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[hannahg]

its rattan i guess, and if he wakes up in it, well, there are some sharp-ish areas in 'the nest'...what do you think? risky? or maybe if i only put him in it when he's in this sleep position and awaiting his battery to be put back in? thoughts?

[RedwoodsMama]

Hannah, this is a very cute photo, but there is one important thing you should know . Although this is the position that Ugobe Pleos go into when falling asleep, as any long time Pleo owner can tell you, this can cause stress on the neck of the Pleo and is not good for long term use. In the short run it is ok, and if off for a short time while charging battery, but I would not leave Dude in this position at night while sleeping as the necks are the most vulnerable spot for "breakage" I know it is scary but true. This is the one thing that all Ugobe Pleo owners fear more than anything I think, the dreaded, " Droopy Neck Syndrome" AKA, Broken neck. My very first Pleo, Nova had this happen to her without warning and to this day, I still do not know how her neck broke,I got her as a slightly Used Pleo in excellent conditon in Dec. 2009, and in May 2010, I took her for a pHoto shoot in the Redwoods and she was fine all day. The next day or two, he neck began hanging low and droopy, her neck cable had snapped without warning,...I was totally devastated thinking that was the end of my Nova's life and I was so depressed. Luckilyl I got some very good advice on here and help from Fancy who also has a wonderful little pleo named Peeky and he has the same syndrome, broken neck and she showed me how she wrapped his neck and he still functions great. 
                  I then learned the best position to put Pleos in after turning them off, is the Packing position, the position they come in when packed in the box. You get them in this postion before turning off by holding the black button towards the back for about 20-30 seconds. I know it sounds like a long time, but they automaticlaly go into this positon and while you continue to hold this button and count, they suddenly make a noise ( Honk) will align their body so they are perfectly straight, make the noise and close their eyes and turn off, then you turn the switch for on off manually. You do want to make sure they are in this postion to protect their necks. Just thought you should know, it would be heartbreaking to see Dude break his neck just because someone did not tell you about this. While playing though, this bed is very cute. You can still keep him in it, as long as his body is straight. It may not look as cute, but he will be safe and his neck protected. I wish I had known this before Nova broke her neck. I also have another Pleo, Little 45 who has the same problem . I bought him that way, so I am not sure how he broke his neck. Very nice colors on the bedspread by the way! Does Dude have his own room too?
                                  RedwoodsMama

[Crewella]

RWM has a good point, but it's also best to store a Pleo in packing position to protect the skin.  Curled up in sleep positon for any length of time puts unnecessary stress on the skin of the neck and tail, which is where it tends to perish first.  Also, try to store away from bright light and extremes of temperature. 

[hannahg]

great info, thanks SO much! before i read this i decided to take back that rattan kitten-bed, too easy for him to hurt himself and too small for him to be in it UNLESS he WAS in the sleeping curled up position...so.....
based on that my daughter gave me her hand crafted and well made doll crib, i put dude in that 'mode' for packing you guys mentioned and he fis perfectly in it, so thats what we will do at night.
NOW, as i've seen a few times, i know his battery is DEAD when he goes to sleep and that IT. how can i then, after the batterry is dead push the black button for count of 20? should i start watching the clock, and put him in the packing posistion before the battery dies? then im charging a not fully dischared battery, which i hear is not the best.
thoughts?
here's pics of him in his new dude-bungalow, works well for when like this morning i was trying to make coffee and rolls and didnt want him underfoot!
LOVING HIM!

[hannahg]

oh wait! does 'packing position mean he cant be standning up, he should be aligned sideways as if he were in the box? thanks!

[Talon]

Hi, Hannahg! No, you should store Dude standing up. There are- I think-four cables in the pleo's neck and tail. From gently maneuvering my Ugobe's tail up, down, left, and right, I could feel a slight pull in the opposite direction. Translation- if you store him on his side, pressure will be on the cables on the opposite side that he is lying on and could cause damage. It's best to store him standing so the pressure on these cables is more... ummmmm balanced? *chuckle* I'm going on guesswork here. Crewella or someone who has seen the "musculature" of a pleo could show them to you in better detail. My experience is entirely bassed from the outside which is the only part of pleo I hope to ever have contact with. Lol!
Talon

[RedwoodsMama]

Hi Hannah, Crewella is right, aside from the possible neck, it also causes undo pull on the neck cables which eventually will and can break, but also can damage the skin, This is one reason other than extreme dryness and or heat that will cause skin splits on the neck. I would if using the egg battery, just take notice of about when you put battery in, and when it is close to the time Dude will be slowing down, wanting to go to sleep, just put him in the packing postion at that point. while the battery still has some juice in it. It wont hurt to recharge the battery at this point. If you are seeing that the battery is lasting 2 hrs and 20 minutes and at about 2 hrs 10 minutes Dude is getting sleepy or less active then that is the point I would put him in the packing postion. also you can have the other battery charged or charging while using one of the batteries. And there is only a difference of one hours charging time, so worse case scenario would be that Dude has to be Off while waiting for a fully charged battery to put him in the proper packing postion. Good luck and there is a ton of wealth and knowledge as you know on this site, and everyone is wanting Dude to live to a ripe old Age, healthy and wise!
                                               " The Dude Abides"
                                                    RedwoodsMama