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Post by stoney on Dec 21, 2005 18:56:18 GMT
Thank you to all for the support and advice especially Roz in finding new companions for Merry after the loss of his brother Pippin. Cola and Hermano joined the family yesterday and seem to be settling in well. At the moment the boys are in separate cages sat next to each other. Last night we had a little chatter, Merry seemed brighter than I've seen him since the loss of his brother. This morning I put the cages closer together so that there was only one set of bars between them (the sides are removable). Lots of loud squeaks and teeth chattering between Merry and Hermano, Cola seemed happy to leave them to it. The two seem to have spent most of the morning sizing each other up. I swapped their sand baths over which caused a momentary distraction while they all inspected their "new" baths then back to checking each other out. This evening the chattering and squawks have subsided for the most part replaced by much more normal twittering, Merry and Hermano at the moment seem content to watch each other and sniff each other through the bars. Cola still seems more interested in the rest of his new cage than in Merry but even he has started going over to say hello to the new neighbour. Now we wait and see. I'm going to leave it for the moment until Hermano and Cola are more accustomed to us and Merry to having neighbours who speak the lingo before trying anything further. I thought I might try the cage swapping option around Friday or Saturday? See how things progress! If anyone has any advice please post, this is a first for us, needless to say we've read and re-read every post we can on the introducing of new Degus. I'm a little surprised at Merry's initial reaction when I put the cages closer together this morning, he threw a total paddy chucking all the food out his bowl and pulling all toys away from the joining side of the cage. Mind you he still seems happy to pinch hay from their side of the cage. I'm assuming all's going well, at least he has neighbours he can talk to and hopefully soon they'll be roommates. I guess only time will tell. So for Christmas it's a hopeful happily ever after and a happy new year for three Degus who are working hard at training their humans to do all sorts of neat tricks like play find the poo, and guess how I got here!
Roz: Merry loves that new food so I've ordered two bags thanks, and publicly thank you again for allowing us to adopt your boys they'll be well looked after I promise but please keep sending the advice.
Stoney
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Post by ra on Dec 22, 2005 17:29:00 GMT
Sounds like your introduction is going along as to be expected. diet otaku is trying to introduce two new males too. There's bound to be some fighting when they are integrated into the same space but from what I've read, it's a lot like horses establishing the herd pecking order. You just have to watch so no one gets badly hurt. Degus are so quick. Watch that you don't get badly bitten if you have to separate combatants. Good luck.
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Post by diet otaku on Dec 22, 2005 18:33:52 GMT
hehe, combatants. GLADIATOR DEGUS!! >  XP |
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roz
Newborn Degu
Posts: 0 
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Post by roz on Dec 22, 2005 23:10:51 GMT
Hi Stoney, I'm so glad to see that "my" boys are settling in well. I have to admit that I really miss them, and I keep looking at where their cage was expecting to see them. It's so good to hear that Merry is chattering away again - even if some of it does interpret into "these are my toys and you're NOT having them!" Hey, at least he's talking  It could take quite a while for them to accept each other, and when you do try them in together I would suggest you remove all "possessions". Hermano and Cola are in their teens, so food, toys and wheels are a status symbol to strive for. Merry is a little older, so these status symbols are something to try and retain (boys and their toys - what more can I say?!) Maybe try short sessions each day at first and see how it goes? Good luck, and I'll be watching this post to see what happens  (but ring me if you need to) |
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Post by stoney on Dec 23, 2005 23:43:53 GMT
Well we tried our first face to faces today. I made a large pen in the centre of the room from chicken wire and placed Merry in it. Then tried him with first Hermano then Cola. Merry and Hermano walked around each other, showing each other their bums and raising their hind legs at each other, lots of sniffing! Very little squeaking or teeth chattering. Then they started to box. Jumping up at each other and doing some amazing back flips. No teeth as far as I could see. Every so often they went back to bum sniffing? We gave them five minutes together before giving both boys a big hug. Neither showed any signs of harm, or looked particularly worried. I think we were doing all of that. Then we repeated it with Merry and Cola. For the most part they ignored each other more intent in checking out the perimeter fences. Again when they did meet a little chin and bottom sniffing, raising their hind legs which I've never seen our Degus do before? A little light boxing a few squeaks then back to the fence! So I think so far so good, we had tea towels first aid kits and large stiff drinks at hand but so far none necessary! Lots more hugs all round then back to their cages. Hermano watched the whole thing with interest. We'll try again tomorrow and see how things progress. Thanks for all the feedback keep the advice flowing please! Any ideas on the leg thingying is it good or bad? Also bum showing? I assumed a submissive hello act but any advice welcomed.
Stoney
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Post by diet otaku on Dec 24, 2005 3:16:20 GMT
now that you mention it, my new degus showed their bums to the older degus as well. i wonder what it means also?
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Post by stoney on Dec 24, 2005 23:19:52 GMT
AND A HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOR ALL! WOW! What a nervous Christmas Eve. This morning we swapped the boys cages. Merry proceded to eat every hidden stash he could then piled all the wood shavings, bits of cardboard and anything else he could into one massive heap, then sat on top as if to say look what I can do. Hermano went balistic shouting the odds at Merry through the bars. This evening we tried again putting them together again separately. First Hermano and Merry. More boxing at first then Hermano seemed to give up and Merry followed him around the cage sniffing him and trying to mount him. I took him away again and when he got back into his own cage he sat behind Cola shouting at Merry as if to say na na you can't get me! I gave them about an hour and tried again. This time no boxing just a few squeaks and Merry following Hermano around the cage. After about an hour of getting closer and closer they began grooming, very tentative at first with a few squeaks followed by one or the other spinning round to show his bum to the other. Them we put in Cola. This took a little longer as he was refusing to come out of the main cage and I wasn't going in after him. The result is in the picture. Our first pile-up of the new group. Two hours later and we still have a happy pile of grooming Degus. The best Christmas present we could give our Merry. Fingers crossed this is the start of a beautiful new friendship. Merry Christmas ALL Stoney  |
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Post by diet otaku on Dec 25, 2005 2:51:02 GMT
hey, hope you don't mind that i fixed your image for you! WOW, that is amazing yours are already getting along. i tried a second mingling sessions today and it was actually worse than the last one. rumble didn't seem to care who did what to him, but frenzy was once again fighting tooth and nail with both newbies. there was no bum-showing this time, and frenzy managed to take a chunk of fur off ruckus's nose. ruckus isn't bleeding, though. and frenzy bit me AGAIN. i had leather gloves on to try and protect me when separating them... well, when things got bad, i reached for frenzy, and he LUNGED at me and struck me like a snake, right on the webbing between my thumb and forefinger. i'm really beginning to worry that my foursome will never get along, especially since i've had them for 2 weeks now, and yours have bonded after 4 days...
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Hanlou
Burrowing Degu
Basil
Posts: 284
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Post by Hanlou on Dec 25, 2005 19:16:23 GMT
Am really pleased they're getting on well stoney. Lovely news!! diet otaku- hope things get a bit better with your 'babies'! Degu 'politics' eh? |
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Post by stoney on Dec 26, 2005 8:47:05 GMT
diet otaku, have you tried just one on one meetings? Merry and Hermano as you've heard had the biggest clash but one on one covering or flapping the tea towel into them seemed to help keep things calmer And I didn't care if the tea towel got bitten! It just got them apart I also had a tray to hand to act as a shepards barrier if I needed to keep them apart whan I needed to get one out. Perhaps if you have two who are the least antagonistic you might try with them first and if they can be friends it might help persuade the others? The cage swapping also seemed to help, I didn't clean them out first so both cages were full of the others smell with the aim of mixing their scents well and truly. Good luck having gone through it I know how fraught this process is but seeing our new Degu family is definately worth it.
Stoney
P.s. thanks for sorting the picture, I'm still ironing out the bugs of posting pictures. Human error not PC!
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Post by diet otaku on Dec 26, 2005 16:31:22 GMT
yeah, right now i'm considering just putting rumble and spaz together, as rumble doesn't seem to be bothered with fighting and spaz is too timid to fight. really, it seems the main obstacle will be getting frenzy and ruckus to get along, because they are both so bullheaded. i have a big cage and a small cage right now, would it help to put frenzy by himself in the small cage and the 2 newbies in the big cage with rumble?
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Post by ra on Dec 27, 2005 19:33:00 GMT
Congratulations Stoney your picture of the pile up made me smile.
diet otaku, I wish I had something helpful to offer. Seems as though you might have more success one on one with the two most likely to get along. Maybe if Ruckus sees Rumble and Spaz getting along and then if Frenzy can make peace with Spaz, you can trade off until Ruckus and Frenzy come up for their turn. Boy I don't know, it really sounds as thought Frenzy and Ruckus are both Alpha personalities and it could get very ugly. They may not ever settle, in which case you could put the 2 newcomers in with Rumble and keep Frenzy separate. Not what you would wish I'm sure. How does Frenzy feel about Spaz? Can you tell or have Frenzy and Ruckus just been going at it with Spaz and Rumble sitting out?
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Post by diet otaku on Dec 28, 2005 3:58:57 GMT
while ruckus and frenzy have it out, rumble tends to just wander around on his own, and spaz hides in a corner. spaz is definitely the most timid of the 4, and i don't know if rumble's just passive or so assured in his position that he doesn't feel it necessary to jockey for dominance.
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(but ring me if you need to)
