these two degus enjoy 53,000 square centimeters of CARA
Angela stretches in the Morning Sun
Pamela bathes in the Morning Sun
Angela and stacked bamboo tunnels.
Angela inspects and chews stacked bamboo tunnel.
Angela peaks out from bamboo tunnel.
Salad and live herbs on the glass table for degu grazing pleasure.
Angela grazes on the glass table
Pamela nibbles Radiccio lettuce on the glass grazing table
Entrance from the Glass Table Into the Cage (Permanent Playpen around the room (the cage is always open here))
A source of direct sunlight for Pamela and Angela
On the left of the room is a sunbathing tower, also always open to the degus (entrance from the bottom wooden staircase through a hole cut in the bottom) so they can bask in sunlight in the spring and summer mornings, with a UV light above the sunbathing tower that turns on automatically every morning for 12 hours so the degus get additional warmth and uv light also on overcast days and in the winter and fall
A wicker stand adds dimension in the morning sun
Sunbathe and Reach for Pear Tree Branch above Glass Table
Under the Glass Table and Cage.
The Degus decided to build a Nest under the Cage.
Pamela Poses under the Glass Table and Cage.
Excuse me, I'm trying to have a bath!
Pamela and Angela rearrange furniture
Pamela and Angela exit from the cardboard tunnel into the cage
Angela Runs on one Exercise Wheel while Pamela stands guard
Can I have a treat?
Ohhh, please, please may I have a treat? Please?
Mmmmm, yummy Sage Plant!
Nyumm nyumm nyumm nyummm nyumm!
Gotta go!!
Hoarding Wooden Blocks
View of the Digging Box from the Top (taken outside for picture-taking purposes)
Pamela and Angela Nap Together on the Digging Box
Pamela leaves Digging Box in the cage to the glass table
Pamela plays amongst the live herbs on the glass table
Grooming
Groom and Play
Is there room for me?
Cuddle above-ground
Nap Under the Cage in a little bit of sun
Here is their branch structure in their enclosure. It consists
of apple and pear tree branches (untreated and taken from our friends' and our back yards). It is set up to replicate trees so Pamela and Angela can have fun climbing, picking leaves from the branches, chewing leaves and chomping on branches as if they were in the wild. The plastic trays in the cage have been replaced with steel shelves purchased from
http://www.chinchilla.ca/product.php?menuID=2&catID=2
of apple and pear tree branches (untreated and taken from our friends' and our back yards). It is set up to replicate trees so Pamela and Angela can have fun climbing, picking leaves from the branches, chewing leaves and chomping on branches as if they were in the wild. The plastic trays in the cage have been replaced with steel shelves purchased from
http://www.chinchilla.ca/product.php?menuID=2&catID=2
This is what the structure looks like from the side (it is set up so the branches are layered and there is never more than about 12 inches in height so if Pamela or Angela fall while climbing, they should not hurt themselves). In the background Pamela and Angela are playing in a glass pie dish filled with a variety of dried organic flowers (jasmine, calendula, rose petals, red clover, malva blue, and
cowslip). On the right is a pile of fresh organic lettuce leaves with various types of lettuce; it is refreshed a few times each day. The tube on the glass table is a bamboo tunnel, and the frame around the glass table is made of pine. I bought the pine from the local hardware store and cut it to put together the frame so the girls would not slide off the sides of the glass table -- and they can chew the frame, too. The legs of the table were originally plastic, but I replaced them with logs from our yard and connected them to the table with double-ended screws purchased also from the hardware store. The plants in the enclosure are organic live herbs purchased from the local grocery store: basil, sage, and rosemary.
cowslip). On the right is a pile of fresh organic lettuce leaves with various types of lettuce; it is refreshed a few times each day. The tube on the glass table is a bamboo tunnel, and the frame around the glass table is made of pine. I bought the pine from the local hardware store and cut it to put together the frame so the girls would not slide off the sides of the glass table -- and they can chew the frame, too. The legs of the table were originally plastic, but I replaced them with logs from our yard and connected them to the table with double-ended screws purchased also from the hardware store. The plants in the enclosure are organic live herbs purchased from the local grocery store: basil, sage, and rosemary.
The central support structure was a six-bottle wine holder made of steel with wicker around each level. I put a piece of custom-cut
cardboard on each level for the comfort of Pamela and Angela and it turned out to be perfect to support branches. Here Pamela is napping on a log that was from a cut-down untreated tree in our yard, and Angela is napping at the top level of the support structure.
cardboard on each level for the comfort of Pamela and Angela and it turned out to be perfect to support branches. Here Pamela is napping on a log that was from a cut-down untreated tree in our yard, and Angela is napping at the top level of the support structure.
Here Angela has awoken and is on the branch structure looking for some leaves to chew.
Here is a view of the structure with a tuft of wild untreated grass seeds in the foreground and another tuft on the log. Shortly after this picture was taken, Pamela and Angela spirited away the grass seeds into their nest under their cage (their cage is always open into the rest of the room which is surrounded by a playpen permanently set up to protect Pamela and Angela in their degu-proof room). Pamela is just barely visible in the bottom left side of the picture in the open dust bath, and Angela is just barely visible on the log behind a branch.
Here are two pictures of Pamela on the floor of their enclosure with a degu-view of the branch structure.
And here is Angela climbing around the bottom part of the branch structure chewing on a branch (the red specks on the floor are rose petals; I sprinkle flowers throughout their enclosure so they can have fun foraging as they would in the wild).
Brylee sunbathing
Brylee in background seeming to laugh while Pamela begs for treats
Mandy reaching up to eat a Japanese Knotweed leaf in front of a pear tree branch. Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Mandy is a rescue and was not chosen for her colouring.
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Here are Mandy and Sienna grooming each other, speaking to each other, and just enjoying each other's company. Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
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Here are Mandy and Sienna begging for treats and foraging for greens.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
June 26, 2021
Mandy (left) is a little smaller than Sienna.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Mandy looking either for a treat or wanting to go for a run outside their enclosure.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Mandy showing how she and Sienna can be easily bribed with a treat (here a pea flake) to stand on the weigh scale!
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Above 4 pictures left to right then down: Mandy playing peek-a-boo; Mandy (left) and Sienna asking for treats already; Sienna pausing to think; Mandy (left) and Sienna in their enclosure.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Above 4 pictures left to right then down:
Sienna asking Mandy if she has any treats; Sienna posing on stairs; Sienna jumping from stairs onto treadmill; Sienna sleeping under Wanda's beautiful, warm hammock.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
Sienna asking Mandy if she has any treats; Sienna posing on stairs; Sienna jumping from stairs onto treadmill; Sienna sleeping under Wanda's beautiful, warm hammock.
Degu Garden is strongly opposed to the furtherance of degus which are not the wild type in colour. As seen in many other species, such breeding may lead to diminished health and life expectancy and provides no benefit to the animal. Sienna (agouti) is the natural degu color, whereas Mandy is not. Both degus are rescues and neither was chosen for her colouring.
