Post by karee on Feb 18, 2024 8:19:53 GMT
Hello, I'm looking for advice as I am currently worn out and am out of ideas. Pre-apology for the long read.
I have had degus for the past 3-4 years and have done much research for what little there is out there on them. I had 2 boys that were balls of joy and everything was good and fine. One of them passed away and I ended up getting 2 new baby boys for my old one. Bonding was essentially a piece of cake due to the age difference and the new ones not being adults, yet. Once they hit their adulthood, which happened to be within breeding season, all hell broke loose. None of them would get along. Fast forward, my old one bonded to one of the boys and they both began attacking the other new one. I sperated them top to bottom in hopes of rebonding, but they ended up getting to one another and attacking. Now they are in same size separate cages which I have kept about 5 inches apart for almost a year in hopes they would rebond. I have made attempts to do short floor time bonding moments which not a single one has ended well or lasted long.
The new behavior is bar biting and getting out. The new goo my eldest is with started it by chewing through the plastic pan at the bottom. I know what you're thinking, why would you give them plastic. Well because the OG goos never bothered and it didn't seem to be a problem. I am getting a welder to make me metal pans but the levels in the cage are also plastic and they are chewing those to bits as well. My fear is for the plastic to get ingested or to cut them. My old good never bar bit or anything like the behavior they are now showing. It's almost as if they're in a fight for their lives to get out of their cages as they are all 3 developing bald patches from where their faces rub against the bars when chewing.
They all get floor time in which they put themselves back in their cages when they are done. The have room to run, climb, and dig. They have plentiful amounts of chews, food, and water. They have a wheel and anything else you can pretty much think of.
When I get the metal pans, that will fix the escape problems, but it won't fix the chewing through the plastic levels or bar biting, nor will it fix the fact that one boy lives alone.
The way I see it is I have two options in that aspect, either rehome him, which I refuse to do as we have an amazing bond, or I could get him a friend, but I would like to hear ideas on anything I can do to make the three of them a happy family. With the metal pans, I still want my boys to be happy inside their cages. Any advice is welcome.
Details that may or may not be important.
Cage: Ware Living Room Series Ferret Cage (~32"x~22"x~55")(size is from the top of my head not exact)
Both groups wheels are 15" and 16" diameter.
They are fed Timothy pellets, Timothy hay, orchard hay, and meadow hay.
Burrowing area is about 5"-6" deep and I use a mixtures of paper bedding and Aspen shavings.
If anyone has any ideas or experienced anything similar, I would love to hear what you did to help the situation as I'm worried their quality of life is nowhere near where it should be.
I have had degus for the past 3-4 years and have done much research for what little there is out there on them. I had 2 boys that were balls of joy and everything was good and fine. One of them passed away and I ended up getting 2 new baby boys for my old one. Bonding was essentially a piece of cake due to the age difference and the new ones not being adults, yet. Once they hit their adulthood, which happened to be within breeding season, all hell broke loose. None of them would get along. Fast forward, my old one bonded to one of the boys and they both began attacking the other new one. I sperated them top to bottom in hopes of rebonding, but they ended up getting to one another and attacking. Now they are in same size separate cages which I have kept about 5 inches apart for almost a year in hopes they would rebond. I have made attempts to do short floor time bonding moments which not a single one has ended well or lasted long.
The new behavior is bar biting and getting out. The new goo my eldest is with started it by chewing through the plastic pan at the bottom. I know what you're thinking, why would you give them plastic. Well because the OG goos never bothered and it didn't seem to be a problem. I am getting a welder to make me metal pans but the levels in the cage are also plastic and they are chewing those to bits as well. My fear is for the plastic to get ingested or to cut them. My old good never bar bit or anything like the behavior they are now showing. It's almost as if they're in a fight for their lives to get out of their cages as they are all 3 developing bald patches from where their faces rub against the bars when chewing.
They all get floor time in which they put themselves back in their cages when they are done. The have room to run, climb, and dig. They have plentiful amounts of chews, food, and water. They have a wheel and anything else you can pretty much think of.
When I get the metal pans, that will fix the escape problems, but it won't fix the chewing through the plastic levels or bar biting, nor will it fix the fact that one boy lives alone.
The way I see it is I have two options in that aspect, either rehome him, which I refuse to do as we have an amazing bond, or I could get him a friend, but I would like to hear ideas on anything I can do to make the three of them a happy family. With the metal pans, I still want my boys to be happy inside their cages. Any advice is welcome.
Details that may or may not be important.
Cage: Ware Living Room Series Ferret Cage (~32"x~22"x~55")(size is from the top of my head not exact)
Both groups wheels are 15" and 16" diameter.
They are fed Timothy pellets, Timothy hay, orchard hay, and meadow hay.
Burrowing area is about 5"-6" deep and I use a mixtures of paper bedding and Aspen shavings.
If anyone has any ideas or experienced anything similar, I would love to hear what you did to help the situation as I'm worried their quality of life is nowhere near where it should be.
