I'm a goner

[An t-iasg]

Menagerie, I'm glad Trevor was understanding and I'm glad you're having fun! I was wondering what a degus was too. I don't think I've ever heard of them. The ears are bigger than the gerbils' ears, but they look like they could be in the same family or something. Will they get hockey names too?

 

[Toirtis]

I am gonna see her tonight .... i will make sure she isn't knocked up. Those degu;s sorta look like chincillas.

They should...they are closely related to chinchillas, but are from warmer, drier, lower altitudes. Intereting fact on these chaps is that they practice tail-autonomy to escape predators.

 

[QTOFFER]

Oh my! More animals for Menagerie's menagerie! \
Very cool looking animals - they resemble miniature squirrels - minus the bushy tail.

I have to admit that I have never seen nor heard of degus and I did a quick search on them. I found it interesting that they have little tolerance for sugar - it induces a form of diabetes that shortens their lifespan. No yogurt drops for these guys. However, they seem to do well with chinchilla and rabbit chow, which is mostly alfalfa - and they love dried carrot slices.

I'm completely confused about the whole nesting phenomenon. I guess it's OK so long as you don't find yourself shredding up paper and moving piles of it around the house.

 

[SerLunchbox]

Here are my new babies!

Well, after maternity clothes and baby clothes shopping, i don't think they are gonna fit into them menagerie. Then again i am happy to report to the viewing public that no, she wasn't knocked up.

 

[Menagerie]

Well, I must admit, Trevor wasn't as happy or as supportive as his first impression gave He gave me a lecture on the way back from the Calgary Aquarium Society meeting My impulsing buying and the fact that I do not include him in picking out our pets really upset him. I know he gets annoyed when I go to the LFS without him--especially since I often bring home fish friends. This week alone, I brought home 2 more Mbuna, 3 stone cats and 3 trap door snails. Last week I brought home 3 more apistos. So, I'm in the dog house for now, but my degus aren't going anywhere!!

The degus are the size of my gerbils right now (they are only 2 months old) and will reach rat size as adults. They will need a minimum of a 30 gal aquarium to live in, but Trevor is already talking about a large ferret encloser They definitely cannot share the gerbils' food, but I will do lots of research and find out exactly what they can eat.

 

[millipede]

I've worked with Degus before. The ones I handled were very jumpy and liked to run around a lot. They were in a tank(in a pet store) that was probably too small for them. They had a wheel that the liked to play on but they often buried it in substrate.
Menagerie, I think you'll have to look for(at the very least) a part time job at a pet store. That way you can help tons more people and you can get your animal fix... hopefully.

 

[Menagerie]

I may be volunteering at the Humane Society. Technically, I cannot work here in Canada

 

[Psyhampster]

Congrats Menagerie! I've seen Degus at my LFS before. Cute lil buggers!

 

[TomK2]

Menagerie, I think you'll have to look for(at the very least) a part time job at a pet store. That way you can help tons more people and you can get your animal fix... hopefully.

Are you nuts? Thats like asking her to volunteer at the humane society. Every cute little bugger with no real home will need her! Oh, and see that nasty, mean looking guy over there? She won't be able to let a guy like that take home the cute little whatjacallit, she'll just have to take it herself.
(no, I am not Trevors psuedo-name sign on!

 

[Menagerie]

Last night Trevor did accuse me of taking in a stray cat (Squirrel). Funny how the truth is turned in one's head. Months before we took in Squirrel, he was ready to take in a neglected neighborhood cat, Nanook. He would have fed Squirrel if I hadn't

 

[TankGirl]

Those pics are too cute! Now I wish my daughter had gotten one of them instead of the hamster - I just can't warm up to him. :?

 

[Menagerie]

Our cats are really enjoying the Degus! In the first pic, the degus are sleeping and in the other pics, the cats can't even see them

 

[Menagerie]

BTW~the Degus are getting a permenant home on Saturday and they will no longer be on eye level with the cats. Although, the degus don't fear the cats at all.

 

[rubysoho]

haha, very cute!!!! I still want a Degu, but the boyfriend (who'd be housing them) still says no until we get an apartment that will let us keep pets

 

[Menagerie]

no until we get an apartment that will let us keep pets

Best to have permission than an eviction

 

[Meredith]

Well I want some! Have you ever had a problem with escapees and the cats? And what kind of a smell do those little guys make? Is it better to have two? My daughter would love to get something like that!

 

[mitche8359]

Saturday, I bought 23 baby outfits that were on sale for $2.50 each. Some were from Kids R Us, Gerber and Disney. Yesterday, I was at the mall to get my watch fixed. The maternity store was having a sale. I tried on maternity clothes with the "pregnancy pillow." I bought two skirts, two pairs of pants, two tops, a little sweater and a baby cap. Trevor actually didn't mind that since we do want children...eventually.

uhm... you bought baby clothes and maternity clothes and you aren't expecting? are you still alive? just checking.

p.s. if you are alive, what's your secret? I don't wan't my wife to learn it.

 

[Menagerie]

what's your secret?

Insanity.

Degus are social little critters that need lots of room. They like to climb and burrow. Apparently, they grow to be about the size of a rat. They cannot be feed very much sugar and must be kept on a strict diet. Tomorrow, my babies are getting a cage similar to this and one day get them this!

I have had my gerbils since June 28, 2004 and there was one mishap. Some of their tubing went crashing to the ground. Luckily I was home and the cats were very confused. The gerbils roll in kritter balls while I am home, but if I take them out to play, the cats are locked up. Yesterday, I had the degus in a pen and of course one climbed out The cats were put away, but I was looking in the wrong area of the house--those buggers are fast!! As for smell--all I have read is if the cage stinks, the degu stinks.
These are three links I have found most helpful so far:
http://www.angelfire.com/on4/degumania/index.html
http://home.worldonline.nl/~hleli/index2.html
http://degoe.tripod.com/engels/index.html

 

[Meredith]

I wonder if my husband would go for something like that. He really wanted a lizard, then he was thinking stick bugs. But these are really cute little guys.

 

[Toirtis]

BTW~the Degus are getting a permenant home on Saturday and they will no longer be on eye level with the cats. Although, the degus don't fear the cats at all.

The poor cats....now what will they watch?