Anyone ever have Degus?

[cornchips]

Ive been researching them and wonder how they compare to pet rats?
Are they as smart? I am under the impression they are more like large gerbils.
Gerbils are too hyper and wont just sit in your lap and hard to keep track of when out of the cage.
Anyway if you have any info on personality let me know..Thanks

 

[Insomniac101]

I keep, and breed degus. I keep pet rats too. Degus are more nervous than rats, and startle easily. They don't sit still, and are hard to catch if they get loose. They make good pets for adults, or children that are old enough not to hurt, or drop them. That said, they're very "busy", and you have to provide for their needs - metal or glass cages (they will chew through anything else), exercise wheels, and wood toys to keep their constantly-growing teeth trimmed.

I got into keeping them entirely by chance, when I rescued a pair on the spot, from someone in the parking lot of a pet store. I do like that they're inquisitive, and don't bite. I handle all of my babies from day one, and they're much more calm than those that don't get much interaction with humans. When content, they warble softly, and sound like birds.

If you decide to keep them, please do your research, as their needs are more demanding than those of other rodents.

Kathy

 

[cornchips]

Hey thanks, Ive never actually seen a degu in person but found a place that sells them a few hours away. Again they sound like big gerbils, personality wise.. I probably will stick with rats. But would like to see them in person some day.
Thanks again.

 

[Insomniac101]

I probably will stick with rats.

I enjoy both my rats, and degus equally, but for different reasons. Rats are easier to care for, but degus are far cuter! I couldn't choose, so I keep both.

 

[cornchips]

OMG those are super cute..What do you feed them?

 

[Insomniac101]

I mix a variety of grains. The bulk is guinea pig pellets, which is an alfalfa hay base with vitamin C, then I add a mix of hamster/gerbil food, and a small amount of dried vegetables as a treat.

I also give them non-sweetened Cheerios a few days a week. They are prone to diabetes, and can't metabolize glucose very well, so they don't get anything sweet. They also have Timothy hay available at all times, which they really like.

Kathy

 

[cornchips]

I am worried about the hay issue, Im very allergic to timothy hay. Can they eat hay cubes, like for horses instead of loose hay?

 

[Insomniac101]

Yes, the hay cubes are fine, and also help keep their teeth trimmed. They seem to like the loose hay better than the cubes, but either is acceptable. The cubes are processed, so they're more expensive. I have a lot of degus to feed, so the bulk hay works better with my budget.

 

[cornchips]

Ok. Thanks for the heads up. I will continue to do some research and then decide.