🐹Degu: gear and buying guides

The degu is a diurnal, highly social rodent that must live with at least one companion: it is one of the few rodents active at the same hours as you. Strongly prone to diabetes, it must never be fed fruit or sugary food. A relentless chewer, it destroys plastic and soft wood, so equipment should be metal and ceramic.

Profile : Around 12 to 20 cm without the tail and 170 to 300 g, a lifespan of 5 to 8 years, and a lively, vocal, very playful temperament.

Species profile

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Adult weight

170 to 300 g

Minimum floor space

100 × 60 cm

Temperament

Lively, vocal and very playful, this Chilean degu is one of the few rodents active at your own hours.

Health watch

diabetes (a marked predisposition) · dental malocclusion

🩺 Our hygiene and health advice stays general: it never substitutes for an examination by a veterinarian, the only person qualified to advise on your animal.

Degu gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  Unlimited hay and degu- or chinchilla-specific pellets with no added sugar; no fruit, no sweet treats, no molasses-coated mixes. Dried herbs and leafy greens as extras.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Regular sand baths, as for chinchillas, to maintain the coat. Never grab the tail, which tears; monitor weight and thirst, the first signs of diabetes.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  A solid metal wheel of at least 28 cm, constantly replenished gnawing branches, stones, and ceramic or metal tunnels. Intelligent, it enjoys foraging toys stuffed with hay.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  A large multi-level metal cage of at least 100 x 60 x 100 cm for two, with hardwood or ceramic platforms and nest boxes. Deep bedding for digging and a temperate room below 25 degrees Celsius.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  A metal or thick rigid plastic carrier, inspected before every trip since degus chew at weak points. Transport cage-mates together and avoid heat.

• 🧰 Accessories

  A glass water bottle with a metal spout, ceramic bowls, an enclosed sand bath and a hay rack. Initial setup around 200 to 400 euros for a pair.

Guides to read

• Degu diabetes: how to build a sugar-free dietFood

  Chilean degus are genetically prone to diabetes: why they can't tolerate any sugar, what research shows, and how to plan their daily ration.

• Checking your hamster's teeth at home: recognising the signs of malocclusionCare & grooming

  Hamster dental malocclusion: why their incisors grow continuously, which signs to watch for at home, and when to see an exotic-animal vet.

• Getting your rodent used to its carrier before a tripTravel & safety

  Vet visits, travel, moving day: how to gradually get your rodent used to its carrier to cut stress on the day itself.

• Litter training rats and guinea pigs: can they really learn?Accessories

  Litter boxes for rats and guinea pigs: what science shows about their natural toileting habits, and how to train them to use a dedicated corner.

• Fur chewing in chinchillas: causes and solutionsCare & grooming

  Chinchilla fur chewing: what research shows about this compulsive behaviour, its likely causes, and how to address it day to day.

• Setting up a mouse cage: the essential accessoriesBedding & habitat

  Substrate, nesting material, wheel, hides, and enrichment: the accessories that are genuinely useful for setting up a pet mouse's cage.

• Senior rat: adjusting his diet to protect his healthFood

  Calories, protein, texture, and meal frequency: how to adjust an ageing rat’s diet to support him through his senior years.

• Gerbil enrichment: why she needs to dig deepToys & enrichment

  Deep substrate and real tunnels reduce stress and stereotypic behaviour in the Mongolian gerbil.