Daegu or Chilean squirrel are incredibly cute furry animals with high mobility, easily tamed and trained in various actions. In the wild, degu's natural habitat revolves around a multitude of endless holes. In fact, it has been observed that wild degu form what the researchers call “digging concatenated tunnels” to create a woven network of underground holes, and the degu work in a coordinated manner.
In these homes, animals can safely care for the young, relax, eat and socialize. Therefore, caring for the degu in captivity, it is important to choose and equip exactly that cage, house, showcase, terrarium, aviary, which will be all the amenities your pet needs to become a happy and healthy member of your family.
Cell
Degu requires a lot of space. Choose as large a cage as possible with a hard bottom and place it in a dry, draft-free room, protected from direct sunlight. The height of the house is as important as the length with the width. Daegu loves to climb. If the cage has different levels, the shelves must be covered with untreated wood so that the degus do not injure their legs. Cover the floor with special bedding, such as aspen or pine shavings, recycled paper or corn cobs. Do not use cedar shavings that contain harmful oils.
You can buy or make a birdhouse type house, that is, a box of raw wood or an old cardboard box that your pets will chew with pleasure. Food for degu is best offered in a ceramic bowl, and fresh water in a bottle.
Degu need a lot of exercise and stimulation, so it is important to provide the animals with a variety of toys. An excellent choice would be a big exercise wheel.
Many degus like metal wheels with crossbeams, but with this you need to carefully monitor your pet to make sure that he does not hurt his feet. The branches of a maple or fruit tree will help you to climb the degu's height comfortably and conveniently. A large deep box filled with soft sandy soil provides a place to dig.
Cardboard or wood is a favorite material that the degu like to gnaw, by the way, this is what helps them to keep their teeth in shape, to grind them properly.
Keep your degu habitat clean, remove dirt and debris daily.
Once a day it is necessary to thoroughly clean a glass or plastic bottle with water. Wash dishes and the bottom of the cage should be once a week. After washing the cage, it must be completely dried before adding chips to the bottom.
Health
If you want your pet to stay healthy and active, you need to choose a wide and rather high cage to fit not only the wheel, but also climbing benches, a hammock or sleeping mat, treats, food, chips and other necessary toys. and accessories. As the bottom of the cage with metal bars, the plastic pallet is an excellent solution.
Most cages destined for chinchillas and other rodents may work fine. You need to avoid small plastic parts, because your pets will crush them.
Before you select a cell, First make sure that you have studied the necessary dimensions in detail and selected the right accessories to make sure that you have considered all possible methods. For example, if in the installation some moving part could potentially catch the leg, tail or neck. Will the degus gnaw the bottom of the cage? In general, all materials from which the cage or toys are made should be non-toxic. The lock on the door in the house should be securely closed.
Finally, when comparing ideas and blueprints for choosing and building a house for degus, do not be tempted to use an aquarium. Even the largest aquariums will not provide the right type of ventilation or layout that will support a multi-level habitat that your pet will really like.
Cell installation
These animals are social animals, and when there is at least one more degu in their houses, they are just happy. Your pets love to communicate, so do not disregard them. By the way, they can often start excitedly to chatter or even nervously grumble, and this cannot help but be moved. The average lifespan of these animals is 5-10 years. Before you get these cute fluffy animals, think about the following.
- Degu will constantly need nutritious food, fresh fresh water and clean habitat.
- Daegu needs daily exercise and games. All members of your family should understand how to keep a pet.
- Degu are social animals, so you need to constantly communicate with them and pay attention to them.
- Of all the rodent species, degu require more free space.
Basic items that should be in a cage
The free cell must be equipped with a solid bottom. It must be covered with chips. There should be a bowl of food, a bottle of water. Food for your animal can be picked up from guinea pig feeds or chinchilla pellets. Cell arrangement includes not only important climbing or feeding items, the existence of objects that the degu will chew is considered mandatory.
The exercise wheel needs to be picked up as much as possible with a hard surface.
Additional subjects
In addition to the main items and accessories that should be in the cage, For a healthy and active life, the degu will need additional accessories:
- hay rack;
- beautiful frame of raw wood;
- a place for digging holes;
- hammock;
- pesticide free tree branches.
Appeal
Most degus should be treated very carefully. If you want your animal to remain tame, you need to communicate and take it in your hands daily. Hands in a cage need to thrust carefully and slowly, so as not to scare your pets, and so that your sudden movements are not perceived by the degu as aggressive actions of predators. Let the degu come to you, they will sniff your hand first, they can eat from your hands, and then they will easily climb up to you.
Never pull the degus from the cage by the tail!
General care
Regular exercise outside the cage is essential for the health of your degu. The room in which your pet will live should be made as safe as possible. For example, be sure to prevent access to electrical cords, remove all dangerous items and block access to furniture and equipment. An excellent solution is the use of a children's playpen for hanging out a degu outside the cage. Here your pets will be completely safe. Never leave a degu out of the cage unattended.
Daegu clean themselves, rolling in the sand or the ground. To provide a place for cleaning your pet, you can use a special bath that will be filled with sand or special earth. For example, a large ceramic bowl can be filled with special soil for chinchillas and placed in a cage. Once your pet has finished cleaning, this bowl or tray can be removed from the house.You can repeat this action several times a week.
Diet
Guinea pigs or chinchilla feeds are best for feeding degu. Sugar is not suitable for degus food, so you need to check the list of ingredients indicated on the feed packaging. Avoid dried fruit or molasses in your pet's food. Fresh hay should always be available. It is necessary to supplement the diet of your pet with fresh vegetables, but not fruits, which are high in natural sugar. You can try to offer your fluffy animal seeds or puffed rice.
On what should be a cage for degus, see below.
