How long before you were accepted?

[cjsweeting]

I have recently adopted 2 adult male degus, Hamish & Dougle. They spent a year at an RSPCA rescue center before I found them & took them home.

I spent ages doing lots of research to make sure I could provide for them properly but no site I found really goes into detail about you as a degu owner! They have lots of useful information about how I can makes their lives as comfortable as possible, but not very much about what I will experience as their owner and ways I should expect them to react to me.

I have had them for 2 weeks now, and ensure I have daily contact with them, talking to them and introducing my scent to them by placing my hand in the cage. They are happy to approach me and quite often squeak and chatter at me, but they will still not let me touch them.

I do not try and force contact with them, and am taking it at their pace! But I cant wait until they will allow me to stroke them and know that it is ok to let them out the cage for a free run because I can easily pick them up again with out them chewing my finger off!

They have very strong personalities and I love them to bits. Im sure the fact that they are adults (we do not know their age)means that the process will be slower as they are much more cautious, but can anyone advise me as to how long they think it will take for them to trust me, if ever?

Have you been in a similar situation and have any advice for me?

Thank you for your help, it is greatly appreciated!

[diet otaku]

degus in general are not very touchy-feely-cuddly animals. i can usually stroke mine a little if they are distracted eating, but actually picking them up is always a struggle (i've had mine over a year). when i would let them out of the cage (which i did when they had a smaller cage) i simply carried the cage into the bathroom, closed the bathroom door and opened the cage door. they would sniff around and cautiously hop out, but as they ran around they would occasionally jump back into the cage for safety. i usually didn't have to place them back in the cage, just wait until they went in on their own and close the door behind them.

[ra]

It took me about a month to gain Mocha's trust before she had her surprise litter. Then I had to start all over again and took almost three months because of weaning and the trauma in general for her.

Now both of my girls (Mocha and her daughter Tanzania Peaberry) will come out and sit on my hand or be coaxed to sit on my shoulder for a couple of sunflower seeds. When I let them loose in the bathroom they will both scamper up onto my lap, sometimes crawling up and sitting on my head when I sit on the floor with them.

They don't like being held. I feel honored if one or the other will sit on my hand while eating a treat. They are no longer frightened of me at all, they just don't like to sit still.

[cjsweeting]

Thanks guys, I was worried that I was just doing something horribly wrong, but your advice has been very reasuring!

I think I will try letting them out in the bathroom and just sitting with them! Sounds like a good idea!I could watch them for hours, they make me laugh so much!

Thank you
Ps (it is lovely that you us newbys feel so welcome! Thanx!)

[cjsweeting]

sorry that was supposed to be 'you MAKE us newbys feel so welcome'

oops

[diet otaku]

if you need to edit one of your posts, there's a button at the top of each of your posts that says "modify."

[Sunshinemeg]

hello cjsweeting.

here is my rather delayed welcome to the forum, (sorry, just moved house)! glad to see that my mods have made you feel so welcome, they are a great group I trust completely!!

regarding your thoughts about your degus, my first degu was an adult male, I had him on his own as I didnt know any better, and formed a quick bond. But i think this is because he was lonely, and i was his substitute degu friend!! The next guys were a little harder to get used to me for several reasons.

1. Adults have already established thoughts about humans, and we cannot always ensure these are good, and so it can take time to change their views on humans through patient, kind attention from us dedicated owners.

2. If you have more than one degu whatever their age they will make friends with each other far more than with any human. Ra (mod) can testify to the fact that when she had Mocha on her own she was far closer bonded to Ra than she is now, now that she has another degu, her daughter Tanzania for company. I have had degus on their own and in groups, and while the singular degus have always bonded far closer to me, I would never change for the world having a group of degus in a pile asleep!

[ra]

Yes, Sunshine Meg is correct, Mocha and I had a very close bond by the end of the first month. I spent hours and hours sitting with her. She would snuggle and even sleep in my two hands for up to 15 min. at time. (little did I know she whom I bought as a he was pregnant at the time.) She would call to me when she was lonely. She loved to sit and have me scratch her under her chin then her little armpits.. once in a while she would be so into her scratch she would get mezmerized and fall over!!

After the babies she was so frazzled. She was nervous and jumpy and afraid of me. My husband thought perhaps she associated spending time with me to the birth of her babies. YIKES!! Once she weaned the babies and I separated boys from girls, found homes etc I decided to keep the runt a little female I named Tanzania Peaberry. Tanzy was the smallest but most adventuresome of the group. I figured she would make a good cage mate for her mom. I worried about what would happen if I left Mocha for say a weekend. With Tanzy for company it's no big deal. They do look for me but it's not emotionally distressing to them.

I was bereft at first because Mocha no longer needed me. She eventually came back around but no longer wants to sit with me or stay still long enough for more than a little chin scratch. Then not long ago she was literally talking to me. She did the Degu friendly chatter and when I spoke to her, stood on her back feet and answered back! Alas, she hasn't done that again but I do know we were actually communicating.

I agree with Meg, as much as I miss the closeness we had, I know it is better for her to have another Degu to socialize with. The co-grooming and the Degu Sleep Pile is something she would have missed without Tanzania. They take turns running the wheel and sometime run together. I have watched them work together to move torn up paper towels from the lower level to the third level where their sleep box is.

I'm happy to hear their greeting chirps when I enter the room and to see their happy little faces standing at the cage door for treats. It tickles me no end when the come out and sit on my shoulder close enough to rub up against my face while eating treats.

They are friendly and entertaining - I hope they think the same of me!

[diet otaku]

it is reassuring that as much as degus prefer the company of their own kind, they are still sociable and curious enough to remain interested in human contact. yesterday i was standing next to one of the degu cages talking on my cellphone, and looked down to notice one of them sitting perfectly still staring at me raptly. it was so cute! ^__^

[Sunshinemeg]

Yes, as Diet says, its really nice that the bond between human and degu doesnt go, it just changes. My 4 boys arent as close to me as one would be, but they love me all the same. When I talk to them at the cage they come and talk back, they listen to me, and interact with me, just in a different way. I wouldnt change it for the world.