Degus Pics!

[snowyangel]

Here's the degus I'm fostering for my rescue, they're sooooooo soft. Just fyi, degus are a small rodent much resembling a chipmunk, but are actually a cousin to the chinchilla, but obviously smaller. They aren't the typical rodent, they need lots of space for climbing(tree branches and ladders) so no stupid small hamster trail is gonna be good for them. They need something taller.
These are our two energetic 8 month old females(still up for adoption guys!)

In their older 2 floor cage(but we remove the floor so they can climb), but now they're even more spoiled in a bunny cage!

We love our tunnels

I'm king of the world!

Bonding

Adopt us

Here's Rehoming Services Rescue site: http/rehomingservices.org/

 

[Bloo]

They are really lovely - and yes incredibly energetic little animals ! but in that first pic that cage they are in looks awfully small ?

 

[mm_simb]

I think it says on the post that they are now in a bunny cage. But yea, first cage does look small.

They are so cute though I wanted to get another small animal (I've had gerbils before) but I have 2 kitties which wont be so nice to them. I'm sure they'll get adopted soon though. They are gorgeous.

 

[Stagette]

aaaaaawwwww very very cute pics, i have 4 degus myself at the moment and they make fantastic pets, mine are in huge chinchilla cages so yes they do need a lot of space

 

[pnyklr3]

My sister has 2 of them, and I have always said that tey felt like chinchillas! Looks like I was on to something!

 

[snowyangel]

... but in that first pic that cage they are in looks awfully small ?

It was actually alot larger then the cage they were brought to us in! The shot is only a width shot, not the length of the whole cage so its looks smaller from the side.
Here's a front shot

Here's their current cage(you can just see their heads)

 

[Stagette]

My sister has 2 of them, and I have always said that tey felt like chinchillas! Looks like I was on to something!

Recent research has shown that degus might be closer related to rabbits (lagomorphs) then the rodent family and scientists are trying to get them moved from rodents to lagomorphs so may no longer be closely related to chins, i don't care either way i love them all the same as they are such great little characters

 

[WILDER]

T hey are cute, related to rabbits well they have the same teeth.

 

[OohFeeshy]

The only place I've ever seen degus is at the RSPCA shelter. I'd like to adopt some if I had room...

 

[Fishy411]

are we still doing POTM noms? If we are i'll give u one. Those things are so cool.

 

[mm_simb]

I think we just started them again. So I second the nomination. They are so cute.

 

[black angel]

those two are so sweet!
i was thinking about getting two degus.
i have a custom built cage thats nearly four foot tall and three foot wide and about 12 inches depth. it has climbing branches and is split on one side into three levels with ladders. the bottom is the sleeping area and is completely dark with a hole and a ramp for access.
it was home to my three female rats but they all died at the end of last year.
i think this would be big enough for two degus in the near future as i have found somewhere that sells them.
a question i would like to ask you degu owners is what kind of care do they need that is different from other rodents and if they also need the fine sand for bathing like chinchillas have?
oh and i would also like to nominate them for POTM

 

[Erised]

They are absolutely adorable I've been very tempted myself to buy some when I saw the 2 in our petstore had 5 babies ... unfortunatly, I've got no room whatsoever, so I've simply got to wait. They are really cute things though

 

[Stagette]

those two are so sweet!
i was thinking about getting two degus.
i have a custom built cage thats nearly four foot tall and three foot wide and about 12 inches depth. it has climbing branches and is split on one side into three levels with ladders. the bottom is the sleeping area and is completely dark with a hole and a ramp for access.
it was home to my three female rats but they all died at the end of last year.
i think this would be big enough for two degus in the near future as i have found somewhere that sells them.
a question i would like to ask you degu owners is what kind of care do they need that is different from other rodents and if they also need the fine sand for bathing like chinchillas have?
oh and i would also like to nominate them for POTM

Firstly your cage sounds great, may i ask what branches you have in there as a lot of wood is toxic to degus so wood needs to be chosen with care, i use eating apple branches as its one of the few woods that is safe to use over here. And yes they have chinchilla sand its a necessity in order for them to keep themselves clean

As for their care well as long as your happy not to spoil them and keep them on there basic frugal diet then they are very easy to keep. Degu's cannot digest too much sugar it can cause them to become diabetic (something they can be prone too) so their diet has to be pretty plain. I feed mine a mixture of guinea pig biscuits, gertie guinea pig food and a specially made up degu mix. They also have veggies to supplement this and for a treat the odd nut, raison, pieces of shredded wheat, wholemeal bread (they go mad for it when its been oven baked), bran flakes and dried carrot. They make fantastic pets i have to say i was always a rat girl till 6 years ago when i walked into a petshop and fell in love with a pair of brothers which i brought not knowing much about and at the time there was little info on them at all but they won my heart and i wouldn't ever swap any of them now as they are so much fun and are very entertaining as they interact with each other so well

 

[black angel]

Thanks for the info stagette. the branches i used were from fallen trees and the rats never minded them. we dont have fruit trees around here, its mainly pine types.
i have a guinea pig as well so the diet thing is good to know, as i wouldnt want to treat them like i did my rats and they get anything and everything!
if i had to then i would try and find the right wood for them. are there any types of wood i cant use?