Reasons not to have a degu?

[sues]

Hi, I've been reading boards about the care of degu families, food, cage sizes, health and welfare etc.

I'm trying to find the right new pet for me since my last one passed away and I know I am unable to replace her. I started looking at chinchillas, but 20 years is too long a commitment, and then I heard of degus. They seem quirky and sometimes hard work but adorable. But that is not a good enough reason to have 2 or 3 animals.

What I really want is a list of reasons not to have one! If anyone has time to come up with reasons / downsides I would appreciate it. If you cannot scare me off then I think I need to find a lot of equipment and a local rescue centre...

[sues]

Oh, and I have a pear tree in the garden - would occasional branches be fun for them? I see lots of posts about apple wood but not pear.

[ilikedegus]

hello and Welcome Sues

Pear tree wood and bark is great for degus. (Cherry and plum, avoid; there are cyanide compounds in the wood, though just how much I'm not sure. Generally advised against, anyway.)

Reasons not to:

- terrible chewers; forget to protect something and they will trash it.
- you could be left with a lone degu at the end, at which point you need to either rehome, find a friend for it or at a push give it a LOT of attention.
- Need regular cleaning out.
- Need a BIG cage.
- May not get degus who are immediately friendly, so time to tame them - and some degus will always be wary of you.

But they are engaging, intelligent little personalities that you will fall in love with...

Cages etc don't have to be expensive if you live near a large town or 2 and don't mind eBay secondhand. We built a huge complex with secondhand cages of the same make and my man's DIY skills.

Glad you're looking at rescues (what about rescue chinchillas that are at least 10 years old...?)

[Maravilla]

Feb 12, 2015 16:03:27 GMT ilikedegus said:

Pear tree wood and bark is great for degus. (Cherry and plum, avoid; there are cyanide compounds in the wood, though just how much I'm not sure. Generally advised against, anyway.)

No, this is a wrong information, spread everywhere. But there is not real reason not to offer cherry and plum (or anything similar). You don't kill your degus by offering them leaves and branches from those trees.

Feb 12, 2015 16:03:27 GMT ilikedegus said:

Reasons not to:

- terrible chewers; forget to protect something and they will trash it.
- you could be left with a lone degu at the end, at which point you need to either rehome, find a friend for it or at a push give it a LOT of attention.
- Need regular cleaning out.
- Need a BIG cage. -> at least 100x50 cm surface, the bigger, the better
- May not get degus who are immediately friendly, so time to tame them - and some degus will always be wary of you.

Plus:
- the only place you could put your cage is your sleeping room - degus do not necessarily accept your sleeping hours
- lack of money - vet bills can be expensive, as well as good food (commercially sold food is not really appropriate)
- allergies or possibility of allergies (hay, straw, bedding, food)
- you are looking for animals you can pet and cuddle - most degus just don't like it
- no experienced vet around
- you love quiet hours - degus can make a lot of noise, some really nice ones and others not that nice ones

[deguconvert]

I would say the time required for cleaning out the cages can be difficult to overcome. I have asthma, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome and I find the effort and time it takes to clean out the cages can be daunting. It can knock me out for two to three days, before I start feeling better again.

As well the cost of food and bedding is higher than I am honestly comfortable with. Although . . . now that our number of degus is fewer than it was for a short while, it is more manageable.

Have to add that if you end up with miss-sexed degus and they mate, you can very quickly have a lot more degus than you anticipated or have the room and finances for. They have a three month gestation, and the female is her most fertile for the first 24 hours following deliver, and is still receptive and ready to conceive for three days following. Degus have a 21 day cycle in captivity, and do not truly follow the breeding season of their wild relatives. So, keeping a male and female pair together without a pregnancy means the male must be neutered. Which of course is another expense.

[sues]

Thank you for your replies.
I'm not really looking for something to cuddle all the time so their independence and a chat with them is fine. Sound is fine, the sound of something alive welcome.
Why do they need to be in a sleeping room? I have a large front room and was thinking of putting them at the end near the dining table. It is draft free, near but not next to a radiator. I live alone and although I have the TV on it is otherwise quiet. I work from home.
I was looking at 3 in one of these... www.johnhopewell.co.uk/default.asp?template=productdetail.page.xml&productid=319
I do have disabilities, but am currently fostering 2 indoor cats, and 2 outside rabbits and I'm sure not getting on the floor to scoop litter 5 times a day will be lovely! My only other pets are fish in a secure tank. I used to have a cat (for 19 years) so understand no holidays and vet bills. I would not foster other animals again once the degus arrive.
Chinchillas of unknown age could be a 15 year commitment. I am aware my wonky hips will not get better but I should be pretty active for another 10 years or so. That may sound odd but I'd hate to rescue and return.
Does £40 a month sound right for food / bedding for 3? My old vet surgery is huge and has a chinchilla specialist but I do need to check about degus first.
At the moment I'm gathering info. If I still feel as enthused in May I will go ahead. Which again may sound odd but I want to be sure. And I will have saved for the cage and a safety net account for unforeseen bills. My old cat had a separate savings account on my online set-up for her expenses, it only has 39p in it right now though!
Thanks again

[Karma]

I also disagree about cherry trees ..... That is my degus absolutely FAVOURITE branches, leaves and buds -

Degus do not need to be in a sleeping rooms - the front area should work (although a bit harder to catch them if they got out ....).

Vet bills defintely can be the problem - I have spend over $700 CDN for the two fight injuries I have had with my boys. And there supplies in Canada is about $80 a month not including the natural seeds and herbs I buy sporically - however I know our stuff is a little more pricy over the pond.

If your movement is a little restricted - handling them during playtime and catching them if they get loose will be difficult - they are fast little buggers.

[deguconvert]

Fast and great jumpers as well!!

[ilikedegus]

Really quite glad to know cherry is an OK wood!

[Maravilla]

Feb 12, 2015 20:23:20 GMT sues said:

Why do they need to be in a sleeping room? I have a large front room and was thinking of putting them at the end near the dining table. It is draft free, near but not next to a radiator. I live alone and although I have the TV on it is otherwise quiet. I work from home.

You asked for reasons NOT to have degus. And I answered that having to sleep with them in the same room would not be a good idea.

The cage is too small, so it would not be an option.

[moletteuk]

I think that was just a lost in translation thing there with Maravilla.

The John Hopewell would be fine if you could get one 48 x 18 x 48" and it had two full area shelves as well as the base, you are looking for 1.5 square metres of running space for 3. You get a lot less mess if the shelves have edging all the way round. I think it would be better with bigger doors too. If you have the cage raised up and have big doors, then cleanouts and interactions are easier, although you might need a stool to reach the top. Have a look through the 'show us your cage' thread for some ideas deguworld.proboards.com/thread/6918/show-cage?page=32

You would probably want a degu safe room or a large playpen. They will most likely try to get out of the cage when you open it and it's the most fun interacting with them in the open.

Safe wood list
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15617/safe-tree-wood-list?page=1

Food costs depend on how much forage like hedgerow plants, tree leaves, flowers, herbs, weed type plants, grasses etc you feed, and whether you collect them yourself or buy them in. £40 a month should cover it if you buy everything in.

You seem like a sensible and dedicated pet owner, I think you would enjoy having degus

[sues]

Thank you everyone for your responses.
I need to have a think about play areas. I don't really have a room which is safe from wires and stuff. I live in an old house with very few power points and extension cables are therefore a feature. I knew I'd missed something out completely!
A collapsible run may be an option as I do have space, but I would need to be able to handle the run safely with a wonky hip and clamber in / out / catchfast moving things... Perhaps something on wheels. Much more thinking to do - I cannot have animals which are unhappy because I cannot give them what they need from the outset. I have a handyman who is ok at carpentry - I'll set him the quandary.
I am used to random vet bills. My cat managed once over 3k in less than 2 years...unfortunately she took her final trip to the vet late last year, but she was nearly 19 so I must have done something right. To be completely honest I'm trying to decide between fostering cats ongoing (I have 2 now) or changing to degus as a permanent change when they go in a couple of months. I cannot see myself having another forever cat.

[moletteuk]

Playpen thread deguworld.proboards.com/thread/7310 Maybe you could make one panel additionally fold downwards for you to get in and out?

[sues]

Thanks for the link. I do not have solid floors so would need a base, and lifting is an issue. I am flexible but quite weak. The handyman is here later this week and he knows my abilities well so I will leave it with him.
I cannot put them in a bath because that is on a different floor and I need 2 hands for the stairs - all visitors are used to carrying stuff to the landing for me!
I am wondering if perhaps I need a rethink.
A friend of a friend rescues degus so I need to get over there and have a proper chat.

[klbishop]

i wouldn't be without my pack, they are very hard work, push my patience and destroy everything. but they are such characters and my buds.

[moletteuk]

Oh, that sounds frustrating for you, Sues. Not everyone does free range with their degus, and that's OK if the cage is big enough, you just miss out on some of the fun. There might well be solutions that would work for you, but it's difficult for you know until you got them, some are more toilet trained/ trainable than others, some more adventurous and determined to be out of the cage and others quite happy in their own domain. I think talking with your rescue friend is a good idea, maybe you could even foster some for a while to see if it will work.

[animalmadchloe]

Would a piece of lino work for the base of the run? It's wipe clean

[jamiee]

Having to sleep with them in the same room can be done ... eventually. You have to get a really solid routine going, and try to tire the degus out by getting them out of the cage for a run around, and leaving the light on until you are ready to go to sleep. I turn on my lights as soon as I get home, and take them out right before I go to sleep and turn out the light. (I also use earplugs!)

[ostrich]

This is a great thread for newbies and people thinking of adding these amazing animals to our families! Thanks Sues!