Post by kathy on Mar 29, 2024 2:46:44 GMT
Hi everyone,
I am new in degu keeping. I fostered a degu from a rescue I volunteer for, tamed her and decided to keep her, as she is very comfortable with me, loves pets, but not to be picked up. She comes to me on her terms, sometimes to my arm or hand, but loves pets the most. Her name is Dee Dee. Her history is not known - was she with another degu at previous home, or a solo degu.
I also had foster guinea pigs, sharing the same small room with a degu, and when they were adopted, a degu acted depressed. When I got other two foster guinea pigs and she could see and hear them close to her, she started eating better again and behaving like before.
As I will not have foster guinea pigs forever, I decided to find her a friend degu. I found a female pup, she was about six weeks old at that time (about 10 days ago), and Dee Dee was estimated to be six months old when I got her, it was about three months ago, or a bit more, so Dee Dee is less than a year old, most likely. The pup is tamed, runs into hands and all over the humans, but not used yet to get pets.
I have a four level single critter nation cage. I read recently that while introducing degus, they should be by each other, but for various reasons I cannot have another cage (being a renter, limited space and other reasons). So I keep a degu pup (still thinking what name to give her) on the top level, and Dee Dee on lover three. I blocked the opening with metal mesh. I started introducing them by holding a pup next to Dee Dee (pup in my hands outside), introducing scents with hay from each other, blankets, sand etc. Then when it looked that they are interested in each other, I started letting them being together shortly, only while supervised. I was happy seeing them groom each other and g happy, actually it is mostly Dee Dee grooming a pup.
But there is a problem: a pup is hyperactive, very vocal around Dee Dee, always sounding demanding, and often following and even chasing Dee Dee and then she has it enough. Dee Dee seems to want only to have a calm friend to groom with, but a pup is overwhelming her. Lastly, she even produced the same sound like when I need to catch her sometimes, and she runs away and produces a sound of being stressed, to call it that way. Two of them even boxed a bit.
Often a pup turns on her back while with Dee Dee, chirping and squeaking all the time and acts like trying to suckle Dee Dee - and Dee Dee does not like it, for sure! I am worried that they may hurt each other if Dee Dee has it enough at some point. And I noticed that a pup acts possessive with food, especially if finding secret stashes of treats that Dee Dee hid somewhere; the pup was running around with a treat in her mouth, trying to find a good spot to hide it from Dee Dee, and not allowing Dee Dee close to her.
Sorry for a long post. I need some advice how to (hopefully) bond a young adult degu with a pup, that has different level of energy and more active behaviour. I am not sure if they have different characters that will stay as such, or a pup will calm down over time. As mentioned above, it is a problem for me to get another cage to put them side by side. Not sure what else to do in these circumstances.
Is there anybody experienced with bonding of adult degus with non related pups or young degus?
I am new in degu keeping. I fostered a degu from a rescue I volunteer for, tamed her and decided to keep her, as she is very comfortable with me, loves pets, but not to be picked up. She comes to me on her terms, sometimes to my arm or hand, but loves pets the most. Her name is Dee Dee. Her history is not known - was she with another degu at previous home, or a solo degu.
I also had foster guinea pigs, sharing the same small room with a degu, and when they were adopted, a degu acted depressed. When I got other two foster guinea pigs and she could see and hear them close to her, she started eating better again and behaving like before.
As I will not have foster guinea pigs forever, I decided to find her a friend degu. I found a female pup, she was about six weeks old at that time (about 10 days ago), and Dee Dee was estimated to be six months old when I got her, it was about three months ago, or a bit more, so Dee Dee is less than a year old, most likely. The pup is tamed, runs into hands and all over the humans, but not used yet to get pets.
I have a four level single critter nation cage. I read recently that while introducing degus, they should be by each other, but for various reasons I cannot have another cage (being a renter, limited space and other reasons). So I keep a degu pup (still thinking what name to give her) on the top level, and Dee Dee on lover three. I blocked the opening with metal mesh. I started introducing them by holding a pup next to Dee Dee (pup in my hands outside), introducing scents with hay from each other, blankets, sand etc. Then when it looked that they are interested in each other, I started letting them being together shortly, only while supervised. I was happy seeing them groom each other and g happy, actually it is mostly Dee Dee grooming a pup.
But there is a problem: a pup is hyperactive, very vocal around Dee Dee, always sounding demanding, and often following and even chasing Dee Dee and then she has it enough. Dee Dee seems to want only to have a calm friend to groom with, but a pup is overwhelming her. Lastly, she even produced the same sound like when I need to catch her sometimes, and she runs away and produces a sound of being stressed, to call it that way. Two of them even boxed a bit.
Often a pup turns on her back while with Dee Dee, chirping and squeaking all the time and acts like trying to suckle Dee Dee - and Dee Dee does not like it, for sure! I am worried that they may hurt each other if Dee Dee has it enough at some point. And I noticed that a pup acts possessive with food, especially if finding secret stashes of treats that Dee Dee hid somewhere; the pup was running around with a treat in her mouth, trying to find a good spot to hide it from Dee Dee, and not allowing Dee Dee close to her.
Sorry for a long post. I need some advice how to (hopefully) bond a young adult degu with a pup, that has different level of energy and more active behaviour. I am not sure if they have different characters that will stay as such, or a pup will calm down over time. As mentioned above, it is a problem for me to get another cage to put them side by side. Not sure what else to do in these circumstances.
Is there anybody experienced with bonding of adult degus with non related pups or young degus?
