Mary Allen
In addition to proper nutrition and care, your degus need one thing above all for a long and happy life: a species-appropriate enclosure. That’s why we’re here to tell you what you need for the perfect Degu cage.
The Right Location
In contrast to other rodents, degus are mainly diurnal. However, it can be that they wake up in the late evening hours. Please take this into account when choosing the location for the cage. Keeping the animals in a bedroom or children’s room could be problematic. It is important for the degus that their cage is housed in a relatively quiet location. The fur noses don’t like loud music, screaming, and other noise at all. Last but not least, you should make sure that the animals are not exposed to drafts or direct sunlight.
Which Degu Cage Should It Be?
You have various options when designing the Degu cage. However, plastic cages are out of the question, as the animals like to gnaw and swallow parts of the plastic. For example, an aquarium with a high grille above it is ideal – so the active small animals have enough space both for digging and for climbing. An aquarium alone is not suitable for species-appropriate housing, as aquariums do not have adequate ventilation. A terrarium is better. It usually has ventilation slots and there is room upwards. The sliding doors are also useful for cleaning the cage.
A cage for chinchillas or chipmunks is also suitable, provided the distance between the bars is not too great. If you provide an aviary with additional floors, this can also serve as a degu cage. If you have manual skills, you can also build the Degu cage yourself. This has the advantage that you can adapt the cage to the room layout and the needs of your degus straight away.
In nature, degus live in caves and tunnel systems. This means that they need sufficient depth in their cage and enough space to be able to dig. In addition, the lively rodents are very active and need enough space to run. On the other hand, degus want to climb too, which is why they need space up high. We recommend a minimum size of 100 x 50 x 100 cm (WxDxH) for a maximum of four same-sex animals, which must be adapted accordingly for larger groups. That is the absolute minimum requirement – a larger cage is of course always nicer!
The Creation
The foundation of your degus ‘enclosure should be at least 15 cm deep litter in which the degus can build caves to their hearts’ content. This layer should consist of one-third each of small animal litter, hay, and straw. The degu cage ideally has several floors so that your degus also have space upstairs. These must be about 35-50 cm apart. To avoid falling, you can also hang hammocks between the levels. The individual floors should be as large as possible. The best match the base of the cage – with openings for the bridges and logs that serve as a connection. Non-toxic coated boards made of wood are well suited for self-construction.
The basic equipment of the new home for your degus naturally includes a food bowl and a drinking trough. The bowl must not be too small and a little heavier so that it cannot be knocked over so easily by the lively animals. For example, a clay bowl is suitable; you should refrain from using plastic here. Drinking bottles are suitable if they are attached to the outside of the cage. In the cage, however, the plastic drinkers can be dangerous. If you don’t have the option of attaching a bottle to the outside, you should choose a raised clay bowl as a water bowl. But then you have to pay particular attention to clean water: Such a water bowl must be thoroughly cleaned at least once a day.
Sand Bath for Degus
Your degus will also be happy to have a sand bath in their cage. In fact, the sand bath is not only fun for rodents but is also important for grooming. High-quality chinchilla sand is best. So that the sand bath does not get dirty too quickly, it should be a little higher. For example, you can convert a sturdy glass bowl with a high rim as a sand bath. In general, heavy objects such as the sand bath or clay bowls pose a risk of injury, which is why you always have to secure them from tipping over and being undermined.
Since degus need a lot of exercises, we recommend setting up a running bike or a running plate in the enclosure. Make sure that the bike is safe. The rungs must not be too far apart so that the degus do not get stuck. In order to avoid this risk entirely, we recommend a closed impeller without any spokes. The bike also has to be secure. The size of the impeller is also important, as impellers that are too small can lead to poor posture. The wheel should therefore have a diameter of at least 30 cm, preferably more.
Accessories for Degu Cages
You can let your creativity run free when setting up the degu home. It is important that the accessories are made of natural materials such as wood, cork, untreated cardboard, stone, or clay. As with any rodent cage, plastic is less suitable here. With suspension bridges, cork tunnels, and branches you can give the active animals an opportunity to play and run around. Cardboard boxes and cardboard tubes are inexpensive alternatives. You can also hide some degu food in it to keep your degus busy. With a clay pot in the new home, you can build a small viewing platform for the animals. However, here too, make sure that everything is secure. Your degus also need several sleeping caves so that each animal has the opportunity to withdraw.
So when choosing both the cage and the accessories, you have to pay attention to the size and material. If you follow our tips for the perfect degu cage, nothing stands in the way of a happy degu life.