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Post by Maravilla on Apr 8, 2013 7:31:13 GMT
I recommended building some full shelves in there to really make it as best as possible I think this is a problem. Degus need as much running area as possible which means a couple of full shelves. Chipmunks need more open room to jump. Regarding this, it is not a good idea to keep degus and chipmunks together in one cage. It would be different if you could provide a whole room where degus could use the ground floor and the chipmunk the rest of the room. I am not sure about possible problems regarding their nutrition. Are all the things the degus get safe for the chipmunk and vice versa? Sorry if I sound harsh but I do not consider it a good idea to keep two completely different species (who would never even meet in the wild) together under such conditions. Right now, you do no provide an appropriate cage for both species. Not even with the time the chipmunk can spend outside the cage.
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Post by petmadness on Apr 8, 2013 11:09:20 GMT
Ill be sure to take some photos I really don't see a problem with them together and I sit by their cage almost all day everyday. Dexter is more relaxed than the others, he spends most of his time sleeping until he comes out, as far as diet goes the chipmunk has more nuts and fruit which are only meant to be a treat to degus so i feed them to him when hes out of the cage. I re-homed these guys, I didn't buy them separately, they're already a couple years old and they have always been together happy and safe. If you look again at my picture you'll see the big twisted rope in the center of the cage, the degus run up and down this and get off on higher platforms whilst it doesn't block the chipmunk from running up the edges of the cage, in any case, it is a very big cage. Which they also spend time out of everyday. I feel I do provide a brilliant home for both species, I came here to learn more about them so that any behaviour I think is odd is justified before i end up running them down the vets every week.
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Post by dyzired on Apr 8, 2013 13:24:24 GMT
I'm sorry maravilla, I was thinking of a prairie dog not a chipmunk. I was thinking it was more of a ground animal. I do think it could work if she built a much larger cage with a large floor area, but still tall enough for the chipmunk. I don't think the mixed species is that big of a deal if its working. There is a risk yes, but there's also risks with certain degus together. There have been plenty of mixed species together.. Such as An elephant and a sheep
A tiger, lion and bear
A tortoise and a hippo
These animals were the best of friends. Not to mention all the homes who have both dogs and cats living together. I don't think we should push her away so much, that's all I'm saying. Even though its a situation I would not recommend for any one else, there are always those special cases where sometimes the rules don't apply. Such as a lone degu who can't be with other degus. We don't recommend that but it has happened before.
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Post by petmadness on Apr 8, 2013 13:32:03 GMT
They really do get on very well together, I know its not common but it does work for them. I used to have house rabbits who got on very well with my cats :') these things do happen. I don't feel pushed away, I know thats it's an odd situation, I just felt I had to explain myself when I have done my best to give them a new and loving home, after all I am a self-confessed newbie and here is where I hoped to pick up on any advice for the littlens. I dont agree on the species thing at any rate, I'm sure cats and dogs were never meant to meet or get on in the wild and yet many share homes and are totally fine. Dex is a very friendly chipmunk, if a bit too friendly :') he would sit on your head if you let him x
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 8, 2013 15:30:01 GMT
Thanks for the fablon report RHD I'm sure you'll understand, Petmadness, that this is a pretty unusual situation for us to come across, so we can't help commenting on the unusual things that this throws up. Obviously this is a degu forum, so you will get degu oriented viewpoints here I don't know anything about chipmunks, I don't necessarily have anything against mixed species living together if they get on well and everybodies requirements can be met. I think the concerns about different diets and different housing requirements are valid, and if they were my pets, I would make this the focus of some research. Since there are two degus, then I think we can assume that their social requirements are being met, I don't know whether two degus are sufficient company and grooming and social interaction for a chipmunk. On the topic of this being a cage for degus, then the comment that I would normally make is that it is a good volume, but would be greatly improved by putting a couple of big shelves in it. I'm sure there would be a way to do this, say with one or two decent connecting holes that would still keep things suitable for Dexter. How are you finding the agility of the degus? We would normally recommend a couple of large shelves in a tall cage like that for the second reason of reducing the risk of injury from falling for the degus too. We do get reports on the forum of injury or worse from degu falls, so it's something to think about.
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Post by petmadness on Apr 8, 2013 15:39:32 GMT
Their agility is outstanding :') the give Dex a run for his money, they're always running about and up and down the rope in the middle, they also climb the outside of the cage and run along the two ribbons in there (the ones with the fluffy bits on) I've only witnessed one fall (their cage is in my bedroom which I spent practically all of my time in) and it was more of a jump, Janet went to the top of the rope and literally jumped down to the bottom, she didn't even hesitate at the top, I checked her over of course but she seemed more concerned with running about. Im happy to make more platforms they seem to love the cloth ones, Dexter fell asleep in a ball on one today, it was adorable. I made a cardboard house for in there but have to take it out at night because the two degus scratch at it and it makes a racket. xx
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Post by moletteuk on Apr 8, 2013 16:05:49 GMT
Mine are really quite cautious about jumping and balancing, perhaps living with Dexter has sharpened yours up. Yeah, hammock type things are often popular, so popular they chew them to pieces lol! You could really easily rig up quite big pieces right across the cage though, even put wooden sides or panels in to give them shape/ structure. It's easier than you might think to make wooden shelves, you can attach them to the cage sides by making supports with nuts and bolts clamped on to the cage sides, or by simply wiring things on. If you want to use something simple like plywood for the shelf, you can edge around any holes with strips of pine or softwood that stop them chewing the plywood, and you can put sides around the edge of the shelf to keep substrate in if you like. B&Q will cut wood sheets to size for you. If you use pine/ kiln dried softwood for the whole shelf, you don't need to worry so much about edging, it's all safe for them to chew. If you look through this thread, there are tons of photos for inspiration. The other advantage of more shelves is it allows you to give them more things like nest boxes and houses and tubes and terracotta pots, hay racks, lumps of wood for chewing and so on. If you only have one solid area, it quickly fills up with a nest, food bowls, wheel, sand bath and so on. I just did a quick bit or reading and I think chipmunks live mostly on the forest floor, so Dexter may appreciate more floor area too, so there might not even be a compromise My girls absolutely love nest building and shredding cardboard, maybe yours could have some in the daytime?
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Post by petmadness on Apr 8, 2013 16:22:48 GMT
Probably as far as i know they've been together for well... ever. They do chew them ahaha! Ive made three so far :') I did woodwork so thats not a problem. However money at the moment is, I dont get paid till friday so it's all homemade toys to fill in the gaps for now. I'm not sure if you can tell on the photo but the floor area is huge, I mean really really huge, I could sit cross-legged in there with a friend. They get it back in the day time haha and attack it then :') xx
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Post by saddlers on Apr 9, 2013 14:47:13 GMT
We have a couple of degus who are active climbers, but they tend to think they are better climbers than they are ...they do fall quite a bit...so much so that I introduced shelves so that fall height would be restricted. They clearly enjoy climbing more than the other degus so I am happy for them to do it...but they will not be as agile in a fall, and do not seem to always catch onto items when falling or land correctly, therefore it might be worth you looking at trying to introduce some intermediate shelves to prevent any falls from height. It is amazing that they are all getting on so well......I also couldn't help notice that I could not see a wheel in the cage...it may be worth looking at providing a wheel at lower level for the degus to run on. It might give them more incentive to exercise at ground level rather than just climbing for exercise And finally welcome to the forum!!
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Post by petmadness on Apr 9, 2013 18:09:35 GMT
We have a couple of degus who are active climbers, but they tend to think they are better climbers than they are ...they do fall quite a bit...so much so that I introduced shelves so that fall height would be restricted. They clearly enjoy climbing more than the other degus so I am happy for them to do it...but they will not be as agile in a fall, and do not seem to always catch onto items when falling or land correctly, therefore it might be worth you looking at trying to introduce some intermediate shelves to prevent any falls from height. It is amazing that they are all getting on so well......I also couldn't help notice that I could not see a wheel in the cage...it may be worth looking at providing a wheel at lower level for the degus to run on. It might give them more incentive to exercise at ground level rather than just climbing for exercise And finally welcome to the forum!! ive been making hammock type things to act as nets to catch them if they fall I did have a wheel at the bottom but they just didn't use it so I thought maybe it wasn't for them. I dont think they know what its for having never had one. thank-you x
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Post by ntg on Apr 9, 2013 18:23:52 GMT
How large was the wheel in diameter? I only ask because they might not be willing to use it if it's too small (we recommend a wheel of 12" in diameter).
When we first got our flying saucer-type wheel it took our boys a good week to understand what it was for, if they've never used an upright one then you could try using your hand to show them what it's for?
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Post by petmadness on Apr 9, 2013 18:26:10 GMT
Not sure how big it is without checking but its my mouse's old wheel, as I said before coming here and looking online I was just treating them like big jumpy hamsters. xx
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Post by ntg on Apr 9, 2013 18:31:02 GMT
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Post by saddlers on Apr 9, 2013 18:37:40 GMT
Our two climbers are both just very active goos and love their wheels...which is why I think they would really enjoy a larger wheel. You could always try a flying saucer if the wheel is not a success, but I tend to find that the degus found the wheel easier to master than the saucer. I am guessing your two will go nuts for a big wheel!!
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Post by rmazeds on Apr 9, 2013 19:22:39 GMT
I think that's lovely that they get on :)I want to see photos too!!
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Post by petmadness on Apr 9, 2013 19:25:44 GMT
A big wheel it is :') still has to wait till friday. rmazeds ill upload some soon x
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Post by rmazeds on Apr 9, 2013 19:40:19 GMT
I originally bought the wrong sized wheel at first and they NEVER attempted to run on it, the minute I bought a big wooden one they wouldn't get off it!
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Post by petmadness on Apr 9, 2013 19:53:08 GMT
With my mouse I had to take it out at night because it made such a racket, is it going to be the same with these girlies? And is it bad to take it away at night? x
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Post by ntg on Apr 9, 2013 20:06:14 GMT
It's a matter of preference, some people do, others don't. I have my boys in my room and don't take the wheel out. Yet when my OH had them in his room he had to remove the wheel if he wanted to sleep. The only difference is that I have a stricter routine with them for feeding time (it's as soon as I get up, and they make sure I get up at the same time every day : and every night they know it's bed-time as I'll cover them over an hour before I go to bed so they settle down and go to sleep themselves. This works for us anyway!
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Post by petmadness on Apr 9, 2013 20:09:10 GMT
I dont think i have anything big enough to cover their cage :') they do go to sleep at night though, though I have been woken up by them scratching at cardboard before, my partners a very light sleeper so it'll probs be out for us x
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