My degus hate free running, should I just leave them in their cage?
Hey,
I have three degus, each about a year old, and I've tried to get them used to free-roaming almost from the beginning, but they're always very stressed when they're inside and want to go back into their enclosure. It got worse over time, and I stopped letting them go outside.
Should I just stop free-wheeling completely, or should I keep trying? And if I should keep trying, do you have any tips on how I can get her used to it?
LG
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Doesn’t the freewheel limit to its enclosure or can’t they return to it? If so, that would be exactly the solution – freewheel straight to the enclosure and let them decide! Because that’s probably what causes them the stress – that they can’t return to their well-known-safe enclosure at any time…
I’ve already tried both to go back to the cradle with and without possibility, but they just don’t want to go into the freewheel and if I carry them in, they’ll run right back to the cradle.
You just have to give them time to push yourself!
Consider that animals such as degus are clearly prey animals in the wild. So it is very deep in them that they look very carefully in new territory, whether there is danger. Step by step, look, observe, touch – and at the smallest sign of potential danger (greens, smells, movements etc.) prefer to get back to where they already know that there is no predator on them.
And no, they cannot know that the freewheel offered by man there does not pose any dangers. Where?
Yes, of course, that’s clear to me, but I really tried it for 1-2 months almost every day and just let them do it, but it’s already stressed it alone when the way to the freewheel was there.