Do people and Degus Ever meet up? Shows etc?

[maddy4moos]

Hi,

Just wondering if there are ever any Degu Shows or just groups where people meet up and share their love of Degus?

I'm sociable like that lol.

[moletteuk]

I don't think so. I'm thinking chaos but fun. I can't help imagining it would be people in the small boxes by the end of the day and degus running riot lol!

I think shows are usually driven by breeding fancy colours & patterns, (even though they tell you it's all about better breeding), so that doesn't really apply to degus.

You'll just have to come back here for a virtual degu social fix

[amie]

Yeah, shows are generally a 'rat thing'. People showing off their new breed, colour or the amazing temprement of a rat. Personally, I'd don't get rat shows myself (and I have 30!). I'd like them for the sake of meeting like minded people who love rats, but I can't see what the rats get out of it! Being stuck in a plastic tank for the majority of the day with a piece of cucumber as a moisture source, having god knows who looking at them all day! Doesn't sound like my idea of fun! lol. I'd like to go to a rat show for the experience, but would I take my girls with me? Probably not.

As for the degus.... I'd really like to see how they'd pass the behaviour and handling test! NOT! haha.

[deguconvert]

LOL @ Amie!! Behavior and handling test!! Have you ever noticed in dog shows that all the male dogs get their bits cupped?? Can you imagine doing that to rats? LOL! All the judges for degus would have to dressed in leather so they wouldn't lose too much blood by the end of the day from annoyed degus that are over stimulated by the smell of all the other degus around them.

[davx]

But meeting of degu owners also can mean that the people came without degus. E. g. meeting for a drink and chatting or going out in the nature searching for fresh plants... that really can be fun. We did this several times, with field books (for plant identification) and bags for the herbs. Or also interesting are zoos. Especially in Germany there are also zoos keeping degus. In contrast here in Switzerland the zoos don't keep them.

e.g. here we were in Munich, spring 2011:

identifying plants on the meadow:


comfrey:


dandelion/hawkbit:


Here we were in the zoo in Zurich (Switzerland):
www.octodons.ch/album/treffen/zooh/

Here we were in Stuttgart southern Germany (also a zoological garden):
www.octodons.ch/album/treffen/wilhelma/

Here some photos from an excursion with chinchilla owners. We visited an ape hill in Lake Constance region:
www.flickr.com/photos/degupedia/sets/72157624885073242/detail/

[listracian]

I'm surei read on degutopia once about shows... I can't remember details and it was a while ago

[maddy4moos]

lol, I'm pretty sure Pinky and Brain would love the oppertunity to take over a degu show (and then the world) - but would probably get a bit over excited about other Degus and i don't like the idea of them having to travel for any long periods.

HOWEVER - couldn't we have a Degu Show without Degus - like a Degu Meet? Where we can all meet up and chat about Degus and then everything else we want to talk about when we have got to know each other?

[deguconvert]

Sounds like a great idea . . . are you good at planning events, Maddy4moos? ;D

[maddy4moos]

Erm, I could give it a try!!!

Give me a few weeks though because I am bust at the moment with family commitments (Granddad is in hospital )