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[left027]

So, I've had my little boy, Piper, for a week tomorrow!  I was in close contact with his breeder pretty much from the day he was born so I was able to visit him frequently so he'd get to know me.  He's my first chin so I have a few random questions.  Hope that's okay!

First, I think the nozzles on his water bottles are clogged-ish.  They work for awhile, but every now and then I feel the tip and it's completely dry and when I press on the ball or roll it nothing comes out.  I end up taking the bottle out of the cage, turn it upside down, and then put it back in the cage.  Fixes the problem every time, but as soon as I do it Piper drinks like a maniac so I'm worried he's not drinking enough.  Although, he loves it when I put stuff in his cage so maybe he's just excited for the "new" item.  I even bought a new bottle to see if it's nozzle worked better.  It's not much of an improvement.  So I was curious if anyone had a fix for inefficient nozzles and about how much an almost 9-week-old boy should drink?

Second, I've been clearing out the floor in my small walk-in-closet and then taking Piper in with a few toys (cardboard tube, random chew sticks and things, and a ware flying saucer) for play time each night for about half an hour to an hour.  I think he's enjoying it, but I'm not entirely sure if his behavior is out of fear or fun.  He runs around my floor and runs super fast through his tube and jumps sometimes as he's running.  Sometimes he even runs up to my wall and jumps/bounces off of it.  I have the tube in there as a sort of hiding spot if he is scared, but he doesn't stay in it long.  Like I said, he runs through it super fast.  Now he even runs over to me and climbs all over me and acts like I'm a jungle gym.  I think he's enjoying it, but I figured I should ask.

Third, when I play with by just opening the door to his cage he loves to run from one end of the cage onto my hands at the door and then hop back in the cage.  I think he thinks it's game.  I hope so at least lol.  My question is, when I hold my hands at the door opening, sometimes he sniffs my hands then does a sort of nipping at my fingers.  It's not a hard bite by any means, but it definitely a nibble.  Is he testing to see if I'm a chew toy or food?  How do I get him to stop?  Is it just his way of testing dominance or something and will go away with time?

Oh yeah, one final thing, when I first got him he slept in his cardboard tube every time he fell asleep.  Now he loves to sleep behind the tube and under a shelf, but it is definitely in the open.  To better describe the location, it's in a corner of the cage, under a shelf, and behind the tube.  So, it's kind of isolated, but there's wire on two sides so he's open to the world.  Should I take it as a good sign that he's sleeping in a more open location?

Thanks a lot.  I appreciate any feedback!

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Does sound like a problem with the water bottle if he going to it as soon as you fix it. But I have never had that problem.
Usually if touch the ball bearing and it gets wet it should be fine. Not to worry over it being dry at first touch, most drink very little.

Sounds like he having a great time out in the closet playing. All his antics seem normal to me.

If he is nibbling too hard just pull away with an ouch, and put your hand back again. Keep doing it until he learns what is too hard. He's just a baby and we do have to teach them somethings.
They do groom us as they would each other, and if they groom another chin too hard they will bark an ouch as well.
Make sure your hands are free of odours, they can get fingers mixed up with treats, if they smell the same.

If he's comfy he will sleep just about anywhere. If he finds it warm up top, or in a tube, he will sleep in the open. If the pan at the bottom of the cage is cool, he might just like it down there better.

Some fun eh! I think he's doing great for a new baby.

[Jo Ann]

   Debbie kinda said it all ... sounds like he is happy and adjusting very well.

Note: If the ball bearing was wet when first touched ... there would be a leakage/dripping and there would be a puddle or moist bedding just below it.  It should be dry to the first touch each time he tries to get water, but he will push the ball bearing in with his nose or paw or tongue, allowing the water to cover the ball bearing so that he can lick it off.  Each lick will give a tad more water available to him. 

IF you are filling it with very cold water, as the water warms to room temperature, it is causing a vacuum that is a little to hard for the little kit to make the ball bearing move and is keeping him from the water.  Try just using cool or room temperature water ... then go back about an hour later and just touch the end of the tube ... or tap on the bottle a few times until you see a drop of water fall out of the tube.

Never think a question is to trivial or silly ... it is often minor mistakes that can cause major problems.   

   Jo Ann