i had two but then one died and they stopped selling them at the pet store. he is not nearly as happy as he was so i definitely recommend getting more than one
We had a single degu for eight years. He was happy, and lived a long time (obviously) you can keep them on their own, they just need more attention from you, than if they had a second degu with them.
@mokonekochans Oh sure! Just like humans can be perfectly happy without other people. They just need a gorilla around who gives them a hug every now and then. That makes perfect sense! Thank's for these great insights! (And people say sarcasm does not work in written form...)
@19Uhr30 Well sorry, but leaving comments saying that having single degus will cause them to die early deaths and be miserable and catch diseases etc, is just silly. Lots of people have solitary degus that do just fine.
@mokonekochans I do not think that's silly. But I would also say that is not what I do. I do not claim that lonely degus are sicker or die earlier. I stand on an animal protection point of view. Animals should be able to live out natural behavior as much as possible. Therefore social animals must have conspecifics around. That's keeping a pet appropriate to it's own species.
@19Uhr30 in that case, since you're so worried about them living out such a natural life, why are you keeping them as pets? they're native to chile. why are you supporting them being taken out of chile?
@alabasterdoll007 My degus have never been in chile. Neither have their ancestors for generations. There are degus here that are only used to live under human care. I do not support the import of new degus. I do not support the breeding of new degus. I support giving the degus that we have here a life under appropriate conditions.
it is true to keep them in at least pairs so they have someone to interact with when your not around but in my situation, my degu max lost his brother when i first got him 6 years ago and i have to say he was the most spoiled degu ever, i made sure to give him lots of love and affection and he lived a very happy life. :) unfortunatly,, max passed away may 23rd... rip little man..
hi i got a question. Is it true i need more then 1 degu to keep them happy and live a longer life? some people say yes others say it doesnt matter. Plz answer, thanks :)
@LoveJoyPeaceComfort If every degu is healthy you can leave them on their own for one or two days with enough food and water. That may change however, if a degu becomes (chronically) sick.
@manondeklerk I can answer them from my opinion... My own cage has a size of 120cm x 60cm x 140 cm. I keep 5 degus in it at the moment and think that to be the absolute maximum. I would not recommend keeping 4 of them in a smaller cage. If they have a suitable cage, spending time outside of it is a bonus. Most degus enjoy the time outside, but it is not neccessary to let them out that often.
As for the sexes: same-sex groups work fine. There is no need to put a male to a female group.
@simis089 Degu tails are kind of fragile. The skin can tear off easily if the tail is jammed in or the degu is lifted by grapping it's tail for eample. It sometimes happens accidently. This degu has only a very short piece left. But I do not know what happened to it...
Degus get along without their full tails very good though.
getting 5 degus soon, had to beg my mum for 3 months, have seen every vid and watched every article on the web about degus, will build a new cage soon and buy them from the store
@iPopcorn It would be like putting you together with another kind of ape. Maybe it would work but it would not be a normal and fulfilling social relationship for you... Every social animal needs conspecifics.
@HoudiniHamster Really? not any natural sugars like fruits? does that mean i gotta feed mine when i get one non-sugar food, and because it doesn't have as much energy as sugar i gotta feed it lots?
@iPopcorn First: If you watched the video, you should know, that you should not get ONE! Second: No sugar is an oversimplification, but it is a good rule of thumb. Degus are known to be very prone for diabetes. They digest sugar in another way then most mammals. Any food wich contains pure sugar or honey should be strictly avoided. That includes many sold treats for rodents like drops. It also includes fruits. Vegetebles also contain some sugar but less then fruits. So they are usually fed.
i just got a degu today and ive researched my brains out i cant seem to get him to like me or come to me at all i put a peice of clothing in its cage so it can get used to me so im still waiting for that and i plan on buying a second degu shortly to keep him company but if any one has any advice on degus please let me know well back to my new pet
@HcSingers firstly degus will take a couple of weeks to learn your trust, be patient, once he knows your scent from the t-shirt try to hand feed him after this get him to climb onto your hand by placing treats further up your arm then start lifting him gently up and down, do this slowly if you rush it he will hold a lifetime grudge against you also untill then don't pick him up, get him into a box to get him out and be carefull introducing a new degu so soon, this could cause problems
Great video! I´m glad that you give such important advice, because many ppl who have pets don´t inform themselves before buying and then don´t treat them the way they should, and then they get ill or sad... Or, in the worst case scenario, ppl abandon animals... :s
Great video! I´m glad that you give such important advice, because many ppl who have pets don´t inform themselves before buying and then don´t treat them the way they should, and then they get ill or sad... Or, in the worst case scenario, ppl abandon animals... :s
i had two degus, but unfortunatly one developed diabetes and had to be euthanized, as his organs all began to shut down. His remaining brother is currently living on his own, as we were unable to find other degus in our area. we tried to introduce him to my Gerbils, but one bullies him. currently, he is doing fine, but when I go out of town he sulks. do you have any suggestions on how to keep him happy?
@AIDEEN64 The first step would be to find out why he is fighting the other degus. For example: It is perfectly normal for degus to fight degus they do not know. They are seen as intruders to their territory. That's why degus cannot just be put together. They have to be introduced carefully and with patience. He could also fight about his rank in the group. The right answer to that would be to let him fight out his rank as long as nobody get's injured (some minor scratches are not injuries...).
@limalicious That does not mean, that Knick is unsocial. Maybe he just fought about his rank, maybe he was not introduced properly. Maybe he really just can't stand the other two. Well... I have to admit I met more than two people I can't stand. That does not mean I do not get along with people at all...
@19Uhr30 My friend has been raising degus for 20 years. She is not some idiot who doesn't know what she's doing. Knick is her oldest current degu and she didn't like the previous other degus, just as much she doesn't like the current other degus. She has a genuinely antisocial degu.
@NancyGray123 It is possible, but not ideal. The most notable problem if you just keep a pair of degus is, that you just have one left if one of them dies. Then you need to hurry and find a new one and do not have the time to find the ideal one for you and your degu.
On the website it says that Degus dont like to be handled. I beg to differ because my degus and my sisters friends degus and they are all very social animals.
The fact is, most degus do not like being handled or cuddled. Some tolerate being picked up, others like to be picked up...some dont want to be pet, others like a good belly rub. This differs from degu to degu, but join forums and talk to other degu owners, you will see that the majority of degus dont like being picked up. It does not mean they arent social...it simply means they do not care so much for physical contact with humans.
The fact is, most degus do not like being cuddled. Some tolerate being picked up, others like to be picked up...some dont want to be pet, others like a good belly rub. This differs from degu to degu, but join forums and talk to other degu owners, you will see that the majority of degus dont like being picked up. It does not mean they arent social...it simply means they do not care so much for physical contact with humans.
Great video and message! BTW same goes for chinchillas, guinea pigs and rats. They are so much better off in groups, and they make better pets too! Bottom line, do your research before you get a pet, and don't trust pet stores - the people who work in pet stores often don't know very much about the animals they are selling :(
I was going to get another one, but the pet shop has no more... I put an order in for the next one the shopkeep gets, but he says it could be up to 6 months... my degu is very smart and friendly, he likes to play with my dog --- who is no longer trying to eat him.
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iwsmith6969 Well it dont matter no more...he died years ago. He lived for 5 years. Im so glad he is dead thow cuz we could never hold him we tryed but after he bit though my dads fanger (to the bone) we were afrade of him after that. We thought about selling him for snake food but we didnt cuz non of us disliked him that bad.
Really? The exotic vet told me other wise. And The one I owned never let us hold him in the five years we owned him along with biting though my dads finger to the bone and on many other occasions drawing blood. After he died I got rats instead of degus. Im glad you'v had good experiences with them, but I got to go with the vet and Mr. Rateus (dead degu, R.I.P) on this one.
Did the exotic animal vet also tell you degus are not supposed to be kept alone ? Lone degus often resort to biting because they reject human contact...they need others of their kind to feel happy.
I see you are in North Carolina....north american vets also know very little about degus.
Have you spoken to other degu owners ?
You might be surprised to know that degus are considered to be among the rodents least prone to biting.
Make some research and check it out for yourself ; )
right on there Nightwishraven999!!! Its tragic to see people that just get one degu by itself and hear about it suffering for the rest of its life. I have two and only been bitten once when i tried to hold it still at the vet for a checkup on its teeth.
There isnt the consistant info out there that there should be about them but its about if you can want to research it!
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i had two degu's, one killed the other one and now is on his own and couldn't be happier! they can survive on their own, if you give them the attention
i got a little story about how i got my 2 degus, u might hate me after reading this but i give my pets lots of love:) i got a degus in a pet store that whas going to be put to death cuz it whas to old to be sold, i got it for snake food, but my snake however dident like the degus, it herted the tail of it so i patched the degu up and gave him some space, and since they cant live alone i took the car 2 days l8er to a animal recue center were they had a degu that had been abused
together with a couple of dogs, i took this home, and when i came home the degu had lost half its tale, i calld a vet and he said its suposed to do that, now a week l8er they seems to be happy, they are twittering very silent all day (sounds like a bird but very silent) they are eating from my hands and the lady is usely walking from my arm and crawl into my tshirt, the guy who whas suposed to be my food dont do that yet, but they are both running in the weel all day long
Is that a diagnosis by a vet or your personal one? Sleepy degus who do not want to move are typical for almost any desease. Degus disguise that they are sick as long as possible. And they are very good at doing that. If they show symptoms they are already very weak. You should get your degu to a vet and ask him whether it is likely that it she sick and could be infectious. If she is not, there is no reason not to get a new same sex partner for her. If she is sick, she needs treatment first.
Have you ever kept a group of degus ? If you had, you would not be saying these things right now because you would know that a degu cannot be happy on its own.
i had the same problem. about 5 years ago i had 3 degus, but two died some months ago. then the last one (boomer) was alone and got sick. so we bought him two younger degus, since one would be alone, if boomer died(hes about 5 now, very old).
if you want to put your degu togehter with younger degus, do it in a neutral area. i did it in my bathtub. pay caution, because they could fight til death! use a small fence to seperate them, if they fight.
That is a problem for every keeper of social rodents. At some point there will always be a single one left, because they seldomly die at the same time. Even if they have the same age. Some degus die at the age of 6 because they are old. Some live on untill they are 8 or even longer.
So getting 2 degus of the same age is not a solution to that problem. (Although I would always prefer 3 over 2 degus.)
In the end there are only two possible solutions for the single degu problem:
1st - Get some new degus for the lonely one, if you want to continue keeping degus.
2nd - Give the single degu to a trustworthy degu keeper, who will integrate him into his group, if you do not want to continue keeping degus.
I know! The second option sounds horribly hard, because everyone loves his pet and does not want to give it away, but keeping it alone is no option because it is horrible for the degu.
You can get two more from the same litter, so when he dies they'll still have each other. And if they're from the same litter there probably won't be that much time in between their deaths. But that's just my idea.
Sounds like a good idea, but it does not work in reality. For example I got two sisters in 2005. One of them died in 2006. The other one is still very healthy.
Well getting another degu for a degu that has been mistreated is a tough call. The chances of it liking the new degu are small because they should be together from the start . But if it has been left alone or mistreated that chance can increase or decrease. But if you do get one and they fight youd have to get a whole new habitat for he new one.
Well I have two brothers who used to live together, but then my friend came with female rat and they smelled her. They were fighting since then and once it was really bad, with some blood, so I tried to separate them and was bitten in that fight (bit my finger in a really bad way). Now they live separated, but they are put together for some time every day. So they can clean themselves, and sniff, cuddle.
If they clean each other and cuddle you can let them live together. Many degus have fights at some point. Often if they are grown up and want to make up their ranks. Separating them permanently because of that is not the right response. Most degus get along fine again after they have solved their problems...
I didn't separate them after first fight, it took more than three weeks, but it got worse and worse. I tried to let them live together, but they were fighting every few minutes. And since there was blood, it wasn't great idea to let them kill themselves. Even now, they can be together some time, but after half an hour/one hour they start fighting in a bad way again. Every good breeder/vet tell you to separate them after you see some blood.
Okay... Considering your last sentence it makes absolutely no sense to argue. You are convinced about it and think that you know better than me.
I can only tell you that two of my degus had months of fights and lots of seperations because of injuries. As my videos show: They live unsperated and peacefully together after there was blood several times. And I know that my ones are no exceptions. Of course I am no vet or breeder (do not think that degus should be bread but that's another topic)...
I think this is a topic way too complex to discuss in 500 characters. But the main point is there are so many rodents in animal shelters that breeding more of them seems not the most clever thing to do...
i have 2 degus(mother and kid) if i will get another 2 girls would they fight?i want to biuld a big cage for 4-6 degus but i only have 2.please write me back please
no not really they bite when they are scared or dont get enough attention i read that sumwhere my degu only bit me once bcuz he thought my fingure wuz food hahaha yeah it wuz funny
I just have one, a friend gave me, I live in TN, which animal places that you know of sells them that might explain his attitude, he wont let me pick him up, he will bite me if I try, & he just sits in a corner & stares @ the wall like he's depressed or something, ya know?
poor thing I didn't know that, I'll get one soon when i get some more money, i'm kinda short I have 3 figh, 2 hamsters, 2 gods, & a degu so thats a lot of money a month, but I really will get one more soon
its dangerous to put 2 males together, if they are both too dominant they fight to the death, female female pairing is fine, but males are harder to pair up
Sorry. But as you wrote it, it is definatly not true. It is dangerous to put 2 degus together without introducing them to each other at a grid or something like that over some time. That's because degus are territorial and will often try to chase animals they do not know away.
And it can be dangerous to put 2 dominant degus together. They might have grave problems making up their ranks because none of them want's to subordinate. But that happens with male and female degus alike.
My male lost his mate back in the beginning of june, I had to increase attention on him ten fold because of it, he hates being handle, so i make up for that by letting him eat from my hands and letting him have verbal access to my 2 females. I know of degu rescues in my state maybe I cna find someone that can help you out where you are, cause yours is showing severe depression signs, he needs a companion, and soon. Message me on starsan, this isn't my account lol
Well... having degus around is better than nothing, but he still has no degu to cuddle up with. I would not keep him that way. Have you considered neutering him so he could be put to the females? I know... There is always a risk but if the vet is seasoned, it is not that much of a risk. Or you could just get him another male mate...
we had to separate our pair of male degus after they tried to kill each other, We compensated by housing them next door, but with a safe no-mans land between cages. They both lived to the ripe old ages of 5 and 7, the oldest passing away last year. I miss them both!
I know... They look all the same, if you do not know them, but if you spend time with them you will realize all the small diffenerences at the fur, eyes, ears and so on. Also they behave differently.
With my three degus it is more then simple, but also people with a lot more know their differences...
I would not recommend that. You cannot be sure, wether they are poisonous or not. And it will make it harder for you to recognize them without such marks.
That is most often a sign that a person has too many or breeds them. Someone who has a pair or small group of degus should be able to spend the time required with their degus in order to tell them apart.
I'm not so sure about this as it can get out of control. I could only afford to feed one but the salesman made me buy two. Within a few weeks I had 5 in total! What the hell happened?
NightwishRaven is absolutely right. Please keep degus in same-sex groups. Bothe males and females get along in such constellations.
In this case I think it is more likely that one of your degus was already pregnant when you bought it. Degus are pregnant for 3 months.
But I also have to say that if you do not have enough money for to buy food for a second degu you should have considered not to get degus at all. Food is not the most expansive thing when you keep animals.
most pet stores cannot take them due to the fact they need a special license to sell degus in teh states. Foudn that out through people in my neighborhood
Imagine being abandoned on another planet with no other human to see or talk to. Just some giant alien creature who tries to kindly interact with you every so often.
If you do keep one seperately you can train him very easily. I have 3 female degus in one cage, 2 males in a second cage. And 1 male degu in a third cage. I've tried to team him up with others but he gets in horrible fights. He is missing a piece of his tale and some parts of both his ears. I keep him seperately now but look after him every single day. I let him run around for a while every day and he comes running to me whenever I call his name. He also likes it when I groom him with my finger.
I have to admit that I am a bit sad that every now and then someone writes down something like that. It is true. Many social animals that are kept solitarily develop a closer relation to their keeper. But that is just a sign of their despair. They desperatly compete for attention because they do not have real social contacts. And it is really sad that despair is interpreted as well-being...
Some pet stores, do take back animals after a certain amount of days if the reason is deemed fit. You should try to find another degu female for your lone degu.
There are many ways and steps that can help in introducing two degus.
This would be in the best interest of your degu and only then will you come to realize 19Uhr30 and others like him know what they are talking about.
Whether you act upon this or not, is none of my business. So I will leave it at that.
i have a lone degu. had her over 2years now and shes fine. i work from home so i have her out at least 3 hours a day and her cage is full off wheels, branches and foraging sections. she was runt of her litter and was beaten up so the pet shop had to separate her from her family. so yeah, Janita1544 is right, better be alone than having your ears bitten half off by your bros and sisters and her mom too i believe...
Do people like you ever read before posting? Because a degu does not get along with another one, it is not to be kept alone for the rest of it's life. You have to find the right partners for it! You are just to lazy to find some.
you need to grow some balls. yes they are supposed to be in groups etc. but if shes well looked after, is played with at least 3 hours a day, is constantly ocupied, never had any health problems. why should i try and introduce her to another one? i think i know how to look after my own pet. besides, if i buy another one and they dont get along, where am i supposed to keep it up until they do? buy another £50 cage? o yeah, thats reasonable. get a life
How should three hours of attention from a human substitute a conspecific. That does not make sense. It is like "I do not need people around me when I can play with my dog every now and then." It may be fun, but it is just not the same.
As I said... Poor degu... But you just do not want to think about it. So just be happy in your ignorant way...
yeah you're right that 3 hours aint a complete substitute. but its more than what most owners spend with their pets in a week let alone a day. u just need to stop wussing about everything. lots of animals are recomended to be kept in pairs or groups and alot of the time they arnt bought in the suggested way and live happy lives. YES, degus should be kept in groups or pairs, im not disputing that. but the fact of the matter is, my degu is happy, stimulated and healthy. so shush
Lonely degus get ill, making wheeping noises and often just sit around doing nothing. my degu is none of these things. you keep personifying degus, so you should understand that by you making fun of my caring skills, your making fun of how i treat a member of my family. which i dont take to kindly to. you wouldnt go up to someone and say they were a shit parent. if my degu was sad, id sort it, god, id even ask for ur help. but shes not, so i dont need to associate with low lifes like you
Some lonely animals get ill. The vast majority does not. Degus as most prey animals do hide if something is wrong with them. They suffer silently.
I do not make fun of you. I criticize that you do keep your degu alone. You will not make me believe that this is the right thing to do.
And I do not have to personify degus. It is obvious that they are individuals with own characters. But they also have needs determined by their species. You can find them out by taking a look at wildlife degus:
They breath air, they are herbivorous, they live in groups with animals of their own kind. All those things are important for them. And I think social needs to be as important as nutritional needs.
What I think 19Uhr30 is trying to tell you is that, anyone who owns a group of degus knows full well why it is so important for them to be together. Their whole lives and day to day routine are based on community life and constant interaction with members of their own species.
Yes, you are right, many degu owners do not spend the time they should with their degus and most certainly dont spend 3 hours a day with them.
What you need to understand is the fact that no matter how much time you spend with your degu you can never come close to replacing another degu. I too, am close to my degus, yet I know that they need each other very much and could not imagine them living alone.
It is appearant from your posts, that you love your degu. If so, you must consider what would be best for her.
You said she was beaten up by other degus...but you should still try to find her a companion.
Although degus are social you have to be very careful! I had two living together and one day they just turned on each other and nearly killed each other. When separating them I got bit really bad and they had to be housed separately after that. You need to know their attitude and watch for change in it in case they turn on each other!
How often did you try do reunite them and how did you try it? And did you ever try to bring them together with other conspecifics when you gave up hope to bring the two together again? I think it to be very unfair to let degus live alone for the rest of their lives because they fought with one other degu...
I had hard fights between my degus, too. But that does not mean, that they will never get along any more.
my question is: is it more important having two degus who live together & are killing each other or having them live alone. The 2 I had were killing each other, there were lacerations that bled a lot, & danger to me cause I couldnt put my hand in the cage to feed them w/o being attacked.
I am not disagreeing with you, I completely agree theyre social & should have friends but sometimes it is in their best interest to live alone.
Right now I have one degu and he lives happily with my rabbit! :-)
Why didn't you try it with other degus? You do not get along with every human you know. I am sure of that. But that is no reason for socal isolation. And it is no reason to spend the rest of your life only with some kind of ape. Because that is what your two animals are facing. They have to live with a different species. Of course they get along with each other. They do not have a choice. But they can not fulfill the role of a true partner. It is sad for both. Rabbits need conspecifics as well.
I was informed by a degu expert that some degu's should be better off living alone, my male being one of them, She told me herself, some are just too violent to socialize with other degu's. There are exceptions to every rule. She told me specifically, if he doesn't get along with one, the chances of him finding another that he will get along with are slim, the risks far outway the benefits, Just give him lots of attention and be a good owner, thats all you can do at this point.
There are rare, very rare exceptions. But I know many people (some of them I would consider experts) who have made different expiriences. Degus are individuals. Just like you and me they like some and they do not like some of the other individuals. It depends on the characters of the degus if they get along with each other.
Just because they do not like some other degus it does not mean they do not like other degus in general.
I also have encountered some of those rare exceptions where a degu just doesn't want to get along with other degus. I've had alot of rescue Degus and I had a really lucky break when I managed to introduce an anti-social male degu in with a pack of 2 brothers. Something about the already established pecking order made it easier for him to join the group. However the introductions were carried out in a very controlled enviroment and I wouldn't recommend this method to an inexperienced handler.
Do you have any suggestions of what with out two lone degus? They used to be together until they started viciously attacking each other. Every time they were reintroduced it would happen again. They are now permanently split for their safety.
One of them now has a permanent injury from an unfortunate incident & his back legs to not work properly, so he cannot stand up to defend himself against another degu.
We already have 1 cat, 3 chinchillas & 4 degus in our family - at the limit. Any ideas?
ja mam koszatniczki phoeniks i iskierkę oraz 6 małych
lodowydragon 2 months ago
i had two but then one died and they stopped selling them at the pet store. he is not nearly as happy as he was so i definitely recommend getting more than one
bdaman97 3 months ago
We had a single degu for eight years. He was happy, and lived a long time (obviously) you can keep them on their own, they just need more attention from you, than if they had a second degu with them.
mokonekochans 4 months ago
@mokonekochans Oh sure! Just like humans can be perfectly happy without other people. They just need a gorilla around who gives them a hug every now and then. That makes perfect sense! Thank's for these great insights! (And people say sarcasm does not work in written form...)
19Uhr30 4 months ago
@19Uhr30 Well sorry, but leaving comments saying that having single degus will cause them to die early deaths and be miserable and catch diseases etc, is just silly. Lots of people have solitary degus that do just fine.
mokonekochans 4 months ago
@mokonekochans I do not think that's silly. But I would also say that is not what I do. I do not claim that lonely degus are sicker or die earlier. I stand on an animal protection point of view. Animals should be able to live out natural behavior as much as possible. Therefore social animals must have conspecifics around. That's keeping a pet appropriate to it's own species.
19Uhr30 4 months ago 2
@19Uhr30 in that case, since you're so worried about them living out such a natural life, why are you keeping them as pets? they're native to chile. why are you supporting them being taken out of chile?
alabasterdoll007 1 month ago
@alabasterdoll007 My degus have never been in chile. Neither have their ancestors for generations. There are degus here that are only used to live under human care. I do not support the import of new degus. I do not support the breeding of new degus. I support giving the degus that we have here a life under appropriate conditions.
19Uhr30 1 month ago
Awww There so Cute! I Have to and i love them loads! <3
xX1Kelly1Xx 6 months ago
how do u pronounce that?
avrillavigneiscool12 8 months ago
@avrillavigneiscool12 Day-Goo. I see your confusing, I kept calling it Deh-Goo
AquaPearl10 8 months ago
it is true to keep them in at least pairs so they have someone to interact with when your not around but in my situation, my degu max lost his brother when i first got him 6 years ago and i have to say he was the most spoiled degu ever, i made sure to give him lots of love and affection and he lived a very happy life. :) unfortunatly,, max passed away may 23rd... rip little man..
luvablebunn 8 months ago
hi i got a question. Is it true i need more then 1 degu to keep them happy and live a longer life? some people say yes others say it doesnt matter. Plz answer, thanks :)
horsewolflover6776 9 months ago
At 1:52, that is a nice wheel. I've never seen one like that in the States.
ZexionFanGirl 11 months ago
@LoveJoyPeaceComfort You are welcome!
19Uhr30 1 year ago
@LoveJoyPeaceComfort If every degu is healthy you can leave them on their own for one or two days with enough food and water. That may change however, if a degu becomes (chronically) sick.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
I got a few questions and i hope you can awnser them :)
Do they need to get out of their cage everyday?
Can you only keep a group of females or has to be a man with them?
How big does the cage need to be for 4 degus?
Thanks :)
manondeklerk 1 year ago
@manondeklerk I can answer them from my opinion... My own cage has a size of 120cm x 60cm x 140 cm. I keep 5 degus in it at the moment and think that to be the absolute maximum. I would not recommend keeping 4 of them in a smaller cage. If they have a suitable cage, spending time outside of it is a bonus. Most degus enjoy the time outside, but it is not neccessary to let them out that often.
As for the sexes: same-sex groups work fine. There is no need to put a male to a female group.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
no tail ? 0:28
simis089 1 year ago
@simis089 Degu tails are kind of fragile. The skin can tear off easily if the tail is jammed in or the degu is lifted by grapping it's tail for eample. It sometimes happens accidently. This degu has only a very short piece left. But I do not know what happened to it...
Degus get along without their full tails very good though.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
Good video. The word is inappropriate not unappropriate.
moxieownage 1 year ago
@moxieownage Thanks... But you missed the typos in the video itself. You know... The ones I can't correct any more... ;-)
19Uhr30 1 year ago
Very Very lovely!!!
rockfertigaus3 1 year ago
danke für diese schöne video!!!
Kitsune87cgn 1 year ago
i well wont one but my mom isent lettin me
dancebeatx 1 year ago
getting 5 degus soon, had to beg my mum for 3 months, have seen every vid and watched every article on the web about degus, will build a new cage soon and buy them from the store
stepharnos 1 year ago
what if you put a degu with another small rodent from a young age? i heard it works with rabbits and guinea pigs
iPopcorn 1 year ago
@iPopcorn It would be like putting you together with another kind of ape. Maybe it would work but it would not be a normal and fulfilling social relationship for you... Every social animal needs conspecifics.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
@iPopcorn : the food for degu is really specific : no sugar at all or they die ! So you cannot mix them with other animals.
HoudiniHamster 1 year ago
@HoudiniHamster Really? not any natural sugars like fruits? does that mean i gotta feed mine when i get one non-sugar food, and because it doesn't have as much energy as sugar i gotta feed it lots?
iPopcorn 1 year ago
@iPopcorn First: If you watched the video, you should know, that you should not get ONE! Second: No sugar is an oversimplification, but it is a good rule of thumb. Degus are known to be very prone for diabetes. They digest sugar in another way then most mammals. Any food wich contains pure sugar or honey should be strictly avoided. That includes many sold treats for rodents like drops. It also includes fruits. Vegetebles also contain some sugar but less then fruits. So they are usually fed.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
i just got a degu today and ive researched my brains out i cant seem to get him to like me or come to me at all i put a peice of clothing in its cage so it can get used to me so im still waiting for that and i plan on buying a second degu shortly to keep him company but if any one has any advice on degus please let me know well back to my new pet
HcSingers 1 year ago
@HcSingers firstly degus will take a couple of weeks to learn your trust, be patient, once he knows your scent from the t-shirt try to hand feed him after this get him to climb onto your hand by placing treats further up your arm then start lifting him gently up and down, do this slowly if you rush it he will hold a lifetime grudge against you also untill then don't pick him up, get him into a box to get him out and be carefull introducing a new degu so soon, this could cause problems
stepharnos 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Great video! I´m glad that you give such important advice, because many ppl who have pets don´t inform themselves before buying and then don´t treat them the way they should, and then they get ill or sad... Or, in the worst case scenario, ppl abandon animals... :s
So this video is great ;) Thanks for posting
schwanstein 1 year ago
Great video! I´m glad that you give such important advice, because many ppl who have pets don´t inform themselves before buying and then don´t treat them the way they should, and then they get ill or sad... Or, in the worst case scenario, ppl abandon animals... :s
So this video is great ;) Thanks for posting
schwanstein 1 year ago
One of my degus had to be put to sleep yesterday :( had cancer, so the othe ris all alone now making a calling noise, soo sad ;L
tomcoward16 1 year ago
i had two degus, but unfortunatly one developed diabetes and had to be euthanized, as his organs all began to shut down. His remaining brother is currently living on his own, as we were unable to find other degus in our area. we tried to introduce him to my Gerbils, but one bullies him. currently, he is doing fine, but when I go out of town he sulks. do you have any suggestions on how to keep him happy?
rizoluvr 1 year ago
@rizoluvr you've got to spend as much time as possible with him
stepharnos 1 year ago
my degu is all on his own because he fights with other degus, is he going to be ok by himself?
AIDEEN64 1 year ago
@AIDEEN64 The first step would be to find out why he is fighting the other degus. For example: It is perfectly normal for degus to fight degus they do not know. They are seen as intruders to their territory. That's why degus cannot just be put together. They have to be introduced carefully and with patience. He could also fight about his rank in the group. The right answer to that would be to let him fight out his rank as long as nobody get's injured (some minor scratches are not injuries...).
19Uhr30 1 year ago
You've never met my friend's one degu, Knick. She can't STAND the other two.
limalicious 1 year ago
@limalicious That does not mean, that Knick is unsocial. Maybe he just fought about his rank, maybe he was not introduced properly. Maybe he really just can't stand the other two. Well... I have to admit I met more than two people I can't stand. That does not mean I do not get along with people at all...
19Uhr30 1 year ago
@19Uhr30 My friend has been raising degus for 20 years. She is not some idiot who doesn't know what she's doing. Knick is her oldest current degu and she didn't like the previous other degus, just as much she doesn't like the current other degus. She has a genuinely antisocial degu.
limalicious 1 year ago
@limalicious maybe it was because she was either kept on her own beforehand or had a bad experince at the pet store
stepharnos 1 year ago
is it a good idea to keep 2 degus? ( not any more)
NancyGray123 1 year ago
@NancyGray123 It is possible, but not ideal. The most notable problem if you just keep a pair of degus is, that you just have one left if one of them dies. Then you need to hurry and find a new one and do not have the time to find the ideal one for you and your degu.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
@19Uhr30 okaaie thankss ,,
i have 3 degus x i decided to have 3 instead of two . thanks for your help :) x
NancyGray123 1 year ago
What is the natural, average lifespan of these little creatures? So adorable...
DonyaLane 1 year ago
@DonyaLane Normally degus live for 5 to 7 years. But there are credible reports of individuals who reached the age of 10.
19Uhr30 1 year ago
my science teacher has a degu in the class room and it lives alone for like 3 years its doing just fine
BlackWing96 1 year ago
On the website it says that Degus dont like to be handled. I beg to differ because my degus and my sisters friends degus and they are all very social animals.
kickitwithme44 1 year ago
The fact is, most degus do not like being handled or cuddled. Some tolerate being picked up, others like to be picked up...some dont want to be pet, others like a good belly rub. This differs from degu to degu, but join forums and talk to other degu owners, you will see that the majority of degus dont like being picked up. It does not mean they arent social...it simply means they do not care so much for physical contact with humans.
NightwishRaven999 1 year ago
@NightwishRaven999
Oh i am sorry, i didn't take that as a difference.
kickitwithme44 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The fact is, most degus do not like being cuddled. Some tolerate being picked up, others like to be picked up...some dont want to be pet, others like a good belly rub. This differs from degu to degu, but join forums and talk to other degu owners, you will see that the majority of degus dont like being picked up. It does not mean they arent social...it simply means they do not care so much for physical contact with humans.
NightwishRaven999 1 year ago
thats a very cute video =)
kaetegirli 1 year ago
Can Degus eat alot of dandelion leaves? plus what other plants can they eat please?
n1les 2 years ago
Great video and message! BTW same goes for chinchillas, guinea pigs and rats. They are so much better off in groups, and they make better pets too! Bottom line, do your research before you get a pet, and don't trust pet stores - the people who work in pet stores often don't know very much about the animals they are selling :(
April0N31L 2 years ago
Hm... I only have one Degu. =\
I was going to get another one, but the pet shop has no more... I put an order in for the next one the shopkeep gets, but he says it could be up to 6 months... my degu is very smart and friendly, he likes to play with my dog --- who is no longer trying to eat him.
norevelation 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
iwsmith6969 Well it dont matter no more...he died years ago. He lived for 5 years. Im so glad he is dead thow cuz we could never hold him we tryed but after he bit though my dads fanger (to the bone) we were afrade of him after that. We thought about selling him for snake food but we didnt cuz non of us disliked him that bad.
Maxisme100 2 years ago
my degus love me, they'll bite on the cage making a racket untill i agree to pick them up and snuggle them.
they only give me love bites now
wumbadog 2 years ago
Degu's are bad for biteing.
Maxisme100 2 years ago
Not really. Degus will only resort to bitting if you threaten or hurt them. Even then, bitting is very rare.
Degus are known for not bitting like other small rodents.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
Really? The exotic vet told me other wise. And The one I owned never let us hold him in the five years we owned him along with biting though my dads finger to the bone and on many other occasions drawing blood. After he died I got rats instead of degus. Im glad you'v had good experiences with them, but I got to go with the vet and Mr. Rateus (dead degu, R.I.P) on this one.
Maxisme100 2 years ago
Did the exotic animal vet also tell you degus are not supposed to be kept alone ? Lone degus often resort to biting because they reject human contact...they need others of their kind to feel happy.
I see you are in North Carolina....north american vets also know very little about degus.
Have you spoken to other degu owners ?
You might be surprised to know that degus are considered to be among the rodents least prone to biting.
Make some research and check it out for yourself ; )
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago 8
right on there Nightwishraven999!!! Its tragic to see people that just get one degu by itself and hear about it suffering for the rest of its life. I have two and only been bitten once when i tried to hold it still at the vet for a checkup on its teeth.
There isnt the consistant info out there that there should be about them but its about if you can want to research it!
colmasters 2 years ago
I got a small bite while transporting them home but other then that my two little guys have only been with me 5 days and already come and greet me=)
dabandit997 2 years ago
not bloody true. maybe your degu(s) are coz you dont know how to treat them :)
iwsmith6969 2 years ago
cute <3 love degus
nikolettacubegirl 2 years ago 3
great pictures!! are the degus yours??
videofreak168 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
i had two degu's, one killed the other one and now is on his own and couldn't be happier! they can survive on their own, if you give them the attention
stfc4life 2 years ago
there is a difference between surviving and happiness
spickymaster 2 years ago 5
No offense, but you nor any other human can replace what one degu means to another degu.
It would be like putting you in a room with no other humans, under the care of some big alien you cant even talk to or understand.
The message in this video couldnt be closer to the truth. Degus really need each other...anyone who has them in groups will tell you the same thing.
How can animals that sleep together in a pile, be happy living on their own ?
Makes no sense...
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
If u have read my story and dont hate me, u might wana anwser some questions:
Whats fruits and vegitables are ok to give them, and what kinds of seeds are ok? and not ok... since they cant have sugger and fat...
the lady seems to love crispbread like crazy and the guy seems to be very found of sunflower seeds...
and what temperatures do they prefer and what poys do they prefer? is there something that absolutly not can get into them?
thetrazor 2 years ago
Part 1
i got a little story about how i got my 2 degus, u might hate me after reading this but i give my pets lots of love:) i got a degus in a pet store that whas going to be put to death cuz it whas to old to be sold, i got it for snake food, but my snake however dident like the degus, it herted the tail of it so i patched the degu up and gave him some space, and since they cant live alone i took the car 2 days l8er to a animal recue center were they had a degu that had been abused
thetrazor 2 years ago
Part 2
together with a couple of dogs, i took this home, and when i came home the degu had lost half its tale, i calld a vet and he said its suposed to do that, now a week l8er they seems to be happy, they are twittering very silent all day (sounds like a bird but very silent) they are eating from my hands and the lady is usely walking from my arm and crawl into my tshirt, the guy who whas suposed to be my food dont do that yet, but they are both running in the weel all day long
thetrazor 2 years ago
There's some good advice to be found in this vid. Five stars.
LenxKat 2 years ago 2
This is probably the best degu video on Youtube.
Great photos of stunning degus.
Good music and of course, great advice for all degu owners or soon-to-be degu owners ; )
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
how many would be the minimum that you could have but still have them be happy?
thrashtastical 2 years ago
my degus alone, she apparently has a dormant desease that killed her partner, so i wasnt allowedf to get any more. what should i do? will she be ok?
photodaviesa 2 years ago
Is that a diagnosis by a vet or your personal one? Sleepy degus who do not want to move are typical for almost any desease. Degus disguise that they are sick as long as possible. And they are very good at doing that. If they show symptoms they are already very weak. You should get your degu to a vet and ask him whether it is likely that it she sick and could be infectious. If she is not, there is no reason not to get a new same sex partner for her. If she is sick, she needs treatment first.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
@photodaviesa my science teacher has a degu in the class room and it lives alone for like 3 years its doing just fine
BlackWing96 1 year ago
@BlackWing96 That is a very sad to hear.
Who are you to judge if how the animal is doing ?
Have you ever kept a group of degus ? If you had, you would not be saying these things right now because you would know that a degu cannot be happy on its own.
NightwishRaven999 1 year ago
Degutopia is also a great site
JadyEmy 2 years ago
My degu's alone :(
But that's because i rescued him from someone's house, my mom works for a charity and when she found him he was alone.
I fell in love with him, so he's all mine now :P
We're trying to get him a friend, but we don't want him to be paired with a younger one so when he dies, the other's not alone.
Any advice?
He's about 2 x
LadyValentine69 2 years ago
hi, lady valentine!
i had the same problem. about 5 years ago i had 3 degus, but two died some months ago. then the last one (boomer) was alone and got sick. so we bought him two younger degus, since one would be alone, if boomer died(hes about 5 now, very old).
if you want to put your degu togehter with younger degus, do it in a neutral area. i did it in my bathtub. pay caution, because they could fight til death! use a small fence to seperate them, if they fight.
Good luck!!
shibuya65 2 years ago
That is a problem for every keeper of social rodents. At some point there will always be a single one left, because they seldomly die at the same time. Even if they have the same age. Some degus die at the age of 6 because they are old. Some live on untill they are 8 or even longer.
So getting 2 degus of the same age is not a solution to that problem. (Although I would always prefer 3 over 2 degus.)
19Uhr30 2 years ago
In the end there are only two possible solutions for the single degu problem:
1st - Get some new degus for the lonely one, if you want to continue keeping degus.
2nd - Give the single degu to a trustworthy degu keeper, who will integrate him into his group, if you do not want to continue keeping degus.
I know! The second option sounds horribly hard, because everyone loves his pet and does not want to give it away, but keeping it alone is no option because it is horrible for the degu.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
@19Uhr30 3rd you can buy a snake
poweressen 1 year ago
You can get two more from the same litter, so when he dies they'll still have each other. And if they're from the same litter there probably won't be that much time in between their deaths. But that's just my idea.
scraps992 2 years ago
Sounds like a good idea, but it does not work in reality. For example I got two sisters in 2005. One of them died in 2006. The other one is still very healthy.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
Well getting another degu for a degu that has been mistreated is a tough call. The chances of it liking the new degu are small because they should be together from the start . But if it has been left alone or mistreated that chance can increase or decrease. But if you do get one and they fight youd have to get a whole new habitat for he new one.
mackleydu 2 years ago
You should get TWO new young degus.
ollopelle 2 years ago
Oh degus are so cute and lovely :)
gerbilisy 2 years ago
repeat repeat !!!
barrettgazzy 2 years ago
the white degu was so cute!!!!! <3
MiiSvampire 2 years ago
Well I have two brothers who used to live together, but then my friend came with female rat and they smelled her. They were fighting since then and once it was really bad, with some blood, so I tried to separate them and was bitten in that fight (bit my finger in a really bad way). Now they live separated, but they are put together for some time every day. So they can clean themselves, and sniff, cuddle.
Aamaranthine 2 years ago
If they clean each other and cuddle you can let them live together. Many degus have fights at some point. Often if they are grown up and want to make up their ranks. Separating them permanently because of that is not the right response. Most degus get along fine again after they have solved their problems...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
I didn't separate them after first fight, it took more than three weeks, but it got worse and worse. I tried to let them live together, but they were fighting every few minutes. And since there was blood, it wasn't great idea to let them kill themselves. Even now, they can be together some time, but after half an hour/one hour they start fighting in a bad way again. Every good breeder/vet tell you to separate them after you see some blood.
Aamaranthine 2 years ago
Okay... Considering your last sentence it makes absolutely no sense to argue. You are convinced about it and think that you know better than me.
I can only tell you that two of my degus had months of fights and lots of seperations because of injuries. As my videos show: They live unsperated and peacefully together after there was blood several times. And I know that my ones are no exceptions. Of course I am no vet or breeder (do not think that degus should be bread but that's another topic)...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
why do you own degus then if you dont think they should be bred fool or are you the only special one, no it all that can !
barrettgazzy 2 years ago
I think this is a topic way too complex to discuss in 500 characters. But the main point is there are so many rodents in animal shelters that breeding more of them seems not the most clever thing to do...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
i have 2 degus(mother and kid) if i will get another 2 girls would they fight?i want to biuld a big cage for 4-6 degus but i only have 2.please write me back please
voikuvoics 2 years ago
There can never be a guarantee for that. Degus are individuals and you can not predict their behaviour if you do not know them well.
But if you introduce them slowly with the help of a grid and do not just put them together your chances are quite good.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
Do degus bite?
8BarBluesBoogie 2 years ago
no not really they bite when they are scared or dont get enough attention i read that sumwhere my degu only bit me once bcuz he thought my fingure wuz food hahaha yeah it wuz funny
samthabeagl 2 years ago
I got biten twice by my degus. Once because I had to interfere with a fight among them and once at the vet.
Normaly degus will try to flee if they are scared or something. But they might bite if they cannot do so.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
degus can bite but if you are friendly they will love you
videofreak168 2 years ago
so u should have them together cause they r more happier right
tigersalamandergirl 2 years ago
right
videofreak168 2 years ago
I just have one, a friend gave me, I live in TN, which animal places that you know of sells them that might explain his attitude, he wont let me pick him up, he will bite me if I try, & he just sits in a corner & stares @ the wall like he's depressed or something, ya know?
tjmama42 2 years ago
He definatly needs another degu.
Those are all signs of major depression.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
poor thing I didn't know that, I'll get one soon when i get some more money, i'm kinda short I have 3 figh, 2 hamsters, 2 gods, & a degu so thats a lot of money a month, but I really will get one more soon
THANKS
tjmama42 2 years ago
They must be kept in same sex groups or pairs btw. If yours is a male dont get a female...vice versa.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
I thinks it
s a female, do you know any places in TN that might sell them??
tjmama42 2 years ago
By TN I am guessing you mean Tenessee ? No I do not, sorry.
I live in Quebec and I am not familiar with shops that sell degus in the US.
Perhaps you can check online, if there is an animal shelter near by...
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
Ya I was & thanks anyway, I think Michels Critters might sell them I'll check todsay or tomarrow
tjmama42 2 years ago
its dangerous to put 2 males together, if they are both too dominant they fight to the death, female female pairing is fine, but males are harder to pair up
darkblaze435 2 years ago
Sorry. But as you wrote it, it is definatly not true. It is dangerous to put 2 degus together without introducing them to each other at a grid or something like that over some time. That's because degus are territorial and will often try to chase animals they do not know away.
And it can be dangerous to put 2 dominant degus together. They might have grave problems making up their ranks because none of them want's to subordinate. But that happens with male and female degus alike.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
My male lost his mate back in the beginning of june, I had to increase attention on him ten fold because of it, he hates being handle, so i make up for that by letting him eat from my hands and letting him have verbal access to my 2 females. I know of degu rescues in my state maybe I cna find someone that can help you out where you are, cause yours is showing severe depression signs, he needs a companion, and soon. Message me on starsan, this isn't my account lol
darkblaze435 2 years ago
Well... having degus around is better than nothing, but he still has no degu to cuddle up with. I would not keep him that way. Have you considered neutering him so he could be put to the females? I know... There is always a risk but if the vet is seasoned, it is not that much of a risk. Or you could just get him another male mate...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
I saw a degu in our local pet shop, it was sooooo sad he had no company!!!! :(
369TM 2 years ago
i have two degus there names are cocoa and brownie they dont like me... so im scared to pet them (only brownie is nice to me i pet her
tatumdionis 2 years ago
we had to separate our pair of male degus after they tried to kill each other, We compensated by housing them next door, but with a safe no-mans land between cages. They both lived to the ripe old ages of 5 and 7, the oldest passing away last year. I miss them both!
salemslot82 2 years ago
they look like bunny, squirell, gunea pig, rats and i want three of them :D
bonezillion 2 years ago
How do you know which one is which? they all look like brothers.
lonebard 2 years ago
I know... They look all the same, if you do not know them, but if you spend time with them you will realize all the small diffenerences at the fur, eyes, ears and so on. Also they behave differently.
With my three degus it is more then simple, but also people with a lot more know their differences...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
some people also mark their ears with washable markers.
walnuttx 2 years ago
I would not recommend that. You cannot be sure, wether they are poisonous or not. And it will make it harder for you to recognize them without such marks.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
That is most often a sign that a person has too many or breeds them. Someone who has a pair or small group of degus should be able to spend the time required with their degus in order to tell them apart.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
I'm not so sure about this as it can get out of control. I could only afford to feed one but the salesman made me buy two. Within a few weeks I had 5 in total! What the hell happened?
wikichris 2 years ago
Oh God...this is bad.
Degus should only live in same-sex groups. Not males and females together.
Your degus either had babies or one of them was already pregnant.
Its important that you separate them as soon as you can determine their sex.
Males with males and females with females.
I will let 19Uhr30 help you since he is more knowledgable about degus than I am.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
NightwishRaven is absolutely right. Please keep degus in same-sex groups. Bothe males and females get along in such constellations.
In this case I think it is more likely that one of your degus was already pregnant when you bought it. Degus are pregnant for 3 months.
But I also have to say that if you do not have enough money for to buy food for a second degu you should have considered not to get degus at all. Food is not the most expansive thing when you keep animals.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
you can sell them to a pet store, just call a few. I recommend you sell all of them and don't get anymore if you can only afford food for one
guitarobsessed85 2 years ago
Would be a possibility. Although I do not really like pet stores. They are interested in profit and not the well-being of the animals.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
most pet stores cannot take them due to the fact they need a special license to sell degus in teh states. Foudn that out through people in my neighborhood
darkblaze435 2 years ago
I never had any problems selling them
guitarobsessed85 2 years ago
They keep each other healthy and happy.
Imagine being abandoned on another planet with no other human to see or talk to. Just some giant alien creature who tries to kindly interact with you every so often.
Thats one way to put how lone degus feel.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
If you do keep one seperately you can train him very easily. I have 3 female degus in one cage, 2 males in a second cage. And 1 male degu in a third cage. I've tried to team him up with others but he gets in horrible fights. He is missing a piece of his tale and some parts of both his ears. I keep him seperately now but look after him every single day. I let him run around for a while every day and he comes running to me whenever I call his name. He also likes it when I groom him with my finger.
fluffster71 2 years ago
I have to admit that I am a bit sad that every now and then someone writes down something like that. It is true. Many social animals that are kept solitarily develop a closer relation to their keeper. But that is just a sign of their despair. They desperatly compete for attention because they do not have real social contacts. And it is really sad that despair is interpreted as well-being...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
Check the video in the video response.
It is also a very good video that demonstrates how important it is for degus to live in pairs or in groups.
Introducing two degus should be tried several times, instead of condemning one to solitary confinement, because it didnt work out once or twice.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
Some pet stores, do take back animals after a certain amount of days if the reason is deemed fit. You should try to find another degu female for your lone degu.
There are many ways and steps that can help in introducing two degus.
This would be in the best interest of your degu and only then will you come to realize 19Uhr30 and others like him know what they are talking about.
Whether you act upon this or not, is none of my business. So I will leave it at that.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
cute i hawe one of them degus
parketas12 2 years ago
i have a lone degu. had her over 2years now and shes fine. i work from home so i have her out at least 3 hours a day and her cage is full off wheels, branches and foraging sections. she was runt of her litter and was beaten up so the pet shop had to separate her from her family. so yeah, Janita1544 is right, better be alone than having your ears bitten half off by your bros and sisters and her mom too i believe...
ArtOfRuin75 3 years ago
Do people like you ever read before posting? Because a degu does not get along with another one, it is not to be kept alone for the rest of it's life. You have to find the right partners for it! You are just to lazy to find some.
Poor lonely degus...
19Uhr30 3 years ago
you need to grow some balls. yes they are supposed to be in groups etc. but if shes well looked after, is played with at least 3 hours a day, is constantly ocupied, never had any health problems. why should i try and introduce her to another one? i think i know how to look after my own pet. besides, if i buy another one and they dont get along, where am i supposed to keep it up until they do? buy another £50 cage? o yeah, thats reasonable. get a life
ArtOfRuin75 3 years ago
How should three hours of attention from a human substitute a conspecific. That does not make sense. It is like "I do not need people around me when I can play with my dog every now and then." It may be fun, but it is just not the same.
As I said... Poor degu... But you just do not want to think about it. So just be happy in your ignorant way...
19Uhr30 2 years ago
yeah you're right that 3 hours aint a complete substitute. but its more than what most owners spend with their pets in a week let alone a day. u just need to stop wussing about everything. lots of animals are recomended to be kept in pairs or groups and alot of the time they arnt bought in the suggested way and live happy lives. YES, degus should be kept in groups or pairs, im not disputing that. but the fact of the matter is, my degu is happy, stimulated and healthy. so shush
ArtOfRuin75 2 years ago
How can you know that your degu is happy? You do not know the difference in beviour between a lonely degu and one with company...
You just mix up your own feelings with the ones of your degu.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
Lonely degus get ill, making wheeping noises and often just sit around doing nothing. my degu is none of these things. you keep personifying degus, so you should understand that by you making fun of my caring skills, your making fun of how i treat a member of my family. which i dont take to kindly to. you wouldnt go up to someone and say they were a shit parent. if my degu was sad, id sort it, god, id even ask for ur help. but shes not, so i dont need to associate with low lifes like you
ArtOfRuin75 2 years ago
Some lonely animals get ill. The vast majority does not. Degus as most prey animals do hide if something is wrong with them. They suffer silently.
I do not make fun of you. I criticize that you do keep your degu alone. You will not make me believe that this is the right thing to do.
And I do not have to personify degus. It is obvious that they are individuals with own characters. But they also have needs determined by their species. You can find them out by taking a look at wildlife degus:
19Uhr30 2 years ago
They breath air, they are herbivorous, they live in groups with animals of their own kind. All those things are important for them. And I think social needs to be as important as nutritional needs.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
What I think 19Uhr30 is trying to tell you is that, anyone who owns a group of degus knows full well why it is so important for them to be together. Their whole lives and day to day routine are based on community life and constant interaction with members of their own species.
Yes, you are right, many degu owners do not spend the time they should with their degus and most certainly dont spend 3 hours a day with them.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
What you need to understand is the fact that no matter how much time you spend with your degu you can never come close to replacing another degu. I too, am close to my degus, yet I know that they need each other very much and could not imagine them living alone.
It is appearant from your posts, that you love your degu. If so, you must consider what would be best for her.
You said she was beaten up by other degus...but you should still try to find her a companion.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
Although degus are social you have to be very careful! I had two living together and one day they just turned on each other and nearly killed each other. When separating them I got bit really bad and they had to be housed separately after that. You need to know their attitude and watch for change in it in case they turn on each other!
Janita1544 3 years ago
How often did you try do reunite them and how did you try it? And did you ever try to bring them together with other conspecifics when you gave up hope to bring the two together again? I think it to be very unfair to let degus live alone for the rest of their lives because they fought with one other degu...
I had hard fights between my degus, too. But that does not mean, that they will never get along any more.
19Uhr30 3 years ago
my question is: is it more important having two degus who live together & are killing each other or having them live alone. The 2 I had were killing each other, there were lacerations that bled a lot, & danger to me cause I couldnt put my hand in the cage to feed them w/o being attacked.
I am not disagreeing with you, I completely agree theyre social & should have friends but sometimes it is in their best interest to live alone.
Right now I have one degu and he lives happily with my rabbit! :-)
Janita1544 3 years ago
Why didn't you try it with other degus? You do not get along with every human you know. I am sure of that. But that is no reason for socal isolation. And it is no reason to spend the rest of your life only with some kind of ape. Because that is what your two animals are facing. They have to live with a different species. Of course they get along with each other. They do not have a choice. But they can not fulfill the role of a true partner. It is sad for both. Rabbits need conspecifics as well.
19Uhr30 3 years ago
I was informed by a degu expert that some degu's should be better off living alone, my male being one of them, She told me herself, some are just too violent to socialize with other degu's. There are exceptions to every rule. She told me specifically, if he doesn't get along with one, the chances of him finding another that he will get along with are slim, the risks far outway the benefits, Just give him lots of attention and be a good owner, thats all you can do at this point.
darkblaze435 2 years ago
well I read that they get lonely & depressed with out anyother degu friends
& I don't know if I should or shouldn't get her a friend
tjmama42 2 years ago
You should defiantly. You will see a big difference in your lone degu`s behavior.
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
ok, shes doing SOOO MUCH better her legs are healed completely!
tjmama42 2 years ago
Why defiantly? Who is being defied?
Gorbachev 2 years ago
Sorry, meant Definitely ; )
NightwishRaven999 2 years ago
There are rare, very rare exceptions. But I know many people (some of them I would consider experts) who have made different expiriences. Degus are individuals. Just like you and me they like some and they do not like some of the other individuals. It depends on the characters of the degus if they get along with each other.
Just because they do not like some other degus it does not mean they do not like other degus in general.
19Uhr30 2 years ago
I also have encountered some of those rare exceptions where a degu just doesn't want to get along with other degus. I've had alot of rescue Degus and I had a really lucky break when I managed to introduce an anti-social male degu in with a pack of 2 brothers. Something about the already established pecking order made it easier for him to join the group. However the introductions were carried out in a very controlled enviroment and I wouldn't recommend this method to an inexperienced handler.
TJaeschke 2 years ago
Do you have any suggestions of what with out two lone degus? They used to be together until they started viciously attacking each other. Every time they were reintroduced it would happen again. They are now permanently split for their safety.
One of them now has a permanent injury from an unfortunate incident & his back legs to not work properly, so he cannot stand up to defend himself against another degu.
We already have 1 cat, 3 chinchillas & 4 degus in our family - at the limit. Any ideas?
VeganButterfly 3 years ago
Oh and the reintroductions were in a neutral area (not in one of their cages) so there shouldn't have been any territorial fighting.
VeganButterfly 3 years ago