#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands Zoos and Animals >  >  Caring for a squirrel

## Bung

I just got back from Chatuchuk and bought a squirrel. I'd love to know what type it is, I can't post a picture just yet but I want to know I am doing the right thing by it tonight. Got it a little cage, it seems happy enough and it ate some grape and banana.

It's tiny, grey with black stripes going back from it's head, really big eyes. Seriously cute (and expensive!) Not the common brown type. They were selling them a lot and bred them so I assume it is not some endangered thing. 

I searched here for "squirrel" but you can imagine the results- all bloody mrs quirrel!

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## jandajoy

eat it

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## kingwilly

^^ you are kidding, right?

 :Sad: 

didnt think to ask the shop?

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## Thetyim

> It's tiny, grey with black stripes going back from it's head


Sounds more like a chipmonk.
Thai for that is Galot or Galok

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## Happyman

Get a large cage - the ones they sell for parrots and Hill Mynah birds ( about 1000 x 500 X 500 mm) 
Put a bundle of twigs into it ( nothing artistic cos they don't appreciate it  :Smile: ) and a section of 6"'dia bamboo for its nest .

Needs a water supply - refreshed everyday -and a food tray 

If you want he little chap to be finger trained, and have the time - leave out the food tray 

Offer it nuts and fruit from your hand every 3 hours ( daytime!)or so and in a month you will have a little chum who can run free and go back to his cage at night ! 

Do not leave uneaten food in the cage !!!

Look forward to pics !  :Smile:

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## dirtydog

> Offer it nuts and fruit from your hand ever 3 hours ( daytime!)or so and in a month you will have a little chum who can run free and go back to his cage at night !


Don't think it takes that long if they are young, I had a couple and it took about a week and they would come to you when you called them, damn clever little critters.

I think you also need to get them rabbies innoculated.

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## Mr Pot

> Sounds more like a chipmonk. Thai for that is Galot or Galok


Coincidence is strange; my mate at the foot of the apartment just got one, it is a galok; or chipmunk as tetters rightly said




> Get a large cage - the ones they sell for parrots and Hill Mynah birds ( about 1000 x 500 X 500 mm) Put a bundle of twigs into it ( nothing artistic cos they don't appreciate it ) and a section of 6"'dia bamboo for its nest . Needs a water supply - refreshed everyday -and a food tray If you want he little chap to be finger trained, and have the time - leave out the food tray Offer it nuts and fruit from your hand every 3 hours ( daytime!)or so and in a month you will have a little chum who can run free and go back to his cage at night ! Do not leave uneaten food in the cage !!!


Good advice which I can pass on to my friend, he looked a bit bemused when his wife bought this chipmunk home for him

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## Happyman

> Originally Posted by Happyman
> 
> Offer it nuts and fruit from your hand ever 3 hours ( daytime!)or so and in a month you will have a little chum who can run free and go back to his cage at night !
> 
> 
> Don't think it takes that long if they are young, I had a couple and it took about a week and they would come to you when you called them, damn clever little critters.
> 
> I think you also need to get them rabbies innoculated.



Right ! 
Forgot that bit _ Mekong is kicking in a bit early tonight !! :Smile:

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## Airportwo

Cook Em!

*Cajun Squirrel* 

~ squirrels,cut into serving pieces, amount depends upon how many you can eat
~ olive oil
~ 1 large onion
~ 1 large green bell pepper
~ 2 cloves garlic
~ Cajun spice (Tony Chachere's recommended)
~ 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
~ 4 tbsp ketchup
~ 1 tbsp Gumbo File seasoning
~ cooked rice
In a deep pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil. 

Season the squirrel on all sides with the Cajun seasoning. Add to the hot oil and turn to brown on all sides. Continue to cook until done.

Place the onion, bell pepper and garlic in a blender. Cover with water and chop. Add to the pot when squirrel is done.

Sprinkle the added vegetables with Cajun seasoning.

Add the Tabasco sauce, ketchup and the Gumbo File. Stir to mix well.

Serve over the cooked rice.

Enjoy.

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## bkkmadness

Sounds like a Sugar Glider, around about 2 K each I think.  Care needs to be taken with their diet, and there's a lot of good info on the web with regards to keeping them.

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## Happyman

> Cook Em!
> 
> *Cajun Squirrel* 
> 
> ~ squirrels,cut into serving pieces, amount depends upon how many you can eat
> ~ olive oil
> ~ 1 large onion
> ~ 1 large green bell pepper
> ~ 2 cloves garlic
> ...


Without seeing as criitisisng our "mericain"  chums across the water - That sounds bloody nice - and can you accept a very British   :UK: "Yee Haa !!! "  :Smile:

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## jandajoy

> Mekong is kicking in a bit early tonight


Good, init!   :Smile:

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## Marmite the Dog

Also, they like to hide behind the wardrobe and not come out for hours...

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## jandajoy

Who? mericans?

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## Marmite the Dog

> Who? mericans?


I think it's your bed-time now, mate.

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## jandajoy

> I think it's your bed-time now, mate.


ok,thanks mum.

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## Happyman

> Originally Posted by Happyman
> 
> Mekong is kicking in a bit early tonight
> 
> 
> Good, init!


Gotta few bottlles for my  birhtday yesterday and gotta check them out - Hic ! :rofl:

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## jandajoy

'tis good, but a bit easy going down. Reminds me of Fundador brandy, spanish stuff, equally drinkable .

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## bombonera

Ooh! Fundador brandy. A fine brew indeed.

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## The Fresh Prince

> Sounds more like a chipmonk. Thai for that is Galot or Galok


Isn't that thai for squirell as well? I think this is one of those broad thai names. 




> Do not leave uneaten food in the cage !!!


Is that how you do it!? every time i had a russian hamster in the u.k it would bite the folk out of me, but it always had food in its cage!




> I had a couple and it took about a week and they would come to you when you called them, damn clever little critters.


I want one!




> Cook Em!  Cajun Squirrel


Sounds great! might replace the squirell with a bit of wild boar though! :Smile:

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## pai nai ma

release it.

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## Patrick

Why do people buy wild animals from Chatuchak  or anywhere else for that matter, its truly stupid and simply encourages the illegal trade in wildlife.

You admit you have absolutely no idea how to raise it so the chances are it will die  as will the next one the dealer buys from a poacher because, since you bought one, he believes other fools will do the same.

Patrick

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## Bung

> Sounds like a Sugar Glider, around about 2 K each I think. Care needs to be taken with their diet, and there's a lot of good info on the web with regards to keeping them.


Thats him, thanks! Can google better now.

Are they from Thailand? I don't think so.

Patrick, cool your jets. I am no fan of supporting illegal wildlife trade. These are bred here so I cant see anything wrong with that. 


KW, yeah, I took off and realised I never asked anything about it. I was up till 4am drinking with a mate who thought it was a good idea to keep drinking and go straight to the airport. That and taking two kids to Chatuchak was enough to have the head not right. I was worried about him as it was a 4 hour drive back to Phetchabun and felt it was probably a bit stressed out. 

He's fine, already playing with us and sleeping peacefully on my lap. Just eating grapes and banana, anything else they like? Nuts? Seeds?

Definitely getting a bigger cage soon set up.

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## mrsquirrel

Sugar Gliders were a craze a while back.

Go find the local dog cage maker. 

I had a huge cage made for the missus's rabbit. 2m x1mx1.5m ~5000B 

They can easily make a big one for your sugar glider. 

I have heard that you can throw them through the air like  dart and they will glide to the ground.

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## kingwilly

> I have heard that you can throw them through the air like dart and they will glide to the ground.


that is so wrong.....

but  ::doglol::

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## kidcosmic

Why the F*** didn't you find out how to take care of this animal before you bought it??? Your as bad as the Thais " these levis are nice I'll buy them, oh and look at that cute little thing I'll have that as well !!!"

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## jandajoy

What about launching them off tall buildings?

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## bkkmadness

> release it.


Probably not the wisest idea for a non native animal.

Sugar Gliders

Pet Sugar Gliders & Hedgehogs

SugarGlider.com

Get yourself the right info on their diet, needs to be low fat, lots of fruit with a certain amount of protein.  I've been looking to buy one myself and this is something every website talks about the most.

Ideally they need some company too because they are very social animals.

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## Bung

> Why the F*** didn't you find out how to take care of this animal before you bought it??? Your as bad as the Thais " these levis are nice I'll buy them, oh and look at that cute little thing I'll have that as well !!!"


Jesus! I just spent all morning finding out the best way to take care of it I probably know more about them than the guy I bought it off! plus I have the funds to do it. Ask me anything about them! If you read my last post you would have understood why I asked how to care for it. I didn't know what it was so couldn't research it on the net. 

Crank.

People please understand. It was a common pet bought from a market the same if I bought a puppy. IT IS NOT AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL SOLD ILLEGALLY AT CHATUTCHAK.

Please direct your WWF comments to the appropriate place.

Sheesh!

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## jandajoy

What you going to call it?

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## mrsquirrel

How much was it?

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## Bung

Cola. My boy named it within 5 minutes. I'm off to see if they have any crickets and baby food so it gets 50% protien to supplement the fresh fruit (you happy now?) for it as it is a joey. Can order vitamins etc from the states (see?) and I told my son that if he looks after it I will get another one (female) and a bigger cage. Just as you are supposed to do when giving pets to children as people do all over the world.

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## Bung

1500.

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## The Fresh Prince

> Ask me anything about them!


I'm intrested in this gliding thing. Have you tried it yet? and What would be a safe height? :Smile:

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## kingwilly

Can you train it to sit on your finger and say "squrriel wants a cracker?"

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## Patrick

> Originally Posted by kidcosmic
> 
> Why the F*** didn't you find out how to take care of this animal before you bought it??? Your as bad as the Thais " these levis are nice I'll buy them, oh and look at that cute little thing I'll have that as well !!!"
> 
> 
> Jesus! I just spent all morning finding out the best way to take care of it I probably know more about them than the guy I bought it off! plus I have the funds to do it. Ask me anything about them! If you read my last post you would have understood why I asked how to care for it. I didn't know what it was so couldn't research it on the net. 
> 
> Crank.
> 
> ...


Since you did not know what it was when you bought it you obviously had no idea whether it was a native endangered species or not.

Patrick

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## pai nai ma

Kill it outright. Today.

Why allow your sticky palmed children to ignorantly torture it?

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## Bung

^ Idiot.

^^ How could it be an endangered species when there were adults and babies everywhere? idiot.

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## The Fresh Prince

> Can you train it to sit on your finger and say "squrriel wants a cracker?"


 :rofl:

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## pai nai ma

What is the lesson to be learned by caging some creature while you learn it's habits?

Teach your offspring to appreciate nature in the wild where it has a chance at a reasonable existence.

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## bkkmadness

Would you say the same thing to someone keeping a dog?

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## The Fresh Prince

> What is the lesson to be learned by caging some creature while you learn it's habits?


I agree with the second comment you made but at the same time having pets for children can teach them reposability and when they pet dies they experience the pain of loss and how time heals. You must have had small pets as a kid?

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## pai nai ma

We need to learn the habits and needs of the creatures we adopt.

If some guy lived in a condo, knew feck all about dogs and got the dog with precious little forethought, then yes i would.

(I am thinking of the dog available for free here on TD as I write this)

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## pai nai ma

Habitat, Food, Life span, Cleaning, Need for space, Reproduction, ect ..... all should be considered before a parent makes the purchase/investment.

Ignorantly purchasing an animal and thinking it will always be instructuive to kids is silly BS.

The age of the kids needs to be considered as well.

Sometime ago another member here was urged to get his kids a dog. His response was he wanted to wait until his kids were old enough to take some responsibility for it. RIGHT ON!

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## bkkmadness

I think he's killed it already.  :Sad: 

Actually with dogs even with a house and garden to a certain degree you are caging an animal. Not much difference really is there.

Sugar Gliders are unlikely to be caged all the time as well, most people tend to let them run around the house. 

Should also note that these are captive bred animals.

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## pai nai ma

Got your red, Bung.

Just my opinion but your impulse buy while hungover was sadly way to typical.

red-away if you wish.

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## PlanK

Friend of mine had a squirrel, alcoholic little bugger it was too.  You couldn't leave a glass of booze unattended.  At parties she used to give it a little shot glass of whiskey and he would scoff it then climb on top of the wardrobe and pass out.  Later in the night it would come back and bite people sleeping on the floor.

Something to watch out for if it's running free and you have booze laying around.

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## pai nai ma

Hey bung, check out the retriever ad. This is what I am talking about.

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## bkkmadness

> Kill it outright. Today.


So why is this the best solution Pai nai ma?

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## Norton

> Hey bung, check out the retriever ad. This is what I am talking about.


Yeah.  Pretty much OTT if not a troll.  The guy clearly has no regard for "animal" welfare.  

Must comment however, he first posted the availability of a free dog over ten days ago and just today posted he had the dog euthanized.  Not one post on the thread between the OP date and today.  Not justifying his action but where were the dog lovers?  I include myself in those who should have at least made some attempt to respond before he put the dog down.  I would have taken the dog in a minute had I known it was his intention.  Now I have feelings of culpability even though I missed the OP. :Sad:

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by mrsquirrel
> 
>  I have heard that you can throw them through the air like dart and they will glide to the ground.
> 
> 
> that is so wrong.....
> 
> but


 
quite, but a good way of identifying it

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## kingwilly

> but a good way of identifying it


What happens if you mis-identify a squirrel as a glider?

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## The Fresh Prince

> What happens if you mis-identify a squirrel as a glider?


I think a squirrel could handle the fall with ease. Just start off with something low like a step and don't just jump straight in there with a balcony. :Smile:

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## Bung

> Just my opinion but your impulse buy while hungover was sadly way to typical.


Hungover yes, impulse buy, no. I went there the day before to look for a pet for my boy and we decided on the sugar glider on the way back to the hotel. We live on 15 rai and he is very good with animals.

Any more assumptions about my decision to buy a pet?

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## mrsquirrel

Photos Bung.

where are the photos.

And the photos of you W650

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## Bung

I'll try today! Have to get to the internet cafe to do it and he's sleping in his nice, new, big cage now.....Got some good ones of the W though for you.

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## Happyman

Save yourself the embarrassment of your neighbours thinking the Falang has finally flipped when they see you scrabbling around for crickets, get some mealworms from your local  bird or aquarium shop ! Good source of protein.  

Keep the worms in a securely covered and ventilated tray and in a dry place with a piece of dry bread for them to eat .

I keep a stock for my birds and if I leave the cover off the tray every Mynah bird , squirrel and even a loris in the area clean them out in 10 mins !!! :Smile:

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## Bung

Ah, so they are mealworms they sell in the pet shops then? I bought some yesterday but he didn't eat them but he is still very young. Thanks for the tip on keeping them.
I'll send the boy out for crickets, he does that anyway. Seems to just eat grapes bananas carrot and babycorn at the moment but he's still settling in.

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## Sir Burr

Hmmm.....gliding the Sugar Glider. Sounds almost as much fun as Hamster head-butts.

Hamster head-butts (you will never tire of this).

Equipment needed:-

1 x Hamster.
1 x Pillow.
1 x Wall.

Instructions:-

Stand next to a wall, pick up pillow and put Hamster on pillow so that it is facing the wall.
Hold out pillow with Hamster at arms length and then let go.

Results:-

As the pillow suddenly drops, the Hamster seperates from the pillow and it's little legs are going sixteen to the dozen.
The pillow lands on the ground, the Hamster lands on the pillow and then slams it's head into the wall due to it's little legs still going sixteen to the dozen.

Repeat until:-

You can't breath anymore due to laughing.
Hamster is too stunned to move.

Great fun for the entire family!

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## Bung

Thats funny! Not sure I will try to see if my little fellow will glide....

I have a fun game with cats. Tie a tea towel around it's body and it will walk like it is blind drunk. Hilarious.

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## bkkmadness

They're pretty cool pets...

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## attaboy

> Originally Posted by pai nai ma
> 
> 
> release it.
> 
> 
> Probably not the wisest idea for a non native animal.
> 
> Sugar Gliders
> ...


I read that marmosets and tamarins get their protein from the grubs and maggots in the fruit they eat.  So it might be an idea to buy meal worms used to feed lizards and see if he likes them. Pollen is another source of protein. I know sugar gliders aren't marmosets or tamarins but it's an idea.

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## Bung

Well, Colas settled right in. We had a great time playing with him on the sofa last night then he pigged out so much he fell asleep in his food bowl. At first he was just licking his food but now is eating it properly but also starting to bite us as well, not hard or angry, just seems to be testing his new found skill. I think he was just weaned. You need to let them do it, if you pull away they will keep doing it but it is a bit hard letting an animal bite you. same when I kept galahs in Australia. Only does it when he is either eating or wants to eat.

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## JoGeAr

> same when I kept galahs in Australia


You let galahs bite you??   Fcuk that !!

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## Bung

They just have a nibble until they get to know you, hard to sit there and let it happen though, they can be ornery buggers but if you pull away they will keep doing it!

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## Patrick

> Thats funny! Not sure I will try to see if my little fellow will glide....
> 
> I have a fun game with cats. Tie a tea towel around it's body and it will walk like it is blind drunk. Hilarious.


 
I fear there is little chance of your children learning love and respect for their pets when they are obliged to watch their oafish father torment and mistreat those in *his* care.

Cats are sensitive animals, surely even someone of your obviously limited intelligence should be able to understand that the fun game which provides you with such hilarity also causes the cat discomfort and great distress.

When we take animals as pets they come with no free will on their part and it is the responsibility of the owner to care for them properly. You are dealing with living creatures, not toys to be treated as playthings and subject to brutish treatment when you feel in the mood to exercise your perverted requirements for amusement.

After your first Post I marked you down as simply foolish and thoughtless, I think you have now graduated to moronic.

Patrick

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## Bung

^ I was waiting for that....

Such alacrity. Let me guess. Your pets are all dressed up in baby outfits and made to sit for afternoon tea with you. Oh hang on, that would be mistreating them wouldn't it?




> torment and mistreat those in his care





> causes the cat discomfort and great distress.





> toys to be treated as playthings and subject to brutish treatment when you feel in the mood to exercise your perverted requirements for amusement.



Your determined to mark me as a mistreater of animals..That cat in question which I had when I was 20 was never in "discomfort" or "great distress" by having a tea towel tied around it's waist for 1 minute. It carried right on playing after I took it off, that thing had a great life with me unlike any pet under your care that would be bored to tears in 5 minutes.

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## pai nai ma

Bung - The animal entertainer.

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## PlanK

> Cats are sensitive animals, surely even someone of your obviously limited intelligence should be able to understand that the “fun game” which provides you with such “hilarity” also causes the cat discomfort and great distress.


Cats are never willing pawns in something distressful and will never be shy to show it.  I'm quite sure if it found the treatment discomforting Bung would be tending to some scratches in his arms, and possibly having to buy another unshreaded tea towel.
 :Smile:

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## The Fresh Prince

There are some really cool vids on youtube of them jumping but I thought that this one was worth posting.

If I didn't have dogs I'd probably still want one :Smile: 




Momo's a moody little bitch though! :Smile:

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## momo8

> Momo's a moody little bitch though!


 Am not. :Smile:

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## The Fresh Prince

^Christ that was quick! :Smile: 

This guys got another vid where he gives and update on Momo. He reakons the best place to train them is in side a dome tent, coz they're SG friendly and they can't get away. Good advise I reakon.

That would be cool walkig round with one in your shirt pocket.

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## The Fresh Prince

Hi Bung, I've just watched another vid where it said that they are supposed to be sold in pairs and don't survive well on thier own.

Maybe you should consider getting him a little mate. :Smile:

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## momo8

May as well buy a few mice too, once they start breeding there will be no stopping them.

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