Degus vs Chinchillas??

rosiec

Is there much of a difference between these animals? Is one more social than the other? Which make the best pets?

rosiec

the same questions about rats too!!

popecatapetal

edit - far too grumpy. my apologies. most animals need company. all of these animals are best kept in pairs at least, and given lots of attention. rats learn tricks and are very friendly to humans, like little dogs. i don't have experience with chinchillas and degus, but it's always best to have pairs of rodents (apart from hamsters of course)

hadook

Hi Rosiec,

The first difference between degus/chinchillas/rats would be the life expectancy.

A rat tends to only live for 2-5 years, degus tend to live 6-8 years and chinchillas can live into their late teens/early twenties with proper care.

Rats make excellent companions, degus are fun and fearless (but are very prone to diabetes so diet is important) and chinchillas are terriorists in fur coats

I've had pet rats in the past and had better luck bonding with the boys. I used to watch tv in the evenings with Jack Rat sitting on the couch eating a chicken leg beside me. He'd then snuggle into the cushions and snooze for an hour or so

The degus were hours of fun but not as cuddly as a rat. They were great to watch and are more active so tended to get out of cage time running about rather than sitting with me.

The chinchillas are presently holding us hostage - they've taken over a room of the house and their routine is a very important thing to them. Out of cage time runs to a couple of hours at least every other day & they'll chew anything/everything in their path. All rodents do this but chinchillas are bigger! They're damn cute though & amazingly funny to watch so get away with murder.

Our man in Havana

Hadook has given good advice - degus are not great pets to be honest. Chins are fun but need a routine & will throw food at you if its not their favourite brand! They need regular sand baths to keep the coat in great condition - rats are FAB! & a lot cheeper than the others - a pair of all the animals you have mentioned is a MUST!

Male rats are brilliant I have 4 at the moment! Toffee, Fudge, Licorice & Bertie. Rats also come in lots of colours & you can have normal fancy rats or dumbos.

hadook

Coming back to this now that I'm not in work with limited time

Chinchillas are a very rewarding pet BUT they're also a time and resource intensive pet. They require time out of the cage on a regular basis to exercise and as varied a diet as you can provide within reason. You'll need to get a big cage and you'll need to rodent proof a room. Chinchillas climb, run and jump at speed They look bigger than they are and will easily fit under/into a small gap. Once in there they'll laugh at all of your attempts to extract them.... In the beginning they'll be hard to catch and as they're quite agile they'll easily outrun you & as a result I know people who don't let their chinchillas out because they're afraid they can't catch them.

They need a fairly stable diet. A pelleted food is the best option but the Prestige pet food range is good too. My guy ended up on deaths door in the vets about 3 weeks after I got him - 11 months of being fed Charlie Chinchilla & he picked out what he wanted so ended up missing vital vitamins/nutrients. Treats are kept to a minimum and I use them mostly as a trade for affection

Dust baths make an unholy mess. If you or your housemates/significant other are asthmatic this can cause a problem. If nothing else you'll need to invest in a hoover. :rolleyes:

Fortunately for chinchillas they're incredibly cute and quite clever. My girls are very affectionate and will come sit by me for a fuss but the males tend to be a little more standoffish. I find that they'll go back into their cage these days after about an hour out'n'about destroying my home.

hadook

Degus are like giant gerbils with attitude. They're also quite clever and, if tamed young enough, make very good pets. They tend to be active, fearless and in your face type pets The best way to describe them is to point out that if you open the cage door they'll be over to have a goo and then want out and at the same time wonder what's for dinner and what's that thing over there and and and....

Degus require a lot of exercise so a covered wheel is essential. They'll bar chew if bored and have been known to get through standard hamster cages so a rat/small chinchilla cage is ideal for them.

If you want a pet that will interact with you but is happy enough to be left alone if you're busy/out (assuming you've given them an interesting cage & a wheel to play on) then a degu is for you. They enjoy a dust bath too.

The diabetes tendency can be controlled easily with a strict diet so a pelleted chinchilla food (prestige do a Degu specific food that's excellent) and limited sugar free treats will keep your Degu healthy.

Vinnie K

Off topic, sorry!

Could you guys throw up a few pics of your rodents, they sound like great pets.
Thanks.

Our man in Havana

Will take some pics of my chins/degus/rats in the week.

hadook

I'll stick some up this evening

rosiec

Thanks for all the advice, I'd personally like a rat but have yet to convince my flatmate that they are not the evil, smelly creatures that you see around farm yards!

MJacobs

gerbils beat both