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Post by louiemm on Jul 14, 2017 20:46:06 GMT
Hi there,
I've been looking for an open thread but got overwhelmed. Around 2 no the ago i adopted 2 little girls, Pearl and Ethel and I am so in love with them. They are taming well, climbing on my hands for seeds but not quite to lifting stage.
When they have a cage clean out they explore around the conservatory and will go into their home after a short time. They will come and explore on me and it's great. Fast forward one of them escaping when I'm feeding them and BOOM she's off.she won't come anywhere near me. Sees me and bolts and it's just take 4 (very patient) hours to cover her with a net which I hated doing. I guess my question is
1. Will they ever gain enough trust to approach me when they are out
2. What can I do to interact with them that won't stress them out.
Cheers
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Post by bouncy on Jul 14, 2017 21:04:21 GMT
A couple of things that will help......
Get them used to coming to you into a large tube or box. Tap on it, and reward them for going in. Once they're trained, it's useful for moving them about without the stress of handling.
When you have them running around the conservatory, sit on the floor with them. They will get used to you, climb over you, and will be less nervy over time, especially as you'll be more at their level.
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Post by misscatafer on Jul 14, 2017 21:25:57 GMT
I had lots of escapes with my girls at first as I had a 'not fit for purpose play pen'. I found they could not resist the sand bath, and luckily I had one with a handle on. Whenever they got over the mesh, I would simply put the Sand bath out in front of them or near them and they would hop straight in. It doubled up as training for me too, as nowadays I use a large plastic tub to transport them back and forth between the cage and pen. I use the same tub to sieve the sand, so it has that sand bath smell which they associate with safety and transport.
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 15, 2017 16:38:54 GMT
Hi and welcome to the forum  If you find the right treats they will forgive you in no time. If you can sort a playpen or are happy with the conservatory as degu safe, then I really recommend sitting or lying down with them in there, keep some treats in your hand or scatter them over yourself and eventually they will come and investigate. |
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Post by deguconvert on Jul 15, 2017 18:14:00 GMT
Hello Louiemm!! Welcome to the forum and to degus! Is your conservatory quite large, and is it completely enclosed so that there can be no escaping beyond that area? Degus LOVE to explore. They LOVE the larger space of our homes!! They would LOVE to have the whole area for their own and will do all they can to avoid capture if ever they get a sneak peak at what lies beyond their cages. In the wild they are a large territory that they roam throughout the day (7km sq . . . is that right Moletteuk?) so their cages are considerably smaller than what their little bodies and brains are built to have. Most of the cages that you find recommended for degus are simply too small. We have a cage size recommendation chart ... deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendations ... which is most helpful, but even degus that have more space than we recommend, will yearn for the wider spaces of the whole home if they have had an opportunity to explore (accidental or otherwise). They are more curious about things than cats, and LOVE adventure! If you see the little one that got out, pawing through the bars of the cage and being all fidgety, don't freak out, that is just her trying to figure out how she can get out there again, and formulating a plan that will give her more time out there. |
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Post by bouncy on Jul 17, 2017 9:14:37 GMT
And don't forget, degus have a secret conspiracy and plans for world domination!
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