Gizmo was in an incredibly sweet, snuggly mood this morning, so I got a video of it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Valentines Day everyone!I've got a brand new digital camera/recorder, so to break it in, I took a video of a training session with Gizmo. He's still not quite used to the slippery floor, so the command "shake" was giving him a bit of trouble. Once he gets a little more sure of his footing it shouldn't be a problem:
Subjects:
Videos
Saturday, February 13, 2010
New Floor
Due to Earthquake Gizmo hitting the indoor play yard yesterday, we had to get rid of the vinyl flooring we were using for the bottom of his pen. Since he's learned that ripping up vinyl is fun, we decided that replacing it with more vinyl probably wouldn't work very well.
Instead, we bought several... gah, I don't know the name of them. They're hardboard panels with a white plastic-coating on one side to make them water-resistant. From what I understand, they used to be a pretty popular thing to use as walls in a bathroom, but they've fallen out of favor.
Anyway, my mom and my little brother were kind enough to help me install the new floor. (My mom was also kind enough to finance it, since money is kind of tight for me at the moment.) It's not a perfect fix. To start with, the new panels are white, so they'll easily show the dirt. Gizmo's already discovered that if he reaches out of his pen and sticks his paw in one of the potted plants nearby, he can leave footprints. Luckily it's slick and water-resistant, so I can clean up his little "art projects". There's also one or two seams in it, but we've protected the floor underneath them with more vinyl, and they're laying flush enough that hopefully the kid won't notice them and dig at them.
When we first let Gizmo back into his big indoor pen, he discovered that the new flooring was slippery. He then proceeded to spend the next few hours running and hitting the breaks to slide, and jumping off of his play cube and sliding. Lots of warbling and squealing and windmilling his tail. I sure hope he doesn't get the idea that if he ruins his floor, we'll buy him one that's more fun to play on.
In other news, Gizmo is liking his new diet food. Hopefully we'll have him back to being trim and in-shape in no time!
Instead, we bought several... gah, I don't know the name of them. They're hardboard panels with a white plastic-coating on one side to make them water-resistant. From what I understand, they used to be a pretty popular thing to use as walls in a bathroom, but they've fallen out of favor.
Anyway, my mom and my little brother were kind enough to help me install the new floor. (My mom was also kind enough to finance it, since money is kind of tight for me at the moment.) It's not a perfect fix. To start with, the new panels are white, so they'll easily show the dirt. Gizmo's already discovered that if he reaches out of his pen and sticks his paw in one of the potted plants nearby, he can leave footprints. Luckily it's slick and water-resistant, so I can clean up his little "art projects". There's also one or two seams in it, but we've protected the floor underneath them with more vinyl, and they're laying flush enough that hopefully the kid won't notice them and dig at them.
When we first let Gizmo back into his big indoor pen, he discovered that the new flooring was slippery. He then proceeded to spend the next few hours running and hitting the breaks to slide, and jumping off of his play cube and sliding. Lots of warbling and squealing and windmilling his tail. I sure hope he doesn't get the idea that if he ruins his floor, we'll buy him one that's more fun to play on.
In other news, Gizmo is liking his new diet food. Hopefully we'll have him back to being trim and in-shape in no time!
Displaying the proper technique for enjoying furniture.
Subjects:
Pet Fox Stories
Friday, February 12, 2010
Tearing Up The Floor
Today when I went to school, I left Gizmo in his indoor play-yard to entertain himself for a few hours. It's big, it's full of toys, it's got a nice big water-bowl, it has a playcube, and it has a tunnel.
Well, apparently all of that wasn't quite entertaining enough for him, since he felt the need to start pulling up the vinyl flooring under it, and shredding it. Luckily, the vinyl was just down on top of the regular wood floor to protect it, but still.
He was looking pretty proud of himself, too. "Hey mommy! Look at what I did!"
What I don't get is that the vinyl was laying smooth and flat, with the heavy weight of the play yard holding it down. How on earth did he even get a fanghold to start tearing it in the first place?
Well, apparently all of that wasn't quite entertaining enough for him, since he felt the need to start pulling up the vinyl flooring under it, and shredding it. Luckily, the vinyl was just down on top of the regular wood floor to protect it, but still.
He was looking pretty proud of himself, too. "Hey mommy! Look at what I did!"
What I don't get is that the vinyl was laying smooth and flat, with the heavy weight of the play yard holding it down. How on earth did he even get a fanghold to start tearing it in the first place?
Subjects:
Pet Fox Stories
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Rule-breaker
Good news! So far, Gizmo has left his new harness on. I was half-expecting him to have chewed it off by now, but he's left it in place. He also hasn't minded the recipe-change in his food. He's still getting the same amount, but due to the changes I've made it's lower-calorie.
Well, today while we were playing, I broke one of Gizmo's rules. The all-important rule that I'm only allowed to play with one arm at a time. I grabbed him with one arm, and used the other one to tickle his belly.
Well, Gizmo let out an offended squawk, and wriggled free. He then walked about three feet away, and sat down with his back to me. I called him back over, and he pointed his ears back at me, but wouldn't look. This went on for a few minutes, until I finally got up and walked around so he was facing me. He whined and turned his back again.
I left and then came back with a hardboiled egg, and then all was forgiven, but it was still pretty funny. I'm not used to getting the "silent treatment" from him. Next time I'll be a good girl and not break the rules of the game.
Sometimes you train the fox, sometimes the fox trains you.
On a more serious note, please help Gizmo and animals everywhere by signing this petition to remove the HSUS's tax-exempt status. Few people who trustingly donate to them realize that they are an anti-pet animal rights extremist group.
Well, today while we were playing, I broke one of Gizmo's rules. The all-important rule that I'm only allowed to play with one arm at a time. I grabbed him with one arm, and used the other one to tickle his belly.
Well, Gizmo let out an offended squawk, and wriggled free. He then walked about three feet away, and sat down with his back to me. I called him back over, and he pointed his ears back at me, but wouldn't look. This went on for a few minutes, until I finally got up and walked around so he was facing me. He whined and turned his back again.
I left and then came back with a hardboiled egg, and then all was forgiven, but it was still pretty funny. I'm not used to getting the "silent treatment" from him. Next time I'll be a good girl and not break the rules of the game.
Sometimes you train the fox, sometimes the fox trains you.
Gizmo, using the bath-avoiding techniques he learned from the cats.
On a more serious note, please help Gizmo and animals everywhere by signing this petition to remove the HSUS's tax-exempt status. Few people who trustingly donate to them realize that they are an anti-pet animal rights extremist group.
Click here to read the petition.
Confused? You can learn more about what the HSUS is up to in this profile report by the Center for Consumer Freedom.
Also, take the time to read this fine article by Alice Fix:
Also, take the time to read this fine article by Alice Fix:
Do You Know the Real PETA and Humane Society of the United States?
Here's a brief snippet from the overall article:
People donate millions to the HSUS each year, thinking that their money is going to save the lives of millions of animals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The HSUS does not own a single animal shelter anywhere in the country. Although many shelters have the words Humane Society in their names, they are not associated in any way with the HSUS. The HSUS does not sponsor any spay or neuter clinic anywhere in the country. They do donate a very small percent of the annual budget to a few local humane societies, around $2 million annually, which just happens to be less than the amount that they spend in travel each year. Their major money is sent on fund raising and legislative activity. In 2005 they spent $28 million for public mailings, $6 million in vegan education, $10 million in legislative campaigns and litigation. Their income for that year was close to $125 million.
Subjects:
News,
Pet Fox Stories
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Meet Harry Flashman and Elspeth, the Corsac Foxes
Just wanted to let everyone know that I've added a new link to my list, and it's a blog you really should check out if you enjoy reading about Gizmo. Meet Harry Flashman and Elspeth, the Corsac Foxes:
Click here to go to their blog!
Subjects:
Exotic Pets
Monday, February 8, 2010
One Fat Fox
Recently, partly because I'm not allowed to walk him anymore, Gizmo has packed on a few pounds. He's not obese or anything, but his old harness was getting more than a little tight on him. I tried loosening it up, but it was still a bit too tight for comfort. (Not choking him or anything, but too tight for me to slip two fingers under comfortably).
Well, the problem is, Gizmo has been wearing that harness for over a year. (Not straight, obviously. We take it off for baths and grooming). He considers it to be his personal property. In fact, it's a very important, vital piece of property--foxes that don't wear harnesses don't get to go outside. Ever. So Gizmo's old blue harness is very near and dear to him, and only a sociopathic monster would ever want to take it from him.
Enter my poor mom, who was kind enough to pick up a new, bigger harness while she was out. The problem is, putting a new harness on Gizmo required taking off his old one. Which, obviously, involved stealing it from him.
So I come downstairs, Gizmo is wailing inconsolably. I look in to see if the mean kitty was teasing him again, and am surprised to see my mom sitting in the cage with him, and him half-wearing a brand new harness. He was dodging and weaving her best attempts to snap the buckles on it, and carrying his old one in his mouth.
Quite frankly, I was impressed she managed to get the old one off by herself. Removing Gizmo's harness is generally a two-person job, and he kicks an screams the entire time.
Anyway, I let myself into the enclosure and sit down. He runs over, buries his face in my lap, and starts to make wailing and sobbing noises--no doubt telling me about how he had been robbed of his smelly old harness, and how she was trying to put an awful, terrible new one on him that didn't stink at all. Well, while he buried his face and cried about the injustices of the world, my mom was able to click the buckles shut on the new one.
If upgrading his harness was the cause for this much drama, I can only imagine what he's gonna do when he finds out I'm putting him on a diet to trim off that extra pound or two he's packed on.
Well, the problem is, Gizmo has been wearing that harness for over a year. (Not straight, obviously. We take it off for baths and grooming). He considers it to be his personal property. In fact, it's a very important, vital piece of property--foxes that don't wear harnesses don't get to go outside. Ever. So Gizmo's old blue harness is very near and dear to him, and only a sociopathic monster would ever want to take it from him.
Enter my poor mom, who was kind enough to pick up a new, bigger harness while she was out. The problem is, putting a new harness on Gizmo required taking off his old one. Which, obviously, involved stealing it from him.
So I come downstairs, Gizmo is wailing inconsolably. I look in to see if the mean kitty was teasing him again, and am surprised to see my mom sitting in the cage with him, and him half-wearing a brand new harness. He was dodging and weaving her best attempts to snap the buckles on it, and carrying his old one in his mouth.
Quite frankly, I was impressed she managed to get the old one off by herself. Removing Gizmo's harness is generally a two-person job, and he kicks an screams the entire time.
Anyway, I let myself into the enclosure and sit down. He runs over, buries his face in my lap, and starts to make wailing and sobbing noises--no doubt telling me about how he had been robbed of his smelly old harness, and how she was trying to put an awful, terrible new one on him that didn't stink at all. Well, while he buried his face and cried about the injustices of the world, my mom was able to click the buckles shut on the new one.
If upgrading his harness was the cause for this much drama, I can only imagine what he's gonna do when he finds out I'm putting him on a diet to trim off that extra pound or two he's packed on.
Subjects:
Pet Fox Stories
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