I really want all 3!

[julesm]

Hi there, only just joined this site.

I was in a pet shop around 6 months ago and saw 3 cute Degu's having a ball in their wee cage. I really wanted all 3, but my partner wasn't keen on them (or the cost of 3 as opposed to 1)

He did say that if I still wanted them in May - he'd get them for my Birthday (obviously a different 3 - but they seem to have excellent personalities)

Is it a good idea to have more than one Degu? Knowing nothing about them, I've yet to do my research - but thought this would be a good place to start.

Let me know Also - I need to bring my partner round to the idea.

Jules x

[iamlina]

Ahhh...that's the easy part m'dear ;] The hard bits the research as there is soooo much to know. We weren't really well prepared or knew what to expect really to be honest.
Two is the minimum yes...you can't keep them on there own.
They are a pain in the behind area, squeek alot and are really stressful at times....BUT, they are the cutest things (with chinchillas too) in the world. Training them is hard, and they need lots of attention, along with cleaning every week and feeding and watering every day.
The best thing to do is look around here at the good and bad experiences to make sure they are the right pet for you, and, if you are going to get them, that you have all the stuff you need.

They people on the forum are great and will help you with whatever you need!

Lina x

[deguconvert]

Lina is right . . . they are a fair amount of work . . . but they are wonderful to have. If you do your research and are well prepared for what you will face, you will truly love them. If you have experience with other furries in your past, that helps as well. Something you should be expecting is that degus are highly active so seldom sit still for a cuddle like you can enjoy with hamsters or other small animals, require a lot of cage space, love to have time out of the cage for a run about, and they can make quite a mess outside of the cage with their poop, pee, and bedding. But there are ways to deal with these things, so they can be minimized and controlled.

It must sound like we are trying to talk you out of it, and we aren't . . . we all adore our goo babies! Like Lina said . . . it really helps to know what you will be facing. Feel free to ask questions, and do as much reading here on the forum as you can manage. Degutopia is also an excellent site with very comprehensive information on it. I would strongly encourage having a look through there as well. It is a main resource for information here.

[julesm]

Excellent. Thanks guys! Didn't realise they'd be noisy all the time! Do they ever sleep? LOL - I really will need to do my research, but I won't be buying for a while yet hence I haven't rushed to learn everything about them - yet.

Can I ask - what do you do if you go on holiday? Is it possible for relatives to look in on them? Or are holidays a no no?? x

[deguconvert]

It's totally possible to have people look in on them . . . preferably on a daily basis to make sure food, hay, and water are all full and good. Also to make sure they are healthy and bright. If you are going away, make sure that the people you choose to look after them for you are well aquainted with them so that they will have a better chance of recognising if one of them is ill. It also helps if they know them well enough that they can take them out for a visit. Having said that . . . even experienced degu owners can have trouble spotting it, since degus hide illness and injury very well. Our degus have traveled with us on a couple of different occasions when we were unable to find care for them. They did very well, and we enjoyed having them with us. But it was a lot of extra work to take them with us . . . so it's not something I would just do on a whim.

[pixiedust]

As to noise, mine are next to the bed and they don't keep us awake, although I can hear them moving around sometimes. To be honest they are such sociable animals they prefer to be awake and active when we are!

If you don't mind a bit of mess (did I say a bit, I'm surprised my hoover hasn't packed up!) then I'd say the pleasure of having animals who rush to the front of the cage every time you as much as go near them, who definitely recognise specific individuals (mine won't come out for strangers) and provide excellent comedy entertainment(!) is well worth it.

3 would be a lovely number to have - I have a Father and Son pair and would have liked a third but I don't think the Dad would accept another one now.

[iamlina]

Ours can be really noisy. Today they were asleep and they were dreaming...little cute squeaks =]
Yes I agree with Deguconvert on making sure the person you choose to look after them knows them. My Degus love my little brother, but don't really know my sister, and they squeak at her when she comes in the room. It can be quite scary for them.
You get used to what their little squeaks are for. Some of the girls most common ones are:
"Get off my ruddy food!!!" - Which is sort of like a pig squeal I guess.
"Ahhh loud noise" - Which is a squeak every second which can last forever lol
"awww I love you sis" - usually done while grooming, which sounds like birds cheeping =] Thats a cute one =]
They are noisy but not as noisy as the chinchilla, AND, I thought Degus Poo'd a lot until I got him haha.
x

[julesm]

Great! I cannot wait to get them! Wonder what I'll call them!?! Exciting!