I think I just had my first sleeping not dead episode today.  But I'm a
little concerned about what it means.  Today I had the ferts out for about a
hour, I had to leave for a few minutes so I returned them to their cage.
About 45 minutes later, I let them back out again.  Another 50 minutes after
that, I noticed Saffy (15 mo old female) go back into the cage and curl up
in the hammock.  It bothered me as up until recently, all of the ferts have
been very active, and they never went back into the cage by themselves.  It
was hard enough trying to grab them all to get them back in.  But this was
the second time Saffy went into her cage of her own free will to sleep.
Anyway, I let her sleep, watched Gatsby play for a little while, and then
put her back.  But I couldn't find Marshmallow (14 mo old male) anywhere.  I
grabbed the squeek toy and called him for a good five minutes.  Nothing, and
ordinarily if he hears that toy, he about gnaws your fingers off trying to
get it away from you.  I even looked in the rest of the house for him.
Nothing.  I went back down to their room and checked the hidey holes.  I
found him, curled up under the bottom bookshelf.  I tapped him on the back.
He didn't move.  I tapped him again, a little harder.  Still nothing.
Fighting back tears, I tapped him a third time.  Finally he turned around
and looked at me.  I got him to come out, and I picked him up.  He was
pretty slow moving, which is not like him at all.  I held him for a few
minutes, but he still kind of acted slow.  I offered him a treat, which he
took normally.  I then put him back in the cage.  This was about 45 minutes
ago.  I went in and checked on them before I got on the puter--all three
were alert to the noise I made but made no moves to get out of bed.
 
Now my question is, how long do ferts usually play before needing a rest
break?  And how much of a rest break are we talking?  A light nap or a few
hour snooze?  I never thought to ask this before as I was always the one
that ended their playtimes.  Could Saffy's early trips to bed and Marshie's
deep sleep be because they are coming out of that nonstop play stage and
know when to quit?  And was Marshie's slow behavior because I woke him out
of a really deep sleep?  Ordinarily, if you woke any of them up, it was like
"Okay I'm up let's play!  I mean now lady!" Like I said, I've never had a
SND episode before and it scared the you know what out of me.  At the very
least, I'll be calling the vet tommorrow, probably going in for a visit.  I
just don't know which one to take.  Probably both.  I wish I had those non
stop playing foot and leg biting ferts back again....
 
Laura Ellis
[Posted in FML issue 1583]