ross
Newborn Degu
Posts: 2
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Post by ross on Feb 16, 2018 0:27:58 GMT
Hey guys! nice to meet you all! I've just adopted a sweet little degu called Harry, from Pets at Home, he was bullied and ended up with a trip to the vets and a period in pets at homes sick bay bless him. and is very scared around people and other degus. I've had him a couple of days and he is still very shy, but I seem to have started to get him to come out his shell, he's taken a treat directly off of both me and my girlfriend, which we saw as a good sign, but still wont let me stroke him, although he does seem like he is getting closer to letting me touch him. and he's not constantly in hiding now, but he can be easily startled and he runs back to his 'safe spots' I feel like I'm doing a okay job with him, and I'm putting in as much effort as I can to help him settle, was just wondering if anybody had any tips? cheers guys!
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Post by savvy on Feb 16, 2018 3:03:11 GMT
Welcome to the forum.
Degus are very skittish by nature as they are a prey animal. Some settle down really well, but others will never be comfortable being handled. I would recommend sitting by the cage first of all and talking softly to him so he gets used to your presence.
Then sit with your hand in the cage, palm facing upwards, with some treats, porridge oats are a good one you try, and let him come to you. As his confidence grows, he will eventually sit on your hand to eat the treats. Please be advised that it can take weeks or months for him to get to this stage if he is nervous. When he is used to you and sits there eating, you can try just lifting your hand just a couple of inches. Not too high because he may want to jump off.
As he is from p@home I'd advise you to double check that he is a boy, mistakes are constantly made there, and surprise pups have been the result.
Can you also tell us what you are feeding him and also what cage you have?
He will in time need a little degu friend, but you need to get the basics right first and degus are a steep learning curve.
Ask any questions you need to, there are no silly ones when it comes to these guys.
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 16, 2018 15:46:01 GMT
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Post by randomname on Feb 16, 2018 18:22:11 GMT
Hi, welcome to the forum First thing to know about degus is they're not like any other animal out there- they're strange little guys who tear up & eat the rule book! Some never want to be snuggly pets, some do. It can take months or years to get to that kind of relationship, if it ever happens. They're prey animals, so very skittish by nature. Sounds like you're doing everything right, just keep being calm, kind & patient & you'll get there. Savvy & DC have given you some great advice. Best place to start is making sure the cage is suitable (most aren't) & the diet is good, then think about getting a friend as degus really can suffer if housed alone. It'll take time, but you'll get there. Sounds like Harry is very lucky to have such a diligent owner, am sure he'll realise it soon enough
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ross
Newborn Degu
Posts: 2
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Post by ross on Feb 17, 2018 17:27:12 GMT
thanks for all the info and the kind welcome guys! Ill have a read of all the links in a sec Thank you! He seems very settled in his cage now when its closed and he's feeling safe in there, I just want him to feel safe and happy around us, I know I've got to be patient but I want him to be fully happy asap, or id like to know he doesn't want to be sociable so I don't annoy him lol ill upload a picture of him cage and food tomorrow when I can get the photos off my phone on to the Pc. I know there social, but I'm worried about him after the attack, any advise on when to introduce him to another? or is there certain circumstances that suggest he might be better alone? When we first got him we were told about his attack, his trip to the vets and the scar on his tail shows it was a bad fight. I have 2 rabbits that I thought I might be able to get him friendly with them? only when there in there pen with either me or my gf supervising (although that's more of a thing ill look into in the distant future) also he has nibbled by gfs nails a couple of times, and nipped my finger earlier, no blood so I'm not sure if it was a full bit or a nip? is that a grooming sort of thing, or a scared leave me alone sort of thing lol? I'm hoping my experiences with the rabbits also being pray animals will help, but by the sounds of it little degus behaviours are all on there own lol wouldn't it be so much easier of all animals communicated in the same ways lol
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Post by misscatafer on Feb 17, 2018 19:00:14 GMT
That's great that he is settling in and getting used to his new surroundings and owners the nips and nibbles are greetings and interaction with yourselves, nothing to worry about. Degus will growl and 'chuff' (sounds like a sneeze or tut!) at you if they are unhappy. Circumstances where degus bite are rare, but when this happens may be when you are trying to force them to do something they don't like (handling /touching) or invading their territory - the cage. It's worth being mindful of this when you are putting your hands in and out to clean, top up food etc in the weeks he is settling in to get an idea of how he perceives you. My Bella was a nipper when she was younger, she would nip me if I moved a toy into the wrong place or touched something in the cage which was hers. She would also bite if anyone put their fingers through the bars instead of using the door! Now she is an adult all that behaviour has stopped now though and she is very placid. I would always suggest finding a companion for a lone degu. It is quite cruel keeping them alone due to their intelligence and natural sociable nature... Imagine being kept in a room alone your whole life? The rabbits will not provide the same stimulation as another goo either unfortunately. I have two degus together who I adopted separately, one had been alone for at least 3 years. They absolutely love each other, you would think they had been together their whole lives! How old is Harry? You might want to consider getting him neutered and then pairing him up with a female as these introductions tend to be easier.
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Post by zenaida on Feb 17, 2018 19:23:13 GMT
My girls love to nibble at our finger nails. They would give us a (messy) manicure if we let them! It is part of their grooming behavior. It is fine to let them do this within your tolarence. If you feel like they are getting a bit too close you can try giving them a "squeak" back because that's how they tell each other "hey, careful, you're nibbling too close!".
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 17, 2018 20:36:34 GMT
I'm going to Ditto what Misscatafer and Zenadia said. Sounds like you are getting to know him and build a bond with him, which is very important. Understanding his boundaries is crucial, and I think you are well on your way to decoding what he is telling you!
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Post by claire on Feb 18, 2018 3:47:16 GMT
Believe me if it was a full bite you'd know about it! The fact he feels confident to nibble you at all shows he's trusting you
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Post by deguconvert on Feb 19, 2018 22:20:02 GMT
You certainly would! Especially if they hit bone before letting go!
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Post by savvy on Feb 20, 2018 0:01:51 GMT
Not to mention the blood, the throbbing, the swelling afterwards, and in some cases, the antibiotics and/or trip to hospital.
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