Degus will sleep in the Strangest of Places

My degu girls have been part of the family for 3 weeks now and they still don't have names yet. To be honest, I'm still finding it a little difficult to tell them apart so I'm still using nicknames. Although I must admit that Jenny Mac and Dandelion are growing on me for 2 of them.

As you can see from the photo my 'goos' are settling in quite nicely and have finally discovered that they can gnaw on practically everything… Just check out those edges! I was starting to think that I had the only degus in the world who didn't chew. You'll also notice that one of them likes to doze in the most impractical places around the cage. Make that two of them, as this photo was taken just after the other one had gotten up for a stretch.

There are plenty of places for a quick snooze. How about the chiller shelf? It's big enough for all three of them and it's up top out of the way. No. How about the balcony of the 2 storey chalet? No. The wooden bridge/tunnel? No. These 2 decided they'd take a nap on a 2.5" wide piece of wood that forms a sort of pirate's plank with a ramp attached. Really?

I leave you with this. Now that they've found their teeth, how long is their wooden wheel going to last? Answers on a postcard please!

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The Degus Have Moved In

This morning 3 little degus became the newest members of my family and they're the 3 cutest girls ever! I was up until midnight filling and dressing their cage ready for them to move in and they are loving it. 2 of them still think that there are only 2 floors and not 4, and all 3 have spent most of the day running in their wheel. Just before I settled down to write this they were all in a 'goo pile' on top of their cabin. It's a little dark in the room for a decent photo and I don't want to use the flash so I'll have to wait until there's a little more light to get a photo of them huddled together. They are all still a little flighty and scared of the camera but I managed to get a few decent photos of them. Don't have any names yet as I'm waiting to see what kind of personalities they have. My brother wants to call them Penny, Amy, and Bernadette… The Big Degu Theory! UPDATE — Here's a little video my brother recorded. :)

My Degu Cage Plans

Building a cage to house my degus is starting to take over my life. I've spent weeks jotting things down and thinking of ways to make it as degu proof as possible. The problem is that I could probably spend months just making sure I've thought of everything so I've decided to go for it. This morning I worked out how much material I would need for a basic cage structure to the one below (allowing extra for adjustments) and popped down to my local Wickes to order it all. I will also be adding 2 sets of mesh doors and a mesh roof but I haven't drawn these on the diagram. I've gone for mesh doors as the room it will be in is a few degrees warmer than the rest of the house and it will allow for better air circulation. The RSPCA recommends a minumim CARA (cumulative available running area) of 12,000 sq.cm for 2 degus. Owners recommend a CARA of 17,000 sq.cm so I've gone for a happy medium of around 15,000 sq.cm. Ideally I should have at least 2 levels measur...

The Big Degu Cage Build - Part Four

The cage is progressing nicely. The bottom section is almost complete. Still have the vinyl tiles (for extra protection against pee) to put in, one level to cut and attach, and some small platforms which will help form a ramp up to the top section of the cage. I have a deep 30cm mess guard which will form the basis of a makeshift digging pit and landscaped area. There will be one level and you can see the hole for access to floor 2 which will be in the top section. It was supposed to be in the back but it was going to be a nightmare to do because of the build being in 2 parts so it can be taken apart for easier moving. This means that I now have to rethink my first level. It was going to be set back slightly from the front but I may have to bring it closer to eliminate the massive drop and reduce injury should there be a fall. I'm going to have a look at some other DIY cages for some ideas but the main priority tomorrow is to get the main construction of the top section comp...

The Degu Diaries

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