2 new degus fighting and new owner!!!

[shaz]

Hi all,

I got two girl Degus yesterday (cheese and onion) from a pet store and they were already living together.

We brought them home and set up cage with similar toys to those they had at the shop and at first they seemed ok....

Today however Onion seems to keep going for cheese running after her round the cage

Is this normal... what can we do!?!?!

Sharon

[malteser60]

It is most likely just a dominance issue. They are in a new environment with new smells that may upset the hierarchy. It could be that Onion was top goo at the pet shop and she is just telling Cheese this. It could also be that Cheese is a bit braver in the new surroundings. Or it could be that Onion now wishes to be top goo. Mine have swithched dominance since I got them from the pet shop.

Right now it doesn't sound like fighting. Proper degu fighting that needs your intervention is when they are the rolling ball of fur with blood being drawn. Anything less than that is normal degu behaviour in asserting dominance. Just keep an eye on them and give us more details on what they're doing so that we can give you a better answer, also it'll make you feel better to know what they're doing. Also read through this forum, visit deguworld and degutopia to get more info on degu behaviour.

And lastly, congratulations on getting your first degus

[shaz]

Cheese does have a bit of blood on her nose ... Ive read quite a lot about their behavior and what they are doing today if very different to what they were doing yesterday (yesterday they were stadning up to reach other and pushing each others shoulders while making noises)... today it seems more horrible ... they are running very quickly round the cage which is mostly onion running after cheese but sometimes cheese turns and it all goes even more mad.

Cheese will then go sit somewhere (in the bed or behind the back of the wheel) onion calmly moves around the cage until she finds onion and world war 3 kicks off!!!

Its not that nice to watch and like i said so very different to how they were yesterday afernooon and evening

[sam99]

I'm sure they will soon settle down, it just takes time. I have 6 girls together and all of a sudden 3 days ago it all kicked off, with Daisy (my smallest one) picking on one of the others. Constantly chasing her around and causing trouble. Daisy ended up with a bloody nose and ears and although I debated intervening I'm glad I left them to it as all six have now settled back down having reestablished whatever hierarchy they were arguing about. (And yes, I did do 'yet another' sexing check to confirm they are still all girls!!!!! )

[amie]

Hi! Sometimes the size of the cage can contribute to fighting. What size cage are they in?

I'm sure it's just a dominace issue and them settling into their new home though

[shaz]

Thanks for your posts guys.... they seem to have been calming down as the day has gone on...was very worried earlier and went back to pet shop to ask if they were meant to be how they are today and the lady i spoke to actually has some herself and she said that hers did the same which was good to know!

the size of the cage is 60 x 92 x 47cm. Which is the one the pet shop had with them in with about 6 of them in here. Is the cage size ok?

[deguconvert]

Sorry to say, but it is rather much on the small side. The size could be part of their unrest, but considering it is like what they were in at the shop, it shouldn't unsettle them that much. It is more likely having only the two of them together, rather than the six they were used to. How old are your two little loves? As they get to about the 6 month age, they will be finding your current cage confining, and you will see them become more testy with each other again. (They will also be into their adolescent age at this point and will be grouchy for that reason as well) You will need to be thinking toward a plan to either enlarge your cage, or replace it with something larger.

[amie]

Yeah, sorry. The cage is too small (P@H are known to sell cages that aren't right for the animals they're selling!). Something along the lines of 50cm depth, 90-100cm lengh and 120 height is more the kind of size cage you need for degus

I'd love to see some pictures of your degus!

[shaz]

Thats not right that P@H are doing that ... not sure how to post photos on here yet but will post some once i figure it out.

At the moment they are one 2 months old (so we were told) So think that we'll be able to sort a bigger cage out before the 6 month stage.

Where do I find out the size cage if we wanted to add more at a later stage?

Thanks for your helps guys

[debdegu]

oh mine do it to they did it last night, i'm in the same room as them sometimes they just want the light on a a nut I tend to ignore it now when i'm tired and go to sleep. I think there dreaming ad wake up cause it really quite in our house or they hear a sudden noise i havn't somone moving around in bed

[malteser60]

Yeah, it sounds like it's a reastablishing of dominance seeing as they were 6 before in a cage now it's 2. Hierarchy has changed basically.

P@H are known for selling the Thickets cage that will eventually be too small for them. So you don't waste your money you can try finding anotherone on ebay or preloved and join them together, will make a brilliant cage then.

[shaz]

They seem a lot happier today I think onion has learn that cheese is boss!!!

I was going to senf them an email andf complain about being adivsedto buy goods that are not right for the animals as you've said...I will post pic of their bits once they let me hold them which with cheese should be fairly soon she eating from both mine and Steves hand now Onion is much more shy bless her.