Movies Chinchillas Degus Persian Jirds Baby Jirds Gerbils Cages Guinea Pigs Search
eRodent > Degus > Before you buy a Degu

Before you buy a Degu

This web page is a companion to my original 'Before you buy a Chinchilla' page. Degus are generally a lot easier to keep and a lot less trouble than Chinchillas but, as with any pet, there are things that you should consider.

  • Degus need careful feeding

    • As I've said before - if you want to feed titbits to your pet get a fancy rat! Degus seem to be unable to metabolise sugars well. This makes them very prone to diabetes and cataracts. However as long as you bear this in mind they are easy to feed. Feed them non-molassed (check on the ingredients on the bag) guinea pig or chinchilla pellets and plenty of good quality hay together with fresh water at all times and they should live a long healthy life. We feed pumpkin seeds as the occasional treat as they are fairly low fat. Degus should not be allowed to get fat as this can also bring on diabetes (in people as well).

  • Degus are not that well known

    • If you want a degu read everything that you can find on degus. The Degu Information and Degu Links pages here are a good place to start. Remember that not all information on the web is accurate so read lots and decide what you think sounds sensible.

    The other problem that degus not being that common brings is that your vet will be unlikely to have seen them before. However, if you find a keen small animal vet with experience in something like guinea pigs or chinchillas who is happy to look up degus and find out about them you should be fine.

  • Degus breed like mad

    • Please don't breed Degus. Rescue centres are getting them more and more often these days because people think they can make money from breeding them and get overwhealmed. Degus can become pregnant frighteningly young so there is always the risk of getting a pregnant female degu. As they are not that easy to sex there is the risk of getting a pair. They can mate almost as soon as the babies are born and have another litter straight away. If you care about the homes that you get for your babies it can become a bit of a problem. Avoid this by getting a same sex pair from someone who is knowledgeable about degus and so knows how to sex them properly and will have separated the sexes early enough to prevent 'accidents'. Alternatively it is straightforwards to neuter a male degu. An out of hours emergency caesarian can cost £100 or even more in some areas - if you aren't willing to pay for this then you shouldn't be breeding period. If you can't afford to get your male degu neutered, you certainly can't afford the potential vets bills of breeding.

  • Degus need to be kept amused.

    • A tank is not a great home for degus as they like to climb (you might hear of them referred to as Chilean Ground Squirrels). They will also not be happy in a cage designed for hamsters as this will be too small. They are better off in something like a chinchilla, rat or chipmunk cage with the wire mesh taken out of the floor (they get sore feet if they have to walk on mesh). Provide them with lots of parrot toys to climb on and they will play happily for hours. Look at the Environment Enrichment and Degu Cages pages for ideas.

    Degus can also squabble loudly if not given enough to occupy themselves with and can sometimes take to chewing their fur or the end of their tail. They really appreciate a non-wire wheel.These can be difficult to get hold of and degus are a bit inclined to destroy plastic wheels but it is worth the effort to keep them happy. Empty cardboard boxes are also very popular to destroy.

  • Degus need company.

    • In the wild degus live in large-social groups. They have one of the most rich animal languages that I have heard to communicate with each other. A degu on it's own will get depressed and possibly even agressive. Introductions need to be done carefully, although a neutered male-female introduction seems to be a good combination.

  • Degus live quite a long time

    • Unlike small pets of a similar size degus can live up to 10 years or more. This means that you have to be prepared to provide them with a home and look after them for a very long period of time. Think about where you are hoping to be in 10 years before buying a degu. That said, if you provide them with a good size cage and handle them frequently, they do not need to be allowed to run around the house like a chinchilla and so could live in most places provided you have room for the cage and are allowed pets.

  • Don't Buy - Adopt.

    • There are lots of rescue centres around the country with unwanted Degus for adoption. Try the RSPCA for a start and then try searching for Degu Rescue on the web. Many of the Degus come from previously loving home and someone has done all of the hard work of getting them tame for you. There are a number of places to look on the Degu Links page. New: I am setting up a Degu Rescue page if you are looking for degus, or want a home for a degu.

  • Degus make excellent pets

    • None of these problems is a particular issue if you read up on degus carefully - Degus do make lovely pets. Unlike many small animals they are awake during the day and will come running over to see you. They are very friendly and soon become tame and will come and 'talk' to you and scrounge titbits (low carbohydrate only of course).

    If you have the room and time for them, please, please adopt some of the degus that are sitting in rescue centres around the country looking for new homes.

    Back to Main Page