DeguBlog

A new toy

2004-12-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

My girls' wheel arrived today, an early Christmas present from my brother. Thanks bro! I had tried to save money by buying a plastic rat wheel at the pet shop, but it was no use. They never used it. I was sceptical about the benefits of getting a more expensive one, but in the end decided to "bite the bullet", and asked my brother to ring John Hopewell who also supplied our cage. I'm so glad I did.

The wheel is huge and sturdy - it seems very well made. But the most important thing is that within moments of it being put in the cage the boldest of the three was in it and going like the clappers.

The advice I'd heard turns out to be true. If you've got degus, you need a good wheel.

Progress report

2004-12-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to leave it this long.

The girls are well settled in now, still timid but much braver than before. Their cage has been cleaned out twice without major incident. They are not as "talkative" as I expected them to be, but it is a delight to hear them 'twittering" to one another during their mutual grooming sessions. It is surprising to me how many sounds they have in their vocabulary.

I've learned that it is very true how much they enjoy pumpkin seeds. They would eat them all day long if they got the chance! They've also tucked in to a bit of sweet potato which seemed to go down very well. I'm not at all sure of what sort of quantity of freshh stuff they're supposed to be having, so I've settled on "some" and hope that's about right.

They still won't have anything to do with the plastic rat wheel I bought for them. A metal wheel from John Hopwell should be with us soon. In the meantime, I've made a hammock from some jute rope and an old walking sock - they seem to be enjoying themselves with that.

I really must take some photos of them to post here.

Signs of real progress

2004-11-25T09:02:00.000-08:00

Decided it was time the girls had a dust bath. (I know, they're supposed to be given one at least every other day. And I will from now on. Promise!) Their reaction to the makeshift dustbowl was remarkable - as son as it appeared, one of them hopped in and started rolling enthusiastically. The other two were soon queueing up for their turn! I have heard that it is possible to reuse the sand, but since they have scattered it over a (very!) wide area I don't think that will be happening. Maybe some sort of enclosed sandbox?

Whilst the "bathing" was going on I had the cage door open and each of the wee beasties came and investigated. One sat on my hand for a few seconds. I'm feeling just a little bit pleased!

Feeding time

2004-11-25T01:39:00.000-08:00

Yay!

All three of the girls took food off my hand this morning! Estrella was first, of course, but the other two were not far behind her. I'll have to give them names soon. They're all still very skittish, so it is only a small step. But it is a step in the right direction.

A little progress

2004-11-24T02:07:00.000-08:00

Day 5 of the degu-owning experience. They are proving to be delightful little creatures. Unfortunately, they are still showing little inclination towards being handled. Estrella (according to my 7 yr old daughter, that's Spanish for "star") is the boldest one and she has been persuaded to take food from my hand. Sitting by the open door of the cage, with food on the flat of my hand, has so far not enticed any of them to come and take it. I'm sure it is just a matter of time and patience.

Feeling slighted

2004-11-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

A gloomy moment.

The girls saw me coming and scampered into their bedding. I'm cut to the quick.

My girls' story

2004-11-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

We found our three degu girls at the Llys Nini RSPCA Centre just outside Swansea in South Wales. Their mother and father had been brought in after they had had a litter - the lady who'd owned them couldn't cope. Unfortunately, by the time the RSPCA got them, mum was pregnant again. Rabbits can't hold a candle to degus in the breeding stakes, apparently! They were then split up into same-sex groups before things got out of hand. There were 4 boys and three girls. I'm not sure which animals came from which litter. Dad was neutered so that he could stay with his missus. Unfortunately, he has had too rich a diet and has developed diabetes. Degus will eat whatever they can get their paws on, but they are not really able to cope with very much sugar or fat in their diet.

So now we have three girls in a large cage. They are still very nervous, coming to the bars to investigate us but showing no inclination to be handled just yet. They have been persuaded to take food from our fingers though - it's surely only a matter of time before we win them over.

First Post

2004-11-22T05:10:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I became the proud "father" of three 9 month old degus. I'd never seen them until our paths crossed in the local animal rescue shelter. I was smitten! Now I have them home I thought I'd keep a blog of my experiences with them. They're still very nervous, but showing signs of "coming round". And their cuteness is undeniable! I hope this blog will be a useful source of information to others thinking of taking on these delightful animals. I'm not an expert -- I'll be learning as I go along. Learn with me!