Post by winic1 on Apr 1, 2016 15:32:23 GMT
Chester's right side is getting weaker, and if he tries to move to quickly, he falls over. If he startles and tries to run, he flat out falls completely over, and struggles to get righted and then move. He's got quite the lean to the right, and is much less steady on his feet, he'll walk around the edge of the cage with his right side leaning on it as he's so unsteady at times. My poor boy is on his way out.
He's still readily and happily eating, comes up to the front of the cage to get rose petals from me, comes right out of his hut when he smells the dried veggies jar open, tho I now put them in a food bowl and right in front of him, rather than scatter the for foraging, to make it easier for him. Can't find the spare water bottles right now, so I gave him a tiny but sturdy water bowl on his upper levels, one he can't fall into but also won't tip easily, his regular bottle is on the bottom level but I don't want to confuse him by moving it.
Being rather free with the petals and dried veggies and oats and seeds and all, don't think I have to worry about ruining his health anymore. He is enjoying that, most definitely. But this morning I watched him having difficulty eating a rose petal because he needed one of his front legs to help hold him steady, so he couldn't grip it to eat it.
Instead of sitting back on his shelf watching the antics of the three younger boys through the cage divider, more often I see him sitting right up against it and talking to them. If only they weren't so overexcited by him, so we could let them be together, but I think even if they didn't get dominant or aggressive, they'd hurt him by accident in his wobbly, weakened, state.
He's had a good, long life, 6-1/2 years with us, and I'm sure he's been happy.
But it's hard seeing him fade and knowing that we won't have him with us much longer.
He's still readily and happily eating, comes up to the front of the cage to get rose petals from me, comes right out of his hut when he smells the dried veggies jar open, tho I now put them in a food bowl and right in front of him, rather than scatter the for foraging, to make it easier for him. Can't find the spare water bottles right now, so I gave him a tiny but sturdy water bowl on his upper levels, one he can't fall into but also won't tip easily, his regular bottle is on the bottom level but I don't want to confuse him by moving it.
Being rather free with the petals and dried veggies and oats and seeds and all, don't think I have to worry about ruining his health anymore. He is enjoying that, most definitely. But this morning I watched him having difficulty eating a rose petal because he needed one of his front legs to help hold him steady, so he couldn't grip it to eat it.
Instead of sitting back on his shelf watching the antics of the three younger boys through the cage divider, more often I see him sitting right up against it and talking to them. If only they weren't so overexcited by him, so we could let them be together, but I think even if they didn't get dominant or aggressive, they'd hurt him by accident in his wobbly, weakened, state.
He's had a good, long life, 6-1/2 years with us, and I'm sure he's been happy.
But it's hard seeing him fade and knowing that we won't have him with us much longer.
