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Post by zenaida on Mar 14, 2017 14:19:04 GMT
Emziedee Thanks for the compliments! Yesterday I got my amazon order in the mail and I have enough stuff that I could theoretically get them "any day now".  So if I got fans, they would be plastic, but the best place to mount them would be outside the enclosure. The fans usually don't even fit directly in a circular hole, so they would be mounted on the outside of the wood with that 3/4 inch distance preventing little paws and teeth from getting to the plastic. That should be enough right? Honestly I would worry less about chewing in that case and more about them getting "clipped" by a moving fan blade. I"ll try an alcohol wipe like you suggest, that's a good idea. But ugh, if what you say is right about them getting the tiles up, I need to go back over them with another stronger glue for the couple places where they buckle up. The tiles CAN lay flat if I put my old textbooks on them, they just are so tight they come up a little if left to their own devices. So the corner: I have edging that I can put on, but I was going to hold off on it. I sort of think I wouldn't mind them chewing at it and I replace those bits every so often. I mean I guess if I was replacing it every two weeks, I might edge it, but I like the idea of them working on those corners. All of those edges are kiln dried pine and not the plywood. Is this a bad idea? Yes, I haven't covered those lighting wires yet, I have the mesh to do it, but I don't want to cover until either degus are imminent or until I replace the lights.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 14, 2017 15:05:26 GMT
If you don't mind possibly having to replace those edges, I'd leave them and see what happens. My guys chewed them down to a certain point, and then just left them alone, for years now.
We put down linoleum tiles also, and they've left them completely alone. ours are completely flat, tho, so there were no edges to easily catch.
You can also buy little computer-type fans with regular cords for them, they don't have to be hooked up to a computery thing. I got one to help air circulation in the house, as it was all on one heating circuit and varied greatly in temperature, hung it up at the top of the hallway and it really helped. Since you are a computery person, you probably can do all the computery stuff, which would also let you control the rate of air flow so it wasn't too windy, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. Got it on Amazon.com.
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Post by zenaida on Mar 14, 2017 17:08:02 GMT
The git ripped up wooden placements until he got to the wire flooring beneath and got his middle finger snipped off by the lurking Tibbs beneath! Well, I guess he's got Garf back now anyway. 🙄 Did that just happen today? I hadn't heard you tell that story yet! Your two seem very keen on destroying everything in sight! Part of my hopes mine will not be interested in doing that at all, part of me would find it humorous and love the problem solving challenge of outwitting them. I I'm smarter than them, but their whole lives can be devoted to this "escape plan" and mine can't. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2017 17:15:03 GMT
Mine also destroy everything in sight.
Pickle has a rope perch and she's ripped it to shreds, torn and chewed a big hole in her hanging wicker tunnel, destroyed her hemp flooring, chewed all her wooden wheel.
Poppy has two hanging bridges and she's suddenly decided to rip the one half apart and it's got nothing left of it. Pulling out all her fluff from the inside of her tunnel. Pulled up bits of her flooring, destroyed the legs off her hut.
Kev hasn't done any damage yet.
Pinky and Perky don't damage much either, I can entrust them with plastic too.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 14, 2017 18:00:25 GMT
Could it be that single degus in sight/sound of others are frustrated by the nearness/encroachment, and are trying to find a way out and to the other?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2017 18:08:09 GMT
Maybe?
I don't know. The destroyed stuff is always on the wall next to the other cage. They pine for each other badly, but when it comes to intros they just can't agree to get on.
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Post by Emziedee on Mar 14, 2017 22:44:11 GMT
It's definitely that winic, They both became destructive once they started sharing part of the cage and play area
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 15, 2017 10:58:10 GMT
Regarding the edging, I think it's nice to have that chewable and replaceable, mine enjoy having a nibble on their shelf edging, most of it I have replaced only once or twice in 6 years. I did have to put metal edging on the bit directly above the heater, because they really set their minds to getting as close to the heater as possible. If you fix the edging with screws, it's easy to replace, or little brackets mean you don't need to match the holes in the new piece of edging exactly. You might find the edging around the through holes a bit tall, it depends what kind of ramp or step you use.
Maybe try trimming a bit off the bulging vinyl tile to help it lay flat. They will make mincemeat of any weakness in those tiles.
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Post by zenaida on Mar 15, 2017 11:19:16 GMT
Wow, ok pray that the never need to be separated like that...
Thanks for the replacement advice!
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Post by zenaida on Mar 19, 2017 0:38:43 GMT
I'm getting momentum again with this enclosure! So since I found a lady who has degus it is time to tie up all the loose ends with the enclosure. Here's my list:
Already bought, waiting for:
The running wheel
New lights
Need to fix:
Bigger bolt for the saucer
Use some glue to keep the tiles permanently down
Need to build:
The hay feeder to cover the wall
A travel carrier
Possibly a hutch for them to hide in (if I have the materials on hand, if not I have a bunch of cardboard boxes saved up for them anyway)
At work the other day I scored a 6 inch diameter tube that is about a foot long! I was headed in and it was sitting right on top of some other boxes by the recycling dumpster.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 19, 2017 1:13:54 GMT
Sounds good. For a hutch, they'll probably like more than one choice. Cheap, quick and easy--go to a store like Christmas Tree Shops, or a dollar store, get some hanging basket liners made of that coconut hull fiber, turn them over, cut two degu-sized holes for two doors, I've just always found my guys liked at least two holes in any hut) and voila! Instant huts, cheap, quick, done. Put the cut out pieces in the cage for them to shred and use as extra bedding. Easily replaceable, and when it's warm, they'll sleep on top instead, which yes, crushes it, but then they shred it for stuffing in the next hut.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 19, 2017 1:15:30 GMT
I've found my guys like to have a choice of sleeping places, they change with the weather, the season, boredom, I dunno what. But every now and then they shift. Also, if someone is pissed at someone else, then they have an alternate bed.
Plus, if you WANT them to sleep in a certain place, you can bet they probably won't. Just because.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2017 1:24:45 GMT
What are you gonna fill the cage with? Exciting times!
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Post by zenaida on Mar 19, 2017 1:42:40 GMT
So the lady from the rescue said these girls really love hammocks. I already made one, but I have lots of material and can make more. The rescue lady also said she has a cool "double hammock design" that they love. I'll probably make another hammock with that design after I see it. I figure at worst, if I don't have enough material or it is difficult for them to have hiding places, I'll cut a few holes in the cardboard boxes and pop them in the enclosure. Hopefully that would be enough to hold them over for a few more days until I ran to the hardware store for a little more wood. I also have made climbing ropes. I have my eye on some tunnels and things but I have held off getting them for now. I figure I'm going to let them come home and have my husband say "aww, can we give them more play things?" instead of me asking him now and the question is "how much will that cost?".  Right now the focus is on essentials and know that I'll add quickly to that once they come and my husband will want them to have every toy their little degu hearts can dream of. |
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Post by moletteuk on Mar 19, 2017 12:03:14 GMT
Cardboard boxes are great while you figure out what types of things they like, and even longer term depending on how chompy they are for cardboard. If they have lots of nesting material, and it is a large group of degus, they can just pile up the bedding into one of the darker, quieter spots and will be happy enough.
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 19, 2017 19:14:41 GMT
I'm so excited!! How many are you going to have? When do you hope to get them? WOOHOO  I can't wait!! |
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Post by winic1 on Mar 19, 2017 22:00:18 GMT
Now you need to come up with six names! Or are you going to keep the names she's given them?
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Post by zenaida on Mar 19, 2017 22:42:26 GMT
We've been talking a great deal about names. We will probably give them new names, but it is possible we love the names she gave them.
My husband and I are geeks so we've tossed around lots of ideas. We might name them after smugglers in Star Wars, but we don't know if there are enough for that. We're big Futurama fans too so today the idea was floated to name them after the feministas in the Wild Green Yonder movie. We're still figuring out what, but we want a geeky group of girl names and it would be great if they are "bad girls" in some way. My husband would have a heart attack if we named them after something like My Little Pony characters and we found Fluttershy humping Pinkie Pie.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 19, 2017 23:29:58 GMT
Hahahahaa!
Our first hamster ended up being named Darth Fluffypants SootPlow.
but we ended up just calling him "Momma" when he gave birth two weeks after we got him.
The official name then became MRS. Darth Fluffypants Sootplow. It's what you get when a 9 year old boy and 5 year old girl get one hamster between them.
Until two weeks later when we suddenly had 3 more to name.
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Post by winic1 on Mar 19, 2017 23:44:27 GMT
Go retro: Marcia, Jan, Cindy, Alice, Carol, and  The women of Star Trek--Uhura, Nurse Chapelle (did she have a first name), Deanna, Lwaxana, Tasha, Beverly, Keiko, Kira, Jadzia, ... I think the My Little Ponies would be just hilarious....or Disney Princesses.....for the very reason you say not to.... How about female Superheroes? Are there enough? |
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