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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2016 18:33:43 GMT
Hey everyone, I am a new member here and a new mummy to two gorgeous boy degus, Django and Bohdi. I brought them home yesterday to my quiet flat (I live on my own) and haven't been able to stop watching them since! They had been in Pets At Home for one year, so they are roughly 14 months old. Bohdi is the dominant, boisterous one, although he seems to be very wary of me! Django let me stroke him in the cage today and that just made my heart melt. I am trying not to put too much on them too soon, so letting them chill on their own in peace for a couple of days with the occasional stroke. Any tips on helping them warm to me? Looking forward to talking to some of you and being active on the forum, thanks   |
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Post by bouncy on May 3, 2016 19:09:34 GMT
What sweeties! They'll probably take a bit of time to get used to some peace and quiet!
Sitting next to the cage talking, sitting on the floor with them if they run out of the cage, putting your hands in the cage and letting them come to you are great, particularly with little treats like seeds or oats to reward them.
As you mentioned p@h, can I please ask what sort of enclosure they're in?
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2016 19:43:27 GMT
Thanks for the suggestions bouncy I have a playpen arriving for them soon as my rooms aren't degu proof except from my bathroom, and I read that it wasn't good to let them roam in there (although the lady at Pets At Home told me that it was ok and that they would love to play in the (empty) bath?) I also have some treats coming soon so will start the give them one when they come to my hand. Other than that, I am terrified of giving them anything else (from my garden etc) Yes there cage is from Pets At Home and was suggested to me by the staff. It's bigger than the cage that they were in at the store, but I will likely upgrade one day although at the moment I haven't got a huge space! It can be seen in the picture below. I have also taken a close up of the water bottle - I am worried that they wouldn't notice it there under the shelf, would it be best to move it just I case or are they pretty good at finding it? Sorry for all the questions, total newbie!!   |
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Post by bouncy on May 3, 2016 21:48:15 GMT
Unfortunately, the cage that p@h sells for degus is inappropriate. Degus cover a large amount of territory in the wild, given their size. If you have a look at the cages section, you can see the recommended cage sizes and the RSPCA recommendations too. Your Goos are just starting their teenage years, and the restricted space could cause a lot of fighting. As you've only just got them, you could take the cage back and ask for a refund, telling them it's been missold? There are many sites with cages that offer next day delivery. Please don't panic, as many new goo owners are misled, but we're here to help!  ? |
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Post by skardsen on May 3, 2016 23:41:34 GMT
Hi, welcome to the forum. Pets At Home recommended that to you because it's all just profit to them, even if the staff are degu owners they'll still lie about what's best because they have to push whatever's in stock. You'll need something much bigger. Check out the recommendations here: deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendationsAventura, Liberta 2nd Edition Explorer, and Double Critter Nation are all great choices for up to 3 degus. Personally, I have the Liberta but I'd recommend the Aventura instead. Nothing wrong with the Liberta, but the Aventura has horizontal bars that they can climb on, whereas the Liberta bars are vertical, which they can kind of climb on but not well. Also, is the bedding you have those recycled paper pellets? If so, it isn't good because if they eat that particular kind, it can cause issues, and it's not that comfortable for them to walk on or dig in. Once again this is Pets At Home selling you something with profit in mind (they did the same thing to me), and not the well being of the animals. Simple wood shavings or Carefresh are not only cheaper but also safe for them to chew on. Most people here on the forum use carefresh. I use wood shavings because they're quite cost effective, and sometimes there's bigger chunks in there which they love to nibble on. Don't worry about the water bottle, they'll find it no matter where it is. I would say that if you want to keep using food bowls, you should get another one to prevent squabbles, because as sociable as degus are, they're very defensive over food. I don't use food bowls myself, I just sprinkle their food around the cage, which encourages their foraging instincts. Try not to fret over this though, as Bouncy says, many of us have been misled about what's best for our degus, whether that's deliberate from pet stores, or unintentional from information sources that are out of date. When I first joined this forum, I had an inappropriate cage too, but the information on here is great and it's up to date too. You can order from Cagesworld, who do free next day delivery, although when I ordered mine it came 4 days late. I'm sure that if you go in the Pets At Home and make a loud complaint that they've sold you an inappropriate cage, they'll probably either refund you or give you credit at the store because they'll want your continued business. |
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Post by deguconvert on May 4, 2016 1:12:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2016 2:44:29 GMT
Oh wow, I am absolutely horrified! I will be on the phone to Pets At Home first thing tomorrow morning, I can't believe they could sell something not suitable for an animal with a guilt-free conscience. I spent almost £300 in there, so I won't stop until I get a refund. I have looked at the Aventura cages and the only one available is THIS one and I can't see the bigger ones anywhere else. This one doesn't look much bigger than the one I have already? If not then I have found the Liberta HERE, which can be delivered by the 6th May. Which one do you guys think is best? I couldnt find any sites that do next day delivery, although it is 3:30 am and I'm in a massive massive panic! Yes skarsden those are the paper pellets. I was told that it was an option that made no difference to the animals, just depended on if I wanted to spend a bit more money for ones that helped odour! I am absolutely fuming! I've ordered some sawdust/wood shavings now but as its my day off tomorrow I will go into town and get them some to put my mind at ease a bit. If only a shop sold the cage I need to get tomorrow! Thanks for the links deguconvert, I will have a look for some food right away. I will definitely check the sexes once they are comfortable with being handled - and I'm starting to think that the woman was probably lying about them being handled a lot by her in store now! I am absolutely gutted because I tried really hard to make it as easy transition for the goos as possible, even getting them similar or the same toys etc as they had in the their cage in the store, but screwing up on the cage and the pellets is embarrassing! Stupid Pets At Home!!! Thank you all for your help! Hopefully I can move them into a larger cage in the next couple of days without causing too much distress to them. Poor babies, so much for letting them chill in peace for a couple of days they will probably wonder what an earth is going on! |
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Post by bouncy on May 4, 2016 9:33:23 GMT
Breathe! It really is frustrating, but the most important thing is that you're prepared to do something about it, and you're in the right place for help. Some people don't start asking questions on here until their goos have started fighting, or there are health issues that could have been avoided.
Just remember - degus are a law unto themselves, nothing quite makes sense, and there is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to these fluffy weirdos!
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Post by savvy on May 4, 2016 10:49:40 GMT
They should be fine in there for a few days. The huge aventura cage will be back in stock before the end of the month on the internet. It costs about £150, but it is difficult to assemble if you just use the paper instructions - check the video out on how to put it together. Its over 3 times bigger than the thickets.
My two had been in a thickets for over 3 years when I adopted them from p@h and I was given the same info as you, and yes, the sales assistant was a degu owner herself. On the plus side they do the large bales of woodshavings for about £14 and these last me for about 4 cage cleanings so they are good value.
As has been said before, don't feel bad, its their misinformation, not yours.
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Post by buckandbolt on May 4, 2016 15:58:29 GMT
We ended up with the same issues as you RE cage as the people we rescued them from had bought the same one as you have from PAH. Not to be a creepy stalker, but as you're in Cambridge it is worth checking eBay and Craigslist for second hand cages. There were a few collection only in your area when we started looking (I'll try to find links and add them to this post.)
The other thing we're considering is getting a second PAH one (they are pretty cheap online rather than in store) and then connecting them side by side by taking off an end each and wiring them together. I think it would make a decent temporary measure if budget is an issue.
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Post by bouncy on May 4, 2016 21:04:11 GMT
Joining cages is definitely a solution, and could even work long-term if you're prepared to put another floor in, instead of shelves |
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2016 21:52:41 GMT
Thanks everyone. That's a great idea buckandbolt, I didn't think about the possibility of joining cages! Nice to know that I'm not the only one who has had trouble with p@h, savvycat! I haven't spoke to their customer service yet but I have sent a stinking email, and if I don't get a reply I will be phoning them! I went to my local garden centre today and bought the boys some wood shavings, which they seem to love. Since I've put them back in their cages, they haven't stopped chatting! Taking them out at first was difficult, but after I sat with them whilst they roamed in the bathroom, they were happy to be held and cuddled... Well, Bohdi kept jumping on my back and climbing up a hanging scarf, which turns out he loves being cuddled in! My garden centre also stocks really great natural treats for them which I picked up, and I also bought some herbs, plants and flowers to grow myself for them, which I found on a member's list here on the forum. So I took some bits out of their cage so it wasn't so crowded, and like I said they seem much happier. The Liberta cage I ordered will arrive on Friday so only a few more days until they get to move into their bigger home. I will post pictures of it when its all been set up  Bohdi cuddled up in the scarf  |
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Post by skardsen on May 5, 2016 4:52:17 GMT
The Liberta has terrible instructions with it but it's not that hard to put together. If you use a magnifying glass (or magnifying app on a phone) you'll be able to tell much easier what goes where. Once you've got everything out the box, the first thing you need to do is sort the screws so that you know what length each are.
Picking up degus is usually difficult because most of them (not all) find it scary. You can offer them their sandbath and when they climb in it, move them that way. You can also have them sit in your hand for rolled oats and gently move them, which is the method I use.
Finally, I hate to be all "this is wrong blah blah", but you'll need a bigger running wheel. Degus need a minimum of 30 cm diameter in order to prevent back problems. Tictac wheels make a great one that's solid steel, almost silent, and deep enough for 2 degus to run side by side in it.
Bodhi has a really cool pattern to his fur. Are they really that dark or is it the camera making it appear that way?
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Post by savvy on May 5, 2016 12:35:57 GMT
Another good way to move a degu from one cage to another is using a spaghetti jar. Just put a treat in the closed end and when they go in, block the open end and quickly move the degu to where you want them.
I tried this today and it worked really well and it only takes a few seconds.
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Post by moletteuk on May 6, 2016 10:03:56 GMT
It sounds like Django and Bohdi are settling in well and making themselves at home and making friends with you, so that is the main thing If you have any remaining questions, our beginners' guide covers most things to get you on your way and feeling confident deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keepingThere are lots of choices for bedding, most paper based beddings are actually good choices, it's only if they expand when they get wet there is a problem and this is easy to test, anyway more info here deguworld.proboards.com/thread/8754/cage-bedding-reviewsDegus can be most easily moved in a tube or box, a cardboard carpet or poster tube works well for most people. Welcome to the forum |
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Post by sarahraisin on May 15, 2016 20:44:45 GMT
A good place to get pets wood shavings is wilko's they do huge packs for something stupid like £2!!
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