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newbie
Aug 17, 2010 18:08:35 GMT
Post by scotsmac on Aug 17, 2010 18:08:35 GMT
hi all very new to owning degus just got 4 junior males today. Not got cage yet using large plastic tub from wilkinsons just now. Can anyone please give me advice where i could buy cheapish home for them. Also looked at site about building wooden one but person got chaps off said not to any advice much appreciated
steve
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newbie
Aug 18, 2010 0:43:54 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 18, 2010 0:43:54 GMT
Might want to have got a cage before the pets, for one thing degus are resourceful and could jump pretty high!
You could do with getting a small metal chin cage from P@H and then get a JH cage (john hopewell he has an online site) and connect them together to then make it a decent sized cage. The extension is necessary as the chin cages from P@H (pets at home) are way to small for 4 degus.
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newbie
Aug 18, 2010 1:08:18 GMT
Post by deguconvert on Aug 18, 2010 1:08:18 GMT
steve said, "Also looked at site about building wooden one but person got chaps off said not to any advice much appreciated
steve "
Just to make sure that I am understanding correctly, the man you got your degus from advized against building a wooden cage? If this is the case, you may want to reconsider.
I have to tell you that I changed from not being in favour of wooden cages to being a firm supporter of them. NightwishRaven999 is long experienced in the use and building of wooden cages, and when he joined the forum here, there were many discussions about wooden verses metal. I was persuaded to give it a try, and I have to say that since building our own wooden cage for our three boys, I have been VERY very happy with it! The mess is DRAMATICALLY reduced!! Having two dogs that regularly wander through the room where the boys are kept meant that all tossed poos or bedding were tracked through the house, no matter how well I managed to control the mess. (Admition here . . . I'm not great at keeping the mess under control) So . . . MESS!! Also, although I have some exposed edges that I now need to cover in metal, the chewing hasn't been as bad as I feared it may be, and all the flat areas are chew free except for one little spot where I badly placed a screw when building the cage. The boys really enjoy their cage. The only thing that will make it better, is the addition of a lamp over top that will keep it nice and bright throughout the day.
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newbie
Aug 18, 2010 1:20:02 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 18, 2010 1:20:02 GMT
I also love my wooden cage and the lack of mess. I did advise on a metal cage as you can get it asap as a plastic tub is nowhere near an ideal housing for a large rodent like a degu.
Perhaps buy a quick single cage from P@H and then make your own. Wooden cages are more hygienic in my opinion as well as giving you a lot more space for your cash. It is easier to convert a cupboard just remember you need steel to protect certain parts sometimes as otherwise they'll chew out (aluminium is too soft they can chew through it.)
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sarahh
Foraging Degu
Posts: 65
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newbie
Aug 18, 2010 4:17:06 GMT
Post by sarahh on Aug 18, 2010 4:17:06 GMT
I have a Freddy 2 XL I have for my girls they are very happy in it, it's a wire top and plastic base, apart from nibbling at a couple of things they haven't tempted to chew the cage once.
Definatly best to get a cage before getting the pets. Welcome to the forum to you and your four boys.
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newbie
Aug 18, 2010 19:42:12 GMT
Post by scotsmac on Aug 18, 2010 19:42:12 GMT
thanks all much appreciated have got myself a rat cage for just now ( see pic ) will be making wooden one next week while am off from work. I either convert old chest of draws or start from scratch got some bits off old wardrobes in loft. wee fellows are great bit nervous to pick them up as when go to lift them the scatter
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 5:40:58 GMT
Post by deguconvert on Aug 19, 2010 5:40:58 GMT
Degus do not like to be caught or lifted . . . and if they must be caught, it is best to scoop them up from underneath, rather than coming over top of them. They are very fast, very suspicious, and very long in memory and hold grudges for a long time. I'm sure the last thing you would want is to set yourself into their minds as a preditor that should be avoided and bitten as hard as possible. Believe me . . . they can bite really hard. Anyway, work at hand training them, tempting them to come over to your hand using tastey tempting treats. Degus THINK, LIVE, and even BREATHE by their stomachs, so treats are very helpful training tools. Things to try to tempt them are porridge oats, sunny seeds, peanuts(monkey nuts) broken into tiny pieces, or shredded wheats also broken into bits. Any one of these should do the trick for them. Let them learn to come to you, and in doing so, build up trust in you. As that trust grows, it will be much easier to handle them when you need to. In the mean time, if you can get a chube or a bowl or something that they feel OK about walking into, you can encourage them to enter it and then use it to transport them from place to place.
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 12:25:31 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 19, 2010 12:25:31 GMT
Definitely listen to deguconverts advice. Most degus are not fond of being grabbed. When my degus have to go back from playtime (and if they don't seem in a touchy mood lol) I just hold a tube to them and they walk in. Degus love tubes, must be a security thing, so it seems to work with most people.
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 15:50:54 GMT
Post by w8152 on Aug 19, 2010 15:50:54 GMT
just to clarify, you really definately DEFINATELY do NOT want to get bit by a suprised or angry Goo...
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 15:52:47 GMT
Post by Owned by Degus on Aug 19, 2010 15:52:47 GMT
Hi all, I am a new mum to 3 little boys, Roberto, Eduardo and Pedro (Robbie, Ed and Pete ) and have read up on degu care and find the Degutopia website very useful but please can you all tell me what you use as litter. I started with the paper pellets as adviced by P@H as that is what their degu's have in the cage, only to discover that they could be potentially dangerous (Degutopia) and so went off to buy shavings, again P@H. I rang their customer services while there to ask if the shavings were pine and were told they were so I was going to buy them. when i got to the counter the assistant, who I had spoken to in the past and who had had degu's himself said not to get shavings but the wooden pellets for small animals. I did so and came home, cleaned the cage out of paper pellets and replaced with the wooden ones, these seem too hard and while I feel better because the packaging says digestible if ingested, I'm now worried they might be wrong for their little feet. PLEASE someone who really knows what is safe to use, let me know so I can get it spot on. My other question is where can I get a play pen so they can have a bigger run around, I cannot let them run around in a room as I have a small dog with a big appetite. Thank you
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 16:07:12 GMT
Post by Owned by Degus on Aug 19, 2010 16:07:12 GMT
PS I have sent a PM to Emz, i really appreciate your advice.
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 16:09:19 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 19, 2010 16:09:19 GMT
Use the dust extracted wood shavings from pets at home. They are the cheapest ideal substrate (minus finnacard but you can only get that online.) I use them with no problems. They are also nice and soft if the other substrate you use is hard it may cause bumblefoot.
As for a pen - you will be better making one. Commercial ones will be easy for a degu to get out of as they are not designed with degus in mind. Make one with some MDF (so maybe 4 pieces of wood attached by hinges? Or whatever you like) and that will be for the best. It will be a lot stronger then the flimsy hamster/small animal ones available on the market. Whenever you get a degu out though always keep your eye on them just to be sure, they're very energetic as I am sure you know meaning they can escape from things sometimes if you give them long enough to think about it.
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 17:46:40 GMT
Post by scotsmac on Aug 19, 2010 17:46:40 GMT
hi thats the boys settled in the cage seem real happy in it lol the 4 of them sleep in the little house on top of each other. when i put my hand in for them to take food from me they dont come near guess that come in time they allow my oldest daughter stroke them. Can anyone suggest toys or what i should have in cage for them many thanks
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 17:59:40 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 19, 2010 17:59:40 GMT
Hammocks, tissue, old egg boxes, cardboard tubes, and you can also get good stuff from chinchillas2shop (it also sells some degu stuff - all degu stuff there has a "degu safe" by it.) That site is great value and has the best range I've seen.
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 18:09:06 GMT
Post by scotsmac on Aug 19, 2010 18:09:06 GMT
thanks for that . can i make hammock using old jeans
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 19:07:31 GMT
Post by Owned by Degus on Aug 19, 2010 19:07:31 GMT
i read earlier today on Degutopia you can make a hammock out of anything, fold the ends over and thread old fashioned curtain wire through and hook on the mesh
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newbie
Aug 19, 2010 19:46:45 GMT
Post by emz on Aug 19, 2010 19:46:45 GMT
Be careful with what materials you do use. Some can be dangerous if the material is quite strong. An example is nylon.
I say this from experience with a hammock from P@H and it resulted in one of my boys almost losing their entire foot/leg. So just see if it is stringy or not material and if it is does it easily break if not don't use it. You can use jeans though they shouldn't cause that problem.
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