|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 10, 2018 9:43:59 GMT
Hi everyone I've been lurking for ages and using the forum for advice, very helpful  I adopted 2 degus a few months ago and have just set them up in a new cage - linked to the Pinterest pics below. It's a work in progress - I'm planning to add more long shelves with 'steps' so they have more levels, and also poo guards! (They do have a massive tic tac wheel, I just haven't swapped it over from the old cage yet as didn't have time yesterday). Have got a question about floors - I've put wood shavings down as substrate, and put cardboard down to cover the wire floor on the bottom level. They love cardboard because they can rip bits up and chew it, and I always have loads so can replace every day. I've been reading about hemp/grass mats, and wondering whether to put these on the floor instead. Would they need wood shavings on top of them as well? Basically am not entirely sure what the substrate is for - if it's for digging in then I'm not sure I've put enough down, but if it's for general poop catching then would the mat do that by itself? I'd still put digging stuff down, but am considering if I can only use a mat on a couple puffy levels and then fill up one or two with loads more wood shavings and bath sand? Also need to work out how to attach things to a slightly weird wire bar set up, this doesn't have 'square' holes, so am unsure how it'll work, and need to make sure it will before ordering anything! pin.it/vsrbsqluvnkq5ypin.it/rst3tgyd34zxfo |
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Sept 10, 2018 11:08:46 GMT
Hi Orphiel, welcome to the forum. Lots of people have lots of different ideas about substrate and matting etc. My preference is always for shelf edging, so you make an upright bit all the way around each shelf, and then you can fill the shelf with a decent amount of substrate that will absorb wees and cover up poos so that you can go longer bewteeen clean outs. You can make the edging using kiln dried softwood from the diy shop, cut to length, screw together and just slot into place. Some people get on well with the hemp type mats, there is no need to put substrate on top, you just shake them out and brush them off now and then. If you go the mat route, I think it would be nice to provide a digging box. It's fine to do a mixture of matting and substrate. I think it's a personal choice dependant on the habits of your degus and your cleaning preferences. Some degus do seem to enjoy some digging activity and mine have always moved their substrate around, clearing it from around the wheel, piling it up in other areas. If you use matting, you may see similar type behaviour with them scraping away at it and fluffing it up in certain areas. Substrate is also certainly for the purpose of soaking up wee and for keeping things clean, but it's not the only way. If your degus have places they prefer to pee that you can spot clean more regularly, this gives you more flexibility. Wood shavings aren't your only option for loose substrate, there are also paper based products like fitch and hemp chips like aubiose and aubichick and also shredded cardboard deguworld.proboards.com/thread/8754/cage-bedding-reviewsI think people attach things to bars using really big washers and nuts and bolts or wingnuts to create a fixed position. |
|
|
|
Post by misscatafer on Sept 10, 2018 11:30:26 GMT
Welcome I used coco mats for a long time and found them really effective. I would shake them out and hoover them during cage cleans, if you flip them over and do this regularly you can get several months use out of them. I didn't put substrate on top. I stopped using them after I was attempting introductions and my goos completely destroyed them all in their attempts to get to each other. I then couldn't find anymore in shops unfortunately and wasn't prepared to spend the money on bulk buys from garden centres as it was pricey - although some people do do this. I was a bit picky as many places, such as the big diy shops, spray them with various chemicals and so they are not really animal friendly. Poundstretcher did square sized packs of them two years ago, but this summer they didn't appear to stock them (not where I live anyway). I would definitely go back to them if I found some again though, My girls are so messy with their substrate! |
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 10, 2018 15:27:15 GMT
Cheers guys I read about the different substrates, and I picked up only a small amount of wood shavings so I could try the different ones if the degus don't get on with these kind. I'm definitely going to do a shelf edge, I found someone online selling premade perspex ones to put on, which I thought would be good because I have no grasp of DIY at all! I think I am going to try the mats for the top couple of levels and then fill up the bottom bits with stuff for them to dig in, thanks for the advice on that. I'll see which bits they prefer and can move stuff around for them if they need it I managed to fit an entire branch in there as well (safe wood) and they're extremely excited by that! |
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 10, 2018 15:30:48 GMT
Oh, just noticed about places to wee - mine used to have a very specific place they used in the old cage, I'm hoping they do something similar in this one as I thought about putting something there to be a bit like a litter tray. I know it won't work in terms of them /only/ weeing there, and obv they poo over an impressive distance, lol, but thought it might save some scrubbing time.
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 10, 2018 16:41:17 GMT
Hello Orphiel, and welcome to the forum!! You've been well answered, and I've nothing to add, but did want to say, it is lovely to meet you!
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 10, 2018 18:01:00 GMT
Thank you it will be nice to have chats about degu things, they are extremely odd creatures sometimes! |
|
|
|
Post by savvy on Sept 10, 2018 18:27:31 GMT
Oh they are the very definition of weird, lol.
If there's anything you need to know, just ask. There are no silly questions when it comes to these furry guys.
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 10, 2018 22:25:35 GMT
SOOO totally NO silly questions when it comes to goos!
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 11, 2018 12:31:56 GMT
Haha, good to know no silly questions, as I'm already freaking out about whether they're using the bottom floors! They've only been in the new cage since Sunday night, and I reckon it'll take them a couple of days to get used to the bonus levels, as they've been in one of the small one level cages for the last couple of months I love how I thought I could be chilled out about having them as long as they've got enough room and nice things, but I'm already like ONO when they do something I don't expect (which is ALWAYS) 😂 |
|
|
|
Post by savvy on Sept 11, 2018 12:43:44 GMT
Just to put your mind at rest.....
When I adopted Bumblebee he had been kept in a thickets cage, and that's all the space he'd had. I put him in an adventura (2 full levels, 2 half levels and ramps.) It's took him an hour to learn how to use the ramps as he'd never seen one before and three days to realise just how much space he had. Now he's up and down the cage all day, only stopping to eat and drink.
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 11, 2018 13:27:13 GMT
Phew! I noticed that about the ladders, Enny was pretty quick to work them out (although I had originally replaced one with a big branch that I then took out because she was kind of scrambly on it) but Marx took hours - he is the brave one and she's the intelligent one  Also yes, my degus are indeed called Marx and Engels... I'm not very subtle about my politics! |
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 11, 2018 14:20:28 GMT
Yay! Tempted them down with their dust bath (don't usually leave it in because oh god the pooping) so now I'm sure they know the bottom level exists, lol.
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 11, 2018 15:55:46 GMT
Sounds like you are having FUN!! So glad you are enjoying them and all the antics they endlessly get into.
|
|
|
|
Post by moletteuk on Sept 11, 2018 17:29:09 GMT
I can't quite see on the pictures, but if you have ladders, it's best to put a backing on them so their legs can't fall through, or swap for ramps.
If you find there are areas that they don't take to, it's worth thinking about re-arranging things, or blanking off a part of the side or rear of the cage so they feel more protected, there might be something that feels a bit exposed to them putting them off.
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Sept 11, 2018 20:55:36 GMT
Oop, yeah I misspoke, they are ramps rather than ladders I'm going to be in their room most of the day tomorrow, so I can keep a good eye and see what they use. They always seem to prefer the random cardboard tat to the exciting wooden things I got... 🙄 |
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 13, 2018 6:04:34 GMT
Ha Ha!!
Just like toddlers that like the box better than the toy.
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Oct 2, 2018 15:02:10 GMT
Following up on this for more advice, hope that's OK I've put hemp mats down on the top levels and they seem to like them. They're ripping bits off, obv, but they wouldn't be degus if they didn't wreck stuff on the reg... The bit I'm wondering about is how other people fix the mats down - they are loose atm so they just move around the shelf. Husband suggested velcro on the bottom which I said no to because he hadn't seen the rate they chew at and thinks they wouldn't get to it, but I feel this is not a good assumption, haha. |
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Oct 2, 2018 15:48:50 GMT
Wracking my brain and can't think of the answer, are the shelves you have the mats on solid or are they wire grates? Your cage . . . are the sides wire?
|
|
|
|
Post by orphiel on Oct 2, 2018 15:53:54 GMT
Oh! Also I wanted to ask something else, keep forgetting things! I am starting to think I might be able to screw bits of pre-cut wood together to make their extra shelves myself, but due to my lack of DIY knowledge I am having trouble finding things. So I go to eg B&Q website and they have sections on sheet material, which is all mdf and chipboard, and then shelf/flooring type wood sections which don't have the area. What should I be googling to get a sheet of pine wood?
|
|
