Animalscaretips
- How long do degus live as pets?
- How old is the oldest degu?
- Are degus good pets?
- Do degus like to be held?
- Can degu live alone?
- How do you take care of a pet degu?
- What size cage does a degu need?
- What's the difference between a degu and a chinchilla?
- How do you get a degu to trust you?
- How much does it cost to own a degu?
- Do degu bites hurt?
- Why does my degu keeps squeaking?
- How much should I feed my degu?
- Can degu eat carrots?
How long do degus live as pets?
Degus are small, social and vocal rodents. They have long silky coats that are grey-brown tinged, and a long, thin tail with a tufted, black tip. Typically degus can live for 6-7 years in captivity.
How old is the oldest degu?
Longest living degu
One scientific article referenced an 11 year old degu, but that's all we could find in terms of verified long degu lifespans. However, degus are generally one of the longest lived rodent species.
Are degus good pets?
Degus are very intelligent and highly sociable animals that love to play and explore. They have a friendly nature and are outgoing little rodents. They make fantastic pets, but need a lot of care and aren't an animal you should choose on a whim.
Do degus like to be held?
Do degus like being handled? ... As long as your degus have gotten used to being gently handled from a young age, they will be fine with being picked up. This said, it's better to play with them rather than picking them up a lot! Never pick your degus up by their tails.
Can degu live alone?
Degus are social animals that live in large groups in the wild. In general, it's recommended to keep at least a pair of degus. There are some rare cases where a degu is (temporarily) kept as a solitary pet. ... They're not used to living alone like some pocket pets.
How do you take care of a pet degu?
Like chinchillas, degus need regular dust baths. Provide a shallow bowl of chinchilla dust a couple times a week. They will typically only need it for 20-30 minutes and then you can remove it. Keep the cage away from direct sunlight, drafts, and other pets such as dogs and cats.
What size cage does a degu need?
Degus need a large cage. A minimum cage size of 24 inches by 18 inches by 24 inches should house two degus comfortably. The larger, the better. Multilevel cages built for ferrets or chinchillas are ideal.
What's the difference between a degu and a chinchilla?
Visual Differences
Chinchillas have slightly longer bodies and fluffier tails than degus. Also, chinchillas have rounder eyes, while degus have eyes that are shaped more like almonds. Some people liken the chinchilla to guinea pigs and the degu to hamsters.
How do you get a degu to trust you?
As normal, give your degu treats through the bars, but after a few, this time slowly and calmly open the cage door, then move back to your previous position and offer a few more treats through the bars just to put them at ease.
How much does it cost to own a degu?
On average you can expect the price of a degu to range from $30 to $300 with most degus to cost around $40. The price will depend on a lot of factors like the age, the region and the season.
Do degu bites hurt?
Degus are friendly animals that generally won't resort to biting unless they feel threatened and have no way out. A degu might give you a little “grooming” nip but this doesn't really hurt or break the skin. It's only in rare cases that a degu will bite hard and such a bite might hurt and cause an injury.
Why does my degu keeps squeaking?
The main reasons why degus keep squeaking are because they're trying to warn their cage mates, they're being territorial, they're trying to be friendly, they are squeaking while asleep, and they'll do it even after mating with each other.
How much should I feed my degu?
Degu are prey animals and like to know when they're going to eat. Hay should always be readily available; however you should provide the remainder of his dried food at a regular time. You can either choose to give him his dried food once a day (around a 10g portion) or twice a day (2 x 5g portions).
Can degu eat carrots?
Many fruits can be high in sugar and should not be given to degus. Some vegetables for example carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and parsnips can also be high in sugar, so should only be given in very small pieces as an occasional treat. Be wary of commercial treat products as these can also be too sugary.
