Important Message - We're all in this together..

[ra]

I do believe we all have a great love for our Degus as witnessed by the number of posts from around the globe. We are all here to help one another be the best Degu owners we can be. It is so difficult with so very little verifiable information available. Sometimes we're out here floundering about hoping we are doing the right thing.

I've put a lot of thought into what constitutes being a responsible pet owner. Here's some of my thoughts. Please, anyone is welcome to enter this discussion. It is born of love, respect and concern for our Degus.

As Degu lovers, we all know how easily these little creatures can find their way into out hearts. If I could have, I would have loved to have kept all eight of Mocha's babies. Watching all those little babies run and play and then having them crash in a big Degu pile on top of my hand made many a day for me. However,as owners we must do what is best for the Degus.

We chose them as our companions and pets so we are responsible for the very best care and living conditions we can provide. As many of us know, it is difficult to find a veterinarian who is familiar with Degus - with any of the small "exotics" for that matter. The vet bills can add up quickly. This website provides some of the very best information on the care and feeding of Degus. Take the time and read through the Forums.

Cages and accesories are not inexpensive either. Using less than good quality materials can endanger the health of our Degus.

Proper feeding and nutrition is a must.

Study the information on sexing your Degus and be responsible. Don't allow your Degus to freely breed unless you are a registered breeder. Too much inbreeding or indescriminate breed causes babies with poor health and genetic shortcomings.

[Degumagic]

I agree totally with you.
Lets hope people listen to you.

[Hanlou]

I totally agree ra, which is why I keep pointing people in the direction of this website when they ask about degus, as well as giving them the 'basics' of degu care myself.

As many of you know, I was a regular member of this forum quite a while before I could even have degus. I found that time invaluable, and it made things go so smoothly when I got my three, as I was fully prepared for them in terms of care and many other things.

I would heartily recommend that anyone even *thinking* about getting degus spend some time as a member of this forum learning all they can before they go out and get a couple.

May I also add, that if anyone is thinking about getting degus, please, please will they consider rescuing / adopting some rather than getting them from a pet shop? There are lots of degus in rescues needing homes, and as they are unusual pets (and some daft folk believe they are boring in colour....!) they don't find homes easily.

I would also like to add my voice to ra's plea - don't breed. It's such a major thing to get into and as said, there are already lots of degus out there looking for homes, if you want more why not adopt instead?! I know that accidents happen, I mean intentional breeding here, without planning etc.

Thanks for your post ra.

[rupe]

Hanlou - you are so right about finding stuff out in advance. i came across my Pippen when i went into a petshop with my boyfriend to get food for his fish! it was definitly love at first sight and i interrogated the guy who worked there about him. luckily this guy had done lots of research so i had a good start but still as soon as i got home i came on the net and did my own research. it was a steep learning curve!!

i now know of two Dublin pet shops which occasionally have Degus and i am thinking about making an info leaflet to give them for the people who will buy degus...the little guys really do deserve the best!

Meg and all the other moderators and members are an invaluable support team and have helped me and both my boys so much in happy times and the sad ones...thanks all!

[khay]

I really think this thread should be stickied

And I agree with everything, (Including the breeding) Although I am strongly for rescues of *any* animal, and am highly against animals being sold in petstores.... and one of those people who would have a "Spay and neuter your pet" Bumper sticker if I ever came across one lol!

I had basic degu knowledge when I got my 5 (Which was only a few days ago) ------ They were in a free-ad and, first there were 7, then 2 degus around their age appeared in the local pet shop and suddenly there were 5 left so...... I didn't want something terrible happening to the remaining.

Again I agree with researching before hand, I just felt that in my situation, there was a need to get them somewhere that they were certainly going to be cared for properly and loved before they ended up in a pet-store or worse.

[fuzzywuzzy]

you are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo right!

[mrflibble]

amen to that

[cjsweeting]

I researched for a year before finally finding my boys at a rescue home (I refused to buy from the pet shop).
I did not discover this site untill I had already brought them home and, as I'm sure you all know, this is when you realize that I did not have all the answers. Every degu is different & you find more questions and insecurities (if you are a loving and conscious owner!) and just need someone to ask.
This site has been a god send and I will never feel that I am in too deep, and now know that I will never compromise my boys health by guessing how to provide for them.

Keep it going for the greater of Degu's everywhere! ;D

[tigerlily]

Very good thoughts in your mind, and that´s a good thing.

About the breeding thing... I breed degus, but because I live in Finland, here isn´t so much degus than exam. in UK. It´s very rare to see a degu in animal shelter. Sometimes, but not often, fortunately... In the moment I have one pregnant female degu, HipHop, and the coming litter is very well planned. I can´t say that I am a registered/official breeder, because I don´t have a breeder name. I can´t have a breeder name yet, because I´m 15 years old and I´d have to be at least 16 years old. But I would say that I´m a professional breeder. I know what I´m doing, and I know what I can´t do.

It´s very sad to see degus, or any animals in bad condition. It makes me angry. Finland is a small country, but I can see it in here too often (well, even once in lifetime is too often). Maybe not so much than in bigger countries, where is more people ja more animals, but still... Animal shelters in here are full of cats, specially cats.

I found this site... From google I guess. Very good forum, but it would be very nice if people sent little more posts. More discussion about degus! Of course this forum isn´t "dead" at all, but there would always be little more discussion.

[deguqueen]

I agree too little is known about degus among the general public. Too many people see an exotic pet and only get it because it's exotic, not realizing that unlike a cat or dog, they require very special attentin and care and it is very hard work.
Currently, there are 13 degus in my shelter. I wish I could take them all home but with 16 of my own, I have my hands full as it is.
Even the "head" of the department they are in, feeds them the wrong food and it annoys me beyond belief because it's not hard to figure out what to feed them.
So many kids and grown ups come in and say "ohh a gerbil" or "ohh a rat" when they see them. It is rare that somebody comes in and can actually recognize what they are.
I am glad they are no longer in pet shops. it seems to have been a fad and has now passed among the general public and now the people like those who participate in this forum are the ones who are taking in the abandoned degus in shelters and cleaning up other peoples messes.
I think breeding of any animal on an amateur level is a ridiculous idea and even more so with degus where there are so many and so few willing homes to take them in.
I'm glad this forum is here as it has helped me numerous times with situations I have been in.

[khay]

deguqueen said:

I am glad they are no longer in pet shops. it seems to have been a fad and has now passed among the general public.

Eh, the degus in pet shop "fad" is only just beginning where I live

I had never, ever seen a degu in a pet shop before, now there is at least 10 degus in two different pet shops in my town Started out as only two degus a month or two? ago.

Hate to think of 8 more degus being added to the pet shops every 2 months. ....And from what I can imagine, the more people who buy these degus, the more degus that will end up in the pet shops on a regular basis as I won't doubt people ending up with male-female pairs.

[diet otaku]

OMG, you think degus in pet stores are bad... the place i adopted my degus from now sells CHIPMUNKS AND PRAIRIE DOGS. D:

[khay]

dietotaku said:

OMG, you think degus in pet stores are bad... the place i adopted my degus from now sells CHIPMUNKS AND PRAIRIE DOGS. D:

UGh

I do think ANY animal in pet stores are *terrible*, though.

[tigerlily]

Any animal doesn´t belong to any kind of shop. Here is few good petshops, where all animals have enough space and right food, but I would say that most of petshops are bad

Inbreeding is very bad thing and I try to avoid it. I think that most of degus (and maybe other animals too) are inbreeded, but I can´t know...