Play Time - Paw Talk

andreaS15 · #1 10-15-2006, 10:44 PM

I'm just curious what ways you all play with your Degus?

Not many people here own Degus, and the few people I knew who did no longer, and theirs were never very friendly or tame.
I had one friend who had a giant hamster ball for her Degu and it loved to cruise around the house (dropping poops everywhere it went). Anyone else use these?
I own some for my gerbils, but i don't use them.

I let my boys outside in a large rabbit cage top on the lawn, they love it, but i can only do it when the weather is nice.

I also have a plastic rabbit/guinea pig cage set up as a play pen for my critters. They usually go in there when i clean cages.

So how do you play with your Degus?

**Sasami** · #2 10-15-2006, 11:08 PM

Honestly, I don't like the excercise balls for degus. I'm sure there are some degus who don't mind them but I haven't met many that really enjoyed them. Mine all hated the balls and could get out easily. I think degus prefer having more freedom.

I let my degus out in the bathroom. Hikaru has to stay in the bathtub unless she's in a calmer mood because she's crazy, hehe. Ichigo can roam because she's a good girl

. When I take them out I always sit on the floor with them...Ichigo likes to hang out in my hoodie or shirt while Hikaru perches on my shoulder. I put a bunch of fun things in the bathtub like boxes and cardboard tubes. They love playing with towels and if one of them is feeling destructive they can rip up a hay-filled brown paper bag. Sometimes I hide treats and even if I don't they get some anyways since when I call them I give them food to keep them motivated.

Ichigo is tame enough that I can bring her into other parts of the house. She loves to hang out in my hoodie...it's a habit that started fairly recently. She'll hang out in there all day...only occasionally poking her head out for attention. I can even bring her outside because she won't leave the hoodie, haha. Plus she doesn't mind being picked up (though I only do it if I have to). I'm going to start bringing her to stores, I think

. I bet people won't even notice! And this way if someone asks what a degu is I can just show them

. Hikaru sometimes sleeps in my hoodie but only if she's in a calm and cuddly mood (most of the time she's energetic and playful but sometimes she becomes the snuggliest degu ever and will sit in my lap wanting to be pet all day).

Amethystbelle · #3 10-16-2006, 11:24 AM

My degus have the run of my hallway when they are out as its enclosed and they run up and down the stairs like they aren't even there, i usually put tubes and boxes down for them to play in too.

I'm not really a fan of excercise balls and degus either as degus can easily over heat in them as they are enclosed. If you add them to play area so they can get in out as they want i think they are fine but not when the degu is locked in

andreaS15 · #4 10-16-2006, 02:09 PM

Kirsty, what do you use to block off the area? that sounds like a fun place for Degu's to play.
I have some of thos NIC to block off areas for my rabbits, i'm just thinking a Degu coudl climb those if he/she wanted too.

Amethystbelle · #5 10-16-2006, 04:46 PM

My hallway is fully enclosed with walls and doors so they can't really escape but i do sometimes for example when i'm cleaning them out block them upstairs so i can get there cages out etc.... with out having to worry about them while i work. For this i use just a sheet of kiln dried pine about 2ft (i think) in height and as wide as it is between my bannister and the wall and i usually just pop a couple of heavy books behind it so they can't move it. No ones ever jumped over it yet and it keeps them enclosed and safe while i'm busy

On a normal play time though they get the use of the whole hall and they run around and fly up and down the stairs like they aren't even there, its so much fun to watch

KLocke · #6 10-17-2006, 07:24 PM

We play squirrel fetch with our girls with woodblocks and their stuffed bear.

Subaru likes to roam around the house on my shoulder when I'm doing chores. Fatty will sit on your lap for hours if you're watching a movie or TV. Hilary and Carrie are more hyper, so we usually only permit them to jump on the couch to get treats or their toys when playing fetch. Carrie also loves to play on the stairs, but we only block off a section for her.

**Sasami** · #7 10-17-2006, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KLocke


	We play squirrel fetch with our girls with woodblocks and their stuffed bear. Subaru likes to roam around the house on my shoulder when I'm doing chores. Fatty will sit on your lap for hours if you're watching a movie or TV. Hilary and Carrie are more hyper, so we usually only permit them to jump on the couch to get treats or their toys when playing fetch. Carrie also loves to play on the stairs, but we only block off a section for her.

How did you teach your degus fetch? I never would of thought of that but it sounds fun

.

KLocke · #8 10-19-2006, 06:06 PM

It's HEAPS fun! We started by just tapping their woodblocks on the ledge of the cage door and saying "squirrels fetch!" in a very excited voice. After about a week, the smartest one, Fatty, decided to pick it up off my lap on day when she was out. They don't actually take it back to me but back to their nest. All of the girls will play fetch if we tap the woodblocks on the cage door but Fatty will hop on the couch (from our laps on the floor) to fetch hers too! I've also been able to train Fatty to fetch my pager or her woodblock depending on when I say "squirrels fetch" for her woodblock or "squirrels on-call" for my pager. We're in the process of training Carrie to hop on the couch for her bear from our lap coz it's her favorite toy. Once of these days, I'll have to post video of them playing squirrel fetch with us.