URGENT HELP NEEDED - BABIES SUDDENDLY APPEARED!!

[kate]

We have just arrived back from a long weekend holiday and a miracle has happened!! Father and son, Bubble and Squeak are NOT as they appeared!!! Bubble, whom we thought was getting a little chubby - upped his exercise around and cut down on snacks - has just had a litter!! 8 tiny pups are in their nesting box. I think it had just occured when came home because since our arrival they have frantically been gathering newspaper from the bottom cage and tearing it and putting it in box.

Important questions:- when is it safe for the children to hold them!!

Is there anything Ishould be doing - have given them extra food but feel awful because they had a new cage last week and am worried now - I have done everything wrong for bubbles happiness!!

Any advice, tips etc other than sue the pet shop!!!!

[4390evans]

awwwwwww babies are lovley
when my degu's have had there litter i always wash my hands in there bathing dust before picking them up, they should be ok where the nest is concerned as i clean the cage every week and probablies disturbed a nest in the past, i always give mine toilet roll to put in the nest sometimes sawdust. hope this helps
remember to share lol we want pics
good luck
jen

[kate]

Thank you Jen for reply. My guilt is extreme as a mother of three children feel awful that have subjected her to distress!! Also, their new cage is two tiered with shelves and unknowlingly we have put shelter box on top shelf of the top section. They have nested their, torn up all newspaper and twigs BUT when babied come to venture there is nowhere for them to go without falling off shelf!! To move their nest would have to slide it onto card then pop in bottom of bottom!! Help - do you think this would freak bubble (now needs new name!!) out too much??? xxx

[4390evans]

no just move the box on to the bottom the babys will be wandering in about 3-4 days they seem to grow quick, you can touch them i have and mine have been ok . dont frett they cope well with babies there wont be much distress with moving the cage about.
remember to put something to line the bottom of the cage so the babies can get used to it.

[kate]

Because we don't know when they came, I suspect only today, when do you think we can handle them??

[4390evans]

You should be able to do it now ive never had problems with mine and ive held them as soon as they have come out just to check them over they will be ok to hold now

[icklebee]

We were in the same boat really .. Our 9 babies came on Tuesday morning but we were sort of expecting them any day.

Ours now are all over the cage floor and even jumping up and trying to climb the bars.

We have started weighing ours now at the same time every day to see if they are getting enough milk from their mum. So far they are but if it comes to it ill have to look up how to hand feed them if one or more stops eating.

We handle ours every day and mum doesnt really seem to mind. although we have just had a bit of a disaster as we have changed the paper at the bottom of the cage and she doesnt seem to have liked it. We have taken out all our Shelving as she was taking them up to the very top one and leaving them there. We have had a few disasters where i couldnt reach the baby in time to catch it, but they all seem ok and are now feeding again in the nesting box.

Good luck with the little uns ... I hope you are enjoying them as much as i am mine.

[4390evans]

try puttin up a long wide tea towel as a safe guard just incase they fall mine covers the entire length and widgth of the cage, once they got up there they wouldnt come out so the mother just stayed up there with them

[phe]

i dont kno but just from experience with other animals and their babies i would say leave it at LEAST a week before handling them... i might be wrong? never had baby degus so :s
xxx

[4390evans]

yeah i got gerbils and hamsters need 4-6 weeks before touching them but degus are fine to pick up but if you want leave them a week if your frightend just depends how good you are with the mother and father if they are fine with you they they should be ok with you handling kits

[kate]

Thank you all sooooo much for your encouragement, help and advice. I think we are all still shell shocked really. Also, it seems Bubble and Squeak really want to come out!! They obviously haven't been handled all weekend because we were away and I have to keep pushing them back in when we open to cage to restock food - bubble doesn't stop eating, little torn fresh apple sticks and water. They seem desperate to get out. Do you think its okay?? Once again, really appreciate all your help - Keep it coming. We have moved box onto bottom cage, carefully sliding it onto stiff card to relocating it. Watched so nervously but after initial shock bubble did feed pups and has adjusted well!!

[buzz]

Hows the mum looking? She has a large litter and may need the extra protein and good fats in walnuts, sunny seeds etc.

Degus can be held from early on as they are well developed but I would have left it a couple of days for them to adjust but if they've been fine with it thats fab.

[kate]

Shes fine we are all fatening her up a bit we have a ready held one of the babies we have 8 ow my GOD

[deguconvert]

If Bubble and Squeak are used to being handled a lot . . . I wouldn't deny them the contact they are looking for. It won't hurt for them to come out and have a cuddle with their people. If you have been in the habit of letting them have a romp on the floor, I would recommend that you do so, but just one at a time, so that either mum or dad is available to the pups while the other is getting time out.

[kate]

Thanks for advice. Its lovely to chat to other people about it all, we are still a little over whelmed. Bubble and Squeak come out together for floor time but go in and out of their cage via a ladder and bubble does tend to go in every few minutes, pop in her box, check the babies and then go out again. We are having cuddles and checks on the pups whilst this happens. They appear to be doing really well - although Bubble looks exhausted and who can blame her !!

[lilyandrose]

aww congrates on the babies i hope u put pictures on here so we can see and i cant help u yet because i havent had any babies yet i am getting a male soon but i dont know if i will breed them to my 2 females anyways congrates on the babies