Question about behavior of my new degu boys

[gregg]

Hi all

I am from South Africa and last week I finally got my two degu boys, Thiago and Diogo, they are 6 weeks old and I have had them now for 6 days.  I do have 2 questions for the seasoned degu owners about behavior that is concerning me and or rather that I do not understand yet. 1. I got them a huge wheel to run on and neither of them have so much as attempted to run on it, they use it to snuggle under or as a climbing post to get to their hammock, will they eventually realize what it is actually for? 2. They love their playtime, once I finally get them out of the cage and their are having to long sessions of playtime a day one in my large bathroom and the other in a playpen, what I am struggling to understand is that they run away when I come to the cage and it takes ages to coax them out but once they out the are all over me, wanting to climb up my arm, nestle on my chest and get tickles and petting and of course a treat or two, essentially they are already showing loving behaviors except when they are in their cage.  Comments would be much appreciated. I am used to exotic pets as I had a pet squirrel in Toronto when I was living there.

[savvy]

Welcome to the forum and the seriously weird world of degus.

Your boys sound wonderful and what you are experiencing is perfectly normal.

Unless there's an adult degu to show them how to use their wheel, it can take them a while to get the hang of it. Reggie used to use hers as a launch pad down to the next level and I even caught her running on the top of it! But they will figure it out in due course.

Being hesitant in their cage is also entirely normal. The cage is their territory and, as they are still very young, will see you as an encroacher until they get more used to you. Again, this will take time.

As you are finding out, degus can be a steep learning curve, so please feel free to ask any questions you need to, and we will try our best to answer them.

[gregg]

Thank you so so much for the quick reply and I am very pleased to hear that this is all normal behavior.  I am sure I will be asking lots of questions as time goes by This is Thiago

[gregg]

And this is Diogo

[bouncy]

Oh, they're adorable!!

Agree with Savvy. Degus can be fickle too. I put a hammock in with one of my groups, and it took them over a year before they used it.

Re the scattering, don't forget that goos are prey animals anything bigger than them, that can cast a shadow over them, or makes an unfamiliar noise will automatically make them alert. Talking to yourself when approaching the cage, slow movement with noise, just sitting next to the cage talking to them........... It all helps!

Whereabouts in RSA are you?

[deguconvert]

Hello Gregg! Welcome to the forum!

I was going to say the same a Bouncy . . . sit by the cage, talk, just let them get used to you being there by their cage as well. I love that they are already crawling all over you when you take them out to the bathroom or the playpen. SO AWESOME!

[gregg]

Thanks for the replies guys, I am just relieved that all this appears to be normal  and yes I just adore them and when they are all over me it is the best feeling, Thiago appears to really enjoy getting his tummy tickled which I assume is rather odd.

Bouncy, I am in Johannesburg

[savvy]

I'm glad you are getting to know each other.

It's not odd for a degu to like getting tickles, but it is unusual, something like only 20% of degus. But enjoy it, its wonderful that he is so relaxed around you.

[bouncy]

Cool! I've so many Friends from SA, and still make my own Biltong!

I used to have a goo that adored tummy rubs. The look of sheer bliss on his face was great, and he'd lift his arms up for me to scratch his armpits. Spud has started to let me. He'll start to raise his arms, then shake his head like he's suddenly realised what's going on, and scarpers!

[Xellie]

New toys often get ignored for a while then all of a sudden it'll be their favourite thing! Just leave them with the wheel, and one day they'll be all over it. My girls just learned to use a running disc today after a week of leaving them with it.

As for the cage thing, I talk to them when I enter the room (I have 10 rodents in my room, so a hello lets them know the sudden noise isn't danger) - start offering them treats through the front of the cage if you can. Let them come to you! The cage is their place.

With my boys, I offered them treats through the bars when they stood on a specific shelf, and said "treat" very loudly each time. Now if I say "treat!" they run up to the front instantly. They're very trainable, so you should be sure to do that while they are young.