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Post by kikgoos on Nov 17, 2019 16:51:34 GMT
Hi all,
So as some of you know we lost Larry's brother Barry last night. We are heartbroken. Made more so by seeing Larry looking utterly lost by himself.
Is a female the best chance if I was to get him neutered?
Would getting more than one other be too much for him or is that better? (I've seen a few sister groups needing rehoming).
Xx
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 17, 2019 19:25:25 GMT
Allow yourself some time to think it over. Larry probably needs to complete mite treatment too, I would think?
Neutering is certainly an option if Larry is in good health. You might want to consider some of the diet changes for Larry that we talked aboutfor Barry as dental disease is usually partly genetics, but I'm getting sidetracked. With neutering you take more risk with the operation, it's quite a serious operation for a degu, but you get much better chances of a smoother introduction. One boy can go with a single or multiple girls, that might depend more on his personality and how much cage space you have, but Larry and two girls should work well.
You could also consider another adult male who is also currently single, or a pair but results vary and can take some time.
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 17, 2019 19:44:18 GMT
Ditto to what Moletteuk has said.
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Post by savvy on Nov 17, 2019 19:57:17 GMT
Ditto the above.
Just want to add about male (neutered)/female pairings. I currently have an 8year old male, Dixie, who lives next door to my 18month old girl, Reggie. When Reggie is on heat, she gives Dixie no peace whatsoever, lol.
All the chasing is done by her, so if Larry is too laid back, they may pester him a little.
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 17, 2019 20:59:45 GMT
Your right, I should some time to process and what not first, it is just so sad to see him on his own.
Larry is in good health, I ordered the foods you suggested for Barry which have arrived so will diet changes for Larry can begin. Will ask vet about mites.
Oh my hehe, I'm not sure if being harassed would please him or not.
Is it best to aim for ones of a similar age?
I have the liberta explorer, lots of extra shelves and tunnel attachments and what nots for more floor space. Xx
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 18, 2019 20:26:17 GMT
Guys I've been reading all your info on introductions. I know the advice is side by side cages but I have a tiny room (Haven't fit an xmas tree in here since I got them haha). I was wondering if you thought a top and bottom cage split would be appropriate and maybe fashion something for the blocked up bit in the middle that would allow a sniff through? imgur.com/gallery/mgqsGTXXx
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 18, 2019 23:28:57 GMT
Dominance is a big deal for degus, and in the wild, the degu with the largest pile of sticks around his burrow is the top degu in the colony. Or at least, so we have been told. While stick collecting is not something easily done in captivity, a close second is living in a cage space that is higher than the other degu living below you. So, when you have an "above/below" living situation between two degus that you are wanting to introduce and bond together, you are making it more difficult for yourself by placing one in the dominant position before they've had a chance to get to know each other and figure that out for themselves.
Is the room you have to work with your bedroom? Is this in your own home, or in a shared space? I'm not trying to pry, but I am trying to understand if there is a limitation that you really cannot work around in any way.
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 18, 2019 23:37:36 GMT
Hi DC, it is my home but it is a small 3 story terrace. The downstairs living space is tiny and the only room available to house the cage :-(
Gosh this is tough, I just want to do what's best for him.
What if I was to house them top and bottom with no viewing/sniffing area and slowly introduce via a divided play area?
Xx
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 18, 2019 23:43:33 GMT
Well . . . they may still be able to know that there is a degu up there, or down there, just through scent and sound alone. Hmmm . . . Is there no space wide enough? Like if you were to lay the cage on it's side? Even elsewhere in your home? I totally get if that is the case!! And it sounds like it! So . . . you work with what you have! I'll give it some thought . . . the not having any visible viewing/sniffing area. How would you set up a divided play area?
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 18, 2019 23:44:58 GMT
Also . . . it can be a very different introduction between a male and female or females if you go that route, and a male to male intro.
Would you remind me again . . . how old is Larry?
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 19, 2019 10:46:06 GMT
Eep. I will have a think but I just can't see how I'd fit it in, where there is a will there is a way! If it was just me here I'd have them anywhere or throw out a sofa haha but I have to think of the others.
Larry is 3.
Umm well my husband built a fold up wooden pen so I thought I could put mesh down the middle or something?
Xx
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Post by deguconvert on Nov 19, 2019 16:42:17 GMT
Three is a nice age! Beyond the adolescent insanity, but still very lively! He is definitely still young enough to not be exhausted by a female that is demanding attention. LOL
The play pen . . . how tall is it? Just wondering if it is tall enough to prevent a degu from jumping out, or over the partition into the other half where the other degu is.
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Post by winic1 on Nov 19, 2019 17:30:35 GMT
See the space on the top half, under the shelf, where the hole from below is? You create a wire barrier around that space. So the bottom goo can come up and meet the top goo face to face (top goo would be down on his main floor).
Things to consider and plan out when doing this: If that shelf is not SOLID to the cage all the way around, then you want to make a complete wire cage insert, with a roof, so that top goo cannot squeeze down the side and get into bottom goo's space.
All wire barrier should be double thick, with at least a centimeter's/quarter inch's space in between, so that no one can nip off someone else's toes. This is easily done by getting little strips of wood, and attaching the wire to either side, so the wood provides the space and the structure to keep them from also pushing underneath it.
Unless you put a front on this barrier (which makes it harder to clean that closed off area), be very aware that when you open that top right door, BOTH top and bottom goos are now open to the world and can jump out at you. If you want to be able to clean that area, maybe make a separate wall piece for the front, so you can close off whichever half you don't want open when you open that door. If it would only be for cleaning time, you could just cut a piece of cardboard that blocks each opening as needed, and DON'T turn your back on the cage or look away without closing that door first to avoid sneaky escapes!
When you first set it up and put New Goo in, you might want to have that section closed off with cardboard, so they can hear and smell each other, but not see each other yet. Then you can choose when to remove it, or they will choose by chewing it away when they realize someone else is there. Then you just wait for them to decide they don't want to kill the goo on the other side of the double wire, and, in fact, they'd like to snuggle up with the goo on the other side of the double wire, and at that point begin face to face introductions as per the introductions guide.
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 19, 2019 19:33:51 GMT
The best way to do split level intros with that cage is to add an extra level at the top of the lower half of the cage, effectively where you have that long rectangular wooden box. You then divide that extra level so that the top goo can get through the hatch to a small area of it and the lower goo can access the rest. You would need to make sure this is done very securely and you would probably need extra levels where the shelves are too so that each go has more room while living alone in half the cage.
(edit, for some reason I didn't see Winic's reply, we are describing a variation on the same thing)
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Post by winic1 on Nov 19, 2019 20:47:14 GMT
Curses on Photobucket again! But if you can see through their blur, there is a picture or two of the barrier we built when starting to introduce deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19781/photos-new-boys Pictures 5 and 7 are the ones that show it, if you can decipher blurs.
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 19, 2019 21:35:19 GMT
Thanks all, do you know of any photos on here of anyone that has done it?
Xx
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Post by winic1 on Nov 20, 2019 1:49:06 GMT
I am in the middle of moving house, but once things settle, if no one else has come up with pictures, I'll have time to search my files and find you some.
Will need a volunteer to post them for me, tho, Haven't yet set up with a different hosting site for pictures on here.
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 20, 2019 8:07:39 GMT
Aw lovely pics! I get the idea I think. Your cage is a slightly different one to me but I think we can work something solid and sturdy around that section!
These are all really helpful tips! Thanks. Xx
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Post by kikgoos on Nov 20, 2019 8:07:59 GMT
Oh and happy house move!! Xx
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Post by moletteuk on Nov 20, 2019 15:50:11 GMT
There a some pics in this thread by Momofmany showing an extra level. Her level is at the top of the top level but I hope you can get the gist and see that you could do it at the top of the lower half and then create a divide in the level with a double layer of mesh. deguworld.proboards.com/thread/6918/show-cage?page=32
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