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Post by afloatingdegu on Aug 10, 2023 7:20:45 GMT
My degus (3m) have been together for about 6/7 months now. They used to get along but two of them have been off and on recently: biting, scratching, squeaking for HOURS at each other angrily. The other one (who hasn't been fighting) seems to ignore this and doesn't engage in the same bickering. It's come to the point where we've had to separate them several times, but I don't like to do that because then we have one alone (I'm worried he gets lonely or cold). They've drawn blood and bite each other through the grate we put in the cage. (Our enclosure is a 2 floor structure so we simply block off the exit to separate them.) Occasionally we put them back together and they are fine again! I'm not sure what to do, they continue to end up with little bites and nicks all over (especially one, he's much smaller than the others.)
Does anyone know how to deal with this?
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Post by teemu on Aug 10, 2023 13:12:04 GMT
How old are your boys? This sounds like it could be an issue related to puberty (so for degus younger than about 1 year and 4 months), but if they're older, it is of course possible for any group of degus to have these conflicts.
It also sounds like they have not originally been together, since you mentioned that they've been together for about half a year. Could you tell us whether they're all from different places, or if you had two that were together and added a third one? I'd especially like to know about the ones that are fighting now, were they also introduced to each other half a year ago?
Also, does it seem like there is some specific time or situation in which the fighting occurs, or does it seem to be mostly just random?
If you start getting actual bites and cuts, it is absolutely the right call to separate them. If they keep fighting through the grate, you'll need to put something on it that will block them from touching each other. It's especially dangerous if they're fighting through the grate, since someone could get bitten in the fingers very easily, and from experience I can tell you that those fingers will not stand up to teeth...
In any case, keeping them separate for some time is absolutely necessary if they start injuring each other. Since they're sometimes fine, it's likely a dominance issue that takes some time to manifest. Doing proper introductions again may be in order, but I'll hold off on further input for now, until hearing a bit more.
(As a sidenote, if you have someone alone and they're cold and lonely, you can get a heatpad for pets, like a snugglesafe, as a temporary measure. Some degus also appreciate a soft toy, or even just things like a cloth hammock or other cloth nest.)
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Post by afloatingdegu on Aug 14, 2023 17:55:30 GMT
We got them from the same place when they were babies (probably around a week or two old), they are around 6/7 months old now (sorry if that was confusing. The fighting seems to be random. Thank you for the advice, I will continue to keep them separated when they are fighting! We have now put a large wooden slab over the grate so not toes will be bitten!
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Post by teemu on Aug 14, 2023 18:43:12 GMT
Okay, no worries, it's clear now. This is certainly then related to puberty. Degus go through an adolescent phase between about that age and up to about 16-18 months old, as I mentioned. During this phase, they will start to test others around them to establish a hierarchy, and to potentially clear out any rivals. It's not an uncommon time for something like this to happen. The bad news is that it may not be easy to clear this up for some time, as they are wound up and full of hormones. But the good news is that as long as you can keep steady, there are good chances that over time you will be able to get them back together. It takes patience, and it may sometimes seem really hopeless (degus can be really dramatic), but I've seen degus totally ready to kill each other make up and get together through proper introduction procedures. If you haven't done so yet, I recommend reading some of the guides we have on introducing degus. I'll add a couple of links at the end of this post, and you can also check other messages pinned on this introduction subforum. Do your boys get playtime outside the cage? You might want to try whether they are more or less friendly with each other outside the cage, if you have a suitable area. Generally, it is recommended that actual introductions should be carried out in a neutral space (that is, a space that none of your boys strongly associate as "theirs"), because they will not feel that their territory is being threatened. This should of course only be done in a space that is safe for degus. This is also explained in those links I will add here. I've been in a similar situation to you, with two boys who got estranged with each other when puberty hit them. Often they were fine when I allowed them to play outside the cage, but things would quickly get bad when they tried to be in the same cage. If you can find a space where the boys will be able to tolerate each other better, then loneliness will also hit less since they're still getting companionship. Ultimately, they will have to hash out their differences and establish actual dominance, and that will require social fighting. This is, however, different from situations where they actually start injuring each other. Those fights are no longer about finding out who's the boss, they're about everyone thinking they are the boss and that others must submit or be removed - violently if necessary. The guideline is that pushing, shoving and such is fine unless it causes actual injuries. As you proceed further with the situation, it's likely you will also be able to tell better which situations seem to be devolving into real brawls. I would recommend that if it seems like things are headed there, it's best to end it before it actually gets there. Degus can carry a grudge really badly, and it's better if the situation ends with better impressions. If you have any questions about anything, or want more input on how you should proceed in this specific situation, or just have any things that you are unsure about, please don't hesitate to ask! You should (if you want) also just report on how things are going in general, even if it doesn't seem like things are really moving. These things can be quite difficult to sort out, and people here will be happy to help deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17619/deguconverts-detailed-introductions-fighting-guidedeguworld.proboards.com/thread/17618/introductions-fighting-quick-guide
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 14, 2023 18:45:12 GMT
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