "welcome to your new home" treat but she's even more cautious of me that Batman.

Which is an odd statement seeing how Batman hardly ever leaves his pouch but is quick to grab food from my fingers and gobble it up. But Catwoman...? Well, she's not even been with us for a full 24 hours yet, so I can't complain.

She's every inch a spit fire I anticipated getting. She LOVES to be out & about in her cage. And I'm happy to hear she's not trying to get OUT of her cage, either. For that fear, I've had to put her in the guest bathroom for her own safety. It's the most glider-proofed room right now. We've got 80% of the kitchen/laundry/water heater corner taken care of but those are odds I don't like. And it's too open. If she gets out, she can be literally anywhere: behind the television, sofa, bookcases...You get the idea. So, for now, bathroom it is.

We're not using it as a bathroom anymore, just so you know. After watching an episode of Mythbusters on just how filthy a bathroom can be if in use, we're just not willing to do that to our baby.

I can't wait for the 30 day Quarantine to be over with, the all-clear given & I can start to move her into the bedroom with us. This is killing me & I feel like I'm telling her she's second best but it's not true. It's just for their own safety that I do this. I don't want to risk them getting sick from each other, nor do I want Batman to get angry with her for invading his space. :/

All in due time...all in due time....I gotta remember to be patient.

   

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RChurch
Gender: Female
Occupation:Licensed Massage Therapist
Member since: Sep 21, 2011
Posts: 1377 View my pictures!
My Hobbies
I enjoy making toys for gliders. Lots and lots of toys. I also write poetry, cook, watch movies and read books. But of course, if I have any time at all, it's given to my precious suggies. :) Favorite Quote
"But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it the most?" ~Mark Twain

   

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