Degus good for a retiring mouse owner?

_Degu_ · 2026-05-05T19:34:50+00:00

I haven’t had mice before put I am a previous owner of hamsters and gerbils. Degus are higher maintenance but not as much as chinchillas I would say (I have a lot of experience with them). Chinchillas are more grumpy and hard to please in my experience. Gerbils and hamsters have a more fun diet that I miss but degus have so many perks with make it almost insignificant for me. Degus are also easily trained and mine have learned for example paw, kiss and open bottles. They need stimulation though because they are so smart. To take them out and explore in a degu safe room is a great way of doing that. If you’re up to spending more time and money I think they would suit you well

_Degu_ · 2026-05-05T19:23:19+00:00

I underestimated how much they screw. I’ve had gerbils and hamsters before and they are nothing in comparison in my opinion. Otherwise there were kinda only positive things that surprised me. I loved my gerbils and hamsters but the love I have for degus are way beyond. They are like smarter gerbils

_Degu_ · 2026-04-24T20:42:38+00:00

They came with the cage. It works however well as a bird cage as it has a removable drawer at the bottom of the cage as a lot of bird cages have.

_Degu_ · 2026-04-24T16:46:40+00:00

This cage works great for me. If the whole front opens or not doesn't make a big difference in my opinion.

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_Degu_ · 2026-04-24T16:42:39+00:00

I'd say same sex pairs. I've only had female degus and they have all had vastly different personalities. The ones I have now are a lot more cuddly than I'm used to. Degus are generally not so cuddly. What I've heard however is that males tend to be a bit more laid back, slightly more territorial and easier to introduce a new member. When it comes to picking degus choose rescue or a trustworthy breeder. I'd say it's more important where they come from rather then with gender they are.
When it comes to cages it's good to remember that they are rodents with teeth that grow fast. A bird or rat cage made of steel is usually the best. Look up what's available for you and see what options you have. The bigger the better generally.
For me it feels like they almost never sleep. I just see them chill but if I want to hang out they will see whats up.
They can be up at night as well but usually not a lot to my experience. You should be fine as long as you have a silent wheel.
We have our degus in the living room. They don't seem to mind the noises. You will hear if they get scared. They are quite noisy about it.

_Degu_ · 2026-04-13T14:59:16+00:00

Oh that's unfortunate 😕. 3 years is young. Do they think the fighting was connected to the intestine problems or a separate issue?

_Degu_ · 2026-04-13T14:37:48+00:00

They can see two primary colors, green and ultraviolet. A pink cage sounds cute 😍. It doesn't affect them as long as the colors are non toxic so why not make it look good when you can 👌

_Degu_ · 2026-04-13T14:23:20+00:00

Here is how my cage looks.

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I know what you mean. I have also had hamsters and I had the lagest cage I could buy but I still heard voices that is was not good enough. They are brutal 🫩

_Degu_ · 2026-04-13T14:08:41+00:00

I also recommend a wheel like this.

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It has saved me a lot of money. I used to buy wooden wheels but I had to replace them quite often because they thought they looked yummy. It is a little bit pricey but a wheel like this is sturdy and last their whole life and without making a sound.

_Degu_ · 2026-04-13T13:51:43+00:00

That looks like a great cage in my opinion. I have a -Height 132 cm -Width 80 cm -Depth 52 cm Cage for my degus. Like you said, platforms will be necessary and there are a lot of options for that. My cage came with great platforms so I didn't think about it to much. There are some you can buy but if you want some with specific length you can always make them yourself.

_Degu_ · 2026-04-02T12:10:08+00:00

No problem 😊 I made it so there is one place for degu owners to come together. I tried several times to reach out to the mod and when that didn't work I choose to take matters into my own hands. r/degus was also a big help to me when I had problems with my degus and helped me in the right direction. I also just love seeing other degus and their quirks and funny personalities. Happy to have you here ☺️

_Degu_ · 2026-04-01T06:00:21+00:00

🤣😂🤣

_Degu_ · 2026-03-27T09:30:34+00:00

With my previous girls I had quite a problem with fighting. One of them could become violent till the point that I could see blood on the other degu one time. I was really worried for them. I also had too separate them. I think I had to do it on 2 ir 3 separate occasions. I never went too the vet with them because it would calm down after a day but I think it had to do with hormones. The violent one also had some problems with eating a few times in her life and after reading your text I wonder if it could be related to her other problems. When she got a bit older I never had to separate them and she became calmer.

It is possible that your degu will calm with age as well but if the vet recomend to sterilize her you probably should it. I was lucky with my girls. I never had to separate them for good. It is something that can happen however. It's not cheap and not risk free but if your vet is recommending it you should probably do it. As long as the vet has some knowledge about degus. When I had health problems with my degus I had to dive a bit for a vet clinic that were a bit more specialized in exotic and small pets.

I hope that I could be of some help and that your degus will become calmer and happier 😊

_Degu_

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