Tinker never seems content

[abirose]

So firstly I'd just like to say that I know that it is a degu's instinct to chew but out of my three girlies Tinker is making me worry a little ( I know this is probably me just flapping!).

She has always been very different from her sisters in that she never seems that happy. She is incredibly destructive, she will chew the perspex doors, shes one of the rare little buggers who has learnt to scrape her teeth along the mdf and is quickly gnawing her way out and she is constantly scratching at the doors.

I don't know what else I can do for her. I'm forever buying new toys and degu safe wood and they have access to a playpen and I always make time in my day to spend time with them. The cage is big and I am always trying to think of new ways to distract her from this constant behaviour. I thought it might have been a bit of attention seeking behaviour but it happens when I am not in the room.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[abirose]

Haha god and I'm a teaching student as well! They have a flying saucer wheel but when I think about it she doesn't tend to use it as much as Topsy and Turvy.

It could be the ventilation but I do have the shafts in already. If I'm honest I think she might just be trying to drive me mad and she's succeeding, especially when I have to be up early and she decides that I'm not allowed to sleep!

Do goo's tend to calm down as they get older?

[Ady]

Hi,
I got the same thing with one of my girls. She does nothing but trying to chew way out of the cage, if I let her out she goes to her 'chewing spot' from outside and chew, I give her treat, she hides it and rush back to chew the spot, I give them food, she checks what they have and goes back to chewing. And she doesn't let anyone else to chew her spot I always thought it's part of her personality, she's bit bossy and she just wants to have the cage open!!! I never seen it like discipline problem as smux suggested (she does chew in the night) but it gives me something to think about.

[amie]

I find throwing in a handful of dried herbs or flowers helps, scattering it all over the cage and shouting "SHUT UP!" Helps, lol Keeps them busy. If they're up at night, they're up at night. Best you can do is give them something to do that's quiet - eat!

[fred]

I also have a “heavy chewer” and I would hope she is reasonably content with her lot. I provide my girls with a lot of wood they are welcome to chew, and at places in the cage where they are most likely to go for it (e.g. close to to the glass doors).

This is NOT a discipline issue, and the idea of “drilling discipline into a degu” is so absurd it should not have a place on this forum.

[amie]

If it's OK, I'd prefer it if this thread does not become a dabate. Abirose will take what she needs from ALL the advice given and do with it as she sees fit. There is no need for debates. Just advice. We're always going to have different opinions about things

[malteser60]

Hi abirose,
Hate to say it but degus are chewers, some more than others! I think they need the equivalent of AA for this, lol!!

I think you're just going to have to have patience with this, she just seems determined to chew chew and chew. Degus do calm down as they get older, so there is hope for you Just keep at it with the toys and treats and food, etc and hopefully she'll get the message at some point.

At the end of the day it's a degus nature to chew and this instinct seems to be very strong in Tinker. It is also my opinion that you DO NOT discipline her on this as essentially you are telling her she's a bad girl for something that is instinct and part of a degus nature. This will only lead to negative behaviour on her part as her beloved degu boss (i.e. you) is angry with her, but she will not understand why or what she is doing wrong.

If she were chewing on something she shouldn't like skirting board, there are training methods to discourage this i.e. something not nice happens when she chews this bit of wood (for example, droplets of water or blowing onto her gently - nothing that causes harm just unpleasentness).

Hope this helps.

[malteser60]

Smux, not sure but my rabbit also likes chewing MDF. I wonder if there's a glue in the MDF that is just intoxicating to small animals, same type of glue used in wallpaper, for example, that my girls go bonkers over (as does the rabbit as well!).

[harpic01]

Hi Abirose just to say i have a goo that does exactly the same thing. My 5 goos have wood, rocks, levels, food on the floor ,hammocks, climbing ropes, egg cartons, a wheel and 4 levels and still he chews the door.
He is not bored he has more things to keep him occupied that he knows whats good for him and yet he chews. I think to the day he dies he will chew. Our answer a bit of wood drilled into the place where he is chewing so he is chewing wood rather than perspex etc.
Dont agree with discipline he is an animal doing whats natural to him - i.e. chewing but a ahhhh or shhhh every know and then stops him for a couple of minutes. So basically dont think you are not doing the right thing or being cruel or feel guilty - if they chew they chew - why do some people smoke and others dont - because they can - end of arguement ;D

[fred]

abirose I have send you a pm

[moletteuk]

perhaps you could experiment with sticks from different trees, or get some cheap pine that you can easily make lots of chew toys that you could even attach to the cage in tempting places to attract her to good things to chew.

[Bexi87]

Abi, I have the same problem & nothing puts them off! I have a couple of days when they quieten down and then they start again!