Pet Degu Care

The first thing to know is that you cannot get a single pet degu without adopting a friend for it too. So only consider pairs of degus. The stress of a new home and being completely alone may be too much for many degus.

Degus are active pets and make noise. Only a chirp or squeal when playing or spatting, but there is still noise with these critters. Combine the noise of a happy degu with the noise of small pet toys and an exercise wheel. The pet cage should be kept in a room away from the sleeping quarters.

The pet cage must also be large enough for the pet degus to get plenty of exercise while inside. Don't skimp on a cage, plan to spend at least $100 for a new cage.

You need to have plenty of time to socialize your pet degus, even if you don't plan on having them play outside of their cage often. The more you handle any small pet the more social it becomes. This makes any necessary veterinary treatments easier. Its also easier to find a pet sitter if you need one.

Speaking of veterinarians, see if there is a small animal vet in your local area prior to adopting degus as pets.

The degu diet is simple, but the bowls should be washed daily. Hay and pellets need to be fresh and kept in an airtight container.

Degus are some of the cleanest small pets to keep. That being said, they do live in a cage that needs cleaning with a wipe down daily and a complete clean out weekly (depending on size and number of degus). They do take a dust bath so don't store anything near the cage that can't get dusty.

Consider persons in the home with allergies before adopting pet degus. Have them test the different types of dust used for a dust bath before deciding if they can live with the pet.

Photo courtesy of User:Ficustree34

The degu's closest relative is the guinea pig. If you have ever heard a happy or excited guinea pig you have an idea of what a degu sounds like.

Degus squeak and chirp when they are happy or talking to each other. It is a high pitched sound that they use to tell the other degus that they are happy or want to play... or that something is wrong.

My degus greeted me every morning with chirps (and an occasional boxing match to watch).

If the pet is making constant noise and staying away from the other degus, something is wrong. Check the pet for an injury. Consult a veterinarian immediately if the pet does not calm down quickly. Degus love to be handled and groomed (petted), so if this does not calm the pet something could be very wrong.

One last note. If you have a mating pair of degus, the male will often climb on top of the hut and brag to his friends after they have 'relations'. Pay no attention or slap him a high-five... he's a happy boy degu!

Its easier for you and your new pets if you have the following supplies already set up when you get the degus.

• multi-level small animal cage


• small flat bottom ceramic or metal food bowls


• one or more glass water bottles


• fresh degu food pellets and hay


• airtight containers for food


• small pet toys


• exercise wheel


• large exercise ball for exploring


• bath house or small bowl


• chinchilla dust

Degus require a simple dry diet. Pellets are fine, but a healthy Degu needs a daily supply of hay as well. Rotate the variety of hay if you really want to give your pet a treat.
*Do not feed a degu sugary foods or fruits. Their bodies do not produce insulin necessary for breaking down and using sugar. A degu will become diabetic easily.

Give a dark green leafy vegetable on a regular basis, such as broccoli. There are essential vitamins in these vegetables that just can't be had elsewhere (for people too).

A great resource for degu diets is:
eRodent Degu Pages
More on Pet Degus: Breeding, Diet and Preventing Diabetes

Marshall Folding Mansion for Small Animals

Degus are very active small animals when they are awake. They love to climb and box and play with each other. Degus also love to chew.

A degu cage should be multi level with platforms for resting on. The bar spacing should be no more than 1/4in apart and heavy gauge wire.

Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper then a safe filler like recycled corn cob. Degus are clean pets so filler is not required in the cage bottom. Stay away from cedar and pine chips as respiratory problems may develop.

There should be ample room in the base for food bowls and a bathing area. Also be sure the openings are large enough to move your arm and hand around comfortably inside the cage.

If there are more than one entrances to the cage, secure them with locks or ties to keep the degus in. (Make sure there is at least one opening available for emergencies.)

Don't skimp on the cage. Degus in captivity (as pets) can live well past 8 years. Keep this and the number of degus you will be housing in mind when choosing a cage. The minimum large size cage needed for a family or even just a pair of degus will probably cost about $100 to buy or make.

Choosing names for your pets is fun. Let your imagination go and choose extremely original names, or go with traditional pet names. Look your new pet degus in the face and see what pops into your mind!

Cute names for pairs of degus:
Bonnie & Clyde, Butch & Sundance, Salt & Pepper, Sonny & Cher, Mac & PC, Hootie & Blowfish, Thelma & Louise, or choose names from your favorite TV characters.