Lola and Babies

Lola……she is trying really hard to be a good mom, but sometimes I think she just gets confused.   <<shaking head>>     She didn’t want to have her babies in the nest box……I was sort of ok with that.   I think the babies have stayed warm enough.   When I would check on them, she would keep her eye on me and watch to make sure I put them back the way she wanted them.   All of a sudden the last couple of days she has been working feverishly to take all of the bedding from her cage and pile it up on top of the babies.  I am not sure if that was to keep me out (it didn’t) or if she was worried they were cold.     I now have a different theory which I will divulge in a bit.    The only problem with her piling the bedding on top of them is that it was all USED bedding so these poor little babies had all kinds of poop piled on their head.    So after doing some research I discovered that at this age they should probably have their “nest box” changed anyway so I cleaned out the whole cage, well, of course I took the babies out before I scooped it all up…sheesh.     Put a bunch of non-dusty bedding in there as well as a ton of hay so they can munch their way out.    Well, I evidently didn’t make their nest very well because they soon found their way out of their nest and were exploring the big wide world of mom’s cage.   The look of horror on Lola’s face was priceless.   She wasn’t quite sure what these little creatures were doing out in her world and they were looking for some lunch and some comfort and she would have none of it and spent most of her time on her shelf.   I now think the reason she was piling poop-laden bedding on top of her babies was so they would never escape and find her.    I tried to put them back and pile the hay up around them but they had tasted that freedom and were now anxious to get out and explore that world.  Maybe next time I tell you to use your nest box, Lola…..you will listen……    I am hoping that now they are out and about more that they will get a little stronger.   They don’t seem quite as big and healthy as Lilly’s babies were at this age and one of them likes to drag his hind leg around.  I am hoping he is just lazy and unsure of himself rather than having something wrong with it.     Regardless of being kind of puny and a sort of disability, they are getting cuter every day.   Can’t wait until they are hopping around like crazy.