🐹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.

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

• What cage for a guinea pig? The C&C enclosure is the real answerBedding & habitat

  What cage does a guinea pig need? Minimum floor space, the advantages of a modular C&C enclosure and a realistic budget: our guide to a truly suitable habitat.

• What cage for a rat? Height, levels and dimensions to respectBedding & habitat

  What cage does a pet rat need? Minimum height, number of levels, bar spacing and budget: our advice for an aviary-style cage suited to this born climber.

• A tank for gerbils: finally giving them something to digBedding & habitat

  Why a glass tank beats a barred cage for gerbils: substrate depth, minimum dimensions, ventilation and budget for these tireless little diggers.

• Chinchilla housing: a large, cool aviary cage above allBedding & habitat

  Chinchilla housing demands a tall aviary cage of at least 1 metre, wooden platforms and a cool room below 22 °C: our detailed advice and budgets.

• Exercise balls for rodents: why vets advise against themToys & enrichment

  Exotic-pet vets advise against exercise balls for rodents: stress, injuries and overheating. The reasons why, plus safe alternatives for burning off energy.

• Hemp or corn cob bedding: which should you choose for your rodent?Care & grooming

  Hemp or corn cob bedding? Absorbency, dust, price per litre and suitability by species: our comparison to help you choose the right plant-based bedding.

• Which bath sand to buy for a chinchilla, gerbil or hamster?Care & grooming

  Which bath sand should you buy? Sepiolite, quartz sand or bathing dust: the right products, the ones to avoid and prices per kilo for healthy fur.

• Feeding your rat: how to nourish a true omnivoreFood

  The rat is an opportunistic omnivore: complete lab blocks, fresh food share, animal protein, forbidden foods and a realistic monthly budget.