Robomites?

MITES? I'm not so sure. Robo-mites, I'm talking about... Itchy has always looked "licked to death" (as in literally wet-licked)... I assumed this was a grooming thing; by herself, as well as the others... Now the others have started to look wet again. That and the fact that I saw a picture of a wet roborovski with mites at http://www.roborovski.net (click on health and wait for the mites pic to load)... Itchy doesn't have the pink legs or pink patches behind the ears or the arched back, miserable expression or anything else EXCEPT wet fur (and being thin and tiny, which she always has been). A robo is smaller than a housemouse (or pet mouse: they are the same breed mus musculus), which I've always assumed means a "muscular mouse" but then again I freak a bit of Spench but no Latin...

Also, the mites section said (as I thought) that mites are actually big enough to see with the naked eye. I have seen NO crawly parasisites on or off them...

Hamsters and all small animals (and birds, especially parrots) will excessively preen out of nerves. Perhaps Itchy's recent squabbling has something to do with the rest nervously over-grooming. In psychology this is called "displacement activity", meaning a behaviour indulged in to work off nervousness or anxiety.

I re-added their parmesan cheese tub (which is exactly the same length and diameter as a toilet roll and so has a toilet roll taped on the entrance, like an extended robo-front-porch). All three live and sleep quite happily in here together despite the 1cm wide opening (yes they are tiny animals! I thought everyone got that until I posted that toilet tube comparison a couple of days ago...) What I do need to get is an extra wheel. Maybe that will stop the troubles. The heavy two end up on the existing wheel. Spherical thundering rumblingly onwards, sometimes with Bashful holding on for dear life to the wires (it's a wire wheel) doing endless revolutions until she can synchronize footing. Then if Itchy can't manage to jump on (like timing entry to a skipping/jump-rope game) she tears up and down and round and round until she can. That's what the "pinging" is... running very quickly.

Time is low and I cannot reply or get in touch with any of yous probably till after the weekend. I'm sorry... better go or it will be all gone!