A cage also works well for your pets. A multi-level cage will provide maximum room and additional exercise possibilities, while requiring minimum space in your home. If housing degus in a cage, it should have mesh no bigger than 1/2" by 1" - smaller if you plan on babies - and a solid bottom. The only real drawback of using a cage is the mess your pets are likely to make.
A nest box is the most important cage furnishing. Your pets need the security it provides. The best choice would be one about the size of a shoe box which is completely enclosed, with an opening just slightly larger than the animal. Choose a nest box with a flat roof so it can also be used as a perching spot. We use wooden boxes, with a hinged top for easy access. These get gnawed, but we simply replace them as necessary.
Provide your pets a 9 to 12 inch wheel. They'll run for hours.
Chew Tunnels, and other places to explore, play and hide will be appreciated. Nesting material should also be provided. In addition, degus enjoy places to perch and watch their surroundings.Like all rodents, their teeth grow continually. Degus have an extremely strong instinct to gnaw. Your pets need safe, non-toxic chew toys and branches for this.
Chew Blocks, pumice chew stones made just for chinchillas and degus, are recommended. But remember - no matter how many toys you give them, degus will chew anything accessible. A bottle guard is recommended, as are stoneware food dishes.
Degus have simple dietary needs, but unfortunately these aren't always met. In many cases, a degu is simply regarded as "another small rodent." Gerbil seed mix, hamster food or other inappropriate choices are often recommended.
Poor diet can lead to overweight pets, patchy fur, liver disease and other serious health concerns, including a significantly shortened life span. Providing an appropriate diet is the single most important thing you can do to assure the health of your pet.
In the wild, degus eat mostly grasses, seeds, leaves and bark. The diet of your pet should reflect these natural foods. We feed about three rodent blocks and one tablespoon of chinchilla pellets per animal daily. We recommend
Riga Rigalettes and Prestige Premium Chinchilla Diet.You should also provide a large handful of grass hay daily. This will be nibbled and used for nesting. We also recommend raisins as an excellent means for hand-feeding. You should, however, never give your pet more than one per day.
In addition, you can provide your pets slightly under one teaspoon of rodent seed mix per animal every couple days. Any more than that is likely to cause overweight animals who are reluctant to eat other, better foods.
We recommend not offering peanuts or other nuts. Degus love them, but they are extremely high in fat.
Fresh water should be available at all times. Filtered or bottled water would be best. Most of the time, degus don't drink a lot of water. Being from an arid part of the world, this is normal. Generally, your pet will drink more after a dust bath, so be especially sure there is fresh water then.
A Tip
Most degus scatter their food, so make sure they are eating everything - not just playing with it - before increasing the amount given.
Use a separate food dish for treats which are not hand-fed. This will help reduce the amount of food which gets wasted by your pets digging for "the good stuff."
Like chinchillas, degus use dust for bathing, often creating quite a commotion as they do so. In addition to the sheer joy it gives them, a regular dust bath helps your pet maintain a healthy, clean coat. Bath Time should be provided in a large shallow bowl, once or twice a week.
Degus will excitedly roll in the dust, covering themselves completely, shake themselves off and then jump right back in. After 15 to 20 minutes, remove the dust or it'll become a potty stop. You can reuse the dust several times, but replace it when it starts becoming soiled.
When fed an appropriate diet and provided a stress-free environment, degus are hardy animals with a life-span of 7 to 8 years.
The degu gene pool in the United States is extremely small. Because of this, close in-breeding is not uncommon. This can result in a variety of health problems, many which do not become evident until the animal is physically mature or has reproduced for the first time. It is important to be sure your pets are not the result of such in-breeding.
Requirements List
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Revised: July 24, 2008