April

Ambaa came out for a run last night and she was a bit more lively than she has been recently. I rearranged the room a bit so things were in different places and this seemed to get her attention for a while.

I lined up some of her boxes and tubes so that there was a barrier across the hall. She took this as a challenge and set to work finding a way over or through it. I know she could have jumped over it or pulled the boxes out of the way but she was much more hesitant than that. She gently slunk round each item probing for a small gap which she found then squeezed through.

I’ll find other ways to enrich her environment in future. Perhaps without Babu she is lacking stimulation.

This evening I tried to give Ambaa every chance to get exploring. After I cleaned her cage out I carried her into the hall as usual but then after I’d opened her carry house so she could get out I retreated to the top of the stairs and kept very quiet so that nothing would disturb her.

She spent about ten minutes sniffing about in her carry box but then the jumped out and walked carefully around the edge of the room. I had hoped that without me very close to her she would gain confidence and start running about and climbing the furniture.

She seemed quite bright for the first few minutes but once again she settled into the corner under the table and spent the next 45 minutes just grooming herself.

Ambaa is still very reluctant to come out to play. I have to coax her out of her carry box in the hope that she’ll start exploring and start running about. She usually just walks round the hall once giving everything a sniff then she just settles into a corner and waits for me to take her back to her house.

She isn’t eating very much either. I have tried offering her different treats as well as sweetcorn and peas – both of which she usually really likes – but she does not seem very interested.

I have found one treat she does like; Mixed Dairy Drops from the Naturals range. She is always pleased to get these but after she’s scoffed them she goes back to her corner.