Chai Rehomed
Chai came to us from a tiny gerbilarium with no hiding space or enrichment. He is young and healthy but needs work to build his confidence with handling as he is startled very easily.
Chai was successfully rehomed in March 22 to a loving new home, where he has plenty of time, attention and space.
Further Details
Since arriving here Chai has demonstrated a keen sense of adventure and loves climbing! He is still easily startled and needs patience before picking up but he's showing zero signs of aggression and is fine once out. He has a lot of energy and curiosity. Also nicknamed 'Hot Chocolate' by our son, Chai loves chewing cardboard and enjoys his wheel.
Summary
- Syrian Hamster
- 1, Male
- Young Adult
- Shy but gaining confidence
Mouse Group Rehomed and Sanctuary
This large group of mice was mixed and had been allowed to breed continually. Breeding back to back can be very intense and dangerous for the mums and this group had been overcrowded and fed a very restricted diet with no enrichment. We split this group by sex upon arrival and assessed behaviour, health and checked for pregnancies.
38 girls were homed to a mixture of lovely homes, some giving companionship to lonely does and others moving in groups.
4 girls stayed in sanctuary here due to health reasons. The majority of the boys were transferred to Blue Cross at Burford where they have more funds available for neutering to give them the best chance at companionship in the future.
Further Details
This large group was a mixture of ages and colours, from newborn to mature adults, kept in poor conditions with no enrichment and left to breed continually. We split this group by sex upon arrival and after pregnancy, behaviour and health checks, rehomed the girls. The boys took longer, with some moving to other rescues to be neutered and homed with girls.
Some of these mice did not tame down fully from their difficult start in life, though many of the mums and the younger litters did improve on confidence with patience. Some initial skin issues cleared up with medication and they gained weight nicely here.
Summary
- Fancy Mice
- 42 Female
- 13 male
- Various
- Mixed
Large Dormouse Group Sanctuary
This large group of over 70 African Pygmy Dormice had been left to breed continually and came to us when their owners needed specialist help. African Pygmy Dormice are rarely handleable pets and require a complicated diet, enrichment and large arboreal setups. Many of this group has shortened or missing tails and wounds to their back due to fighting from the overcrowded situations.
They required splitting by sex, a difficult task given the mixture of ages, and splitting into smaller groups and moving into suitable enclosures.
We split this group into multiple, smaller colonies of same-sex. They stayed as sanctuary animals due to their ongoing health needs and lived the remainder of their lives here.
Further Details
This group of dormice had been fighting due to overcrowding, poor sex balance and back-to-back breeding. They required splitting by sex, medication for wounds and moving into smaller multiple enclosures. Unfortunately, due to distressing ongoing health needs these dormice did not reach the stability or suitable health or behaviour to move on to suitable homes.
Summary
- African Pygmy Dormice
- 70+ Mixed
- Shy, poor health
Monty and Brad Rehomed
Monty and Brad came into our rescue when their owners circumstances changed. They are young and active boys and were lucky enough to be matched with a suitable family very swiftly. Many gerbils come to Crittery in their later years, as families struggle to cope with the larger cages needed. For those with the time, gerbils make long-lived and fantastic companion pets.
Monty and Brad were reserved very quickly by an experienced home and left as soon as they passed quarantine and our health and behaviour checks.
Further Details
Monty and Brad are young adult gerbils in excellent health, they are full of energy and curiosity and will require a large glass tank for burrowing and plenty of enrichment. Ideally, a home-made topper can be good to give room for dust bath, hammocks and a solid-based wheel.
Summary
- Mongolian Gerbils
- 2 Male
- Adult
- Friendly