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Post by julieanne on May 21, 2016 11:52:58 GMT
Hello everyone, New Goo owner, we went into PAH to buy dog food and there were two Goos on the counter in the standard PAH cage waiting for adoption. My children were with me and "persuaded" me to re home the Goos. So we took them home, I am still scared of them lol, but the children handle them daily and play with them, they are such amazing friendly little things, today for the first time I was brave enough to hold one!! I am currently looking for a bigger cage for them, just found the Aventura double cage on Petplanet for £114, so I think I am going to order it. Will try to add pics of Finn and Jake ....
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Hello
May 21, 2016 17:42:49 GMT
via mobile
Post by uglibug on May 21, 2016 17:42:49 GMT
Hi, welcome to the forum. Feel free to browse around and ask any questions you may have, the beginners guide is a good place to start. And don't worry about being scared of them, I let my husband do most of actual goo handling after I took a nasty bite a while ago.
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Hello
May 21, 2016 18:01:12 GMT
Post by deguconvert on May 21, 2016 18:01:12 GMT
Welcome to the forum!! I have been in the place of "the persuaded parent brings home new pets." Hopefully you will fall madly in love with them like I did.
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Hello
May 22, 2016 10:46:59 GMT
Post by bouncy on May 22, 2016 10:46:59 GMT
Well done on your rescue! Goos are amazing creatures, and I'm certain you'll not regret being "persuaded"!
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Hello
May 22, 2016 11:04:35 GMT
Post by sarahraisin on May 22, 2016 11:04:35 GMT
Well done on rescueing them My other half didn't like mine and wouldn't touch them at first, now he absoloutly loves them and loves feeding them treats and tummy tickles! Soon enough that will be you
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Hello
May 22, 2016 19:26:02 GMT
Post by julieanne on May 22, 2016 19:26:02 GMT
Thanks everyone...I am sure I will get over my fear soon...I have just ordered a lovely big cage for them, can't wait to see them enjoying it
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Hello
May 22, 2016 21:48:16 GMT
via mobile
Post by Bexi87 on May 22, 2016 21:48:16 GMT
Welcome to the forum cardboard tubes are a good way of getting used to handling them without actually 'picking' them up!
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Hello
May 23, 2016 17:11:35 GMT
Post by moletteuk on May 23, 2016 17:11:35 GMT
Welcome to the forum I'm sure you will build up some confidence with them, once you get to know them and understand them a bit then they are actually quite predictable in their behaviour, it's virtually unknown for them to deliberately bite a human (unless they are seriously provoked), they are very skilled with their teeth and usually very conscious of what they can do with them, so sometimes they may try to convey a message to you with their teeth but it is unlikely to be very painful. Ummm I'm not sure if that came out as reassuring as I intended!
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Hello
May 23, 2016 20:42:03 GMT
Post by dops on May 23, 2016 20:42:03 GMT
i had to force feed my degu with a syringe for a while, and it was so sweet, even when he was in full panic mode, at his most scared, his nips were still quite held back. they definitely seem to know what hurts and what doesnt, if they want to nibble my fingers to taste them they are so gentle!
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Hello
May 24, 2016 6:56:49 GMT
via mobile
Post by uglibug on May 24, 2016 6:56:49 GMT
I agree with moletteuk, you have to be doing something really wrong to get a proper bite from a goo, they tend to be quite placid, easygoing little guys.
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Hello
May 24, 2016 14:49:58 GMT
Post by bouncy on May 24, 2016 14:49:58 GMT
I agree with moletteuk, you have to be doing something really wrong to get a proper bite from a goo, they tend to be quite placid, easygoing little guys. That's another memo that Spidey never got! I honestly don't think he means it, he just doesn't know his own strength. He's really a big softy at heart
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Post by deguconvert on May 24, 2016 18:39:41 GMT
It is true, degus are careful with their nips and a warning bite typically will not break the skin, but you must not discount or forget what may be a part of their history. Degus have excellent memories, and if they have been mishandled by a human(s) in the past, handling that caused pain, injury, or extreme fright, they will always have that memory front and centre until they have gained a trust bond with us that will remove the giant red flags planted in their minds. It is probably safe to say that if you have a degu that bites to draw blood, just such a memory exists, and you can go one of at least two ways.
1. Treat the degu with caution and learn ways to transfer the degu without contact when necessary. Discover the limits the degu is comfortable with and stay within those limits.
2. Go hard core patient, forgiving, and determined with hand training, several times daily. NEVER get angry, never move fast, be content with no improvements in a day or several days time, insist on taking very small steps with yourself, you are the one you have to restrain in order to win the trust bond and love of your degu. I had a degu who lost a third of his tail before the age of 12 weeks when a store employee shut the cage door on it. He came to us terrified, extremely shy and shut down, he stayed to the back sides of the cage and if we were in the room, he froze and wouldn't move. He bit to draw blood, and bit repeatedly. I finally recognised his trauma, and then for three months I worked several times daily with him. I lost count of the bites over the days . . . each day had at least one, often more, bleeding bites. (On the upside, I got really good at treating them so they wouldn't ache so badly, nor get infected!) It was often a week before I would see a slight improvement. To be really honest, two and a half months were almost empty of real markers of improvement. Then the last two weeks, each day seemed to hold a new step forward. He came happily to see me, not just the treat in my hand. He would let me step away from the cage. He climbed to my shoulder. He rested on my shoulder. He talked to me. He climbed in my shirt. He came to see me at the cage door, before I even reached the cage. At the end of three months he was a completely new degu and didn't bite again. Well . . . not until he was 8 years old and really grumpy, in the months before he died.
Anyway, don't ever discount the influence of their past, until you know for sure you have built an excellent trust base with your shy or terrified degus.
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Hello
May 25, 2016 20:04:16 GMT
Post by bouncy on May 25, 2016 20:04:16 GMT
That's exactly what I presumed. All the boys are so different to when I first adopted them, and I never tell him off for biting me. He's my Spideywoo, and he even accepts a very occasional tickle
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