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Post by elliecat on Oct 3, 2015 15:09:30 GMT
I recently (about a week ago) adopted 3 rescue degus (all neutered boys, around 3 years old). These are the first degus I've owned, although I have previously had gerbils.
After a few days of putting my hand slowly in the cage and offering treats, all of them will now put their front paws on my hand to reach treats (which is very cute)! One of them (Fatty) is much more confident with me, and when I open the cage door will climb through and jump out onto the floor if I don't catch him, or will climb up my arm and down my back if my hand is in the cage to feed another degu. This would be fine, but when he's out of the cage he doesn't sit quietly to eat any snacks, but immediately tries to set off across the floor.
This means that its hard to calmly interact with the other two because Fatty and his escape attempts take up most of my attention when the cage is open. I have tried putting him in a large hamster-sized ball (which I know isn't ideal) just to give me some time with the others but he doesn't seem to like it at all.
I can't understand why he seems so desperate to get out of the (very large!) cage only to then appear unhappy once he's out of it?
TL:DR - Any tips on how to make a degu that climbs out of his cage calm once he's out would be much appreciated!
Ellie
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Post by deguconvert on Oct 3, 2015 18:58:42 GMT
Hi Elliecat, and welcome to the forum!! You have two things working against you. 1. Everything smells new and unfamiliar so that will make him a jumpy, especially since you are trying to catch him. 2. He is DYING of curiousity and REALLY wants to explore. Degus are hugely curious, and . . . well . . . lets just say they don't tire of exploring. So, you might want to look at the Cages, Housing, and Accessories board. In there are several threads about building play pens that can surround the cage, or stand on their own, in which the degus can have time out of their cage safely, and which are hopefully large enough that you can also sit in there with them while they are running about. It is a great way to build trust with the and help the to get to know you better. Here is some reading for you. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendationsdeguworld.proboards.com/thread/7310/make-run?page=1deguworld.proboards.com/thread/18716/accessories-bedding-toy-ideasHopefully you will find lots in there to help you. |
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Post by moletteuk on Oct 3, 2015 19:10:30 GMT
Welcome to the forum and to the world of degus, Ellie  First of all have you seen our cage size guide just to make sure that your cage is as big as you think, 3 degus need 1.5 square metres surface running area? deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendationsDegus can be pretty bold and curious so it is fairly common for some degus to be off and away at any opportunity of an open door. It depends on your setup and room as to the best way round this. Probably the best solution is to set up a pen around the cage so Fatty is limited in how far he can go and can't get into trouble with electric wires and furniture and so on while your attention is divided. You can make a good play pen out of mdf sheets connected with piano hinges. You can use the connected panels to divide a room wall to wall or make an independant free standing pen. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/7310You could try training him to come back by always leaving food in the cage when you have finished with the door open, or you could retrieve him with a cardboard tube (like a poster tube) and put him in a safe pen while you interact with the others. New territory is always a bit scary for a degu although curiosity does seem to trump this to get them into the new territory. Once he gets more familiar with the room he should become more comfortable, if you put a few cardboard boxes down he might take cover in them, or if you put a ramp back into the cage he might make his way back in - although this would allow the others out too. (cross post there with deguconvert, sorry for repetition) |
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Post by Astra88 on Oct 4, 2015 10:46:52 GMT
I've recently got my goo's and found the best way to interact with mine is getting a run in the living room. I live in a small one bedroom flat so not much space but I bought a 60x60 8panel puppy run and fit it out with mesh so they can't get through the holes Where it is big when open and can be shaped to the room it means I can sit in there and let them come out of the cage and come to me when they want to. Attachment DeletedAttachment Deleted |
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Post by moletteuk on Oct 4, 2015 16:34:26 GMT
Just want to make a quick note that lots of degus would just climb up and over a mesh style pen, so do watch out for that!
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Post by Astra88 on Oct 14, 2015 4:32:48 GMT
Yes I did notice that but they're very responsive to the word down when I use it.....hahaha cheeky little goo's
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Post by Bexi87 on Oct 14, 2015 7:01:58 GMT
I have to whistle at mine...they ignore everything else I've tried. Little sods. Too cute to stay mad at though |
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Post by bouncy on Oct 15, 2015 16:43:09 GMT
Yes I did notice that but they're very responsive to the word down when I use it.....hahaha cheeky little goo's Hahaha I find the sound of my hand reaching into the ball pit is enough for Spidergoo! |
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Post by Astra88 on Oct 17, 2015 8:49:30 GMT
Yes I did notice that but they're very responsive to the word down when I use it.....hahaha cheeky little goo's Hahaha I find the sound of my hand reaching into the ball pit is enough for Spidergoo! Hahaha ball pit that is brilliant I love it |
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