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Post by garethprice1977 on May 12, 2019 10:34:19 GMT
Hi Long time lurker first time poster We have two Degus, Terry and Binky (think Pratchett not Only Way is Essex) both just over 4 years old and we are planning a long drive to France 550 miles, 9+ hours drive time and the channel tunnel! I have a large plastic container with a locking lid which I was going to cut a large hole in a fill with wire mesh so they have air and a lot of space to move about and hide in. I am worried about putting a wheel in there as it may move about when driving but I am also worried about them not getting any exercise for 10 hours as they are quite active normally. Has anyone ever done a journey of this length and do you have any tips? Thanks in advance Gareth
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Post by moletteuk on May 12, 2019 19:25:56 GMT
Hi and welcome I haven't done any long journeys myself, but I would say try and get something metal or smooth sided wood because otherwise I would be concerned about them escaping and that's the last thing you need with a car full of stuff. For metal you would probably be looking at a modified cat carrier or for wood that would be home made. You will also need to consider the temperature of the vehicle, does it have good air con?
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Post by deguconvert on May 12, 2019 19:29:55 GMT
Hello Gareth! Welcome to the forum in a visible and active way!! Let me ask . . . this trip, is it for the purpose of a semi/permanent move, or for a visit? Do you have a cage there that they will be going into? How soon is this trip taking place? Are you interested in creating a DYI cage for this purpose? I ask because Degu are so good at getting through plastic, they may as well have plasma heated teeth that just cut through it like a hot knife through butter. The last thing you want is to discover that they have chewed a hole large enough to get out, and now they are somewhere in your vehicle. SOOO many places to hide that we would never even think of. Also, this large container . . . is it like a tub of sorts, tall steep sides with the lid? It is something you have chosen for the purpose of giving enough space to afford some movement over the long trip? I have traveled six hours one direction with my degus in the past, and I used a metal mesh dog kennel, that was designed for a dog the size of a standard poodle which I was able to find on sale, and modified the interior so that they could have good air quality, lots of space, and feel at home. It worked very well, and we used it several times for that trip and a couple of others. It was also handy when we experienced an shocking population increase when two of our four males were revealed to be female and had delivered within the same day. Not saying you will need for that purpose, LOL . . . just that having such a large secondary cage filled many needs for us. We have others that have built smaller transportation boxes for trips like vet trips and such that also have worked well, but might be smaller than what you are thinking of. You can find out more about it here . . . deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19087/pet-carrier-2-1I look forward to hearing back from you!
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Post by ntg on May 12, 2019 20:22:28 GMT
If you can get ahold of one for practically free then you could use a thickets cage or single tier lazy bones cage if you're after something that's a decent size for transport.
I wouldn't put a wheel in with them though as not only could they injure themselves if it falls, there is a risk of them getting chucked out of it if the car jolts at the wrong time. Generally for transport I stick to cardboard tunnels and hay as the tubes are light enough to not do too much damage if they slam forward (seagrass tunnels and hides and fabric hides would also work).
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Post by katta94 on May 13, 2019 9:51:47 GMT
- Water, don't forget water bottle.. - Don't place the degus back in the car...the exhaust can kill them... - Don't let the cage be in the sun. - If you can... try get a small fan connected to the cage, so it can bring fresh air into the cage... even if you have car windows open.. the air barly get into the cage..this ofc depends on the weather..if it is hot..this is a must.. ( small fan : can be just a computer fan )
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Post by winic1 on May 13, 2019 12:41:27 GMT
I would not risk using anything plastic, at all. Too risky they could chew their way out, if they find the slightest place to start gnawing at, they would be out in no time.
Ventilation is extremely important. Both heat and stale air will build up if the container is too much enclosed. That being said, for their security, you'll want to cover it lightly with a light cloth or position it so they're not watching the world whiz by as you are driving.
They will be nervous because of the noise and vibration of the engine, the road, the sounds of other cars and the world, the strange smells. So more important than a wheel for activity, will be lots of places to hide and feel safe. A deep layer of hay to snuggle through as well as chew on, more than one hideaway, whether it be one of their actual huts, or just some small boxes with doors and windows cut into them, tubes, stuff they can dig into and hunker down in to feel safe.
To keep it from feeling as if they have been ripped away into an alien space ship, use what you can from their original cage--small huts and tubes, much of the substrate and hay layer or whatever you have in there, stuff that will smell and be familiar. The same food bowl. Favorite treats hidden in among the hides so that they can discover it. The same water bottles.
Safety, familiarity, security and comfort are the priorities. They will be okay without their wheel and without a lot of exercise for a day or two. The strangeness and changes of the trip will cause more stress than lack of running around will.
Good luck with such a big move
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Post by garethprice1977 on May 14, 2019 9:14:14 GMT
First of all wow! I really didn't expect this much response I will post a proper response in a bit this is just to say thanks already for all your knowledge and advice
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Post by garethprice1977 on Jul 13, 2019 8:22:04 GMT
After a lot of messing about trying to make a cage out of a plastic tub and Degu proofing all the edges so they couldn't chew their way out I finally just bought a Lazy Bones cage (thanks ntg) They are going to have to spend at least one night in there as well until we can get their cage sorted out at the other end but I am prepared already for the sass and back chat I will get from them being cooped up but sunflowers seeds make them very forgiving. Very satisfyingly the hemp matt I bought for them to destroy fits exactly in the bottom of the lazybones cage so they will have some distraction and destruction for the long drive. I also have one of these fans www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CWPYS5M which are battery powered and basically a large clothes peg and will be providing some extra air flow on the back seat, it is only a Fiesta so the aircon is quite effective due to the volume (or lack of) Also the cage fits perfectly on the double back seat portion and the seat belt even goes around it! It was basically meant to go in a Ford Fiesta as far as I can tell the only way it could be better is if it had isoflex mounts I'll post some more pictures of them in the car when we finally leave Thanks for all your help so far, it is nice to feel part of a community (even if I am not that active)
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 13, 2019 9:40:00 GMT
Good to hear you found a good solution When's the trip?
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Post by garethprice1977 on Jul 13, 2019 11:08:45 GMT
Thanks We are going on the 31st of July, so just over two and a half weeks! I have a playlist of calming music in case the boys get out of hand, they seem to like Ska and Daft Punk
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Post by yasmin on Jul 14, 2019 2:36:14 GMT
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Post by klbishop on Jul 16, 2019 20:28:37 GMT
seems a sensible plan, we had a couple of longish trips due to moving with my guys. they seemed to like the car. generally falling asleep and then running about then sleeping the tubes is a good idea to hide away in
best of luck!
ps awesome names ! I have the greata'tun across my arm and recently visited his discworld shop near bristol :-)
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Post by garethprice1977 on Aug 1, 2019 16:45:00 GMT
Made it! The Lazybones cage worked out really well, they didn't enjoy leaving the John Hopkins townhouse for it to begin with but they seem to really like it now and even when we open it up they leap back in again. Terry is quite outgoing and has been exploring France (well the bathroom of my in laws and even Binky who is cautious of most things is very interested and exploring. They did not enjoy the 10 hour drive (or so we thought) they both became quite withdrawn and hid but whenever treats appeared the fear disappeared almost instantly so I wonder if they have just trained us to give them pumpkin and sunflower seeds when they look sad. I even caught them meerkating at random people in motorway services so I don't think they hated it all as much as they lead us to believe. Also does anyone know how far Degus can see as I swear Terry was looking out of the front of the car at the road quite a bit. Their big cage ended up in storage so we are looking for a larger home and I am wondering if I can just buy more levels for the lazy bones cage off of eBay or Craigslist. For now though they are both very intrigued by the new sights, smells and sounds and are currently judging me for drinking a glass of wine which they are way more interested in that I think they should be. Thanks for all your help and advice, I will be building them an enclosure when we get a human house sorted out and I will post pictures of course Attachments:
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 1, 2019 19:27:46 GMT
Sounds like it went well, all things considered I'm not sure about their eyesight, but from experience they can see things moving against the sky quite well and for a reasonable distance. I think you can join lazy bones cages, but it might not be practical if that's just a single level one that you have now, I think you need at least two of the biggest 3 level ones. Are you setting up home in France (how exciting)? Assuming that similar cages are available in France as UK, then something like the Liberta Explora, Aventura, Pet Planet type thing is usually the best starting point.
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Post by deguconvert on Aug 4, 2019 2:23:35 GMT
Thank you so much for the update!! It sounds like an amazing adventure, and I think you're right . . . the degus are enjoying it just as much as you are!
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Post by garethprice1977 on Aug 9, 2019 13:16:29 GMT
I think they are enjoying it. We are still waiting for their new cage to turn up so they are sleeping in the travel cage (with a wheel) and spending a lot of time out of it roaring around. They had almost free access to one 8m2 room in our old house with a desk to climb and all kinds of cupboards to get into, they were in a cage but if they felt like coming out someone would always let them as Degus have a way of making their requests known as I am sure you all know! I think being in a French house which is nearly all tiled so they can go anywhere is blowing their fluffy little minds as they have a range of at least 50m2 at the moment They will run back to their cage when they have had enough though which came as a nice surprise as Binky will only endure physical contact if he initiates it so picking him up is not an option as it stresses him. He is quite friendly but does not like to be touched, unless you have oats then it is a means to an end for a treat. Terry is the opposite and has walked up me and tried to get in my mouth to retrieve peanut butter before now, I didn't enjoy that nearly as much as he did
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Post by garethprice1977 on Aug 9, 2019 15:54:08 GMT
Thanks for the cage choices moletteuk, we have a liberta cage arriving soon (ish) We did find a cheap knock off in a French pet store but the distance between the bars was 25mm and we thought they would escape. So we played Crystal Maze with them we cut 25mm slats in the side of a box and Terry sat in it and did nothing, a pinch of oats on the outside though and there was no stopping him!
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Post by moletteuk on Aug 9, 2019 16:58:20 GMT
LOL great idea with the bar test: how to outsmart a degu while he thinks he is outsmarting you! That's top level degu keeping there
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