How to house your degus

Although degus are small creatures, they are very active and need plenty of space to run and jump around.

 

The minimum cage size for two to four degus

• 123cm high by 93cm wide by 63cm deep (these dimensions do not include a cage stand)
• Bar spacing – up to 18mm

 

Recommended cages for up to four degus

Degus love chewing, so they will need to be housed in an all-metal cage to prevent the chance of them nibbling through and escaping!

• Liberta Explorer – 158cm x 93cm x 64cm (including stand). Available at various places online or you may be able to find them second hand. Note: Wire mesh ladders will need covering or removing.
• Little Zoo Venturer Cage – 158cm x 93cm x 68cm (including stand) – Available at various places online. Note: Wire mesh ladders will need covering or removing.
• Aventura Cage – 160cm x 92cm x 64cm (including stand) –Wire mesh ladders will need covering or removing. Only one half of the cage opens on both levels.

The following cages are difficult to source at this current time but you may be able to find them secondhand:

• Savic Royal Suite – 159cm x 95cm x 63cm (including stand)
• Savic Royal Suite XL – 153cm x 115cm x 67.5cm (including stand)
• Rat & Ferret Cage by PetPlanet – 159cm x 96cm x 63cm (including stand) – www.petplanet.co.uk. Wire mesh ladders will need covering or removing

 

Ideal cage location

When you’re choosing a location for your degu cage, make sure it’s:

• Away from busy areas and loud noises such as the TV or music system
• In a well-ventilated room to help prevent odours from building up
• Away from windows and draughts
• In an area with low humidity
• Away from direct/constant sunlight, although the room will need a natural daylight source
• Away from radiators, or ensure they are switched off
• Safe from other pets such as cats and dogs
• Safe from young, unsupervised children

 

Enrichment and cage setup ideas

Degus are very active and enjoy items in their enclosure that they can safely chew, jump on and even dig in! It’s very important to furnish their cage with safe items that your degus can’t injure themselves on. You can also place some of these items in their free-range space to make things more interesting for them.

Enrichment items degus enjoy

• Twigs, stumps and branches from apple, pear, or willow (weeping, goat or pussy willow only) trees for them to chew and jump on.
• Wooden or card boxes for them to sleep in and chew on.
• Wooden platforms. Degus love to jump from level to level and these are great for breaking up the space and preventing falls from a height.
• Hammocks made from anti-pill fleece. Like the wooden platforms, these are great for allowing your degu to jump around and also to break up the space, helping to prevent a fall.
• Card, ceramic or metal tunnels.
• Kitchen rolls or cardboard tubes stuffed with hay.
• Ceramic or granite tile for helping them to keep cool in the summer months.
• Dig trays. If your degus have a shallow cage base, why not give them a card box filled with a deep layer of hay, or a mixture of organic soil and sand for them to dig through and forage for food!
• Dust bath in a metal tray for them to dust bathe in several times a week. Avoid leaving it in all the time as they may start using it as a toilet and their skin may become overly dry.
• Minimum of a 12” solid metal upright wheel

Degu toys to avoid

• Plastic toys will be destroyed very quickly and may become dangerous.
• Hanging toys such as parrot or rodent ropes and swings. As degus are very fast and reactive, they can damage their legs or become caught on hanging items.
• Any toys that the degus may trap their legs in whilst jumping and climbing around, like mesh ladders.
• Any toys that they can get their heads stuck in such as hanging hay balls and many hay racks.
• Take extra care and monitor individual degus with items that can be easily chewed such as card or paper, as these can cause blockages in the digestive system if swallowed.

 

Bedding and nesting materials

It’s important to use the correct bedding for your degus, otherwise it could have a negative effect on their health. Wood shavings or sawdust can be very dusty, are a common cause of skin related issues and can give you an allergic reaction too!

Make sure your degus have a nice, soft bedding base for their cage, rather than using a mesh floor. This will avoid injury to their feet and help meet their natural behavioural and environmental needs.