Hello! From Lethbridge AB

[Cityboundmew]

Hi there! 
I'm a first time degu owner (so is my fiance.) We just got our boys two days ago! We originally got two, then my sister-in-law decided she wanted one so we went back later that day and picked up another (all from the same litter, and they're living together.) I did about 8 straight hours of research before I got them but there's not a whole lot of info out there for degus so I'm hoping to learn from the experienced people! I do have previous experience owning rats, if that counts (absolutely love rats, however they are not legal in Alberta)

I have my boys in a double critter nation. I haven't quite figured out what kind of bedding to go with yet, and I'm currently looking at options to expand the floor space of the cage. They will also be getting lots of "out time" in a secure playpen, but as they're not settled in, I haven't taken them out yet. I'm feeding Sunseed Degu pellets and timothy hay (they don't seem to be eating much of the hay though :c). They also haven't used their wheel yet (a 12" silent spinner.) Also the store we got them from didn't have them drinking from water bottles, and we've only seen one use it. Any tips to make them drink from the bottle?

Their names are Raskolnikov, Nikolai, and unnamed (sister's degu) but we're trying to convince her to name him Dmitri
The rest of the crew is a cat, dog, two bearded dragons, and a betta fish.
Nice to meet you all!
(I'd add photos but they don't seem to work)

[savvy]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderfully weird world of degus!

The first thing to do is check that they are all boys as mistakes have been made in the past and little baby degus created. You can post pics of their nether regions on here if you need a second (or third, forth etc) opinion.

I'd start to give them forage as well as the hay, I'm UK based so I'm not sure what's available in your area, but others will know.

They should be able to drink from the bottle, but don't be surprised if they are not drinking when you are around, although they are day dwellers, they are also active a night and will be drinking then. As long as they know where the water is, they'll find it.

There is a load of information out there, some of which is good, some of which is wildly out of date, so please feel free to ask as many questions as you need. There are no stupid questions when it comes to degus.

[deguconvert]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Cityboundmew! I am a Calgarian, and though I don't have degus now, I learned an awful lot while I did. Definitely do look in to confirming the sex of your degus. It is not a fun ride if you have mixed sexes and pups start coming!

I managed to completely delete my message and now must rebuild the whole thing. I am going to post links here for you to click on and then read through. There is a LOT of very helpful information in these and they will help you to begin to formulate your plans for how to care for, feed, hand train, and so forth.

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keeping

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/13070/degus How to identify each sex.

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/5337/new-degu-owner-advice

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/18717/choosing-improving-metal-cage

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/6918/show-cage

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/21159/zenaidas-enclosure-build

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/9396/forums-cage-size-recommendations

All about nutrition.
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/21261/feed-degus
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15794/internet-shops-specialist-degu-foods
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16569/links-herb-supplies-american-threads
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16787/safe-bought-food-treats-toys
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/16425/degu-feeding-guide
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15795/links-interesting-food-threads
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15657/bought-herb-leaf-flower-mixes
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/15602/vegetable-seed-nut-nutrition-charts
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/8772/safe-plants-herbs-leaves-consumption

deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17619/deguconverts-detailed-introductions-fighting-guide Because fighting is a fact with degus, so you need to see this.
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/17349/longest-introduction
deguworld.proboards.com/thread/6111/tame-degus

I think I'm going to draw the line there. There is a lot more you can read, so do so at your leisure. As said by Savvycat, there are no stupid questions when it comes to degus! Please ask any and every question . . . yes . . . it is normal for degus to pull a poop from their bottom and eat it.

[moletteuk]

Welcome to the world of degus and to the forum

Your plans sound great For now I'm just going to say go at whatever pace the degus indicate they are comfortable with for settling in and getting to know them, taming etc.

Check the bottle is working and check at least a little is disappearing each day (or more likely evening), I would think a daily minimum for 3 degus would be about 30ml. If you are concerned you could put a little bowl of water in or try a different design of bottle.

Have fun, the first few days are super exciting!

[yasmin]

Hello and welcome to the forum cityboundmew.

I too use Critter Nation double units – and have added a third level so one of them to create a triple unit. (You can buy the add-on third level from Amazon.ca)

I recommend that you check out Flowertown Chinchilla's web site:
www.chinchilla.ca
They're in Brampton, Ontario, and they sell (and ship) metal bottom trays especially designed for use in the Midwest CritterNation cages. These trays replace the plastic ones that come with the cage (degus enjoy chewing plastic) and are several inches in depth to hold in the litter. There are ones for the bottom level and ones for the top level (with a cut out for ramp access). I line the metal tray with paper (I use packing paper that I buy from Dymon Storage ) then cover it with Carefresh, and then slide it in.

Flowertown also sells metal trays for the half-levels and other accessories like additional fleece coverups for the ramps. If the wheel you have is plastic, they will chew it, so consider eventually replacing it with all-metal flying saucer wheels. These are durable and put less strain on a degu's back when running. Expensive but totally worth it.

Also, consider supplementing the pellets with dried vegetation and seeds. There is a seller in British Columbia that sells mixes of dried plant matter and also seed mixtures especially formulated for degus.
They are called Nature's Degu pantry: natures-degu-pantry.trisc.net/

[Cityboundmew]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! And thanks for all the links, they are incredibly useful!

[wanda]

Welcome, cityboundnew! Yes! I'm just next door in BC and would love for you to have a look at our site. Let's talk! (Thank you Yasmin!)
natures-degu-pantry.trisc.net/

[deguconvert]

Yes, thank you, Yasmin! I was trying to remember the name and couldn't put my finger on it.