Little Lost Degu!

[ra]

I checked in with my Degus when I got home from making a long weekend trip to the Kentucky Horse Park with my husband Sam around 8pm last night. Mocha was out and about and it looked like Tanzania Peaberry was sleeping in the nest box. I thought it odd she didn't come out for a treat. I asked Dad if he saw her on Sunday and he said yes, he'd given them some dandelion greens earlier.

Toby our ferocious tea-cup Yorky was fussing at the garbage compactor. Dad said he started that a few hours ago. Dad couldn't find the little sweeper to run along the sides (thank GOD!) so he took a rag with some cleaner and a yard stick and ran it back along both sides. Then told Toby to quiet down nothing was there to bark at. We watched TV for a bit - all the while Toby was fussing at the compactor.

I had a nagging feeling so before I went to bed I went back into the office to check on my Degus. Again Mocha was out looking to see what I was doing but no Tanzania. I called to Tanzania and started getting more anxious. I opened the door and checked their big nest box on the bottom level. Then looked behind the smaller box on the third level. I started to panic because I couldn't find her. I yelled to Dad to ask what time he last saw Tanzania Peaberry. He came grumbling in asking what I was yelling about and then got a worried look when he saw me tearing the small nest apart. Tanzania was no where to be found. I thought good Lord she could be any where. Then it struck all of us....behind the compactor. Sam put the dogs outside, then he and I got down on the floor to catch her as Dad rolled out the compactor. Sure enough there she was. Took me two tries to catch her. I was just sick. (she was fine.)

As soon as I returned her to her cage she had herself a nice sand bath and a bite to eat! Mocha huddled in the corner with her and went over her from her nose to the tip of her tail.

She was no worse for the wear. She had had herself a big adventure! Apparantly she CAN still fit through the larger holes in the cage door handles. Dad was relieved she'd just decided to make her great escape Sunday night just before I got home and not Friday night when I left!

I have made the needed cage modifications for now. Called Sam late am to have him check on them. He laughed and said he was just coming out of the office from checking when the phone rang!

All was well.

[Anna]

The degu I just got (wiggles) he can fit through the bars in the chinchilla cage so I have to keep them in different cages at night. I really hate having to split them up sometimes. I'm really glad to hear that Tanzania is back in the comfort of her cage again. :-)

[ra]

Thanks Anna. If you look under the thread about cages & equipment you will see the alterations I did to make the big cage when the babies were born. Essentially we wrapped the condo in hardware cloth (a heaby metal screening). The only places we couldn't cover were the latch handles (for a better word) on the cage doors. I had been weaving a strip of cardboard through all three of them, but thought Tanzania Peaberry had grown enough to not fit through there anymore. HA! Think again! The cardboard strips are back in place now.

[Aimeelou]

Hi ra
My heart was in my mouth just reading that post !
glad shes back safe and sound. They are good little escape artists arnt they! If you put them in a box with chains and locks around it, Theyd make a better job of escaping than Houdini!!!!
Hope shes ok now
Aimee

[jasper]

I had the same problem with my Degu's squeezing out of the cage. Since the cage I bought before I made one was a store bought piece of garbage, they'd just squeeze through and run free in my room and about. My dog Trixie was the only reason I knew they were free, since she'd be keeping tabs on them the whole time.

[Sunshinemeg]

It must be something about dogs, we should trust them with small pets more than we do! When my Jerds excaped a few years ago, we didnt realise until the dog told us! she was getting very upset, as they were messing with her food bowl! lol

SUNSHINEMEG ;D