To cage or not to cage--

[Chickenlegs]

Surya and Sonny are my house squirrels--Surya cause her teeth are so incredibly messed up, and Sunny cause she grew up with Surya. She may yet go out. They free range in my room--usta be my office. Now it's their office. Needless to say, MY stuff is slowly making it's way to other parts of the house and that's fine. Now here's the rub. We leave for India the day after Christmas. Will be gone two weeks. We have a very wonderful sitter for all the critters and Surya and Sunny are familiar with him and he with them. I have no problem scrubbing my room on a daily basis--just one of the things I do. I doubt he'll be as diligent. I have a big Critter Nation cage and am thinking I could bring it in and let the girls hang out there--just to keep the mess to a minimum--with out time every day of course. Do you guys think that will make them crazy? They're used to the run of the room and I'm worried that a cage will be such a big change that they may react badly. Wacha think? If the consensus is they'll do fine, I'll bring it in this week, move their typewritter onto the shelf (they sleep behind an ancient Underwood that sits on a shelf--have made a nest back there) and start letting them play and sleep in it.

[chickenmom]

OMG...India? I am SO jealous!!! Sorry to hijack, but what area are you going to? I have several friends that live there and I am hopefully planning on going this coming year. I am tossed up between India and Vietnam tho...LOL.

As far as caging, I fear that they might wild up a bit on the sitter unless they are fully acclimated to being caged. We started caging Spock just over a month ago and he is still really mad at me. I let him out on weekends and when I get home from work, but he still does not understand. Getting him IN the cage is a huge ordeal as well...and I wind up bleeding most times.

I would definately roll the cage in there and try to get them used to it ASAP. See what happens. Play it by ear. They might be OK with it..who knows. These buggers have such strong little personalities tho...and I've found that I can't argue with Spock, or I get "Spockatude" big time!

[Chickenlegs]

Oh they know whose boss fer sure and it ain't me. I should have kept them caged but since Surya is non releasable I thought she'd be a great little room mate. Bad move on my part. We're going to Bangalore for a conference on consciousness and the second day is consciousness in animals. Finally a conference I'm interested in. Don't know why anyone would think animals AREN'T conscious. Wonder if the presenters will make the topic as long winded and boring as the human consciousness presenters do. Hubby is a philosopher and his field is consciousness and enlightenment traditions.

[Jackie in Tampa]

jmo

all sqs should have a cage..especially NRs..
even if they have an open door 24/7
there will always be a time that they will need to be contained,
always..
it is stressful and unfair to them {in their mind} to suddenly be locked in something they have no clue about...
where as, it's so easy to allow them that safe luxury early on...

all sqs should be exposed and have a cage to call their own..
I will stand on this. I have had to deal with sqs that were never caged,
it can become a situation, trust me!:crazy
Have fun in India!:wahoo

[Chickenlegs]

And Jackie hits the nail on the head again! I brought in the big Critter Nation cage this morning. Got it cleaned and the furniture washed and some redecorating done. Girls like running around in it but then the doors are off. Boys got out this morning. They have a double cage and apparently I bumped it moving the big cage in and the door was opened. They like the big cage too. Girls did NOT like the boys. I'm moving the girl's typewriter tomorrow onto the high shelf (they sleep behind an ancient Underwood typewriter that sits on a bookcase. They've dragged fleece behind there and it's home). I hope to put the doors on this weekend and let them spend some closed door time every day till we leave. Our critter sitter has no problem with them loose in the room--it's a cleaning issue and it's easier to clean things if the mess is contained. We'll be at a conference most of the time but Bangalore is a nice city and we have a friend there. It'll be fine--cept nobody takes care of my critters like I do and my worry wart will be HUGE from the time we drive off to the airport.