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.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Double-layer plush hammock for rats, squirrels or ferrets (€18.90) · the whole shop
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Electric pet heating pad 45 × 45 cm (17.7 in) with chew-resistant cord ($48.90, ships from the US) · the US shop
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: Small Pet Rodents: Choose Well, Care Well (€15)
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
🎾 Enrichment for a Degu: a 25 cm wheel and courses
The wheel: 25 cm minimum, solid surface
For a Degu, pick a wheel 25 to 28 cm across, solid-surfaced and spokeless: too small and the spine arches at every stride; meshed and it traps feet and tails.
Climbing and exploring
A born climber, the Degu works in three dimensions: ropes, hammocks, solid wooden platforms (never wire under the feet) and untreated branches turn the cage into a vertical course. Rearrange monthly: novelty is enrichment in itself.
Working with its body clock
The Degu is diurnal — active on your schedule: make the most of regular daytime interaction; it learns routines fast. Companions remain its first enrichment: no toy replaces social life.
Quick answers
- Which wheel for a Degu?
- 25 to 28 cm across, solid spokeless surface, stable mounting and a silent bearing.
- Can a Degu live alone?
- No: the species is social: group life (or at least a pair) is a need, not an option. An isolated individual develops stress and behavioural problems.
In our shop, for this use: 2-in-1 felt tunnel and hideout for rabbits and ferrets (44 × 60 cm) (€37.90) · the whole shop
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Small Pet Rodents: Choose Well, Care Well (€15)
🧰 Accessories for a Degu: the right kit, zero traps
The Degu’s core kit
Start with the essentials: heavy ceramic for the bowl, a ball-valve bottle in reserve, untreated wooden houses in sufficient numbers (one per occupant, plus one) and a bath house with dedicated sand. Add hammocks and ropes: this climber will wear them out happily.
What gets chewed (and should be chewable)
Every accessory ends up in a Degu’s teeth: favour raw wood, ceramic, metal and unprinted cardboard, and ban soft plastics and painted items. Chew sticks (apple, hazel) are consumables to be replaced — proof they are doing their job. And keep the species’ own watch-point (diabetes (a marked predisposition)) in mind when picking bedding and nesting material.
A realistic budget
To set a Degu up seriously, count €100 to 200 — the 100 × 60 cm habitat taking the lion’s share — then €15 to 40 monthly in bedding, food and chews. The full Degu profile details the picks item by item.
Quick answers
- Which accessories should you avoid for a Degu?
- Five rodent-aisle traps to leave in the shop: fluffy cotton, closed plastic tubes, meshed or undersized wheels, cedar shavings, scented accessories and litters.
- What monthly budget for a Degu?
- €15 to 40 a month depending on group size: bedding, food, hay where relevant and chew sticks to replace.
We don’t ship products to your country yet; our practical guide downloads anywhere: Small Pet Rodents: Choose Well, Care Well (€15)
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.