Constant squeaking

[goozoo]

I just got my 10 rescued Degus on Tuesday and they are nervous but settling in.

However, one of them keeps squeaking for ages at a time. Her little ears twitch and she lets out this high-pitched squeak every second or so.

She's bright looking and running about fine. She even eats and squeaks at the same time!

The others seem to ignore her but I'm wondering if she's the watchout for the group, like in a group of meercats?

Excuse me if I'm asking a silly question but I'm a bit new to this. does anyone have any ideas?

[greenlily]

Are you sure, its a girl?
Male degus often do it after copulating with the female. It can last hours.

[jolie]

Oooh. My guys do that squeek. They do it even if they are eating too. It looks like they have hiccups.
Double check to make sure what you have is a girl!

[sarah]

Buddy does that when he's feeling ignored -- the last time he started squeaking I gave him an apple twig and he kept squeaking while he was chewing! I think that sometimes once they get started, it's hard to stop.

[goozoo]

This group have always been together and in this particular group since April and no babies, but hey, mistakes can happen.
She/he's stopped doing it now but I'm going to check again in the morning. Fingers crossed.

If it is a boy, I think it's too old to neuter, so he might have to end up somewhere else. I do hope not.

[greenlily]

I hope, it is a girl.

[falloutboylover12]

We got one that squeaks all of the time also. We think he has turned out to be a male instead of a girl like we were told. He started it tonight really loud after we caught him making nicey nicey with the other one, if you know what I mean. We were told we had 2 girls, but I don't think so. I think we are in for a big surprise........babies and all.

[gooey]

um, sometimes the males will nicey nicey each other or just look like it, it is a dominance issue with the males. i have two males and Tino likes to let Tiki know he is the dominant male and about once a week or so Tino chases Tiki around the cage, trying to mount him. usually this occurs right after i clean the cage--guess there is something about their home being clean that brings out the testosterone in them!
so, are you guys saying that females don't squeak?

[falloutboylover12]

thanks for the info thats a big relief

[falloutboylover12]

no our female doesnt squeek (we think its a female after what u said) were checking there sex again !!!!

[jolie]

gooey said:

usually this occurs right after i clean the cage--guess there is something about their home being clean that brings out the testosterone in them!

Yeah, my guys do that too when I clean their cages. They try to scent-mark everything, then they make with the - ahem - "nicey-nicey".


I do believe that it is only the males that make that noise. Anyone with females know better?

[greenlily]

The females are squeaking too, for sure. It sounds a little different. And they do it, when they hear something, they don´t like.

gooey: the dominance issue the females are dooing too. Not only the male. But they do not queak for hours after that.

[honeybee]

sarah said:

Buddy does that when he's feeling ignored -- the last time he started squeaking I gave him an apple twig and he kept squeaking while he was chewing! I think that sometimes once they get started, it's hard to stop.

Ah, one of mine has started to do this too, around 8-8.30 in the morning. I think it's cos we usually are bustling round the house at this point in the day, but today we are both off so had a lay-in....and I got woken up at 8 by really loud squeaks every minute! We both got up and went and said hello and he stopped straight away.

So it is possible that they also do it as an attention/lonely thing?

[ra]

My two females will, every so often do the single, loud squeak that is repeated in regular intervals until I too stop by for a visit. I do think they are trying to get our attention.

(The male squeaking is apparently a different issue!)

[honeybee]

Oh, well mine are both male heh, typical. They haven't done it since this morning so I'm hoping that maybe it is an attention thing...

[emmalouise43]

i have 2 females and every 2 weeks like clockwork they start squeaking its kind of a whiny noise and it varies in length they also cant settle but every now and then they sit on their house or in their hammock and stretch out and squeak even more. im not sure if theres something wrong with them or if its like their time of the month as i read online they get broody and that makes them squeak. can anyone help with this.

[Kat]

I have a young goo that does this when we are playing with his brother. I think he gets startled by the cage opening as hes a nervous soul.

[w8152]

they also make a squeak similar as an abandonment thing, bit like a dog whining.

[tzr]

I have 3 males and sometimes they make constant barks / squeaks .. not sure which! But they dominance mount each other all the time ... several times a day!

[pappy1264]

Oh....after reading this, maybe I should have all four double checked for sex before intros! Nibbs squeeks ALOT and seems to be the domininant one in her cage. Rosie and Violet squeek, too, but never as much as Nibbs. Ok, if they are not used to being picked how, how the heck am I going to sex them? Vet perhaps?