Stripe and Chesney

I had to leave my boys 11 hours yesterday for a long shift. But they had plenty of hay.

Chez was just zooming again. He rubbed his chin on Stripe's butt. My vet said he could be showing affection when he does that, but to be honest, Stripe doesn't like the affection and nips towards Chez.

I'm about to head to the pet store to get more hay. I'll stop and get them some endive as well.
 
Here the boys are sharing a meal.

Chez moved the fleece and started going under it and I worried if he did that he wouldn't figure out how to get out and suffocate. I said "no, Chez, we're not going to do that" and lifted the cage lid and he stopped but I see as I type he's doing it again.

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Ramia said:
Here the boys are sharing a meal.

Chez moved the fleece and started going under it and I worried if he did that he wouldn't figure out how to get out and suffocate. I said "no, Chez, we're not going to do that" and lifted the cage lid and he stopped but I see as I type he's doing it again.

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What a rascal
 
Both boys are running around popcorning, which Stripe doesn't usually do, and he's so big it looks funny! It did result in some humping, but only briefly. I think they are happy with their clean fleece.

I have off today, so lots of time with them!
 
Chez has taught Stripe to bite the bars for a treat. He never did that before. What a copy cat.

Trying to introduce soft orchard hay and they are finally munching it a little bit. Chez would always dig and dig for the right piece of Timothy while Stripe munched away on any and all. So hopefully Chez likes this new hay! I mixed it with their old.

They're munching!
 
Just put some washable pee pads in the corners of the cage because Stripe sleeps there and there was some powdery residue from their poop. I didn't want Stripe to get bumblefoot.

Boy were they checking those out! Smelling, biting. Chez is my happy go lucky guy so he popcorned, but Stripe was more cautious. He finally pooped on it and laid down.

I just changed the fleece yesterday so thought the pads would save me some time.

On another note, they each had some red pepper and they looked like they were wearing lipstick!
 
There's been a little tension in the cage this morning. Not sure if submissive Chesney was trying to hump Stripe or just crawl over him to get away from the dust pan.

Then later chesney nibbled Stripe's ear. Isn't that a dominance behavior? Or is it just grooming.

Well they just had a mutual zooming session and it didn't result in any rumbling.
 
After Chesney's naughty escape during cage cleaning today, the boys have had some green leaf lettuce. Chez has a thoroughly green mouth but he thinks he looks dignified that way. Stripe is much more refined.

Chez continues to be naughty, though, by burrowing under the fleece and walking around the cage on the coroplast, my biggest pet peeve.

I find myself saying, "Chez, give him some space!" When Stripe rumbles but he doesn't listen.

He's so naughty today!
 
Chez is being so dumb this morning, he just won't leave Stripe alone! Although Stripe rumbles, chez follows him around the cage, poking Stripe in the butt with his nose or rubbing Stripe's back with his chin. It makes me so nervous! He's so annoying to Stripe. He also tried to do some ear nibbling, but Stripe doesn't like it!
 
Ramia said:
Chez is being so dumb this morning, he just won't leave Stripe alone! Although Stripe rumbles, chez follows him around the cage, poking Stripe in the butt with his nose or rubbing Stripe's back with his chin. It makes me so nervous! He's so annoying to Stripe. He also tried to do some ear nibbling, but Stripe doesn't like it!
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I’m sure Stripe will tell him off ! Aren’t they funny with their little ways …. It’s great entertainment ……
Look out for the continuing adventures of Cam and Bann 😂 on this site it’s called
The Goblin Diaries ( previously known as quitting smoking)
it’s hilarious 🥰 those boys get up to mischief all the time ❤️❤️ their poor slave Lorcan
 
The boys are pretty calm today. But Chez can't decide if he wants to zoom, nap, or eat hay. Stripe has to keep up his cool image so he lounges while eating. Chez burrows in the fleece and takes a nap on the coroplast.

In a couple weeks I'm going to take the boys for their first nail trim. I have a favorite pet store worker where I'm taking them and he is going to check chez's teeth. He always takes ten minutes when I go there to talk about Stripe and Chesney and encourage me. He's getting a ten dollar tip!
 
Well, it's a cage cleaning day. Does anyone brace themselves for cage cleaning day like I do? It means I have to catch the boys. Also, I hope Chez doesn't escape! I'll put the lid on. I'll start in a half hour!

Stripe is rumbling and Chez is following him around popcorning and smelling his butt. Now he's zooming. Now he's going under the fleece.

I think I'll give him a hay cookie while I clean the cage so he doesn't try to escape.
 
Well, Chez didn't want to be caught today for cage cleaning. It used to be Stripe but now he goes right into the snuggle sack. Chez just didn't want to go in, and he squealed a little. I felt bad. But the lid on the container helped.

But now he's zooming and popcorning, so he must be fine.

They each had a cookie.
 
Chez's new thing is to nap under the fleece. He did that and then came out to zoom. It must've been contagious because then big ole Stripe started zooming and they were both just running around the cage! And not paying attention to the storm we're having.

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Is there one particular place he likes to do it? Maybe put a smaller one that he can play tents with!
 
So, Stripe is my dominant boy, but he actually copies Chez. Stripe never bit the bars for a treat until he saw Chez doing it and yesterday Stripe looked like he was going to go under the fleece like Chez but he was too careful. And then Chez was zooming and Stripe copied him and started zooming.

So really, who is the true leader?
 
Copying and learning new things is not really anything to do with dominance.
Bar biting is an attention seeking behaviour. If stripe has seen chez do it and get what he wants from you because of it then he will realise it’s an effective method for him to also get what he wants.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Copying and learning new things is not really anything to do with dominance.
Bar biting is an attention seeking behaviour. If stripe has seen chez do it and get what he wants from you because of it then he will realise it’s an effective method for him to also get what he wants.
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Absolutely, I was just kinda joking. Stripe is definitely dominant, and he lets it be known.
 
Stripe and Chesney are having a good day. Chez has decided he doesn't like green leaf lettuce anymore.

I ordered two fleece liners from Kavee just now. I opted for rainbow. I know shipping is slow from Belgium, so they will have to be content with their daisy fleeces for now!

I'm going to change their pee pads today, I've found they're the easiest way to transfer scent when I change the big fleece.

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Stripe was popcorning after cage cleaning, and usually he doesn't show much emotion. They've shared 3 romaine lettuce leaves so far. They're peacefully munching.

I called the water treatment plant in my city and they said, yes, there is calcium in the water. So the boys have their very own gallon of distilled water.

Chez zoomed around and bumped into Stripe, so Stripe went after him.

They were easy to catch today!
 
I don't think they should have distilled water, most of us use a water filter.
 
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