The Degu Habitat

As adorable as our sweet little Degus can be, there are two things that you have to know about them – and they probably don’t tell you this at the pet store: they’re destructive and they’re messy.

Be forewarned and construct your new pet’s habitat accordingly.

The Degu Home:

Your pets love to climb, so the enclosure should have at least 2 levels with ladders. If the home is a cage, then it should be metal and not plastic (including the base), or they’ll have it chewed up before morning.

Wire cages, such as those used for chinchillas, work well and provide good ventilation. Make sure the floor is solid and not wire meshed. Prolonged contact with wire flooring may cause a problem know as “Bumblefoot”. (See more on this ailment under “Proper Care & Handling of Your Degu”)


Bedding & Nests:

Cardboard and wooden boxes make good nests which your pet Degu will enjoy lining with shredded newspaper.

Any bedding used for pet rats will work well for the Degu. Most of this bedding purchased from pet stores is made to keep odors down. You can also use an absorbent like Carefresh (much like sawdust) to minimize smells.

Dust Baths:

Rolling in the dust is a way Degus clean themselves. These can be messy, so place the dust bath in a room that’s easily cleaned, like the bathroom. Sand works great for these baths and it keeps their coat clean.

If you want to have the dust bath inside their enclosure, then you could try getting a ceramic bowl with a roof on it from a garden shop. These work well and keep the mess down.

Toys and Accessories:

Chew Toys:
Your Degu’s teeth will continue to grow all their lives, so you have to provide some chew toys that will keep their front teeth trimmed.

Whatever toys you give your pet Degu to chew on must be non-toxic. These toys don’t have to be expensive and could be something as simple as wooden clothes pegs attached to the bars of their pen.

Try using something called “Bog Wood” which is available from most garden centers that have an aquatic section. It’s a very dense, hard wood which works well for keeping your pets teeth short.

Tunnels:
Degus like to find places to hide, so tunnels are just the thing. Large plastic pieces of drainage pipe work well except that they’ll probably have it destroyed in no time. Try a hard wood like bamboo that you can hang inside their cage. They can run through it, hide inside, or chew it. Yes, this provides a dual purpose – tunnel and chew stick.

Exercise Wheels:
Your pet will enjoy playing on these wheels. When you do get one, make sure that it’s a type where they can’t get feet and tails caught in the bars. Again, if it’s plastic, they will have it destroyed in no time.

Pictures courtesy of: Sofia Högberg
Website: http://estrellados.webs.com/index.htm