I'm about a month behind on these updates, so I have some catching up to do. First of all: Weight. He's up to 880 grams. I attribute that to the fact he's been getting spoiled rotten since.
It's medically approved spoiling, though. I wrote a note to Dr. K, informing her of our decision to let nature take its course, and she replied It is my medical opinion that the more he is spoiled the better.:). I can't argue with her.
So he gets yogies, Toasties, Raviolos, Cheez Wedges, and other junk food for animals. Not every day--it's probably every day for one of the last three, and a couple of yogies a day. In fact, he's come to expect yogies after his nebulizer treatments.
The very first time I tried to nebulize him, I tried stuffing him into a 2-liter bottle that had the bottom cut off. It didn't work as well as I had hoped (and it was the reason I put on my thinking cap and got the chinchilla bath house, but I've written about that before) and in order to placate him, I tried to give him yogurt drops a very dear friend sent us--we call them Wiley Treats, after her favorite pet rat.
Witter wouldn't take one. I shoved it in his mouth, and it just stayed there, Witter not chewing. Great I thought. I've got a catatonic rat. It wasn't until he was safely in his cage that he finally started eating the Wiley Treat.
After I started using the chinchilla house Witter calmed down, and, I feel, he started to actually enjoy the nebulizer treatments. A few days ago, Abita had to nebulize him as I was working late. She nebulized him, then put him back in the cage and tried to close the door.
He wouldn't get out of the cage doorway. She picked him up and put him in the bottom of the cage, but he ran up the ramp and blocked the cage door before she could close it. So Abita just started gently pushing the door shut, but Witter wouldn't budge, and started shoving back.
It was then she remembered he should get a Wiley Treat after treatment. They're downstairs, so she grabbed some vitamin-C enriched yogurt treats (originally purchased for the guinea pigs, but they don't like 'em) and gave him those instead. Placated, Witter ran down the ramp to his eating spot and enjoyed his post-treatment yogies.
We've yet to figure out who has conditioned who.
Posted by Publius at March 11, 2004 06:09 AM