# What is a Degas?



## Miceandmore64 (Jun 7, 2013)

I have no idea does anyone have a photo of this thing


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## cats galore (Jul 17, 2012)

do you mean a degu? if so these are some


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## Miceandmore64 (Jun 7, 2013)

Yes Ido what country has these not where I am


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## Goldstar (Nov 12, 2011)

Miceandmore64 said:


> Yes Ido what country has these not where I am


The UK has them, not wild but as pets


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

if you mean degus they are a rodent that is native to chillie from the caviomorph parvorder, along with chinchillas and guinea pigs.

they are quite similar to chinchillas in the care that they require, but dont live aslong, nor cost as much, they are often refered to as "the poor mans chinchilla" 

they are becoming much more popular as pets, buut do require special care as they are prone to diabeties, and willow is toxic to them, where as it is not to most other small animals


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## Pentoon (Mar 23, 2013)

We have a couple. They're pretty cute. Noisy devils too, they have one of the most varied audible communicaion systems of all rodents. They're also not cuddly, they won't curl up on you like a rat might, but they do like a run around and will groom their human once they're comfy with you (though my little Faraday is pretty rough when he does this)

They also chew everything, including the wall behind their cage (we had to move them out, but the wall has a series of pits now, they still try to get at it too). They have to have all metal cages because they'll chew through a plastic base and the cage has to have a fairly big base area as they are ground critters, though they can climb pretty well, they're territorial and like to have a big space to run about and claim. They need a lot of stuff to chew on and a wheel, because they run and run and run. Don't expect a wheel to last ages though, mine like to take turns running whilst the other uses the edge of the wheel as a grindstone for its teeth!

They're fast too, and clever, and they jump, so they are amazing escape artists. 

They should be kept in same sex pairs at least because, like rats, they're social animals and need other degus around, but they also need seperate food bowls because, as much as they get on (and are super cute when they're snoogling) they do not share food. At all. And they will fight and whine and shout at each other if they get too near each other's food (though the fighting with my two is pretty comical - they go chest to chest and slap each other round the face).


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