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Post by ghough85 on Jun 12, 2023 20:21:10 GMT
Hi,
So I have had my lone male for a few months and he's calm (he has his own cage). We adopted two females (younger) last week (separate cage) and Izzy has taken to climbing up the sides and jumping out of the run that is set up surrounding the cage. Unfortunately I've had to grab her (gently) to avoid her jumping down and put her back in her cage.
My questions - is this normal for girls or their age (not even 1 yet). Buddy (male) is 4-5yrs
How can I get her to trust me again as she is wary (still takes treats from me etc).
Finally how is best to proceed for bonding time?
Sorry for the long post and TIA
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Post by teemu on Jun 12, 2023 20:30:14 GMT
It is definitely normal for degus to want to go to any place they are not allowed to go. They are active and curious animals. I would recommend looking at proofing the fence somehow. Would it be possible for you to put some sort of an inwards lip on top of it, so that when they try to climb up they run into a wall, essentially?
As for her being untrusting of you now, it should pass in time. Degus can seem really dramatic at times, but they do not hold actual grudges unless they are genuinely mistreated. Give her treats, spend time with her and so on, and she will understand after a while (might take a couple of days, depending) that no harm was meant. The fact that she still takes treats from your hand would seem to indicate that she is not too put-off, in the end.
For general bonding, spending time with your degus, letting them get used to you, letting them approach you on their own terms, and treats, are all good ways to get them to warm up. My experience is also that young girls can be rather less personable, but they often mellow out a bit over time. It also depends a bit on the degu as to what their limits for interaction are. Some degus do not want to be held or get petted, while some become totally fine with being handled and may even want this. So it also depends on the degu as to what bonding will ultimately mean.
How long have you had the girls for now, and what's your usual daily life with them like?
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Post by bouncy on Jun 13, 2023 10:33:40 GMT
Degus are individuals, and their behaviour reflects this. There are degus who love to climb, and are all about the greener grass on the other side. Others are just happy and content to stay where they know the food comes from. In the same way, I've only ever had one goo who's tried to chew my kitchen units.
Degus are incredibly stubborn things, too. You can try to discipline them with sharp noises, treats, etc, but there are always some who won't be told. Short of electric shocks, there isn't much they can be told! This behaviour isn't necessarily because of the male.....
You could try finding ways to cover the inside of the playpen, making it difficult to climb. A better way, if there's room, is to sit in the pen with your good. You'll be on hand to stop any escape attempts, and it will also help you bond with them. There's nothing mine like more than clambering all over me.
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Jun 13, 2023 14:03:50 GMT
So, it really depends on what you do. In my case, my degus absolutely love to climb their cage from the outside. In the end, I took some paper and stuck it on the outside of the cage to stop them from going too high. (Sometimes, someone would come in and they'd just stop climbing and let themselves fall from there...) I mean, one even chewed a hole in there to climb higher... only to chew on metal bars between the cage and the paper...
If I leave them in a playpen a long time and without surveillance (I do that when I work at home), one would jump on of the playpen by taking a leap from the items I put in the playpen. At that point, I'd use a plastic book cover (or a transparent table cover) to cover the playpen and use tape to stick it. That way, I can see the inside and they can't jump through. The light resistance will deter them from going there. You can always use a shower curtain or any other material that isn't transparent (they are stronger in terms of deterring them but you can't see through it).
My degus have slowly come to understand that when I'm angry and waving a tube at them, that it's in their interest to go in and let me put them back in the cage. (One likes to chew my wallpaper... so when I can't stop them, it marks the end of the free range).
In terms of misbehaving, I believe you can't fully stop it. It's always about their stress, their habits. Someone told me her degu loved to chew electric wires and even electric shock (to give you an idea, it tripped the power) didn't deter her degu from continuing...
One of my degu would even go back inside the cage when free range time isn't finished. As bouncy said, they are the only ones knowing what they like...
I guess I do a lot to stop them from taking too many risks, but I swear, they're treated well TAT
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Post by bouncy on Jun 14, 2023 5:50:45 GMT
Spidergoo got his name for scaling the outside of the cage. I only let him find his own way down once - a free fall head first descent slowed only by his claws!
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Post by savvy on Jun 14, 2023 10:11:54 GMT
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Post by teemu on Jun 14, 2023 12:39:03 GMT
Degus are built in a really unfortunate way to be great at getting up wherever, and then be... not great at actually getting down from there  |
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laiyah
Burrowing Degu
Posts: 181
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Post by laiyah on Jun 14, 2023 16:38:15 GMT
Yeah... One of my degu is particularly scared of falling (it is suspected she hurt her back paw before I adopted her from a fall), but that NEVER stops her from climbing. She doesn't hate climbing, she is just scared of falling once she is where she wants.
Sometimes, the spook makes them jump from me to land on the cage bars too. Like somehow, hanging from the bars is safer than hiding in my hair...
Don't ask me how that works, but I'm working on my degu whispering talent.
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