opinions on using fabrics?

[rugoo]

My cage is two levels and in both I have fleece that i change out regularly and wash regularly. i’ve heard some people on tiktok that are super against using fabrics for degus but they don’t explain why? mine don’t seem to mind and i give them lots of nesting material and bedding boxes to forage and dig in. they also have lots of different textures in the cage like wood, care fresh bedding, straw, and hay.

[teemu]

The only danger I can think of when it comes to fabrics is if the degus actually try to eat a synthetic fabric (or something else that cannot be digested), which could cause an intestinal blockage. But this seems to be really rare. I have a degu who cannot be given any fabrics because he will try to eat them (not tear apart, he just grabs them and starts munching...) but my understanding is that this doesn't happen to most. If your degus haven't show interest in devouring the fleece yet, then it is likely that they won't try that in the future either. Every other degu I have has fabrics in their cage and there has never been any issue with any of that.

I do know that it is not recommended to give nesting mothers fabrics as nest material, because any strings that come loose could tangle a pup and cut off circulation to a limb or choke them, but adult degus are not in danger of something like that (they'll just tear the fabric apart if there's need).

I guess the only other downside that comes to mind is that they can become dirty and absorb a lot of urine, but that should not be an issue if you wash them regularly.

Maybe someone else has more information on this, but I generally see people using fabrics without any problem.

[savvy]

The only place I've got fabric in my cages is on the heatpads, and they are changed regularly as they get urine soaked.

The biggest issue I have with using fabric for a whole level is it prevents degus from exhibiting normal digging behaviour which a loose substrate allows for.

Degus love to dig, its natural for them. They dig to clean their nests, they dig to bury treats and they dig just for the hell of it. I would never confine that to just one area as I like my degus to have as natural environment as possible.

[moletteuk]

The other thing is they can get nails or whole legs caught up in strings coming off fabrics, which can be particularly dangerous in hanging situations, like hammocks or perhaps edges of shelves.

[laiyah]

So, in my case, the degus would grab the corners of the mat and try to pull it to the house. It's very obvious when I use hemp mat, they would voluntarily scratch it until they would get balls of hemp fiber to bring to the nest. I only had issues with polyester fiber, not the fuzzy kind ones, but the fake cotton style of polyester, where they actually chewed holes in it.

I realized very fast what they were doing and got rid of it. I did find strings in the nest, so thankfully they didn't eat it, but it felt like a very dangerous area to venture in.

I just think it's a hard process to see what works with each degus. My degus absolutely love hanging in hammocks and I check very thoughfully their reaction hourly to new items.

[bouncy]

I've used some fabrics before. Woven fabrics, particularly synthetics, will come apart and create loose threads. As Molette has said, you risk your babies getting caught, cutting off blood or air supply! Knitted fabrics that unravel in one long piece like knitting are also risky.

I've found fleece very good in the past, whether as sleeping cubes, hammocks, or heat pad covers. Apart from the stitching thread, these are usually quite good at falling apart. How long they last will depend on your goos, their general behaviour, and where you put them!

[Numa]

I'm also considering switching over to fleece.

I have a big cage that comes with plastic trays floors, which i put bedding on top of. Unfortunately, they've started chewing on the plastic trays, and i can't find any replacements in a different material.
I'm thinking cage liners might be the only option to prevent them from chewing on the edges. One big downside i can think of is that they won't be able to dig anymore. Giving them bedding boxes like you did seems like a great idea.

[savvy]

They will chew fabric, or just drag it out of the way.

Have you tried replacing the trays with wood covered in self adhesive vinyl floor tiles?

[Numa]

Jul 22, 2023 23:56:10 GMT savvy said:

They will chew fabric, or just drag it out of the way.

Have you tried replacing the trays with wood covered in self adhesive vinyl floor tiles?

That's actually a great idea, and i might do that. Should i just buy any wooden floor planks, cut them to fit the bottom of the cage, then put vinyl floor tiles on top of it to make it water proof? It's my first time doing it, any tips or pics from how you did it?

[savvy]

You should be able to buy wood cut to the size you need. Just measure the tray that needs to be covered and ask at your local DIY store or buy online.

Vinyl floor tiles are quite cheap, just make sure when you're fitting them that there are no gaps.

You may need to protect the edges of the wood to prevent chewing, but it'll last a lot longer than fabric.

[laiyah]

I stuck vinyl on my wood and I cut them with a cardboard cutter. I still have minimal gap in-between so I'm considering using silicone to seal it and make it perfectly pee-proof. Haha.

I am not home right now so I can't take a pic.

[bouncy]

You COULD make your own metal trays. You can get sheet aluminium or stainless steel, then fix unequal L profile for the sides. Have a look online for a significantly better price!