What Do You Do With a Kangaroo ... Er, Wallaby?

Some people keep dogs, some people keep cats, some people keep rabbits. We’ve got a wallaby (and then some, but let’s just focus on the wallaby here). We’ve done the wallaby thing before so you’d think (as we did) that we were not novices when we picked up Tabitha in the spring of this year. We had Clancy for over 13 years so we thought we had some experience, and we were right. We did have some experience. After all, we kept Clancy close by and we bottle-fed him. However, Clancy never did bond in the same way as Tabitha has. We can’t say exactly why. It may have been because he was older, or perhaps because he had a different personality, or because we didn’t know what we have learned this time. It also may have been because we got Clancy in January, so he was ready to move outside in May or June of that year. When all is said and done, this time around, we’re going to have a wallaby under foot for just about an entire year!

Clancy checking out his new shed.

Clancy at about 14 years old.

When you live in a house with a pet wallaby, you’re bound to get inquiries from the slightly envious, or the mildly disgusted, or the intensely curious. I know you’re bound to because we do. So here’s the lay of the Funny Farm household as run [ahem] influenced by a baby wallaby.

9-month-old Tabitha trying to find an itch.

“Where Do You Even Get a Wallaby?”

We got Clancy from one place, but this time we decided to try a different breeder, so we got Tabitha from Fall City Wallaby Ranch outside Seattle. I was lucky enough to be able to stay for several days when I went out to pick her up. Rex, the breeder, really loves his wallabies and kangaroos and spends quality time with them and their offspring. He was well acquainted with Tabitha since he had been bottle-feeding her for almost a month before I got there. He hadn’t intended to “pull her” (meaning remove her from her mother) until I arrived, but her mother became ill, so Rex had to pull her earlier than he wanted, even though I couldn’t be there yet. He really tried to talk me into a different joey because Tabitha was very small, but I loved her immediately and I guess he decided that I’d be okay because he let me bring her home.

Looking out the window to the wallaby, kangaroo, and 
wallaroo enclosures at Fall City Wallaby Ranch.
 If you are ever in Seattle, take the tour!

Rex holding Tabitha (8 months old)

Tabitha and Rex interacting.

“What Do You Feed a Pet Wallaby?”

We buy her milk formula from Wombaroo because it’s specially formulated for wallabies and kangaroos.

I started off having to feed her every four hours. Two of those feeding times meant I had to get up in the middle of my night to feed her and stimulate her to urinate in the playpen ‘litter box.’ This was good news since she has bonded well, but the bad news? I need a lot of sleep and I felt like a new mom. We were glad when we could cut one of the feeding times and instead feed her immediately before I went to bed and the moment I got up.

Now that she is fifteen months old, Tabitha also eats grass, hay (getting her ready for when there is no grass), and a special dry feed made for wallabies and kangaroos called L’il Hopper. Eventually she will graduate to Happy Hopper – same company, but made for older wallabies and kangaroos.

9-month old Tabitha taking a bottle.

10 month old Tabitha out in the grass and weeds.

11-month old Tabitha taking a bottle.

“Is She Litter-Box Trained?”

This is the #1 question that I am asked. Simple answer? Sort of. She is pretty good about urinating in her playpen on doggie pads. The side of the pen has been cut open so she can get in and out easily. Most of the time her scat (feces) is small and firm and can be swept up – because she drops fecal matter everywhere – though mostly on tile floors and doggie pads we have now put down in her ‘favorite’ places. Yes, she has bowel movements when she is in her pouch. Usually it is easily removed – dumping the scat out over the garbage can or outside. 
Once in a while the scat can be looser and messier and harder to clean up from the pouch or wherever. Sometimes she decides to urinate on the tile or the plastic, and sometimes her bowels are loose. Do you recognize the problem here? It is called a tail! Even though she doesn’t step in it, her tail drags through it . . . so we sometimes get trails of, well, whatever.

Occasionally, like when we leave her home alone, Tabitha has been known to leave scat and urine on our bed. So, every morning I cover the bed with a plastic drop cloth and throw a couple of dog pads up there.

“Does She Jump All Over The House?”

Well, speaking of the bed, it is high (even for a bed) -- about 3 feet off the floor (because it has drawers underneath) -- and Tabitha can jump up on it from a sitting position on the floor. This means that she can jump on furniture, tables, chairs, counters, etc. So far she has limited herself to the bed, the hearth, and one of the bathroom counters. We may have encouraged these limitations by making sure every door is closed along the hallway and we have gates up to keep her out of the living room and basement.

Tabitha on our 3 foot high bed. 

The hearth

A bathroom counter...

“What’s It Like Living With a Wallaby?”

What about other aspects of a wallaby as miniature roomie?  

Well, for one thing, she chews on things such as my good sneaker laces, David’s biking gloves, and the straps of her pouches. She has also stripped wallpaper off the wall and chewed on the carpet.  On the bright side, I guess I might finally learn to put things away, I wanted the wallpaper off the wall, and we needed new carpet before Tabitha.

My poor shoelace.

Our poor carpeting and our wallpaper.

Even the toilet paper is not safe!

One of the fun things about Tabitha being in the house!

Tabitha waiting at the door for me.

 For another thing, she doesn’t seem to share her space so well. She hisses at our border collie, Amos.

Her hiss is soft and quiet and isn’t all that intimidating unless you’re an ant. However, he is a passive dog and tries to stay away from her. She will follow him around, and once in a while he finally growls. Soon we will see how she does with our mini pig, Neum. He comes inside at night, but goes directly to his crate, so there hasn’t been much interaction. However, with colder weather coming, he will be inside a lot more. I may have another post when we see how that relationship shakes out.

Then again, there are many great things about having Tabitha in the house. There is still a lot of bonding time. She now comes and demands a bottle when she wants it and she often drinks a little and comes more often during the day. This is probably more what would happen if she was in the wild. I know that my goat kids sip a bit from the doe and play and sip a bit and go, etc. They never stand and drink like the ones I’ve bottle-fed have been expected to. I still get to cuddle her when she is in one of her pouches.

She isn’t crazy about being held without a pouch, but she is very cuddly when she is in one. She still wants attention – and we’d miss that if she was outside. When we take her out and let her do her own thing, she likes it, but she wants me where she can keep an eye on me. That’s really okay, of course, because at fifteen months old, she would still be hanging out with her mom if she were in the wild.

Still, even with all the nice things about having a wallaby close at hand, we will all be happy when spring comes and Tabitha moves into Clancy’s old digs, because, when it comes down to it, a human house isn’t really designed for even the cutest, sweetest little macropod.

Wallaby development for the first 13 months.

My Not Quite a Pet Exotic Pet - Sam

When I was in Junior High school, my dad opened a second hand store across town.  He was quite the wheeler-dealer and he ended up with a peculiar looking animal that he planned to put in the window to draw people into the store.

The owner of the animal brought it in and it got loose.  It went into a carpet roll or something like that and my dad told me to go in and get it.  I started to go and the guy said, “Hey, that animal bites, don’t send her after it.”  My dad said, “She can get it.” And I did.

One of my favorite people was the elementary school librarian (she was MY librarian when I was at the elementary school and my mom’s friend – my mom was a first grade teacher at the same school).  Mrs. Rush started researching to find out what this odd animal was.  After a couple of days she announced that it was a vulpine phalanger. 

 

Not long after that, a student from Northern Arizona University came by.  He was from Australia and he said, “I heard you had a vulpine phalanger – what would you want with one of those!!  They are real pests!  Farmers hate them!” 

 

Vulpine phalangers are marsupials and are sort of like our opossums.  They are considered to be nuisances.

Meanwhile, once Sam was put into his cage, my dad said that I shouldn’t try to handle him because I might get bit – go figure.  However, I worked at the store on Saturdays and my dad was barbering, so I would open the cage and give Sam carrots and other veggies.  I wasn’t disobedient enough to handle him, but he did get where he would come and sit by me because I gave him treats.

Aren't vulpine phalangers cute?!?

 

Maybe my dad got more cautious after he saw his teeth!

Eventually, my dad sold him (maybe he found out I was hand feeding him).  I was sad.

 A couple of guys from school came by and for the next four years (through junior high and high school) they called me Sam because of the vulpine phalanger. 

 

Why buy Prickly Paul the hedgehog from a breeder?

     I often suggest going to a rescue or Humane Society to find a new pet.  I have found pets for the GEE Funny Farm on Craigslist.

     Why didn't I get a hedgehog from a rescue or Humane Society?  Well, I've watched for one, but haven't seen one.

     Why didn't I get a hedgehog from Craigslist from someone trying to 'rehome' theirs?  Because if they 'didn't have time' for their hedgehog, I would find a prickly ball with issues that I would have to overcome.  Hedgehogs need to be handled a lot, every day, so you CAN feel comfortable handling them.  Paul came with a bonding bag that I've carried with me the last two days.  His breeder handled him every day for the six weeks he was with her.  I could tell, because he was relaxed with her and with me when she handed him over.

     So, Thursday we picked him up and carried him in his bonding bag home.  When Nathaniel or I got him out, he would start out in a ball, but after a bit would relax -- thank goodness!  He is not very comfortable to hold when he is in protection mode!

     Friday I carried him around while I delivered meals on wheels (I even shared him with one of the people I often deliver to).  He was now relaxed when he was in his bag.  I could pet him and even touch his toes:)

     Today, I carried him around when I took Nathaniel home, did some shopping and once, while shopping, I had to take him out of the bag to check on him because he was so relaxed he felt limp!  That was scary -- and he didn't ball up until I touched his tummy -- then he turned into a prickly ball with a huff and a puff, so I decided he was okay.

      When I got home, I let him out and he crawled around on me, ate a little turkey from me, got a drink from a water bottle lid, and let me handle him a lot:)  That in three days.  Trying to 'tame' one that was older and had not been handled would have taken a lot longer.

       I've had people try to give me their unwanted pets.  In the old days, I might have taken them, but now I really need to pick and choose and only take in animals that I can use and that other people can pet.  It is sad, but true.  So, that is why I decided to go to a breeder this time.  I hope you get a chance to meet Paul.

Christmas is Coming and so are new Pets!

With Christmas coming, people are out looking for that perfect gift.  A gift that keeps on giving is a pet.  However, in my experience, it is best to let the pet choose the person.  This means that going out and buying the dog or cat or bird that YOU like will not determine that your loved one will feel the same way.  Letting your loved one accompany you and letting the magic happen between your loved one and the pet that is chosen is important.

Happy Valentine's Day 1999

I’ve received ‘gift certificates’ from my husband for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and Christmas with permission to get an animal that my husband thinks that I’ve researched sufficiently (because I’ve been talking about the animal for some period of time with books and articles all over the house).  Even with the research I do, there are always surprises!  So, before you take your friend or family member out to look at the pet that they think they want, it is important that everyone does the homework!!  How big will that puppy get?  Most German Shepherds are in rescues because the people didn’t realize that they ‘would get THAT big.  How energetic will your adult dog be?  While people seem to be able to put up with puppy energy, they expect that once the puppy grows up it will calm down – which is why there are so many Border Collies in rescues or humane societies.  How loud is that bird anyway?  While parrots can make great pets (please research the kind of parrot that will fit what you expect), they can be VERY noisy in the morning and evening when they call to their flock (that would be the people in the house).  They can also be noisy when they hear company upstairs and they want to be part of things.  And they need a LOT of stimulation. 

Happy birthday 2009

Also realize that there are many bills associated with pets.  They need appropriate food.  Cats and dogs need vaccinations.  Dogs need training.  Bearded dragons need crickets (it is surprising how many crickets such a little lizard can consume!!).  Parrots and rabbits need claws trimmed (and some people have the parrot’s wings clipped) and appropriate housing.  Rabbit cages sold in most stores are NOT big enough to house your rabbit full-time.  All animals need toys and some rabbits need specific things to chew on so they won’t consume their cage or your furniture!!  And it seems that rodents and rabbits go straight for electric cords, so you may have to pet proof your home or at least an area in which you will let them run around to play.

Merry Christmas 2000

If you do your homework and know what you want and what to expect you and your pet will be a lot happier!  I also suggest that you check out rescue organizations and humane societies in your area.  There are also rehab places for birds.  These organizations can help you find the pet that will fit your lifestyle.  It saddens me to see the pets listed on Craigslist and Petfinder that are being ‘rehomed’ at six weeks or two years old.  In many cases the reason people are getting rid of the pet that they say they really love is because they did NOT do their homework or they weren’t willing to put in time training or working with the animal listed.  Don’t let that happen to you or your loved one!!

Happy birthday 2012

If a pet is being added to your household I hope that it brings you and your loved one joy and that you bring security and love to the special animal that is chosen!