# Hello Im New



## dave_mito (Jun 15, 2009)

Hi im alyssa_liss other half

im looking at getting a small pet , i was thinking of a pair of Degus , whats the cage size requirement they need ?

what other pets do people suggest , dont want hamsters as we already have a few dwarf hamsters 


i would like something a bit playful and something you can handle


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## alyssa_liss (May 4, 2009)

Has Noone got any sugestions for us ?


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## purplepawstore (Jun 2, 2009)

Helloo

I am not sure of exact cage size requirements, but I think for degus a large rat or chinchilla cage would be suitable. One with different levels and plenty of space for toys/things to chew.

I personally want to get a couple of guinea pigs once we move into our new house and have a bigger garden. But my mum had degus and they got really friendly and were very entertaining!

Let us know what you decide!


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## scosha37 (Feb 24, 2008)

Hi and welcome to PF...hope you enjoy your stay...:thumbsup:

Sorry i cant give you advise on what to get ..
I only have a gerbil well its my sons..but i a hopeing to get a hammy or something soon for my birthday..i just havent seen that special one..ooh yeah i have but its to far away..


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## Guest (Jun 16, 2009)

Welcome to the forum! 
Sorry cannot give advice re you question! but sure someone will!
DT


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Hi Dave and welcome.

What about Chinchillas although I've heard they get easily stressed or a couple of rats which are meant to be excellent pets.:thumbsup:


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Welcome to the forum :thumbsup:

I'm biased i know but how about a pair of gerbils? 
Very easy to keep, don't smell at all, doesn't cost much to keep and they're always curious and loving little animals 

If it's degus you want though, i keep my degus in a chinchilla cage with extra wooden shelves and hammocks


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## Akai-Chan (Feb 21, 2009)

Rats! Definitely. Always eager to come out, fun to play with, fun to watch, easily handelable and not expensive to keep 

If you get degus they have to be in an all metal cage. Mine chewed out of their plastic cage with ease.

Peace
Akai-Chan


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## dave_mito (Jun 15, 2009)

are degus are smelly pet (for want of a better word)?


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

dave_mito said:


> are degus are smelly pet (for want of a better word)?


They can be smelly sometimes, but if you keep them really clean, you shouldn't have a problem


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## owieprone (Nov 6, 2008)

lmao, technically it's their wee that smells. 

i dunno about degus but rats tend to poo in one or two corners however they wee all-over-the-shop and that's what causes the smell. What floor covering you use is key in keeping the smell down on a daily basis as well as cleaning the cage regularly to get rid of the saturated flooring. Which is the one downside in having a small pet over say a cat or dog.

however, degu's look fun, rats most certainly are and they're evil genius' to boot. I reckon which ever you go for you will enjoy once you get the flooring right  

let us know what you get


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## dave_mito (Jun 15, 2009)

would a weekly clean be ok with degus?

I presume they just have wood shavings in the base of the cage, would wood shavings for a wood millers be ok or is the stuff sold in pet shops special in any way.


Will be a few weeks before I get anything.


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Wood shavings is ok, just make sure it hasn't been treated with any chemicals.
I use newspapers instead and change them every other day


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

degus are ace pets i am at 15 at the mo on my degu count haha, they need to be in a big cage with levels and as someone else said lots of stuff to chew just chop down a apple tree they love it, as for the smell no the dont smell my 3 hamsters smell more than all my degus put together once a week is fine for a clean if you have a big enough cage(the small the cage the more it will smell), they do however need to be in either a solid glass tank or a reptile viv, or in a complete metal cage they chew for a living.

degus are ace and i would recomend them to anyone they are so nosey and want to know everything that is going on they are away most of the day therfore sleep at night.

i would recomend a seperate food bowl for each if having 2 as one tends to be a bit pushy at food time and starts grunting at the other one 

if you wanna no anymore bout them just ask me (i have bred them and now i rescue them)


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> degus are ace pets i am at 15 at the mo on my degu count haha, they need to be in a big cage with levels and as someone else said lots of stuff to chew just chop down a apple tree they love it, as for the smell no the dont smell my 3 hamsters smell more than all my degus put together once a week is fine for a clean if you have a big enough cage(the small the cage the more it will smell), they do however need to be in either a solid glass tank or a reptile viv, or in a complete metal cage they chew for a living.
> 
> degus are ace and i would recomend them to anyone they are so nosey and want to know everything that is going on they are away most of the day therfore sleep at night.
> 
> ...


Where have you been lately? Havn't seen you about


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

i have been about lurking haha i have been doing my course work i need a new job so thought i better do some work haha 

im only on now cause im having a really BAD evening


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> i have been about lurking haha i have been doing my course work i need a new job so thought i better do some work haha
> 
> im only on now cause im having a really BAD evening


I had a bad evening yesterday *hugs*

How's the goos?


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

there all good my blues are getting big now and are sooooo friendly  am struggling with the 2 new arrivales being very scatty and cant get the to be friends with me older girls so have just bought a new 4ft glass tank lol i need to move out and live in the garden make space for all these cages haha


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> there all good my blues are getting big now and are sooooo friendly  am struggling with the 2 new arrivales being very scatty and cant get the to be friends with me older girls so have just bought a new 4ft glass tank lol i need to move out and live in the garden make space for all these cages haha


I know the feeling. Thank god the house i'm gonna be moving too is a bit bigger than the one i'm already in :thumbsup:


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

you moving any closer to get yourself a pair of degus????


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> you moving any closer to get yourself a pair of degus????


I lost one a couple of days ago. So just the 4 left now. Would absolutely love a pair of blues though


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## alyssa_liss (May 4, 2009)

you can get blue degus????


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

alyssa_liss said:


> you can get blue degus????


Yeah, you can get whites, blacks, spotteds etc


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## alyssa_liss (May 4, 2009)

have you got piccys ?

i thought you coudl only get the normal brown ones , there the only ones ive seen


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Check this out  -

Degu Colour Varieties


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## alyssa_liss (May 4, 2009)

wow thats cool

could you have a white and blue living together ? if they were both yong enough and not necessarly related ??


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

Yeah. It's just like keeping 2 different coloured gerbils together.

Although it is very difficult to get these colours in the UK. Most people have to order them in from places like Germany etc...

Spankingtigger on here has a pair of blues :thumbsup:


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## dave_mito (Jun 15, 2009)

the size I have for my cage is w 2.5ft h 2.5ft and d 1.5ft would this a ok size for a pair degus ?


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

for me thats 2 small but i do like them to have loads of space 

oh and marcia guess wat i bought today  a new blue degu wooooooooooo i now have 4 hahahahahaha and you have none hahahahahahaha lol sorry


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> for me thats 2 small but i do like them to have loads of space
> 
> oh and marcia guess wat i bought today  a new blue degu wooooooooooo i now have 4 hahahahahaha and you have none hahahahahahaha lol sorry


Keep a close eye on them my friend, you may 'loose' them soon mwahahaha :lol:


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

they are under lock and key hahaha 

keep an eye out in your local pets at home people there pooping up in there thats where i got my new blue from today (i still dont like buying animals in pets at home) she is def not as healthy as my 3 but she soon will be


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

* wanders off to up date siggy* just noticed how out of date it is lol


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

spankingtigger said:


> * wanders off to up date siggy* just noticed how out of date it is lol


In [email protected]?! Gosh, i wonder how that gorgeous blue ended up in that hell hole


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## dave_mito (Jun 15, 2009)

how would a go about finding a local breaders


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

dave_mito said:


> how would a go about finding a local breaders


These are the only breeders i can find. I'm not sure if any are near you 

Degu Breeder list


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## spankingtigger (Mar 24, 2009)

hey im not on the list lol


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## Marcia (Mar 10, 2009)

You must put yourself on the list


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