Can degus be litter trained?

[Deleted]

One of my downfalls of pet ownership is the wee/poo side. I'm better with small animals like degus but I'm still quite bad at coping with it. I don't have my degus yet but I have previous experience with cats, rabbits, dogs and hamsters and I'm pretty sure degus can't be that different. Basically, I want to know if you can train a degu to be litter trained. I'm sure there is always the possibility that you can but I just can't figure out how you would entice them to go to a certain spot to do their business. I suppose you can't tell when they need to go. Any help would be appreciated. Even a blunt 'no' would help

Okay bye.

[Kins]

In a word...no.

Some people may claim to litter train their degus, but I'm not sure I believe it. Mine don't seem to have any control over their toiletting and it just happens wherever they are at the time, be that on your shoulder, running in their wheel, in their food bowl etc etc.

I know a lot of degus have preferred spots for toiletting but I think that's about as far as it goes...

;D ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Haha thank you.
If mine have a preferred space for toiletting I could maybe give them a treat if they pee around that area and see where it goes from there. You never know, that actually could work.

[rh1ann0n]

I think I read somewhere that degus sometimes feel the need to mark everything they've access to to prove it's theirs - in other words, to pee on it You might be able to get them to sometimes do their business where you'd like them to but like you say, they'd probably have to pick the spot first then you encourage them.
Let us know if you have any luck, I'd personally love to know how to litter train my goo

[Deleted]

I agree on the territory thing, it's a normal thing for all animals. Maybe I can just give treats for number 2's then. I haven't got them yet so you will have to hold on for the advice, and that's if it works. Maybe I will discover a breakthrough in degu care. Oooh

[cherrysparkey]

I have tried to litter train my goos (giving them treats when they go in a certain area). It pretty much didn't work lol. They do now have a preferred corner of the room so I've put a tray thing down and most of it goes in there. They also have certain wee spots (most i've covered with an old sheet thats easily washed), and also wee on anything new. Its lucky that their poo and wee don't really smell because you will find it everywhere

[Deleted]

I'm hoping that mine will get trained at about the standard of yours cherrysparkey. I heard that degus can rate the standard of treats you give them in preferance order. So if you give them a treat that they rate highly they will more than likely become more obedient in your demands, that information might come in handy when I attempt to train them.
Thanks

[cherrysparkey]

Ha ha I don't think mine are really trained, they seem to like pooing on top of the sofa then they have a sniff and drop it which rolls off into the tray. You hear a little ping every now and then which I find amusing for some reason lol.

I think my goos top preference is nut, especially in the shell (they seriously go nuts for it but they don't have it too often). Oats are handy if you want to keep them still because they can't run off to eat them (so if you want to weigh them etc) and are also much loved. Momo loves beetroot (accidentally left the treat pot out and he ate most of the beetroot and his wee turned red ) so hes not allowed that for a while lol.

You'll soon find out what they love, but just remember things like nut and stuff with high sugar content shouldn't be given too often.

[Deleted]

Thank you again. You're a really great help cherrysparkey
I've read that nuts are fun for them, I suppose they're good enrichment as they have to work at getting the treat. Oats will always be my preference as they are cheap and seem to go a treat. And thanks for the sugar advice, I know that sugar isn't a good idea. They are delicate little creatures aren't they?

[cherrysparkey]

Glad to help taintedstardom!

I think mine prefer trying to get the nut out rather than eating it, sometimes after they are done gnawing it they bury it and I take it back out so they can play with it again. Just make sure you don't give them one before you go to bed if you decide on keeping them in your room .

Oats are a good treat but I think (not too sure) that they have a high fat content. I have a treat pot with a mixture of things they love. I think at the moment its puffed rice, spelt puffs, beetroot, carrot, some root thing which I think is dandelion, flaked peas, flaked barley and whole oats. Sometimes I let them choose as long as they don't just go for one thing.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the help on oats because I didn't know that at all! A treat pot is a great idea, why didn't I think of that? Will definitely make one soon!

[Whizz]

Degus aren't the type of animal that you can 'really' litter train.

Degus will scent using their urine and faeces so will go whereever they please. Even with rewarding, coaxing, etc. they are still likely to disappoint you by not going in a certain place. It's just the way they prefer it - they may go in certain places more than others, but you'll never 'litter train' to a degree that cats and the like can be.

Also oats and nuts will be considered the very best treats to degu! Make sure not to feed too many due to high fat content of both.

[Deleted]

Thanks Whizz
I'm not aiming for perfect litter training I'm just hoping most of the pee will go in a certain place. Could anyone tell me if there are any healthy degu treats that could be used regularly?

[moletteuk]

My goos are the same as a couple of people have already mentioned in that they have preferences for where they do quite a lot of their wee, so I can put a saucer there and change it more regularly, it does help. Poo training - not a chance with my lot - but it doesn't smell so it doesn't bother me.

Herb, leaf and flower mixes make great healthy treats, you might need to try a few things to find something they love, dandelions are a good place to start.

[Deleted]

Thanks Molette especially with the treat idea - dandelions seem to be a very popular option. There is a wild plant mix in P@H that doesn't contain fruit or high sugar things so I'm thinking that would be a good treat idea. What about parsley? My friend says her guinea pigs love it and I'm wondering whether degus will too?

[dusty]

Litter training ;D Mine do have a preference for peeing in the back left corner, they even get up from their sleep to go downstairs take a pee and head back up for another snooze. Poops is a different problem altogether, any place, any time, any where and then they flick it at you as if to prove a point
They are like little manufacturing plants all of their own. The other day Blue managed to poop 6 in a row in the wheel!! Poop and run, poop and run, poop and run - well you get the idea ;D

[Deleted]

I have realised now that Degus are poo machines but luckily they don't smell, so I'm not really that bothered

[stargirlj]

My Degu have been successfully litter trained. They will mainly do all poo and pee on kitchen roll. They specifically go to these areas to do what they want to do. The odd poo happens elsewhere but most of the time they are doing it in the right place. It makes cleaning a whole lot easier as only have to clean the hole cage once a month and the toilet areas every day.