From Day 2...
I continued throughout the day to pick her up and hold her, and offer her the bottle.
I picked her up from her crate and I barely noticed her gruffing. She did for a second and stopped, then tried to move away but I grabbed her. I held her and she was more frantic this time, but I did get her to take a bottle a bit. She lapped from my hand first, then took a bit from a bottle. She settled down somewhat after that, and I let her roam my room a bit more. She promptly pooped on the floor, which I put into her litter box and her back into her crate. She didn't gruff at me at all while I was moving around in her crate. Afterwards I put the poops
into the litter box, she very cutely covered both of them, nosing litter over top of them.
I fed her a nice dinner, but later I was told I should not give her veggies as they cause bloating, so she's not going to get anymore, just kibble. She is a little bit food aggressive but will let me take the bowl from her if I'm careful.
I didn't want her cooped up in the crate all day getting no air, but I also didn't want to put her on the ground as she is not yet vaccinated, so I picked her up and took her outside and went into my backyard. I walked around with her, but she started getting growly and bit me hard enough to break the skin. She wasn't gruffing, she was growling, and continued to do so, trying to bite every time I reached towards her with my other hand. I make a noise the first time, and I ignored her, calmly walked inside, put in her the crate, shut it, turned off the lights and left her in the room. I want her to realize that biting me = going back into the crate. She's stayed in there for
awhile.
After her time out, I warmed up another bottle (note: do not warm up the milk directly in the bottle) and offered it to her. She did lap from my hand and took it for a little while, but she refused it after nursing for barely a minute. I made up her dinner and put it with her.
I did hold for a bit. I picked her up without much of a problem. She gruffed at me just a little, but after I picked her up she was really sweet, letting me pet her and she laid down, resting her head on my thigh. I even managed to get an all-natural aloe dry bath on her, mostly to clean up the stuff caught in her fur. She let me do that by rubbing her down.
I put her back into her freshly cleaned crate, and she promptly pooped on everything, her tower, her toys, her box (I gave her a little cardboard box to play with - she's gone to town on that.), and peed here and there. She went everywhere except her litter box. She also spilled her water all over the bottom of her crate. Siiiigh.
She's became restless, so I let her out to explore the room, where she marked everything with feces and urine.
The room was really muggy, I only had one fan going. I couldn't take her out into the living room with AC, as my Grandmother has come over to spend the night and brought her Cocker spaniel, so I can't take Miehiera out in her crate to spend the night in the living room.
I ended up setting a fan by the door, pointing inwards so that I could pull in some cool air and blow it over the room. I also set up the fan so that Kissy, my Grandma's dog couldn't get in or the cats. It helped a lot but also my family could smell her. My mom thought it stunk to high heavens. My dad smelled it, but my Grandma, my brother and I couldn't smell her.
My cat Amber has hidden in the bathroom, either because she is scared of the fox smell or my Grandmother's dog. Either way, she is rooted in there and hardly comes out. I do hope it is the dog as I do not want to deal with a growly, pouty cat.
End Day 2...
Day 3:
Miehiera woke me up around 7, crying and fussing and carrying on. I came in and while she refused to be held, wanted me inside. I stayed in with her, gave her some water and left once she has settled down.
I just got her, and her belly is still bloated. She did not take the bottle.
She is getting a lot better about being picked up and held. She didn't scramble away when I reached in for her, she did open her mouth at me and hunch over, but nothing much. I held her and pet her for a bit and put her back into her crate. Hopefully my Grandma will leave soon so that I can take her out into the house.
I cleaned up my room, rolled the rug, covered up wires, tried to seal off cracks, etc, and she keeps going to bite me whenever I try to pick her up in my room. She's also nipping if I walk by the cage or put my hand on it, she will come over to bite it.
I really hate to stick her in the crate all the time, but she just won't behave. She's not going out into the living room if she can't behave in my bedroom and not bite. I can't find the spray bottle either, so I've resorted to clapping. Unfortunately that involves pulling both my hands away so she doesn't really get it.
Miehiera has become quite bloated, but it's unclear if it's because of stress, her diet or worms. Time will tell, but I will worm her again in about a week or so.
I will also be giving her Canine Spectra 7 in two weeks, so that she can go outside. I don't want to risk her health by potentially exposing her to parvo or some other dangerous disease.
I cleaned out her cage once more, and of course she made a mess right after, tearing up newspaper, pooping and spilling her water.
Miehiera is now asleep, and I'm tired, but we're barely through the day yet.
I also must go to camp tomorrow. I will hold her, pet her and feed her before I go, take a shower and leave, so I'll have to get up a bit earlier than usual.
I have to admit that I am frustrated with her. I know that it's unreasonable to expect her to be nice, but all the other arctic fox kits I've seen are playful, cuddly, and kind even at her age. Miehiera is just the opposite, she refuses to play with me, doesn't like to be held and is still going in to bite me. She is destructive and untrusting.
I know that a lot of fox owners have had a similar scenario to mine, having their kit be affectionate, kind and playful when they are in the car on the ride home, aggressive and standoffish once they are home, then warming up after a few days, but I hope I do see that change soon, as I am becoming disheartened.
Patience, patience.
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