|
|
Post by ABCDegu on Sept 12, 2011 19:12:47 GMT
Hi everyone. This is a great forum and I have been reading for a while now and feel I should get involved and give something back.
Having done huge amounts of research over the last 6 months or so on all aspects I shall shortly be looking to get some degus and so I thought I’d create a blog right from the start of my journey. I shall of course give some specific input to the other sub-boards in time where I can, but feel a record of my journey from the start covering all aspects might be of special significance for others who are considering/preparing to have some too.
So the story..
Back in February my fiancee and I were in Essex for a weekend and happened to pop into P@H.
Whilst going around, I walked past these little inquisitive creatures scampering around and watched them for a few minutes - The fascination then started!
I was then home reading up on the well known sites, and watching loads of youtube footage.
Rabbits and the likes that dont really move around, or hamsters that hide away dont appeal to me but these little degus that whizz around playing and inquisitive - my kind of pet!
So getting some degus was going to happen it was just a case of when. I’ve been trying to sell my house though so I can buy a bigger one for me and my fiancee and therefore was holding off, but sadly not much is happening on that front yet and so feel why not lets do this.
I've been reading this forum for a number of months now and want to say thanks to everyone, all the little snippets of information all add up.
There will of course be a number of stages on this journey but stage 1 is to create a home for the little orange teeth animals.
Due to a small house and living room I feel it needs to look in-keeping with the room so it was always going to be a case of building a wooden cage. Special thanks in particular to NightwishRaven for all the fantastic video's and guides.
I've done my sketches and notes and im now embarking on creating a 'test cage' out of cardboard boxes so I can get all the measurements correct before replicating it to create a wooden cage.
Once created I shall upload some pictures and give more details on how I plan to have the setup.
The journey starts here..
|
|
|
|
Post by amie on Sept 12, 2011 19:32:45 GMT
Welcome to the forum  Will be nice to see your cage when it's done! Are you opting for male or female degus? |
|
|
|
Post by davx on Sept 12, 2011 19:59:46 GMT
Welcome It is amazing to read your reflections about degu keeping here. It makes sense to prepare carefully the future degu home. Nightwishraven has in fact a huge collection of useful information and I think he is one here in the forum, who prepare the way for better degu keeping. Feel free to participate on our discussions, this blog is of course a good first step. |
|
|
|
Post by NightwishRaven999 on Sept 13, 2011 4:20:04 GMT
Hello ABCdegu and welcome to the forum ! This is a wonderful first post.
I am glad you have found some of the tips on this forum to be useful and I will be following your journal/blog closely.
I agree with Davx, it will be very fun to read about your degu keeping experiences and see your appreciation of them grow even further.
On another note, the concept of building a cardboard model cage is a fantastic idea !
This is a very good initiative you have taken, and with such planning you are sure to succeed in building a beautiful and spacious home for your pet degus.
I am anxious to see photos of the model cage and await your next post here with great anticipation.
Looking forward to following your progress through this exciting journey you are about to embark on. Once again, welcome onboard ! ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by deguconvert on Sept 13, 2011 5:14:39 GMT
Welcome to the forum! I admire all the work you have already done in preparation for owning degus. You will have a good understanding of many things, will will help stave off the panic that can arise when you bump up against some of their peculiarities. I look forward to seeing your "3D cage draft" as well! Something like that would have saved me 2 weeks of panic before realizing I had indeed SQUEEKED under the maximum length I could build it in order to fit it in my room. LOL!
|
|
|
|
Post by malteser60 on Sept 13, 2011 7:20:41 GMT
Welcome to the forum ABCDegu! Sounds like you had the same experience I had at P@H. I went in to see if I could get something for my mum's cat, went to the live animals section (of course), turned the corner and who should come running over to say hello! My two girls! I was fascinated froom the start. Except I got mine then did all the reading up! Looking forward with great interest on your progress |
|
|
|
Post by NightwishRaven999 on Sept 27, 2011 2:34:28 GMT
Any news or updates ! I am anxious to hear more soon !
|
|
|
|
Post by ABCDegu on Sept 27, 2011 19:59:29 GMT
Thanks for all your messages.
Amie - Im yet to decide whether to have males or females. It may simply come down to what degu's need rehoming at the time when I get to that stage.
|
|
|
|
Post by ABCDegu on Sept 27, 2011 20:21:05 GMT
Stage 2 – Cage MockupAs I still stay at my fiancees family home at the odd weekend I need to have a way of the degu's coming with me. To basically describe my solution is im having a wooden bottom cage with a wood & wire/perspex flat-packable top cage Whilst away they have the flat-packable cage to live in which they will be familiar with as it will contain there wheel and house etc and whilst at home they have the free rains of the whole lot. The flat-packable cage isnt big enough of a permanent basis but feel will be ok for the occasional day away and they will have an area where they can be let out and stretch there legs anyway. As its not the biggest cage in the world im making sure that free running area is maximised as much as possible with objects like there house and wheel etc in the top cage. It will leave the base cage area to be a big exploration area to run around, forage etc. Total proper floor running area will be approx 15,000 cm2 with as little obstructions as possible. I would prefer a much larger setup as I like animals to have plenty of room and although not as long in length and depth as I would like it will be bigger once I finally manage to sell my house and have a bigger one. I’ve drawn on the pictures to give a better idea of how it will be. On the lefthand pic, Red is the bottom of the flatpackable cage, with 1 larger level and 2 smaller ones higher up (in blue). The righthand pic shows the levels a bit better. Yellow the base cage and purple the top transportable one. I’ve also drawn in a red line. This is to illustrate the path they would take to get from the bottom to the top. The holes are being positioned to the furtherest points to provide a good a workout as possible for them and angled for them to run quite freely all the way to the top without having to stop and start. Nothing is completely finalised yet, I still have plenty of decisions to make I’ll go into greater detail another time so that this post isn’t any longer than its becoming but a couple of points: - The front of the base cage will be 2 perspex slide doors either in runners or run in grooves in the wood. - Base cage shell will be made of plywood - Air ventilation and lighting im still planning out - Im still finalising how the flat-packable cage will fit together and also be degu proof! It will effectively be 4 interlocking sides fixing to the base, and a top. Have also made my first purchases: Managed to pickup a transport cage similar to this www.petsathome.com/shop/aladino-carrier-by-ferplast-15782 for only £5.99 and also brought some self adhesive vinyl tiles to go on all levels for £1.69 Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by NightwishRaven999 on Sept 28, 2011 6:25:20 GMT
Hello John ! This is great news.
It is quite obvious you have been reading and researching much on the matter of degu housing, as you mention many important things in your post.
The cardboard model looks really good and I am really glad to hear you have this project well planned and figured out.
This is very good ! Please continue keeping us to date with your project.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jus on Apr 18, 2012 16:28:40 GMT
Aw it's good to read your careful planning. It makes sense and it will be so much of a happier and easier experience for you when you get them. We were young and stupid and just plain lucky when we impulse bought our first degus. We saw them in the pet shop, went next door to B&Q and bought some mesh, went back to pets at home and bought a massive fish tank and some degus within half an hour of first setting eyes on them. The poor babies had to sit in their cardboard box for the first few hours of their life with us while we hastily built them a permanent home! Looking back it was so foolish, although that first cage happily housed them for the first 2 years of their lives. Since then we have learnt from our mistakes and carefully planned ahead extensively before every move regarding the degus! Congratulations and good luck!
|
|
