Care for the Common Degu
Degus are relatively easy to care for. To keep them satisfied, they need clean water every day, fresh food, and about three times a week, they should be provided with fine sand for bathing. Degus should never be bathed in water! It could kill them!
The cage, or aquarium, should be cleaned at least once a week; if you have more than one degu, clean more frequently. If you don’t clean the cage, you can cause your degus to develop eye infections! Of course, care also includes spending time with them. Degus are social creatures and need your attention.
Daily Care
Every day, give your degu food, change the water in the drinker, and remove wet or otherwise contaminated bedding.
Play with your degu every day so it doesn’t suffer emotionally, at least one hour a day. If you have two, you don’t need to devote as much time to them, but also play with them. What does this involve? Let the degu run around the apartment sometimes because there is not enough space in the terrarium to run properly (only in the wheel). But watch out for various wires or holes under the floor – the degu could get lost or hurt!
Less Frequent Tasks
Approximately once every fourteen days, change the bedding. If your pets have a larger home, you don’t need to change the bedding as often. As needed, but at least once a month, wash the entire habitat with a cleaner; it’s necessary to rinse the habitat several times thoroughly after such washing and wipe it dry. It is also advisable to wipe the habitat with a weak solution of Sava once every quarter. This will destroy any microbes, fungi, or mold. After such washing, thorough rinsing is extremely important!
Playing and Cuddling
Degus are very social animals, so it is necessary but also very fun to play with them. Let them run around the room every day to stretch out. Degus are not exactly cuddly animals because they always have to run somewhere, explore, etc. But if you let them run for about half an hour, they get tired and will be very cuddly. Degus really like to be scratched on the belly and behind the ears when they are tired and not running away.