# anybody elses degus...



## dumbblondie1986 (May 3, 2010)

escape artists???? i've had to padlock the doors on thier cage as they have figured out how to open them i came down stairs with my jack russel he got really excited by a chair looked underneath it & found snap & crackle running around the dog went straight out the room lucky they were easy to catch so put them back & turned my back they opened the door but haven't come out since but not taking any more chances & i brought them the balls so they can get exercise & they escape out of those the balls need changing every 2-3 weeks to stop them from breaking out


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## NightwishRaven999 (Apr 18, 2010)

Degus are escape artists. They will spend more time trying to escape it they feel cramped and if they feel their cage is too small. If they are constantly chewing the bars or looking for a way out...its a very bad sign.

As for the running balls...I strongly suggest you stop this immediatly.
Its not uncommon for degus to have a stroke after being in such a ball, even for a few minutes.

There are many factors to consider.
First, this is very stressful for the animal. Degus are animals that feel confined very easily. If they are kept in small cages, they freak out after a short period of time...I dont even want to think how stressed they are in a ball. They need to know they can get out at will and go back in to play when they want to. In a ball, they are stuck, confined...forced to run only to end up hitting a wall, a table or some other solid object.

Secondly, degus cannot sweat. The recommended room temperature to house degus is between 17-18 C. This is relatively cool...but there is a very good reason why this needs to be so.
At 20 C, the degus are starting to be uncomfortable. They will lay down flat to minimise body heat production. At 25 C, it starts getting very dangerous for them. These animals are used to retreating to underground burrows when the temperature gets too high.
In a running ball, heat builds up quickly.

No animal, especially not degus should be made to run in a ball.
This puts a lot of stress on the animal. 

If the degus try very hard and long to escape something, it means they do not like it. Degus that are constantly forced to try and escape from their cage often show signs of psychological trauma as they age. These animals dont take well to being crammed or cramped.
You should build them a running pen, for some time out (other than those running balls). You will find that leaving them out for a run in a pen or a safe room for 45 mins to 1 hour everyday will calm them down quite a bit.

They need some time out everyday...even when living in a very large cage.
Its really important to give them the space they need.


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## dumbblondie1986 (May 3, 2010)

my degus love the ball when they see them they come straight 2 the door & try 2 get in them before i've even opened the ball when it's time 2 go back they don't alway want 2 come out of the ball


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## NightwishRaven999 (Apr 18, 2010)

Funny that you say this...in your previous post you mentioned that they constantly escape these running balls. If they are trying to escape it means they want to go out and they feel cramped. Very simple concept...


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