Does anyone own degus?

[Calift]

I'm might adopt a pair of females very soon and trying to research their care as much as possible.

From what I've heard they are smarter than a chinchilla, but less so than a rat. They apparently chew a lot and have a very long life span for a small critter. I've read they are curious and fun, but I'd like to hear some direct experiences from anyone whose owned them or worked with them before.

How "good" pets are they compared to rabbits or chinchillas?

[Montessa Python]

I have a pair of males, brothers. Ours are about 3+ yrs old now.
They cannot have treats or feed with too much dried fruit in it, they have no natural insulin in their system.
They were originally brought to the Univ. of OH to study diabetes. They can become diabetic very easily.
I feed mine a combination of chinchlla food and gerbil/hamster food, about half and half.
Some people will ONLY feed them specially degu food which you can buy online. OR only chinchilla w/ the banana chips/raisins taken out.
I also give mine hay that you can buy for guinea pigs/rabbits, about once a week a small handful.
You need to get them a wheel OR two as they might wrestle over who gets on the wheel and when.. Also give them a few wooden houses/hides.
I got a parakeet nest box, and removed one sliding door and they love it.
they do best in a galvanized wire cage with ramps, they love hammocks like ferrets or chins. you can put wood perches for them to jump on and natural wood or bird perches for them to jump on (I pair the perches up).
Also they can use new plumbing pvc tubes, you can drill holes in the top and make tubes out of them.
They need the wood to keep their teeth short.
And you need to give them a plate or bowl with chin dust bath about 2x a week.
AND you need to check their teeth about once a month and they need to be orange or yellow. If they are white.. the degu is becoming ill or diabetic.
I will try to get pics of my boys..
They Can live 8 yrs, better if they are spayed or neutered.

Hope this helps.
Carol

[Calift]

Thanks for the response....I was beginning to think degus + ball python owners just don't go together

I've read about the insulin thing, which is a strange characteristic of degus. I also heard they have no natural predators, making them a lot more curious and friendly.

How often do you let yours out? Are they similar to chins in that respect, or more like hamsters?

I'd love to see some pictures of your guys. Do you house them like rats?

[Montessa Python]

I house them more like chins, because they are closely related.
You can go to You tube and find great vids of gu's.
My guys were a bit mishandled before I got them.
They are my 7th ones.
They were purchased and kept in a small hamster cage, it was 2 tiers high but small and narrow. They were kept by a young gal who then lost interest in them.
I got them a few days after my lone female passed on. I had two gerbils in a cage next to her to keep her company.
They do NOT do well alone.
They were about a year old when we got them and had not been handled.
We have moved into a smaller place and now have them in a 20 gal long. temporarily.
They each have their own wheel, they like to sleep ON each other and use the nest box as a sleepy place, but also have a smaller wooden house to perch on or nibble on.
I will have them ina 30 tall with ramps and different levels.
I kept a neutered/spayed pair that i got from the humane society in a large cage with wooden platforms that you can buy for chin types, and the pvc tubes, the ran on them, in them..
I have a friend that kept rats and she gave me the knitted yarn hammocks you can also use polar fleece, they do pee on them but love to sleep on them.
We don't let ours out unless we are holding them, as they don't really like to be held, or caught.. But I do it often enough to check them.