Coat Condition & Feel

[Deleted]

I've noticed that out of my four agoutis, their coats feel SO different and look so different!

I know the same is said for dogs and cats etc, but I always find it really interesting!

My two patched, Pickle and Poppy have similar feeling coats, the patched coats don't have any shine, they're matte and they have a lot of long hairs mixed with the regular length of the coat. It doesn't sit nicely against the body either, the long hairs stick out and they always look a little fluffed up. It feels similar to.. hmmm.. I don't know lol. It feels like really good quality faux fur lol, due to the matte nature of it, it doesn't feel silky, although it is soft. The long hairs change how it feels too. Pickle's is quite thin whereas Poppy almost has a double coat she's so thick.

My four agoutis, there are 2 that live together, Pinky and Perky, their coats look and feel the same, although they may be siblings. Theirs is quite thick, bulky and full feeling. Soft, very shiny. Uniform in colour pretty much, apart from moult lines. There coat quality seems to vary though, some days they look a little worse for wear like they haven't maintained it in a while lol. Other days they look really neat and nice. 

Kev is on his own as an agouti, with Poppy. His coat is the NICEST COAT EVER!!! The hairs aren't as long in length as Pinky and Perky, so he's not as bulky fur feeling. He feels like a dog when they have quite short fur on their heads, but it's the perfect length fur so that when you run your fingers over it it feels literally like silk. He has lovely fur, so so shiny, so incredibly uniform in colour. I love touching his head, it's like stroking a slightly livid cloud.

Pumba is a really different colour agouti, a fair bit lighter and has almost a pattern in the colour. Not a pattern, but it's not a flat uniform shiny colour, there's lighter bits and darker bits so he looks like he has a pattern in him like that short carpet can do lol. He's soft though. 

They all use the same sand, which is recycled as none of them wee in their baths (bless), but they do poop in there and drag bedding into their baths so I sieve it out once a week.

It's just something I noticed! Because on pictures the majority of agouti coats look the same. I was wondering if anyone else has a variation? Or perhaps a shiny 'short haired only' patched? I'll try and get some photo's in a bit of the difference in everyone's coats!

[moletteuk]

I want feel-o-internet so I can touch all their coats

Here's a shot of my two with me trying to show the difference in their coats, both agouti, Flossie on the left, I'm sure Flossie is going greyer with age:

[bouncy]

Four of mine all have lovely thick cloaks, neat and tidy. Two exceptions are Scaredygoo, who doesn't touch the dust bath and looks like he's been dragged through a hedge backwards, and Sillygoo, who has such a beautiful, glossy, silky, perfectly coiffeur at all times. No idea. Perhaps there is something with genetics in it?

[titchycatnipsandwich]

Since adding seeds to their diet, all three of mine have really soft coats. However, Nyota and Miho (both agouti, but Nyota is PaH stock and Miho... no idea) are both soft and slightly oily? It's not an actively greasy feel, your fingers don't come away shiny, but it's like someone had oiled their coats. River, who is grey/blue/whatever the fancy term is, is soft but it's a less shiny soft - kind of like baby hair, soft and fluffy.

[goolover]

I love your description Em, you do the same as me. I'm always studying mine and me and my bf constantly talk about the fur variations.
Lula's fur is so thick and has no shine to it. Her nick name is Bear because of this and if you run your fingers through it it stays where it is and looks a right mess so I have to smooth it back down. The shame when Joey mates her, afterwards she looks like shes been living rough. I'm noticing grey hairs appearing on the top of her nose too.
Millie has the best fur ever. She has better fur then the youngsters do. Its so so shiny and has very fine hair, it doesn't move when you stroke her and she always looks like she's perfectly groomed, never a hair out of place. I want to hold her like a face towel and rub her over my neck and cheeks shes that silky lol.
Joey has fine hairs like Millie but it doesn't have that in your face shine to it but he's soft like cotton wool.
Nina's fur was amazing with her being a champagne agouti so so thick, like a double coat as you say and it didn't really move. They have weird fur and when they puff up if they are annoyed it looks ridiculous.
Snowy is a white patch like your Pickle and when I pick him up for a hug and he slides back out of my hands he feels softer than soft. Has anyone else noticed when you pick them up, say to put them back in their cage, they slide out of your hands and stretch their back legs out, so so cute.
Went through a phase of being obsessed with their tails too and how they change in size and thickness as they grow from pups to adults. I wonder where my days go and its because I sit staring at goo's!

[deguconvert]

That is one of the things I miss the most, the feel of their coats. Ours were all so thick and silky. One of our girls has longer hair than the others and it seemed to be even thicker and it was like touching a long haired rabbit in ways. She didn't much appreciate how we loved to rub our fingers through her fur. She was much too busy for that, LOL!

[Deleted]

@titchy the oily look is what Pinky and Perky look like!

[Deleted]

Tried to get some photos. But obviously photos don't express touch very well lol.

Some of the pics were so funny.



Pickles coat. Very flat to her body, thin, matte, not silky soft, more like teddy bear soft.



Pinky and Perky's coat. Thick, "clumpy" so they get lines in it, it groups together kind of, oily looking, very smooth.




Poppy's coat. Thick, like doubled, long hairs scattered, stays if you mess it up, matte, teddy bear soft. Ft Kev's assistance lol.



Kev's beautiful cloud fur. Short short hairs, but long enough to be super duper soft, close to his body, if he lies funny or whatever he doesn't get lines, you can't physically mess his fur up at all. Beautiful cloud.


I couldn't get any of Pumba, he's so shy. Won't come out from behind the wheel if I approach the cage, if I sit there for a while he will come out but scootles back if I move.


Here are some outtakes:

[moletteuk]

Nicely illustrated

I think my girls fit into the Pinky & Perky category.

Love the outtakes

[deguconvert]

Wonderful pictures! I wonder if the genetics that create the white patches also eliminate the natural sheen to the fur? Strange how they are matte rather than shiny.

LOVE the first of the outtakes that looks like a little degu tornado!

[Deleted]

I know! When I saw it I was like WHAT THE HECK is going on there 😂

Thanks! Yeah I think most are probably the Pinky Perky category?

It's weird how the patched are matte. Must be to do with genetics. It's not like white can't be shiny.

[moletteuk]

there's a genetic variant for shiny coats in hamsters that they call 'satin', it's extra shiny, and it's separate to colour or pattern, but I'm not sure if it is viable for all colours and patterns. I don't think I've come across a matt coat thing before, I agree it's more likely to be to do with the pattern gene type than to do with the white colour per se.

[bouncy]

They all look wonderfully soft and healthy!

[randomname]

All of mine (all 9 over the years) have looked much like Pinky & Perky. They only get that sheen when I add seeds to the food though. They also get more sleek & yet the fur looks thicker when they have 24 hour access to a sand bath. Another thing that makes a huge difference is when I add a tiny scoop of blue cloud dust to the sand bath (I usually get it for the chins) it has a magic effect on everyone - fur is softer & more dense looking, especially on lighter fur. That reminds me, I must get more.
I've not had the different patterned degus, so it's fascinating to know their coats are so different. Guinea pigs are the same in many ways & they have the satin gene moletteuk talked about. Wonder if that's the same. I know chin coats all seem to feel the same despite colour differences.

[moletteuk]

Just had to google satin guinea pigs! They are beautiful! BUT, it seems the satin variation comes with a bone disease, it just goes to show these genetic variations don't just affect one thing

[randomname]

I hate that we do this to animals. I read about how most dog breeds come from Victorian times - people wanted to name breeds after themselves & others or breed specific traits. It's all fairly recent & we're only discovering the problems it's raised now. Same for rabbits, guinea pigs, chins, hamsters - now even gerbils & degus People want new, fancy kinds of all critters and are prepared to pay through the nose - e.g standard fancy rat £6, hairless rat £50. Showing animals just plays into all this rubbish. It's not fair on all those animals with health problems or short lives.
What the heck is wrong with a standard agouti rabbit, guinea pig, gerbil or degu? What's wrong with a moggy or a mongrel? It's weird. Obviously they're all lovely & need homes now they're here, but I would love to see an end to the pet trade. Seriously, much as I love living around animals I wouldn't have a single one if there were none in rescues.
I wonder what the long term implications of these different breeds of degu are - I know hairless rats live at best 2-3 years, standard rats 4-6 usually. Pet shops don't warn people & it's fairly well known as hairless rats have been around to buy for about 8 - 10 years. Will the agouti degu be phased out for more unusual patterns? Will the health implications in non standard degu become well known? Will any one do any thing?
How long have these non standard ones been in 'the market' now? I think I saw my first one maybe 3 years ago?

Edit : I should add i'm not immune to the unusual critters either - I am always drawn to them & before I knew better, i bought my hairless rats from a pet shop as they were so weird I loved them instantly. I'm not criticising anyone at all - just pondering about the human race's proclivity for taking something beautiful from nature, monetising it, ruining it then killing it off. Would hate to see degus go the way of guinea pigs or rabbits (or even chins) - Just leave them alone humans, they're perfect as they are. 

_{sorry about the rant} 

[Deleted]

I agree randomname, there was nothing wrong with animals before we interfered and now look at them.

I don't think you can beat the agouti degu. They're so beautiful.

[randomname]

I prefer them too Em, although by definition, all degus are awesome
I prefer agouti gerbils too & thinking about it, they've always lived longer than the silver ones we had.

[bouncy]

Ditto - my first pair of gerbils were agoutis and lived a good five years!

[Emziedee]

Tibb's is a blue/champagne goo and his coat is unbelievably soft and fluffy. Similar to Lula, the fur stays where it is when rubbed the wrong way and he looks extra fluffy 😂

Garf's agouti fur is very sleek and dense, somedays looks a lot glossier than others. I notice more of a shine when I get the fine sand from zooplus.