URGENT ADVICE needed! - Crisis over, thanks!

[Kins]

Morning everyone,

Yesterday lunchtime my OH was at home having lunch and noticed that Dave & Jim had had a nasty fight, in their cage, quite a bit of blood around the cage. I said to leave them together and hopefully they'd sort it out, but when I got home they were still fighting on and off so I separated them.

They've had fights outside the cage a couple of times but have always been fine when they've been put back in their cage.

Jim has a bite on his face and back and Dave has a bite on his back foot.

They've been separate all night but now I don't know what to do. We are going on holiday this evening for a week and my OH's Mum is looking after the goos (and dogs). She's not exactly what you'd call 'keen on the goos'.

The cage I've got Jim in is very small and it's the only spare on I have so I'm not keen on leaving him in it for a week.

I've put the cages next to each other and they seem to be making good sounds...

What do you all think I should do?!

[nickymills30]

in my opinion, i wouldn't put them back together, especially as you say your mom isn't a goo person. what will she do if they have another fight? i know it may not be ideal for jim to stay in the small cage, but its a better option then them killing each other. I;m sorry i can't be much more help, but i;m sure someone else will be along soon xx

[smux]

If possible, get someone to switch them across the cages halfway through, or maybe you can split the bigger cage so they share it...or buy a bigger cage (or get one of those free ones being offered in chat, it solves your problem)

[Kins]

Thank you both for your help, such bad timing for this to happen!

Mmm I'm not too keen on them being put back together and something happening, especially as our vets doesn't know anything about goos so if there was another fight/problem that wouldn't be good.

Getting another cage would be a possibility but as we're going away on holiday tonight we have no time! Splitting the bigger cage might work, I'll speak to the OH about it now and see if he thinks that might be possible. We had thought about it when we got our second pair and we trying to introduce them but the cage we built doesn't exactly lend itself to being split, well not very securely anyway. We have some mesh but it's just whether we can do it securely and whether we have enough time tonight.

I'll see what he says!

Any other input gladly received!

[nuttz]

oh dear kins.. thats what you call bad timing!!
cant offer any advice, sorry but i guess separating the cage would be the better option if done securely?! if not then im sure jim would survive a week in the small cage but i wouldnt risk putting them back together if your not around to supervise..
the only problem i worry about is that after a week you could have a few problems getting them back together?
i do hope which ever you decide everything will be ok and you have a lovely holiday, i take it youre off skiing my two little ones are off for a day skiing next week, they cant wait.. we have to buy all my boys ski clothes tomorrow which arnt cheap!

try not to worry too much while youre away, im sure the little furries will do just fine!!!
xxx

[Kins]

Thanks Nuttz! I know worst...timing...ever. Oh well, these things are sent to try us.

Yeah we're off snowboarding in Italy, I can't wait! Hopefully I won't be worrying too much, but they are my babies so I probably will be. It'll still be a lovely holiday though.

Mmm that's my other thought about having them separate for a week, putting them back together might be tricky like you say. Especially as when we tried to introduce Stan & Nige to them they fought each other. Will cross that bridge when we get there though.

The only slight saving grace is that the small cage (it really is small) fits inside the big one so they are effectively 'still living together'.

Jim was really feeling very sorry for himself when I got home last night, I picked him up, which he normally doesn't like, he did end up on the floor but I just scooped him up and he actually sat in my arms for a cuddle which he has never done before and would have been lovely if the circumstances had been different, but hey ho.

I think the best option is definitely to try and split the cage somehow...thinking caps on!

This is the cage that would need to be split...



The wheel isn't there anymore and the bridges aren't either, plus the strip of wood at the top is much narrower now too...any ideas?!

[nuttz]

hmmmm *scratches head* tricky indeed!!!
the thing is, you havent much time.. but possibly, if you had you could do something with the cupboard underneath, like maybe turning that into a cage if you could change the door someway but that ruins the perfect space for puting all your degu treats away......hmmmmmmmm
unless you could take that door off... make a kind of door that will be ok for the week whiles your away and when youre back you could put the original door back on?
i know...............probably a stupid suggestion... hmmmmmm again???
if all fails i guess putting the smal cage inside would still be the best suggestion, atleast then they will still be living aside eachother, and it is only for one week!
im sorry.........cant help much more

[smux]

Top/bottom split springs to mind, wood or mesh to do it, although it may help to have them out of the cage every so often to keep them comfortable with each other in that case (vertical split isn't as good as horizontal for splitting up degus...they can't socialise).

Should be able to make both halves comfortable for the boys too.

[Kins]

Thanks again.

I think I've pretty much come to a decision in my mind about what to do.

I think I'll leave Jim in the little cage within the big cage (hopefully my OH's Mum should be able to change his water ok) for the time being and then when we get back reassess the situation. Hopefully they can live together again after re-introductions, but if not we can divide the big cage.

Fingers crossed re-introducing them shouldn't be too hard as they will have still been living together while we're away. In theory anyway...

I'm also really hoping that my OH's Mum will be able to swap them over half way through the time so that Jim isn't in the small cage all week. So that's the plan...

Thanks for all your help, it's one less thing to worry about, still plenty of other things for me to worry about though.

I need this holiday that's for sure!

[Jaiye]

Jan 14, 2011 12:36:05 GMT nuttz said:

we have to buy all my boys ski clothes tomorrow which arnt cheap!

OFF TOPIC NOTE - Try Sports Direct =) My other half insisted we do a snowboarding course before Christmas, and that we buy the kit o.o Got jacket and trousers (adult) for £70, then another £7 for gloves =) Kids stuff was even cheaper! And its all pretty good value. I spent most of the day on my butt and was still bone dry after 8 hours.

Good luck!

ON TOPIC - Hope you got it sorted Kins and that snowboarding goes well! Am sure your goos will miss you that much that they will behave when you come home again =)

[nuttz]

cheers jaiye but we are all sorted now ;D

kitted him out in trousers, snow/ moon boots, gloves, goggles and a thermal jumper for 100 euros so not too bad.. he already had a ski jacket we brought him before xmas that cost 60
luckily my daughter already has her gear from last year otherwise we would be broke...........lol
they go next thursday and are counting down the days, should be fun, i guess we are lucky living so close to a resort

thinking about kins..............wondering how she is getting on, hopefully no broken bones...lol i do hope the mother in-law is coping ok with her lil goos???

[Kins]

Thanks guys! I'm back!

Had a fabulous holiday, no broken bones and LOTS of super duper snowboarding, we did a lot of miles! Just about recovered from the 4.30am start yesterday (3.30 UK time) by going to bed at 8.30 last night, feeling a bit more human now. All the other people in the chalet were lovely, a really good bunch with some really great kids too, was a real laugh! Back to reality with a bump, nice to be back with the animals though.

Dogs and goos were all pleased to see us, Stan came out straight away to say hello as always.

Mother-in-law coped fine with the goos, she just left them as they were and fed and watered them. I swapped Jim and Dave over as soon as I got home and they are both all healed and fine. I put them in together this morning and they were sort of OK. They kept going towards each other and then jumping back with a small amount of pawing at each other. I split them back up after about 15 mins and am going to swap them each day from cage to cage and then do another face to face meeting in a few days, slowly but surely they will hopefully get back together in no time!

A few piccies...

Me with 'my boys' at the bottom of the 'home run'!



Me and the OH.



A well deserved drink at the end of the day!

[Bexi87]

Good to hear everyone coped with the holiday and your mother-in-law coped with the boys!

Your photos are fab - it looks like so much fun! Don't think I have any chance in getting my fella on the slopes though

[Kins]

Thanks! It was a relief to get home and find everything all OK. I was having a bit of a stress before we left, but I needn't have worried.

It is soooooooooooo much fun! I just love it ;D. You get such an amazing feeling when you are whizzing down a mountain, especially when the sun is shining brightly! My OH loves it as much as me. A lot of people are put off because it can be so cold, but when you are dressed for the cold it isn't a problem! LOVE IT!!!

[Bexi87]

I went skiing with school and loved it (even though I was so rubbish they had to make a 'below the lowest group' for me, my best friend and our teachers fella) and would love to go again, but my fella is set against it atm - seems to think his height is a problem (he's 6'4)...men

[Kins]

Aww, bless you, hehe! Sounds like you had fun anyway though!

Ian, the guy on the right of the first photo, is about 6'5 and a really good skiier. He had my OH's GPS thing on him and managed 60 mph!!!! Tell him to 'man up', hehe!

[Bexi87]

Apologies Smux, I will refrain from general chat in future unless it is under the correct supervision.

[deguconvert]

Tsk, tsk, tsk . . . called up short by the forum police. Sigh! What to do?

[nickymills30]

i just think hes getting grumpy in his old age lol xxx

[Kins]

Back 'on topic', you'll be pleased to hear smux...

I have now done 2 10-15 min intros with Dave & Jim and am still just going to continue with swapping them between cages daily along with a short intro each day too. At first, this afternoon, they were super loving, grooming each other like mad, but after about 5 mins it turned into a bit of bickering with no loving so I put them back in their separate cages. I'm a bit paranoid I'm sure because of their injuries before, so probably separate them sooner than necessary but I'd rather that than them have another fight and a big set back with the intros!

Just thought I'd keep you updated!