Unepuce
Well-Known Member
I have posted a few weeks ago about my bumblefooted failed foster Puce. From the day I adopted her, I started intros, which didn't nearly went as easy as I expected it to - actually, this is my worst intro since Pollux and MacGyver. :gaah:
It actually started when Puce first moved in as a foster - all of my girls would smell her on me and get puffy - I had never seen that before! I figured it was because of her bumblefoot, but really?
The night after I officially adopted her, I started tabletop intros. There was a lot of puffiness going around from ALL of the girls but Puce, who never lift a single hair. I could tell right away that against all odds, my issues would not be Carmela as expected, but Emilie and my sweet happy Andrea. And boy was I right! I kept with the tabletop intro for 3 or 4 days, adding a litterbox and a few hideouts with time, than I moved the intro to common playarea after I washed everything - puffiness came back, but I expected it and it wasn't too bad, so I kept with common playtime for a week. Andrea seemed to be cutting Puce some loose, but Emilie kept going after her, all puffed up and pushy, and it calmed down a bit, but not completely. I decided to try the move-in and cleaned the cage completely, put a lot of distraction in (cheerios garlands, foam toys, etc) to make the cage more appealing than Puce, and there were a few scuffles between Puce and my duo, but nothing bad enough for me to separate them.
The next day, all had been quiet in the cage. It had been snowing and I made the bad decision to go and help BF shovel at 5 pm. I came back upstairs to a cage full of blood and a weak, bleeding Puce - either someone attacked her bumblefoot, or she caught it in the bars as she was trying to defend herself, but the bumble was damaged and bleeding. I rearranged the DCN and did what I really didn't want to do - I split my group in 2 - Puce moved in with caretaker Esprit and old sick Jay, and my youngest 3 moved together.
Left it at that for 2 weeks - 2 trios, having common playtime at night. Now Andrea was really good to Puce, but Emilie hadn't changed her ways at all. Last Thursday night, we started seeing light at the end of the tunnel, so I decided to try to move in again on Saturday, so after cage cleaning yesterday I left the cage open to everyone. Andrea did her thing twice and then was OK, Emilie kept doing it but I refreined from stepping in and I actually caught her sharing a Circus with Puce, who was pretty relaxed, so I was happy and thought it was finally over. Then, at 2-3 am this morning, HUGE fight and I had to remove Emilie. I plucked Puce on my shoulder while I was blocking off the DCN and isolating Emilie in the lower part, and realized Puce was shaking her head constantly - Emilie had gotten in the ear and she was bleeding like crazy (and still is while I right this, almost 12 hours later...). Back to square 2, with my 2 trios being separated.
I need help with dealing with Emilie... I have no clue what to do. I thought of doing a scary intro between the two of them, but poor Puce doesn't deserve this stres... help....
It actually started when Puce first moved in as a foster - all of my girls would smell her on me and get puffy - I had never seen that before! I figured it was because of her bumblefoot, but really?
The night after I officially adopted her, I started tabletop intros. There was a lot of puffiness going around from ALL of the girls but Puce, who never lift a single hair. I could tell right away that against all odds, my issues would not be Carmela as expected, but Emilie and my sweet happy Andrea. And boy was I right! I kept with the tabletop intro for 3 or 4 days, adding a litterbox and a few hideouts with time, than I moved the intro to common playarea after I washed everything - puffiness came back, but I expected it and it wasn't too bad, so I kept with common playtime for a week. Andrea seemed to be cutting Puce some loose, but Emilie kept going after her, all puffed up and pushy, and it calmed down a bit, but not completely. I decided to try the move-in and cleaned the cage completely, put a lot of distraction in (cheerios garlands, foam toys, etc) to make the cage more appealing than Puce, and there were a few scuffles between Puce and my duo, but nothing bad enough for me to separate them.
The next day, all had been quiet in the cage. It had been snowing and I made the bad decision to go and help BF shovel at 5 pm. I came back upstairs to a cage full of blood and a weak, bleeding Puce - either someone attacked her bumblefoot, or she caught it in the bars as she was trying to defend herself, but the bumble was damaged and bleeding. I rearranged the DCN and did what I really didn't want to do - I split my group in 2 - Puce moved in with caretaker Esprit and old sick Jay, and my youngest 3 moved together.
Left it at that for 2 weeks - 2 trios, having common playtime at night. Now Andrea was really good to Puce, but Emilie hadn't changed her ways at all. Last Thursday night, we started seeing light at the end of the tunnel, so I decided to try to move in again on Saturday, so after cage cleaning yesterday I left the cage open to everyone. Andrea did her thing twice and then was OK, Emilie kept doing it but I refreined from stepping in and I actually caught her sharing a Circus with Puce, who was pretty relaxed, so I was happy and thought it was finally over. Then, at 2-3 am this morning, HUGE fight and I had to remove Emilie. I plucked Puce on my shoulder while I was blocking off the DCN and isolating Emilie in the lower part, and realized Puce was shaking her head constantly - Emilie had gotten in the ear and she was bleeding like crazy (and still is while I right this, almost 12 hours later...). Back to square 2, with my 2 trios being separated.
I need help with dealing with Emilie... I have no clue what to do. I thought of doing a scary intro between the two of them, but poor Puce doesn't deserve this stres... help....
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