Anyone keep Degus?

[BoidsUnlimited]

I just got one yesterday. He's still alittle skiddish but I'm sure he'll mellow out after a few days or a week.

I have never seen these until recently and I think they're pretty cool. I read they are alot more intelligent than most rodents, being able to recognize their care takers and get excited at the sit e of them.

If anyone else keeps them let me know cause I'd like to chat about them

Thanks,

Don Meyer

[crow_boy]

I know a couple people who have kept them and swear that they are so much more fun then any other rodent they have kept. They like to talk a lot when they see you or other degus. The only thing I can think of advice to offer, as I haven't kept them myself is to make sure you either interact with it a lot OR have another degu around because they are social little buggers.
have fun!

[Neo]

yea i used to have 2 sister degus but they fought and one ended up killing the other so i only have one now. they are incredibly friendly animals though and yes they are brilliant. they recognize your voice. make sure u have a lot of stuff they can chew on. i'm sure if you spend enough time with yours it'll let you hold it and stuff. mine will sit on my shoulder.

[BoidsUnlimited]

Neo: Was yours friendly when you recieved it or did you have to work with it? What do you use to let yours chew on? I was just going to buy those hampster blocks they sell. Also, I read dust is required to keep their fur kept clean, do you offer yours dust?

ONE last question! What is a GOOD diet to stick with? I read guinea pig pellets, rat blocks, and greens are a good diet.

Thanks alot,

Don

PS Any pictures of yours Neo?

[Neo]

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812degu.JPG
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812degu1.JPG
the cage i made for them
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812cageright.JPG
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812degu2.JPG
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812sadieball.JPG
When i first got them they were really really skittish and would run when i approached the cage. but over time as i fed it by hand through the cage and let it smell me it began to trust me. they're mammals so they build on experiences. I just have random cardboard boxes and hay cubes and blocks for them to chew on.. sometimes they still decide to chew on the flooring i made.. but i can replace those. you can use the dust if you like. they dont get too dirty as long as you keep their environment clean. at first my degu didnt know how to use the sand bath but i dunno.. somehow she "learned" what the bowl was for. don't leave it in there or the sand will get dirty. offer it like a treat and they'll roll around in it or you can just put some on them and they'll roll it off. the diet i give them is half guinea pig food, half chinchilla food. just pure pellets.. none of that extra corn or sunflower seed stuff.. that can cause obesity. sometimes i give them treats like carrots or almonds. just don't give them sugar or they'll get diabetes. oh yea, give em lots of hay too. they love it.