Hammocks...???

[roz]

Now why didn't I think of that? :-) That sound like a brilliant idea!!

[rhed]

When building the cage for our Degus, a few weeks ago, I put in a hammock for them. I made it from part of a pair of old corduroy trousers. A nice green colour.

I took a section of leg and cut it down one seam. I then stretched it across the cage with enough slack to move, and folded the two long edges under, and then the short edges under, and secured the four corners (now four-folded material for strength) to the bars using my patented paper-clip method (twisting a paper-clip around and then bending/filing/pressing the sharp end safely outside the cage.

They seem to love it. Sometimes they sit up their, sometimes clamber over it, and sometimes they sleep up there together.

However, one of their favorite places is under it. Each edge of the cage has a wooden platform under the hammock where attached. They like to sleep together under the near edge, the one which has the ramp that leads up to the food. They often prefer to sleep there to going into the nest box.

They don't seem to have chewed at it, although they did initially claw at the underside a bit, but not much. Now I think it smells familiar (and of them!) and they're less likely to wreck it. In fact, they prefer to chew at the nest box more, as it's kiln-dried pine, and much more fun to chew, I'm sure, and much much much more noisy.

I guess each degu takes to a hammock or they don't, the same as wheels. Our degus seem to only use the wheels as toilets, so the hammock was a much better addition for them, it seems.

[rhedette]

yep, they love the hammoks

[diet otaku]

rhed, can you post a picture of your hammock? it sounds really interesting!

[rhed]

I'll try and get the old camera working *kicks it*
If not you may have to wait until I can afford a new one.

[flibble]

Hammocky hammocks is great for fleecy warm hammocks, they do corner ones and tunnels too! the address is www.hammockyhammocks.co.uk I think they ship overseas too. Also the money you pay for them goes to a chinchilla rescue!

[rhed]

Now those are cute!
I'd be tempted to get one or two for when we get the 2nd cage (somewhere better for them to go when being cleaned/future introductions of new degu).

Nice find Flible.

[rhed]

And here we go then, pictures as requested, although taken on a fairly low-quality camera (the size of a matchbox).

You'll notice in the pictures some lovely leafy goodness dangling there. Part of their weekly veggy treat. Some is put in a little bowl for them, but the rest I like to suspend from the ceiling, above the hammock, so they have to go find it and collect it for themselves. We'd just added fresh for Tails as a treat (after this morning's passing of his brother).

The below is an overview of the hammock on a whole.

You'll notice the way the edges are all folded over, first at the sides, then at the ends. As I said, this gives strength to the clips that hold it in place.

A close-up on one end

Here you can see a bit better where the corners are attached directly onto the wall of the cage, so there's no dangling ropes/threads as the main support that can be easily gnawed at.

A view from the long edge along the cage wall.


The platforms below on either side provides easy access, and the near one is also the access to the top level where there food is! The middle is a safe drop to the floor of the upper level, covered in a mixture of ceramic tiles (cut to fit) and hay, as they usually like to exit via the middle of the hammock, after entered from the sides.

This is a mostly permanent fixture, so make sure if you're thinking of doing the same to pick a perfect place with good access and exits.
However, if the material starts to give the paper-clip fastenings can be simply cut off.
I'm sure it can be fixed with something else, like the metal clips you get on some key-rings that have a little clip that can open and fasten (rather than a spiral-layered loop). Then you can have easy access to swap/change the material or move the hammock, and, gives a little more swing perhaps, if your degu are into that sort of thing

[rusty]

i had 1 and the degus eat it within a week

[Eamon]

My boy loves, loves, loves his hammock. he has moved all of his toiletpaper from his nesting house unto the hammock and he sleeps there. Doesn't care to bite it at all, he just peed on it once to make sure everybody knew it was his.

[julie]

what about making a hammock out of blue jean material?

[Aimeelou]

Shouldnt see why not, its worth a try

[julie]

sorry when i posted that question i didnt notice that there was a 2nd page to the thread with a link about just that. but i have another question, fleece is usually made out of polyester couldnt that be harmful if a degu ingested it?

[Aimeelou]

I supose it could be, but ive never heard of anybody on here say there Degus has eaten any, they will only chew it.