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Post by savvy on Dec 25, 2018 0:47:49 GMT
Reggie joined our household on Christmas Eve as a companion for Dixie following the death of our beloved little Bumblebee a couple of days earlier.
I've never encountered a goo like Reggie before! At 12 months old, he's such a little whirlwind. He's spent at least half his life, if not more in a pet shop, so has zero experience or memory of living in a home. They told me he'd been there 6 months. He's learned today how to drink from a bottle and will lap up any spills.
He's unsure of chewing wood - his sand bath was plastic, as was his house which was just big enough for a mouse and made of what I can only describe as extra thick green scouring pads. He tries to run on his wheel by shuffling his back feet but I'm sure he'll get the hang of it, and he doesn't sleep on or in anything! I've provided two huts, loads of hay, toilet roll and plenty of places to get but he sleeps on the substrate, occasionally under the big bridge, but has fallen asleep on his wheel a couple of times.
I'm hoping him and Dixie will hit it off, there's already been chatter between them and Reggie sleeps alongside Dixie's cage when he's nearby. I know he was removed from his two brothers at 6 months old because he was fighting, but I wonder how much of that was down to cage space and/or adolescence.
He's only half the size of Dixie, and he is an agouti, but I'm not sure how old degus are when fully filled out to adulthood.
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Reggie
Dec 25, 2018 1:30:23 GMT
via mobile
savvy likes this
Post by bouncy on Dec 25, 2018 1:30:23 GMT
He's a smart cookie, so I bet he'll have built himself a nest in the next day or so. It also looks like he wants to share the goo love! So happy for you all!
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 25, 2018 2:45:01 GMT
He sounds lovely, Savvy! Someday will we get to see some photos?
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Post by bouncy on Dec 25, 2018 10:14:11 GMT
Reggie just reminded me of Pootle and his brothers when I first brought them back from the breeder at four weeks. I limited them to one cage for their first week, but came in each morning to find one asleep in each corner, initially on the plastic floor and no bedding. I once picked Pootle up and put him on the woodshavings before having a shower. I came back to find him asleep again, on woodshavings, having crawled back to the same corner. I think it took them a week to figure out sleeping together AND a nest! EDIT - It was Grandpa Flump!
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Post by ntg on Dec 25, 2018 11:58:14 GMT
He sounds like he'll be a little character it definitely sounds positive at the bars already!
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Post by savvy on Dec 25, 2018 13:23:31 GMT
If you want to pop in and meet him ntg, you're more than welcome.
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Post by moletteuk on Dec 25, 2018 15:05:05 GMT
Awww how sweet. Welcome home Reggie, Savvy is gonna blow your mind with comfort and kindness!
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Post by savvy on Dec 25, 2018 17:58:54 GMT
Today he discovered that hay can be very comfy as he crashed out under his tunnel, I think yesterday was too much for him and he's slept a lot today. He's still very active in between naps, but there are loads of big yawns and stretches in between.
He likes beetroot biccies and will happily take them by hand, and he's pooing a LOT which is good.
I think he's frazzled poor Dixie as well as he spent most of yesterday trying to keep up with him and failing, lol. The look in his eye was something akin to 'blooming youngsters!'
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 25, 2018 18:38:14 GMT
WONDERFUL!! So happy for you!!
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Post by ntg on Dec 25, 2018 22:21:00 GMT
I'll definitely have to pop over to see you all Sav He sounds like he's pretty confident with people though was he in your local P@H or a different store?
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Post by savvy on Dec 25, 2018 22:40:20 GMT
It was a local pet shop who specialise in reptiles, but do have small furries and birds as well. They have a male bonded pair in as well at the moment and give them all names, so he came with the name Reggie. They have a policy with degus that they will only sell in pairs and will only sell agoutis so they're not supporting the breeding of patched degus. They also insisted on seeing a photo of my set up before they'd let me take him home.
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Post by bouncy on Dec 26, 2018 0:57:56 GMT
First things first, we definitely need photos of Reggie!
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Post by savvy on Dec 26, 2018 2:35:57 GMT
Reggie!
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Reggie
Dec 26, 2018 10:21:53 GMT
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Post by bouncy on Dec 26, 2018 10:21:53 GMT
Ooh! Super cute! He looks a little mischievous. Give it a few months and you may realise the real reason he was left/returned for so long..........He secretly escapes at night to play in your laundry
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Post by misscatafer on Dec 26, 2018 11:03:17 GMT
Glad Reggie is settling in! Sounds similar to when I took Boo home... She had no toys or wheel, the only thing in her cage was course straw which was so deep in places it went almost up to the shelves in the thickets she was in. She had a water bottle but it was green with algae and looked like if had never been cleaned. She was completely overwhelmed with toys and the wheel at first... Took her about a year til she started chewing anything and she'd run on the wheel awkwardly with her head sticking out of the side up until a few months ago when she finally seems comfortable using it (she's been here just over 18 months now). She'd spend much of her time backed into a corner of the cage or hidden in the hay. It's lovely when we can give them better lives though!
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Post by bouncy on Dec 26, 2018 21:27:18 GMT
Mine often run in the wheel with their head stuck out to the side - maybe looking at the inside of the wheel is just a bit boring
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Post by deguconvert on Dec 27, 2018 1:33:53 GMT
He's HANDSOME!
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Post by savvy on Dec 27, 2018 1:38:57 GMT
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Reggie
Dec 27, 2018 11:20:22 GMT
Post by moletteuk on Dec 27, 2018 11:20:22 GMT
He's lovely, hope he's settling in now
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Post by ntg on Dec 27, 2018 15:17:44 GMT
He's a beutiful little lad If you let me know what days suit you Sav I'll figure out a time to come over for a cuppa!
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