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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 16, 2012 21:38:35 GMT
Hi, I recently got a degu (one) and I know they should be kept in pairs should I try and get it a friend or would they fight?
Also, any tips on how to get him to come close enough to me as I picked him up and he bit me from fear so I wanna show him I'm only here to be a friend I offered him a treat and left it with him and he ran off hiding and ate it. But how can I show him I'm only a friend?
How often can I give him a treat? I've gave him the tiniest bit of a carrot on Wednesday so would it be too early for another?
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Post by bijett on Nov 16, 2012 21:44:16 GMT
Hi and welcome to the forum. I've always read and heard that degus are much happier if there is more than one. As fr them to realise you're a friend, in one word: patience, just grab a seat, open the door and put your hand in the cage without trying to grab them, let them come to you. There are people they trust straight away(like me), people they learn to trust(my husband) and people they never trust (anyone else).
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 16, 2012 21:46:49 GMT
Yeah I heard they like friends, so I'm just worried if they'd fight for dominance or anything violent, I've let them sniff my hands and then they back away so ill be more patience with him
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Post by Wolfbane on Nov 16, 2012 21:54:04 GMT
Hi I'm a recently new degu owner ((Since September)) and I think I can answer or at least give my two cents worth. ^^ For the treats you can give them small amounts every-day/two days if its just little cuts, especially if its veggies since you are enhancing their diet. I give my two little wedges of cucumber((they LOVE it)) along with celery. Green veggies are good, as well as rose petals for treats. So if you give them green veggies like those you can give them a bit everyday if you aren't giving them veggies bowls already. When it comes to carrot i'd be careful though, carrots are high in natural sugars and degu's are prone to diabetes so a little bit of carrot now and then is okay I wouldn't make it a primary diet source for treats. So long story short if you have cucumber/celery/dried oats give those as treats above carrots since carrots specifically have a lot of sugar and degu's can't break down sugar easily. When it comes to introducing a friend, degu's really do enjoy being in pairs. There is just something a fellow degu can give that a human can't. If your degu is young it'll be easier to introduce I think ((don't hold me to that)) but it'll be harder to try and introduce two older degu's. They might 'fight for dominance' at first if you do introduce and it'll be best to have two seperate cages that you can place next to each other so they can see/talk to each other first but if you do decide to get another degu i'd keep close watch for any signs of bullying going on. And for being seen as a friend instead of a threat, i'm on this track with Gryph and Kodiak How long have you had your degu? If you recently got him i'd let him settle in for a couple days, get use to the environment, take some shreds of clothes you wear and put it in the cage so that he can get your scent and relate it to his home ((safety)). Instead of just picking him up, put your hand to the entrance of the cage with some treats ((oats/cucumber/celery/rose petals)) on your palm and stay like that. Sooner than later he'll get curious and try to grab a treat ^^ Then after awhile he'll learn that you mean no harm. If you just try to reach and grab though you'll come off more as a predator which is why you get a fleet reaction. For ways to get him use to you, just talk to him. Degu's have advanced senses of recognition with voices and if you talk to him soothingly he'll get use to your voice. Put something with your scent((like a sock, fill it with timothy hay then sew the end shut)) in the cage so he can get your smell. Don't try to reach for him or back him into a corner when you want to pet him, just set your hand in the middle of the cage and wait and he'll come sniff it out if you stay still. Its all about patience but don't give up! It's really rewarding when you can finally pet your degu, it's taken me three months to be able to take mine out of their cage without them freaking out. I hope i've helped a bit but i'd wait for an older user to reply too. ^^
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 16, 2012 21:59:16 GMT
Wow thanks, I got him on Tuesday after I'd already met him as I toke a real shine to him jumping and climbing over me! I have dried oats I think, so ill give him one soon and I'm not sure of the age unfortunately and the vet didn't know either! and ill cut up a bit of one of my thirst I ruined recently and place it in his cage
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Post by yasmin on Nov 16, 2012 22:02:13 GMT
Welcome to the forum firsttimeowner. I've only ever had to deal with father/sons introductions and that went very easily; however, I've heard that male degus are often more ready to accept baby male degus (6-8 week olds). That might be an option. Also, when you adopted him, were there other goos in the cage with him? As far as him and you go, I agree with bijett – and wolfbane, just saw that post now. Give it time – he will get to know your scent and then start coming up to greet you when you come close to the cage. With my goos, I've also taken them into the bathroom (small area, had to make sure all possible holes are plugged like under the sink cabinet, put a plastic tablecloth on the floor to catch droppings) then sat on the floor and within minutes they were crawling all over me. This way they get to know me better and it provides them with mental stimulation and exercise. How frequently you give treats depends on the treat. Carrot should not be given too often, and only a few small bits at a time like you're doing, because they contain some sugar. I treat mine to some carrot pieces (a few slivers each) once a month and no more. Other treats that I give more readily and frequently are puffed rice (organic, without additives) and rose hips. There's a great listing of what you can feed your degu on this site in the Diet and Nutrition section. If you have specific questions, just ask away.
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 16, 2012 22:07:55 GMT
Thank you both for welcoming me, I literally just ripped a small piece of an old thirst and rubbed it along my arms and chest and placed it in and left him.i will be patient with him but yet do not know his age! When I adopted him he was alone or I would of taken his friend so he has something similar but no he had no one
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Post by ntg on Nov 16, 2012 22:26:01 GMT
The others have already answered and covered most bases but I thought I'd pop in and offer some more (or partially the same) in my own way Lone degus tend to be less healthy than when they are kept in groups, no matter the amount of attention and time you can give them it still won't be the same as what they will get from other degus. In the wild they live in huge groups so I'm sure he'd love to have a friend (preferably two so that if one dies you won't be in the same position of having another lone degu). On the matter of who to introduce your best bet is young male degus (~8 weeks) or even getting him neutered and introducing him to some female friends, which tends to lead to easier introductions. But, if you went the neutering route, be very careful of the vet you choose and that you are completely comfortable and confident with them, make sure they know about degus and how they are anatomically different to rats so that you can't neuter them the same way and, an even better option would be one who had already performed successful neuterings on them in the past. Introductions can vary from being very slow to very quick depending on how willing the degu is to live in a group. There is always the risk that he prefers living alone but most would prefer to live in a group. You'd need to do this by putting cages side by side for a while and swap bedding and substrate between the cages daily to get them used to each others scent. Then, when you see positive signs such as sleeping beside the cage together, warbling to each other or just ignoring each other completely, try introducing them in a neutral space like the bath tub or hallway for ten mins (being wary for bad bites that lead to bleeding or the furball of death, FBOD for short) and have a spray bottle and towel at hand in case you need to seperate them. You would keep doing these meetings but increasing the length of them gradually until you felt comfortable putting them in the same cage together. Groups of degus will 'fight' for dominance, generally it's by play-fighting or "boxing" and humping behaviour but it's when one refuses to back down that you begin to get issues. The friend thing takes a lot of time and patience (which isn't that long when you consider their lifespan!). Take it day by day, sit by the cage and talk to him, try putting a clean tshirt in you've worn for a couple of hours so that he can get used to your scent and treats will be your best friend in this endeavour! First just offer him some small treats like oats, puffed rice and rose petals in your hand so he has to stay there if he wants more rather than doing a 'snatch and grab'. Slowly try putting the treats up your arm so he has to climb up on your hand to get to them, eventually he should be willing to jump up on your hand when it's offered without treats as he associates it with the food rather than something that's going to grab him. This link gave me some great ideas when I started: octodondegus.weebly.com/how-to-tame-degus.htmlSorry if this seems a bit of an essay, I get carried away! Lol
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Post by Wolfbane on Nov 16, 2012 22:29:28 GMT
It'll realistically take a month or two for him to begin to form a bond to the point where he feels comfortable around you so don't try to force it unless he makes the step to friendship. Getting your scent spread around the cage is a good start And if you are willing to be patient, he'll be more willing to accept you as a fellow goo ;D xD But another thing too, are you 100% sure that he is actually a boy? Because it may be possible that your little guy may be a little lady so ALWAYS double check genders if you plan on getting another degu even if the place you got him from says he is a boy, there has been many times when that 'boy' popped out 7 little babies weeks later. For basic needs do you have a lot of chew blocks/logs/toys for him? Since he doesn't have a friend with him he may get bored and lonely if he doesn't have a lot to distract him so make sure you change up the cage every now and then so he gets some new places to explore. ^^ Even if it means taking a little cardboard box and cutting holes in it for him to jump in and out of.
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Post by stargirlj on Nov 16, 2012 22:32:26 GMT
Welcome to Degu world lol. I have 2 boys and they now live separately due to fighting. They became even friendlier then they were to start with since they only have me for physical contact. It has taken them just over a year to let me stroke them. I still, even know, find it difficult to get them back in to there cage as they do not like being picked up. I did not have mine from babies either they were adopted at 6 months so I think that's why it taken so long to get used to me.
As for treats, my boys will do anything for a hazelnut, oats or dried apple. Apple and hazelnuts are high in sugar so these are good for occasional treats. It helps to figure out a treat he likes and then sit with it in the palm of your hand. He'll soon take it. That's how I got my most nervous little guy to come to me. Now all I have to say is come here and he'll run straight to me and sniff my hand.
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Post by ntg on Nov 16, 2012 22:35:58 GMT
Forgot to say, if you need to get him out the cage for cleaning etc, try box/tube training him by putting some treats inside in front of him so that he'll go in and then you can transport him to where he needs to go without the trauma of having to pick him up against his will
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 18, 2012 18:26:19 GMT
Tanks for all your help, by oats do yous mean porridge oats or a special kind? I have them porridge oats which I was reading and there all high in fibre etc low sugar
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Post by ntg on Nov 18, 2012 18:55:08 GMT
Yeah it's porridge oats I mean. They aren't great as a main treat you use all the time but they are good for taming as they are eaten quickly so they need to stay near you for longer
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 18, 2012 19:21:23 GMT
Ill offer him a few oats now..if I can find him, wee man has reorganised his cage....again
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 18, 2012 19:48:43 GMT
He climbed on my hand and eat a few of them, how often and. How many oats can I give him?
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Post by ntg on Nov 18, 2012 19:55:30 GMT
I wouldn't feed him too many, have you got any dried dandelion or something sinilar you could switch between. Just to give him a bit of variety or he'll get bored of them and stop seeing them as treats (ours loved puffed rice at first but now it's only taken if it's the last thing on offer lol).
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 18, 2012 19:58:45 GMT
No I've never heard of that before lol, where to get them?
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Post by ntg on Nov 18, 2012 20:22:55 GMT
I'll find a link to a thread to give you ideas for treats and also the premade mixes you can buy which are suitable for goos, just give me a minute to find them lol
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Post by firsttimeowner on Nov 18, 2012 20:25:26 GMT
Ok thank you
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Post by ntg on Nov 18, 2012 20:28:05 GMT
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