I don't know how Canadians see things, but feeding a degu may be a bit more controversial. you can't feed frozen rats? There's a few other things you can feed, but I'd be sure to check your laws very closely...if rats are illegal, I can't imagine others not being. But you can try ASF's, gerbils, hamsters, chicks, baby guinea pigs. Keep in mind that should you ever need/want to sell it, feeding on anything other than rats or mice could be a turn off for potential buyers.