Introduction hell!

[Deleted]

Ok dudes, we are really really struggling to introduce our two new degu's to our lone degu.

Basically the story is, we had Flower and Stumpy, both males, for a couple of years, but unfortunately Stumpy died. So we decided to get two new friends for Flower. So we got two males, who were pretty young.

When we first got them, we put Flower in one cage and then Ralphie and Bertie in another, and had the cages next to each other for a few weeks. Then we started to swap dust baths around etc, just so they got use to each others scents. Then after another few weeks, we introduced them.

Straight away, Ralphie would back his bum up to Flowers bum and then would kinda shuffle against each other, and puff themselves up. Bertie wasn't that bothered and had a quick sniff and ran away. Anyways, after 10 mins or so, Ralphie and Flower started to fight, so we split them up.

Anyways, we kept trying to introduce them every week or so, and have been doing this now for close to a year, and still they fight! We have tried everything, we have put Ralphie and Bertie into Flowers cage, and vice versa, but with no success.

Its always Flower and Ralphie that fight, sometimes, they can last for 30 mins, sometimes not.

Its really starting to frustrate me now, i just want them all to get on with each other and not have to keep splitting them up when we do introduce them.

Does anyone have any tips on how we can get Ralphie and Flower to get on? Any more tips on introducing them so they don't fight? Or have we sort of missed our chance with introductions? HELP!

[deguconvert]

I guess you could try neutering. Do you know which of the two is the aggressor? It almost sounds like it is Ralphie . . . is that right? If you have been doing this for a year, then Ralphie is old enough to undergo the surgery. If you have a good Vet that is fully aware of the physical differences between rats and degus (Rats carry their family jewels on the outside of the abdominal wall, where as Degus have their inside the abdominal cavity), then things should go well. Do Flower and Bertie get along OK?

You have truly been patient, and that they are not yet getting along had nothing to do with you. Good on ya for all your effort! It could be a personality conflict, they just hate each other, or it could be a testosterone thing, which is why I suggest the possibility of neutering. The only thing is, neutering isn't a 100% guarantee. They could still come out hating each other.

There is one other thing you could try. Being alone is a strong motivator to get along, so I'm wondering if you might try integrating Flower and Bertie and then leaving Ralphie alone in his cage. If you do try this, put Ralphie's cage a distance away from the other cage . . . I don't know if you would have to have them in a completely different room or not, you might have to . . . and let Ralphie be alone. (Now, if you did this in conjunction with a neutering, it might help as well. You see, it takes anywhere from 4-8 weeks for all the residual testosterone in the body to be burned off, and until then any aggression that is driven by testosterone will still be present. So he would need to be by himself during that time anyway.) You could try a complete separation of a weeks time all alone, no surgery, and see if that helps him be more receptive. If not, then maybe consider the surgery?

I don't know, really it is all up to you and what you are willing to try. I hope I haven't made the question more difficult for you.