uke Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Degu is actually a dirty word in OH's hearing from the time Zak (a foster dog) let Pepe out of his cage. It took me 3 weeks to catch Pepe (and I'm no slouch at catching escaped rodents) and he'd destroyed many hundreds of euro worth of OH's gaming equipment in that time. Pepe went to live with someone who didn't mutter things like "chewed power cords but didn't have the decency to die". OH really didn't like him after that Degus are lovely - there's nothing quite like a wee rodent that talks to you and looks you right in the eye quite the way a degu does. They're not as grumpy as chinchillas either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uke Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Pepe was a rescue degu looking for a home at the time btw - we didn't just turf him out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Thanks Uke! What conflicting experiences then because on the other board I've been advised degus bite to the bone and chins are nicer *lol*. I suppose it's all personal preference. Anyway I may have some surprise news on this whole situation but I don't want to say owt until I know for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradders Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 I have a little "How to Care for your Degu" book that you would be most welcome to have, should you decide to take the plunge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sproggie14 Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 Sorry to hear about your degu Thank you Erika went to the bridge this morning The single most important thing about keeping chinchillas and degus together is to have a big enough cage and that's often the reason why it doesn't work out. You'll frequently find that the people complaining loudest about them being kept together don't give their own chinchillas a big enough cage, nor do they get enough out of cage time. That's a very good point. I'm shocked at the number of apparently hardcore chinchilla keepers who still keep them in standard thickets cages. i keep degus and chins but never together in the same cage, this my personal preferance, purely because, one, the two breeds wouldnt meet in the wild and two, my degus are very dirty on the shelves where my chins like to sleep on the shelves so would be sleeping in the degus urine, staining the chins fur, so i prefer to keep the two apart, and i dont use woodshavings I see your point on the shelf issue. My goos do wee on the shelves a lot. I personally think its worth it and nothing they can't dust bath away but I do see your point, Goos are mucky little swines I don't worry too much about the wouldn't meet in the wild thing though. In the wild they wouldn't eat pellets or live in cages but we do those things anyway. What conflicting experiences then because on the other board I've been advised degus bite to the bone and chins are nicer *lol*. I suppose it's all personal preference. Bite to the bone! Only if you handle them really badly. Any rodent has the potential to bite and having long teeth any could "bite to the bone". I've been bitten by a degu maybe 3 times. Only once was it a proper bite and yes it hurt and even now (a few months on) that bit of my finger is sore if I poke it but I would say it was less bad than a bad rat bite. And three bites out of (consults database) 72 degus in 3 years does not suggest nasty vicious beasties to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindaO Posted May 7, 2008 Report Share Posted May 7, 2008 (edited) The single most important thing about keeping chinchillas and degus together is to have a big enough cage and that's often the reason why it doesn't work out. You'll frequently find that the people complaining loudest about them being kept together don't give their own chinchillas a big enough cage, nor do they get enough out of cage time. I do feel that is a 'sweeping statement' . In my opinion the 2 species should not be housed together and whilst I have chins I would not house them with degus and not because the cages are not big enough but because I feel that the two should not be housed together . That's a very good point. I'm shocked at the number of apparently hardcore chinchilla keepers who still keep them in standard thickets cages. I would far rather see chins in thickets cages than housed in cages with plastic shelves and tubes,now that shocks me Yes I'm afraid that you'll find few people on chin or degu forums who agree with them being kept together. Not that they have ever tried it or have any basis for that opinion. These are generally the same people who keep their chinchillas on woodshavings too Why would anyone want to try two species together when they are far happier living with their 'own kind' and yet again you make sweeping statements about people keeping chins ons shavings , in the mnay years I have kept chins I have found that those kind of homes are few and far between and it is in fact those lacking in knowledge re chins that actually keep chins on shavings those that take the time and trouble to research are well aware of how they should and should not be housed When it comes to chins and degus much is made of one being diurnal and one nocturnal. To be honest this is so irrelevant that I actually don't know now which is which without looking it up chins are actually corpuscular not nocturnal and degus are diurnal Edited May 7, 2008 by lindaO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Morning everyone. Much as I didn't want anyone fighting I do appreciate everyone's views, and I am taking them all into account. All I can do when something is this contested though is go with what I trust. I'm not convinced there's any physical risk to keeping the two together (carefully). I'm not convinced there are any dietary reasons to keep them separately. I'm not saying I'm 100% but it may be irrelevant anyway. Tonight a little chin is coming here. She's had a really tough start and I'm going to need some help and advice if I could be cheeky enough to ask for it. As for cages, not much choice in it at the minute - she's going in a Samo 102 tonight (shock horror with plastic base, shelves, etc!!), and if that won't do her til her new cage comes, we'll have to botch a Critter 4. In the long run I'm contemplating a gigantic parrot cage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uke Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Congratulations Keep an eye on her with the plastic shelves etc as some chinchillas do chew plastic but some don't. Mine have yet to touch the shelves (all 2 of them) or the plastic tube leading from the bottom to the top but are murder on the hammocks I've found that with mine providing them with lots of wood and out of cage time seems to keep them away from the plastic. They love apple branches, especially if you can get them fresh with some leaves left on. No chemicals etc - but you know that already. They like a lot of the same toys as rats - both are quite intelligent - so approach her cage from that direction and you're already on the right track. Realistically though you need to consider chinchilla proofing an entire room and then devoting yourself in a slave like manner to her every whim. Say goodbye to your skirting boards. And books. And the bookshelves. And don't bother trying to do anything if she wants attention but don't expect her to care about your feelings. Did anyone warn you that having a chinchilla is like living with an incredibly cute, ruthless, imperious tyrant*? *they come in "nice", "cuddly" and "incredibly friendly" too apparently, but I didn't get any of those ones. Someone minded mine for me once while we were doing up the room they lived in and they put her stress levels through the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 I suspect we'll get "moody" and "hormonal" - that's our experience of females in this house (myself included, haha!!). I've had a complete verbal hiding on a chin board for every single thing I'm doing so it's lovely to come back here and not feel like I'm treading on eggshells asking for advice (i'm so not posting there again *lol*). Lisa's given me some Leap n Ledges and Sleep n Ledges (or whatever they're called) to go in with the plastic shelves as an alternative for her (ie. to try and prevent plaggy chewing). She also has a wood hanging chew thing with pumice in between, a pumice stone, some willow balls and a veg ball (I use these for the kale for rats) stuffed with hay. She has a sand bath (DIY from Poundshop tub, bargain!) and proper chin sand. She has Charlie Chinchilla food as that's what she's on. I also bought pellets to wean her slowly onto. I've slung in hammocks to break up the height of the cage. I think that's about it? She'll be here soon if they don't change their minds. If they do I'll be gutted after the day we've had!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sproggie14 Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Why would anyone want to try two species together when they are far happier living with their 'own kind' But you're assuming its an either or. I never have and never would advocate keeping one chin with one degu. I've always said its an as well as rather than an instead of. As for why, because they enjoy each others company and enhance each others lives. chins are actually corpuscular not nocturnal and degus are diurnal I assume you mean crepuscular My point was, their habits are so flexible that it's not clear at all day to day which they are. Both appear to be crepuscular in habit to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaLQ Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 I've never been that fussed by chins, but must admit this funny girlie has me smitten - lucky for me that I only live over the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sproggie14 Posted May 8, 2008 Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Sarah - I'm dead sorry if you've had about ten PMs off me, they weren't going through (or at least it seemed that way at this end *lol*). Yes, that's Cilla. Cilla, Fugees, Fugees, Cilla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyM Posted May 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2008 Forgot to ask - if anyone knows a friendly chin board can they let me know the link? Sadly the one I joined for advice is just really horrible and unwelcoming. I keep getting drilled with questions and when I try to answer, the answers are deleted. Also got "Don't come running to us when your chinchilla dies" (this was for posting about her temporary cage), which I think is really friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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