How to give your degus the perfect home

Degus might look small, but they are curious and active pets who need plenty of space to run around and play. Our vets have put together advice for giving your degus the perfect home.

Degus tend to be mainly ground living, but love to jump, climb and gnaw on things so their home will need to give them lots of opportunities to do this. Exercise is really important for degus so you need to make sure their home has lots to do to keep them active.

What size should my degus’ cage be?

Degus need space, so ideally the bigger the better! As an absolute minimum, their floor space should be 100cm long by 50cm deep, but they’ll need additional floor levels of up to four times this, so that they get plenty of floor space. This is suggested for two degus but ideally degus should be kept in small groups, so you should provide a larger home for bigger groups.

Things every degu home needs

It's really important to make sure that your degus' home is away from any hazards. They are known for being good escape artists so regularly check their enclosure for signs of attempted break-outs!

Temperature is vital to degus and they should never be kept at temperatures above 20°C. A constant temperature of 18°C is ideal. If your degus get too warm, they can become distressed or suffer from heatstroke. It’s a good idea to get a thermometer in the room you keep them in, so you can check it’s not getting too warm or cold for them.

Degus like natural light as they are active in the day and tend to sleep during night time hours. Make sure to keep them somewhere they get plenty of natural light, but keep their cage out of direct sunlight as they are so sensitive to warm temperatures. Keep their home away from any radiators, too.

Another must for degus is plenty of toys and ways to exercise. They will be active for most of the day so it’s important that they have plenty of things in their cage to keep them entertained. Remember to rotate their toys regularly so they don’t get bored with them.

You should keep an eye on your degus’ toys. If they break or get damaged, take them out and replace them so you don’t risk hurting your degus.

Our top tips for your degus' home

• The bigger, the better. Remember to size up if you have more than two degus (or if you only have two – the more space they have, the better it is for them!).
• Levels are good. Degus love to climb, jump and explore so look for enclosures with lots of levels, ramps and platforms. Pet shops often sell multi-level enclosures for ferrets or chinchillas which may be appropriate. Always check that the bars are small enough so that they can’t get through.
• Sturdy is a must. Degus love to chew, so ideally a wire enclosure is better as they will likely chew through wood or plastic, but the floors should be solid to avoid foot injuries.
• Go for a roof. Degus prefer to have a roof above them (or plenty of places to hide!). Naturally they are prey animals, so any movement above their enclosure might spook them.
• Stuff to climb. As we’ve mentioned, degus love to jump and climb! You can pop in branches made from pear, apple or beech wood for them to climb on (and chew).
• Things to dig. Degus are keen diggers, so line the bottom of their enclosure with a deep layer of hay, shredded paper and non-toxic wood shavings. You could even give them a separate digging area in their enclosure where they have enough space to create tunnels and burrows.
• Dust baths. Degus love to take dust baths to keep their coat clean (and because they love rolling in dust). You should give them around 20 minutes to bath in a large shallow bowl with a heavy base after handling or at least three times a week. Chinchilla dust from pet shops is ideal to use for this.
• Places to hide. Degus will need somewhere they can hide whenever they feel afraid or want to be alone. It’s worth providing a few places for them to hide in their enclosure.
• Toys and chewing. Make sure you give your degus plenty of safe toys to play with and chew such as cardboard, rope and wooden toys. Avoid toys that are made from plastic and any woods that may be toxic, e.g. cedar.
• Somewhere to nest. Your degus will need hay-filled nesting boxes to snuggle down in. You could also use shredded paper in their nest boxes.
• Places to run. Your degus will need a large, solid exercise wheel to run in. Pet degus can run really long distances – and it gives them the exercise they would normally get foraging in the wild.
• Day and night. Much like us, your degus will be awake during the day and asleep at night. Their enclosure should be in a room where natural light can get in.
• Cleaning. Your degus’ enclosure will need to be regularly cleaned. We recommend cleaning around the feeding area daily and the rest of the cage at least once a week. Any clean bedding can be returned to the cage as this will have your degus scent on it and will make them feel less stressed by the cleaning process.

What to avoid in your degus' home

Obviously, when it comes to degus, there are some big no-goes for their enclosure!

• Don’t use exercise wheels with holes – your degus will need a solid exercise wheel to avoid injuring their feet.
• Never use cat litter at the bottom of your degus’ enclosure.
• Avoid using birch, cedar, elm, fir, mahogany, maple, cherry, oak and plywood for any part of your degus’ enclosure as these woods are toxic to them. It’s also worth checking what their hides are made from as they’re likely to be nibbled.
• Keep their home away from any draughts in a cool area of the house.
• Degus should never be kept in glass tanks. This can lead to breathing problems and can get too hot.