Your guide to

Full of advice
on caring for
your pet
Your guide to
Degus
Jollyes, only the
best for you and your pets
www.jollyes.co.uk
Are you
ready?
Degus originate from
Chile where they live in
large colonies in deep
burrows underground.
They love to burrow but
are also great climbers.
Over the years they have
become very popular pets as they play during the day and
sleep at night.
Degus are very sociable animals so it is advisable never to
buy just one single degu. Two degus of the same sex and
from the same litter should live happily together. They
have a life span of 6 to 9 years
old and will grow between
Degus are
15-20 cm (6-8 inches).
active during
the daytime
Your degu will need to
be handled daily, fed and
exercised. Don’t be fooled by
their size as they are still a big commitment and you must
ensure you can take on the task of providing a long and
lasting home to your new family member.
Selecting your Degu
What to look for - A healthy degu should be bright and alert
and able to move around its cage easily. Its coat should be
glossy and clean with no bald patches or skin stores. Look out for
signs of breathing problems and discharge from the eyes, ears,
mouth or nose.
My Degu has orange teeth - The
teeth of a healthy degu are orange
while white teeth tend to be the sign
of serious diseases. Contact your local
vet if you are concerned.
How old should my Degu be? At least
7-8 weeks old when you buy them.
Pairings - Degus are sociable animals
and thrive while living in pairs. Two degus of the same sex and
from the same litter should live happily together.
Buying your Degu - Always purchase from a reputable pet shop
or breeder.
At home with your Degu
Cages - Provide your degus with as large as cage as possible. A large
glass tank will make an ideal home as they are known for chewing
plastic cages. Ensure that the cage has a secure lid so that they
cannot escape and that it provides sufficient ventilation.
Layer the cage with wood shavings and provide plenty of rocks
for hiding and a variety of different levels so that they can climb
within their cage. A solid exercise wheel can also be provided. To
satisfy their tendencies to carry things around, provide them with
a selection of non-plastic toys, which you can rotate so they don’t
get bored. You will also need a box, which you can line with hay or
shredded paper to allow them to hide.
Settling in time - Allow your degus
24 hours to settle into their new
surroundings without handling them.
Handling
Degus love
Degus need to be handled with
to chew
care, with special attention paid
everything
to their tails, which are easily
injured. Never pick them up by their
tail, as they are very fragile. If their tail is
injured they will shed part of it as a defence mechanism.
Degus only bite when they are frightened or handled badly. If you
take your time and handle with care, your degus will soon become
to trust you and enjoy being handled.
Grooming & Dust Baths
Degus groom themselves with their paws and love rolling around in
a dust bath. You will need to place a bath full of chinchilla sand in
their cage for them to use. For a
special treat, scratch your
degu behind its ears.
If they let you do
this then it wont
be long before
they let you
scratch their
bellies, which they
really enjoy.
Jollyes, only the best for you and your pets
Diet
What should I feed my Degu?
Degu food will provide a suitable diet,
chinchilla and guinea pig food can be
used as an alternative if they are free
from molasses, which
is bad for degus. The
basic diet should be
supplemented with
hay. You can provide
your degus with
carrot and cucumber
occasionally but not
too often because fruit
is high in sugar which
can cause diabetes in
degus.
What foods are bad for Degus? Never give them any type of fruit
because they are rich in sugar.
Water - Keep your degus supplied with fresh, clean water in a
gravity-fed bottle, which should be cleaned regularly.
Degus love
their bellies
tickled
Jollyes, only the best for you and your pets
Shopping Checklist
We recommend the following items for your new degu.
Degus Checklist
nG
lass tank with lid or
large cage
n F ood bowl
n S uitable food for
degus
nW
ater bottle
nW
ood shavings
nG
naw block
nN
est box and
bedding
n
n
n
n
D
ust bath and sand
H
ay
W
ooden toys
C
ardboard tubes
It is now time to enjoy your degus and watch them grow into
important members of the family.
For further information contact:
Jollyes Petfood Superstores
1 Lea Road, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1AS
Jollyes, only the
best for you and your pets
www.jollyes.co.uk