Is it possible to introduce a pup/s to my existing Degus?

[degucat]

Hi everyone!
Me and my family really want to introduce a new Degu/s into our two female 1 1/2year old Degus. I have read that it’s best to introduce a pup/S instead of an adult because otherwise there will be territorial issues and fighting.
I have only read of people introducing pups to a lone Degu not two but I have seen lots of videos of people having loads of Degus- they surely will have had to introduce some new ones?!
I was just checking if it’s ok to introduce pups to two Degus instead of one adult.
Also some tips on introducing degus!
Thankyou!

[deguconvert]

Yes it is . . . but there is no guarantee that they will not fight. Some pups are feisty from the get go, and will challenge adults well before the adolescent stage. Some pups are terrified of the adult they are being introduced to, and run for the hills every time they come near. Some pups are open and friendly and all goes really well, until the pup is about five months old and begins to feel the looming shadow of adolescence in their blood.

Some adults ignore pups. Some are completely unwelcoming. Some hump the daylights out of the pup which frightens the pup and results in the pup either fighting them off, or running for the hills. And some adore the pups right from first sight.

The likelihood of having a welcoming adult or adults being introduced to equally friendly and open pups is . . . relatively slim. Introductions must take into account the complex personalities and natures of degus, done slowly and carefully (read not hours, not days, not weeks, but a month or even many months in really challenging cases) so that a true bond is accomplished.

DON'T be discouraged by this. Done well, you can have a marvelous result, and more often than not people DO have a marvelous result! But you really need to be prepared, and then you need to have boat loads of patience, determination, and little to no concern for the time it may take. Also . . . having a good group of understanding people that will totally support and cheer you on is MOST helpful! That's something we are REALLY good at!!

I'm going to link you to our introductions guide, there are actually two side by side, but I'll give you the shorter one. If you want more detail you can read the other as well. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17618/introductions-fighting-quick-guide

Next ask questions, and closely observe your degus so that you can begin to learn their vocal and body language. Well . . . as best as we humans can. LOL! We can help with that as well.

You can introduce degus of like age, and there will not be the adolescent stage to go through, which is a plus in my mind. Adolescence lasts from age 5-6 months upwards to age 18 months. It may not last the full year, or it may go full steam the whole year, depending on the degu. Some degus don't become mental about domination until they are past a year of age, but believe me, when it hits, they really are quite mental. SO . . . degus of the same age will be past the adolescent stage, but you still have to follow the same processes for introducing them. It just means that you shouldn't have to face potential separations and intros again while the teenage degus go through their domination craze. So . . . potentially significantly less work. Again, it depends on the the personalities of the degus you have and the degus you introduce.

Are your current girls shy? Inquisitive? Forward in the way they relate to you? Energetic? How do they relate to each other? Can you tell which of the two is the dominant one?

[misscatafer]

You will also need a much larger cage if you wish to expand your degu family...have you managed to modify /replace the cage you had to begin with, as I remember it was identified to be too small for two degus as it was. Introductions can be tough and one of the best ways to ease these is to ensure your degus have enough space.

[degucat]

Hi Deguconvert!
Thankyou so much for the reply,
I am up for a challenge and hard work, I am willing to put in the hours if it pays off! I know this is a weird question but If I did get a pup- from what I could tell ,which pup should I get (the outgoing one, the friendly one, the energetic one..) - I am not 100% sure we are going to get a pup yet but we are ging through the process
I am so happy to have people to give me advice and support along the way
So do you think it would be best to get a pup and not an adult or a Degu of the same age of tookie and cha cha?
The more dominant Degu (I think) is Tookie, she seems more confident and will go on me and loves attention, cha-cha is more nervy but will eat out of my hand- she is the more energetic one and the one who I always hear rattling on her wheel!

They both love each other a lot

[degucat]

Hi misscatafer - yes I have modified their cage by doing what you said and adding larger floor space (not just the silly ledges) and lots of space where they can run about.
I am thinking of getting another cage of the same, standing it next to it and taking the sides of and joining them together so they have even more room.
I completely understand that they need a lot of space.

[misscatafer]

That's good news, it would be awesome to buy a second cage and add it on! A second cage is an essential for introductions anyway, so you would keep the new additions in the new cage, with a view to combine both cages for everyone once your introductions have been successful.

[degucat]

Great!
The only problem is at the moment I do not have the money to be spending £150 on the cage but if it has got to be done it has got to be done- do you know any websites which will sell used cages but in good condition for a discounted price- I have tried eBay but no luck there :/
Thankyou

[savvy]

Try preloved and gumtree, if you want to be really cheeky try Freecycle.

[bouncy]

I've introduced pups twice.

I had a lone goo who was about 18 months old. I took him with me to the rescue to meet two 12 week old pups. They met face to face there and bonded immediately. There was never a squabble amongst them.

The same two were then introduced as adults to two five week old pups. Again, I took them with me, they met face to face, the pups ran over squeaking "new friends! New friends!", and they've been together ever since. The caveat is that that was only six months ago.

I think the pup theory is that degus make great parents, and other adults in the wild will share those responsibilities. It doesn't always work, though. That's how I ended up with the lone goo to begin with!

[deguconvert]

I would perhaps look for one that is somewhat shy but not the shyest of the bunch . . . but you know . . . you could always do as Bouncy did and take Tookie and Chacha with you to see what happens. Of course, that would have to be OK with the people you are looking to get pups from as well.

[degucat]

Feb 5, 2019 1:27:29 GMT bouncy said:

I've introduced pups twice.

I had a lone goo who was about 18 months old. I took him with me to the rescue to meet two 12 week old pups. They met face to face there and bonded immediately. There was never a squabble amongst them.

The same two were then introduced as adults to two five week old pups. Again, I took them with me, they met face to face, the pups ran over squeaking "new friends! New friends!", and they've been together ever since. The caveat is that that was only six months ago.

I think the pup theory is that degus make great parents, and other adults in the wild will share those responsibilities. It doesn't always work, though. That's how I ended up with the lone goo to begin with!

Aww I’m so glad it worked out for you!
Fingers crossed my Degus are as friendly to other degus as yours are!
If I’m going to get some pups I think I may see if my nearest rescue centre has some before I go to someone else, I highly doubt it but it’s worth a try!
If I do get a pup I think I may take them with me as I would like to see how they react and which ones they bond to the most

[bouncy]

Just make sure they're only just ready to leave mum! The younger, the better.

[degucat]

So now I’m up to the point of looking for degu pups to adopt and I cannot find any pups anywhere within my proximity- I am going to ring the Rspca later because they said that they have lots of degus of different ages but I can’t imagine that they will be young enough- worth a try though!
How and where do I go about finding degu pups to adopt?
Thanks

[moletteuk]

You need the much bigger cage or second cage before you get any more degus. Plus if money is tight you need a vet fund first too really.

Might I ask what the motivation for the extra degu(s) is? If it is because you want more degus then I would suggest that you get a second pair or group of degus with joining them up only a long term plan if you have good luck. I don't think there is much point getting a single baby that may or may not be accepted by your existing degus, because if it doesn't work out you have created a lone degu that didn't need to be in that situation. I think if it is something you just fancy trying then you should get a pair and then nobody loses out if it doesn't work out. But in this case you need the equivalent of two Aventura/Explorer cages, i.e. adequate and appropriate space for both pairs.

[Deleted]

Yes, I think it’s great you want to offer a home to more degus but to be the burster of bubbles... I think you really need to think about this.

Your cage still isn’t big enough for just two degus, no matter what you add to it really.

So you either need to make an enclosure that’s split in two and is the size (minimum) of two aventuras or you buy two aventuras.

Or... you could do what I did which is buy (you’ll need 2) vivariums of this size I’ll add as a screen shot, add a full additional level to each. You’ll need to add lots of vents etc too. Works out a bit cheaper than buying 2 aventuras and they have more room (but you must add the full second level in each).



Here are mine: youtu.be/b5hoCSdkFec

If you don’t make sure you have the proper housing accommodation then it’s not going to go well.

You also need to make sure you have enough money for vets, extra food, forage and so on.

I have six degus and the housing probably cost me well over £500. Then all the toys and accessories, wheels.

Then monthly you have food, bedding, any vet bills, replacing broken toys etc.

You need to make sure you can afford all of this, that you have enough room for the large enclosure you’re going to need, the time and patience for introductions and so on.

[winic1]

Feb 5, 2019 9:46:18 GMT degucat said:

So now I’m up to the point of looking for degu pups to adopt...

Do you have the two cages already?  And all the stuff to go inside?

Everyone here always wants to be supportive, and with proper information and methods, most people can do successful introductions and degu-keeping.  We try to help this happen for anyone who asks.  But, I'm going to be the bad guy here.

If you try to introduce pups to the adults in a cage that is already really too small, and not well shaped for degus (despite adding proper levels, that tall narrow cage is not the best for them) you are almost guaranteed to have trouble.  The maternal instinct may kick in when they are tiny and new, but they grow quickly and the pups will want to take over being "top goo" from your existing girls very quickly, and you will have constant and possibly vicious fighting, as there isn't enough room for anyone to run away from the one going after them--it will become a desperate climb to the top or bottom to get away, and once they get to the last level, then they are trapped in that small space with nowhere else to go.

I understand the urge to get more pets when you enjoy the ones you have so much, believe me I do.  I keep birds, budgies and finches, and right now I have 11 budgies and 44 finches.  But I'm also over 50 years old, my last kid is finishing high school, we have enough income to cover supplies, vet visits, etc.  My budgies are in a cage that is 1.6m wide by 1.6m high by 65cm deep.  For my finches I have 2 cages that are the same 1.6mx1.6mx.65m, one that is 1.6mx1mx0.5m, one that is 1.6mx.5mx.5m, and four that are .8mx.5mx.5m.  I can do this because I have an entire room of my house dedicated to my birdkeeping, because I have the space and time and means to do so.  None of my birds are crowded, none of my cages are makeshift, all of them are set up properly so they are wide, with long flight paths (remember that finches are at best 10cm) so that they can fly like they are supposed to, not have to do short hops up and down a tower.  I don't get more finches, or let anyone breed, unless  I KNOW I have proper space to keep them before I do.  I would love to have a hundred birds, there are so many varieties I do not have yet, but I could not house them properly so I do not do it.  But there are times when Oh! I want to so badly!

With the cage you have, doubling it makes it truly suitable for TWO degus, when you have made complete levels instead of just those tiny shelves.  The two degus you have already may have adapted and are doing fine in it as is, but if you introduce more, creating real crowding, you are sure to have trouble, especially as they grow to adulthood, which happens in a few months, really.  If you bring home pups and try to rush introductions (the instant love at first sight thing does not always happen, probably more often not than does) you could end up with severely injured pups and angry degus who will never accept each other.  You could upset your existing degus and they would fight and have to be separated, that has happened here, too.  If you don't have a proper second cage, where are you going to keep the new degus if introductions take time, or don't go well?  Pups grow very quickly, and they will need a decent cage of their own until, if, they are accepted by your older goos.

Please, please, make sure you are fully, physically ready for new goos and the possibility that they won't introduce right away, before you go get any.  For the sake of the two you already have, as well as the sake of the new pups who will be hoping for a good home as they are taken away from their mum.

[deguconvert]

Hey, Degucat . . . would you remind me again what cage you have, because I can't be sure I'm remembering right.

Just as the ladies above have been saying, cage size is massively important. Degus are ground living rodents, that are naturally built to cover large amounts of territory in their daily foraging for food. They do not take to the trees but rather live in underground tunnels in the wild. They are also colony animals, as you know, so having them with companions is truly important. However, if you have them is a space that is too small, they start to become unhealthy and unhappy. In their unhappiness, they can/do become angry with each other and seek to get away. If they are in a cage that is too small for that, they will fight and the fighting can rapidly become fatal. You definitely need to have two cages for the processes that are necessary when introducing degus that are new and strange to each other. And you definitely need to have a cage that has lots of surface space for them to live on . . . like a table surface rather than say, a tall narrow cupboard. Having a cage that has the right dimensions makes life so much better for our degus, and it strengthens the bonds and stability of any domestic/in home degu "colony."

Please understand we are not trying to be mean in our telling you these things. We know that you want to give the best you are able to reasonably do for your degus, and appreciate your lovely dream and aspirations to add to your existing two (which is great), but we want you to know that if you don't have the appropriate sized cages for all of the needs we have described, you will find that your degus are suffering, and may harm each other in the process. This is information we strive for all of our members to know and understand.