| Degu Information The stuff you need to know to care for a degu. |
| I have spent lots of time reading websites and books as well as studying my own degus, and here is what I have learned about them. Occasional words or phrases will be linked to sites where you can see pictures of whatever I am talking about, get additional information about it, or order it. Use your browser's back button to return to my page, or just bookmark it and return that way. Personality - Once they get used to you, degus can be very affectionate and will want to be petted and picked up. They are very sweet natured and won't bite unless threatened or hurt, and they can be trained to respond to their names. I have even heard that they can be trained to use a small animal litter box inside their cage, which I believe because mine always do their business in one corner of their cage. Degus need a lot of attention or they can become depressed, significantly shortening their life spans. One reason I bought two degus was so they could provide company for each other, but now I couldn't even imagine owning only one. Degus are very verbal and the squeaking sounds they make at each other are adorable, and watching them interact is amazing because they do so many things together, from grooming each other to running together on their wheel. They are more intelligent than most rodents, which I had read while researching them, but didn't really sink in until I saw mine in action. They are constantly rearranging things in their cage, and you can just tell by looking at their faces that there is something going on behind their cute little eyes. Do not pull on their tails or they will rip off and will not regrow; this was a defence mechanism for wild degus. Housing - You will almost definitely not be able to find a cage specifically for degus, so here are some guidelines. Degus need more space than most other rodents, and they need to have either a wire or a glass cage because they can chew through plastic. Generally wire cages (if you visit this link do not even look at the hamster cages, they are way too small) are better because they come in larger sizes than glass aquariums and some have multiple levels, or you can add your own levels, but glass is fine as long as it's big enough for the degus to run around in. Wire cages cannot have too much space in between the bars because degus are escape artists, and anything they can fit their head through they can fit their body through. The floor on the bottom of the cage should be solid because degus forced to walk on wire all the time can develop a painful condition called bumble foot. Here is a link to a good degu cage page. A wheel is pretty much a necessity for a healthy degu, but it needs to be a large sized wheel. I also have an extra large rodent ball to provide additional exercise for the degus. Wood shavings or any other small animal bedding can be used in the cage, and degus should also be given additional nesting material which can be bought at any pet store or even Wal-Mart. Cardboard tubes are a good investment because degus love to tear them apart and add the shreds to their nests. I give my degus Chubes, which are thick so they last pretty long. Do not give them toilet paper, paper towel, or wrapping paper rolls because the glue that holds them together can be toxic. Degus should also have something in their cage where they can feel sheltered, such a wooden box. I also have two pet hammocks in my cage, which the degus like to climb around in. Degus also love to take sand/dust baths, in special sand that you can buy in pet stores (it's normally marketed for chinchillas). Food - Degus eat a mixture of chinchilla and guinea pig food, alfalfa, and fresh vegetables, but never fruit because the sugar in it can make them become diabetic. They have to drink spring water because they are susceptible to mouth disease. They should also be given something to chew on, such as wooden chew sticks, because their teeth grow at a very fast rate and need to be worn down by chewing. Lifespan - I've read that they can live for around ten years in captivity. Breeding, Pregnancy, and Babies - I have had so many questions asked about these topics that I decided to add a section about them. It is very easy to tell when degus are breeding, due to the many breeding activities that occur. Breeding activities include: the male grooming the female, tail-wagging, nose-to-nose contact, nuzzling, trembling, and the male chasing the female around the cage. After mating the male makes loud, repetitive squeaks that are unlike the usual day-to-day squeaks for up to 20 minutes. The first indication that your degu is pregnant is that she and her mate will begin building a huge nest in their cage, if they didn't have on already. During the last month of pregnancy an increase in abdomen size will become apparent, so as soon as you notice this you know there is about a month left before the babies are born. When you notice that your degu is pregnant, avoid handling her and feed her extra vegetables. Degus generally only breed up to two times a year. The gestation period is 90 days, so it's impossible for them to have babies more than four times a year, plus once they have babies they do not breed until the babies are weaned. In rare cases they will breed immediately after the female has her babies. Mine actually did this after their first litter, we know because they had babies 90 days later. Degus can have anywhere from one to ten babies per litter, but generally have five to six. The amount is pretty random, as shown by my degus who had eight babies in their first litter, three in their second. Do not separate the father degu from the babies, he will NOT eat them! It is benificial to the babies and the parents to leave them together as a family. For the first eight days of their lives the babies cannot regulate their own body temperatures and should not be handled much. Babies should live with their parents for four to six weeks after birth, preferably six. Always Remember - Wire cages, spring water, do not pull their tails, and NO FRUIT! Well, that's about all I know, but if you have any specific questions or want to know where you can buy something or what brand I use, just e-mail me! Be sure to put something about degus in the subject line so I don't think it's a junk e-mail! I have been getting a disturbing number of e-mails asking me medical questions about degus. I am not qualified to answer questions concerning your degu's health. Please consult a vet for these sorts of questions, especially if your degu's life may be in danger. |
