Buying New Degus?

[mkish]

I already have two degus right now, ages 6 and 1 because my oldest’s sister passed away a few days before christmas. I gave Cinnamon (the oldest) a month before getting a new degu and it helped me. But, it was still too much and too soon. They are fine now but I’ve been thinking that maybe getting two degus now would make it easier when Cinnamon passed. The cage is a 4 floor ferret cage so it’s big enough. Would it be a good idea to introduce two baby degus to my two adults? Coco (youngest) is kind of rude and still bites me!! She’s very aggressive and I’m worried she might hurt two babies but at the same time I can always take things slow. She bites Cinnamon once in a while but it’s nothing too serious just her being rude. Any thoughts or advice? I would love some new girls but don’t want to do anything I shouldn’t. Also any tips if I should get two babies?

[bouncy]

This is a difficult one.

Coco may be aggressive because of the way she was treated by her previous owner, but also bear in mind that she's still adapting and is her highly hormonal first 18 months.

Regarding another two, it's got some very positive things - you won't be left with a single goo when Cinnamon passes,and you'll have more of a natural group. I would first double check your available floor space against our recommendations so you can avoid territorial fighting. Personally, I've had two very easy and straightforward introductions with pups. On both occasions, the pups and adults immediately took to each other, but I was very lucky. We had one member whose male attacked pups, and I think they were his own litter! Degus in the wild naturally share parenting duties, not just their own litters but with other clan members. As long as they are fully weaned (approx six weeks), you're most likely to have success with pups up to 12 weeks old. My pairings have been with five week pups and 12 week pups.

[mkish]

Coco and Cinnamon got along right away when introducing!! Than, Coco became more aggressive but there’s never been serious fighting, thankfully. Is there a difference on how they would act according to genders? I’ve read somewhere that males are more territorial and I have females and am looking for two more females. Could this help the situation or should I watch out for anything?

[deguconvert]

The onset of adolescence often is expressed through an increase in aggression. We typically say that the adolescence/young adult stage is from the ages of 6 months to 18 months . . . but some degus will start as early as 5 months, and some last until they are almost 24 months in age. Some don't start displaying any aggression until they are 12 months, and the very rare have no changes or aggression at all. This stage is common to both male and female degus, but as you say, typically females are somewhat less dramatic and aggressive in their intent to dominate and rule the roost. So . . . yes, if you do choose to increase your clan by two more females . . . you will still have to watch out for it.

There are the occasional females that have very intense heat cycles that greatly disrupt their calm, and the only thing that will help to stabilize their bodies is the presence of a male (neutered of course). We haven't seen a lot of this on our forum, but there have been a handful of notable instances where a female was either greatly distressed or aggressive with her heat cycles, and introducing a neutered male made all the difference to her. BUT . . . only one male . . . and it is quite natural for one male to have a harem of females that he "tends" to. (Just a question . . . do you notice that your Coco is aggressive for a few days and then calms for about two weeks or a bit more, and then the aggression is back again? If so, it is likely connected to her heat cycle. In which case, if you could find a neutered male to introduce to your two ladies, it could be a tremendous help to both of them.)

I think you could have wonderful success with two more, but there is no guarantee that it will go smoothly or quickly. It is most certainly worth the time and effort, but it can involve a great deal of time and effort depending on all the degu personalities involved.

[mkish]

Thanks for all the information!!! Coco is aggressive everyday, I have never seen her not be aggressive. Her aggressiveness isn’t awful though, it’s more like an attitude or being feisty lol! But, Cinnamon out of all her 6 years has never been aggressive!! She always has loved being held, cuddled, and pet. But, Coco just walks into my hand which I place outside of the cage and once she’s on my hand she just bites it!!

I’m kind of skeptical of getting a male because the places that sell degus near are kind of sketchy and I’m just worried it won’t be neutered.

Also, I plan on getting the pups in June, is there anything I could do to help Coco calm down? Or at least be more comfortable with me? She still bites me and I have tried so much!! I just want, if possible, for the little ones to feel comfortable and not have Coco going at them.

[deguconvert]

Has Coco bit you from day one? When she bites you, what do you do in response?

[mkish]

When I first got her she didn’t bite but she was also very scared and stressed from coming from a small cage with 10 other degus to being alone and meeting Cinnamon, etc. Once she became comfortable I started trying to pet her gently and she would bite me and it’s just gotten worse. When she bites me I make a little squeal noise and pull my hand away because I’ve read that might help but it hasn’t. Her worst bite caused lots of bleeding and even left a scar, but it hasn’t been that bad in about a month. I have been keeping my hands away from her and out of the cage unless I have to adjust something. I have also tried to move slower and I hold my hand to the bars of the cage to let her sniff it to see if that’ll help.

[bouncy]

Degus usually hate being handled, and only some tolerate being touched. Having your hand in the cage is trespassing on her territory and, as she's young, doesn't really know you, and has only just really established herself. Have you tried just sitting next to the cage, talking, and interacting through the bars? Once she's happy with this, then progress slowly to putting your hand at the open door with no attempt to touch, then the same inside.

I realise you have to fill the food bowl, but try to do so when she's on a different level?

[mkish]

Okay!! Thanks for the advice!! But, what about Cinnamon? Cinnamon loves to be held, cuddled, and just loves attention in general. Can I still play with Cinnamon if I’m just putting my hand in the cage to pick her up? Will Coco be uncomfortable with my hands being in the cage? And how long do you think it might take for Coco to start getting comfortable?

[bouncy]

By all means still play with Cinnamon, but try to get hold of her when Coco isn't around the area. That way, she won't associate your invasion with herself. As for how long it may take, how long is a piece of string? Degus are very individual characters. It may be a week, a month, or even a year! Sorry I can't be more precise. Let's hope she learns to be tolerant soon!

[mkish]

Okay thank you so much for all the help!! If I have any more troubles or new concerns regarding the new degus or Coco, I’ll make sure to ask here!!

[bouncy]

We're always happy to help