Post by lisa9tails on Jun 19, 2011 18:13:40 GMT
Brace yourselves, this may end up an essay, apologies in advance if it does......
It has happened, my 2 adopted boys finally decided to like each other and it didn't even take that long, but before I get to the point of this post, I'm going to rant on for a bit and retell their story FROM THE BEGINNING.
I recently adopted 2 boy degus from 2 different SSPCA centres, one in Dumbarton and one in Hamilton. I kept going on the website for some reason to see what poor wee animals they had and there were 2 wee degus (who the centre had named Morgan and Julian - they're now called Roger and Drumstick). These wee guys were on this website for months (and for some reason still are) and I just couldn't help but want to adopt them.
After some tantrums and guilt tripping I managed to not only convince my boyfriend into agreeing to get more degus, but also managed to make him really really want them. I took 2 days off work so I could get them and to be around and make sure they were ok and settling in.
On my first day off, we went to collect Roger. I felt so bad for him, he was in some stupid cage with a mesh floor and old scabby toys, the centre did the best with what they had but still, I didn't like the fact that his entire floor was just mesh and that really thin mesh too not even the solid hard stuff you get with most cages. Some one had brought him in and claimed he was a stray, but I seriously doubt that. Anyway by the time we got him home it was too late to go to the other centre so we had to leave it for the next day and just get Roger settled in and bathed to stop smelling like 12 ferrets.
Next day we went to pick up Drumstick. His wee cage was alot better and he didn't smell like ferrets, but he has a wee dumpy tail. Even smaller than Little tails tail, but he's so friendly and still quite young. We got him home and set up his wee cage but didn't start the introduction process for a few days to let them settle.
And so it began, we split the cage horizontally and swapped them about every few days. We also tried the occasional neutral meeting with dust bath a few times, but Roger (who is btw a tank and twice the size of drumstick) kept getting a fright and a few times started a fight. We deployed the gardening glove but fortunately there was no blood and no fur pulling. It was just hard to judge if it was real "I hate you" fighting or just "I don't know you, but know this, I am the alpha here" fighting. After the first few meetings like this that sort of fighting stopped and it was more Drumstick trying to mount or sniff Roger's arse that Roger would take issue with it and run away. He really just kept running away from him and seemed to prefer this than to bite or attack him, which in a small way was nice.
But after a few more nights of swapping them around, we tried it again. They ran around the bed, occasionally sniffing one another then running off in opposite directions to do something else then come back again. Roger was still a bit timid and throughout the whole day made noises like a wee new born puppy, but no grunting or squeaking or anything. All Drumstick wanted to do was be friends with him it seemed. He kept grooming him, really gentley then went away for a bath then came back, it was all rather nice. We tried a cage visit and there was not one problem. Roger toddled off to bed quite early and Drumstick followed and they were huddled together in their wee hammock all curled up and snoring. I stayed up for ages to make sure there was no fighting later on, but nothing. When they woke up this morning there was chirping and just generally happy degus. They share their food bowl and wheel with no shoving on moaning or anything. They seem dead happy together and seem to have taken to each other rather well. We've opened up all the cage so it's not split and they love it. Here's hoping it stays this way. I shall get some photos of them together up soon.
Apologies again for the length of this, but if you manage and can be arsed reading all this then thank you.
over and oink xx
It has happened, my 2 adopted boys finally decided to like each other and it didn't even take that long, but before I get to the point of this post, I'm going to rant on for a bit and retell their story FROM THE BEGINNING.
I recently adopted 2 boy degus from 2 different SSPCA centres, one in Dumbarton and one in Hamilton. I kept going on the website for some reason to see what poor wee animals they had and there were 2 wee degus (who the centre had named Morgan and Julian - they're now called Roger and Drumstick). These wee guys were on this website for months (and for some reason still are) and I just couldn't help but want to adopt them.
After some tantrums and guilt tripping I managed to not only convince my boyfriend into agreeing to get more degus, but also managed to make him really really want them. I took 2 days off work so I could get them and to be around and make sure they were ok and settling in.
On my first day off, we went to collect Roger. I felt so bad for him, he was in some stupid cage with a mesh floor and old scabby toys, the centre did the best with what they had but still, I didn't like the fact that his entire floor was just mesh and that really thin mesh too not even the solid hard stuff you get with most cages. Some one had brought him in and claimed he was a stray, but I seriously doubt that. Anyway by the time we got him home it was too late to go to the other centre so we had to leave it for the next day and just get Roger settled in and bathed to stop smelling like 12 ferrets.
Next day we went to pick up Drumstick. His wee cage was alot better and he didn't smell like ferrets, but he has a wee dumpy tail. Even smaller than Little tails tail, but he's so friendly and still quite young. We got him home and set up his wee cage but didn't start the introduction process for a few days to let them settle.
And so it began, we split the cage horizontally and swapped them about every few days. We also tried the occasional neutral meeting with dust bath a few times, but Roger (who is btw a tank and twice the size of drumstick) kept getting a fright and a few times started a fight. We deployed the gardening glove but fortunately there was no blood and no fur pulling. It was just hard to judge if it was real "I hate you" fighting or just "I don't know you, but know this, I am the alpha here" fighting. After the first few meetings like this that sort of fighting stopped and it was more Drumstick trying to mount or sniff Roger's arse that Roger would take issue with it and run away. He really just kept running away from him and seemed to prefer this than to bite or attack him, which in a small way was nice.
But after a few more nights of swapping them around, we tried it again. They ran around the bed, occasionally sniffing one another then running off in opposite directions to do something else then come back again. Roger was still a bit timid and throughout the whole day made noises like a wee new born puppy, but no grunting or squeaking or anything. All Drumstick wanted to do was be friends with him it seemed. He kept grooming him, really gentley then went away for a bath then came back, it was all rather nice. We tried a cage visit and there was not one problem. Roger toddled off to bed quite early and Drumstick followed and they were huddled together in their wee hammock all curled up and snoring. I stayed up for ages to make sure there was no fighting later on, but nothing. When they woke up this morning there was chirping and just generally happy degus. They share their food bowl and wheel with no shoving on moaning or anything. They seem dead happy together and seem to have taken to each other rather well. We've opened up all the cage so it's not split and they love it. Here's hoping it stays this way. I shall get some photos of them together up soon.
Apologies again for the length of this, but if you manage and can be arsed reading all this then thank you.
over and oink xx
