Hello all,
First I want to say thanks to all of the senior members / vets that put info here – we would have never made it this far without you!
A little background: I have a female eastern gray non-release named Lucy. She is a month shy of being two years old. Her cage is 7x4x3 and it is in our indoor sunroom (which is now her room). Her nest is an upside down “bomber” hat with several microfiber towels for bedding. She has a deer antler, a cuttlebone and a limestone rock for her teeth but rarely if ever touches them. All platforms and perches are leftover red oak hardwood flooring. She has a glass/metal water bottle. We trim her nails and give a quick lukewarm rinse in the utility sink at the same time. An extreme sport but our routine since she was 3 months old. None of this has changed in the time we’ve had her.
Her diet: morning 2 Henry’s wild blocks, afternoon a teklad 2018 block, evening quarter size broccoli and cauliflower with 2 medium blueberries 2 raspberries or the small half of a strawberry and a small piece of carrot. I have been giving her Nestle bottled water. This has been her diet pretty much since she weaned and we dialed in what would work for her.
Considerations: About two weeks ago I thought her hat was ripped in half and needed to be replaced. I got it out and turns out it wasn’t bad, so I put it back. I didn’t realize how upset this would make her. I’ve since noticed her rearranging it more than usual, and she seems overly protective of it. She is not stashing anything I check often. Her water consumption has dropped to about half a bottle a week instead of the whole bottle a week. The amount of urine is proportionally lower when I clean cage. I have seen this pattern before and I’d say it’s been 6 weeks since the change. I’ve considered UTI but everything looks normal (best I can tell). I have ordered soil based probiotics and bilberry drops this morning (found recommended in a thread here) in case it is UTI.
My concerns: Lately she has been “cranky and combative” when I go to feed her in the morning and again when I come home in the afternoon. Usually she is out and happy to see me at these times, but now makes her “angry chirps and growls” and stays in her hat. Once I coax her out she’s a bit agitated but eventually settles down. Yesterday afternoon she broke my skin with an angry bite when I was reaching in for her. I was wearing a black rain coat that I normally don’t wear. Lately every night when I go for our hang out and veggies time she is a bit reluctant to come out of the nest, but eventually she does. She is her usual sweet self, hanging out in my arms for as long as I can stand there. I’ve also noticed she has tiny areas on her face where she has scratched excessively. I’m concerned with her behavior change that something may be happening? Is she still angry about messing up her nest? Is it UTI? In heat? (I feel like we’ve made it way past this before at 2yrs old). Is it the time of year? I understand all creatures’ moods that come and go, but I’m concerned with the changes.
Please let me know what you think about the changes, let me know if I’m doing anything wrong, let me know what to change. I can’t believe how attached I am and will do just about anything I can for her. Thanks in advance!