Degus

Original_Sin

Ive recently gotten 3 degus, ive got them in a cage which is about 100cm wide, 60cm deep and 85cm tall, ive a few toys in it already but would much rather have something like a big climbing tree but dont know where to even start looking for one!

Im trying to stay away from plastic toys because i dont like the look of most of the ones ive seen already and think they look too un-natural,

Ive been told on another forum that i can use the likes of branches cut down from fruit trees for them as these will be welcomed by the degus, just wondering if anyone else has heard this,

Also, i have some spiny mice, i originally had just a pair then they had a baby last year, last month tho, the 'dad' passed away and now im left with the 'mum' and the 'son', both are not as lively as they had been prior to the death of the dad so im trying to find ways of tryin to excite them again, ive tried putting them in a bigger cage, putting in bigger logs for them to play with, changing their food but to no avail, im also wondering if the introduction to cats has them nervous, i recently moved into a new house with 3 cats and although we have tried to keep the cats away from them they still sneak in on occasions, any ideas as to what i can do to excite them again?

Thanks

Our man in Havana

have you a wheel for the degus? They ADORE wheels! Watch when you handle them that you do not grab the tail.

I use loads of wood - I believe my jirds are eating hazel wood at the moment - my zebra mice have other branches in with them - wood is FAB! Apple wood is great if you can get hold of some.

Watch the degus diet - no sweet treats! You can get a special degu food now.

Original_Sin

Thanks for the advice, i havent been able to find a proper solid wheel yet, i refuse to buy the wire type because im always paranoid of a leg or tail getting caught in one of the gaps.

I already have the prestige degu food mix for them and they get fresh veggies daily,

For the wood in the cage am i able to just go to the likes of an apple tree and cut down a branch and put it straight into the cage with leaves and apples still attached?

Harris

Definitely not the apples. A lot of degus are diabetic and any sugar (ie in fruit) can be fatal for them.
Yes the branches should be fine. just criss cross them across the cage and they will love them
I think the wire wheel should also be fine. I don't think you will get a big solid one anywhere.
Also they love hammocks, which you could easily make using a piece of fabric and string or rope.
I boarded a family of degus recently and they had 2 cockatiel cages one on top of the other, with the openings meeting in the middle, if you know what I mean. They joined the 2 cages together with really strong wire and it formed a really tall tower. Then they had the branches all the way up and a hammock at the top. They looked really happy.

Sigma Force

You can cut down apple branches but make sure that they haven't been treated with any pesticides. You can bake them in the oven to kill off bacteria but I haven't a clue at what temperature I usually just give apple branches a good scrub under hot water and let it dry.

zooplus.uk stock some natural toys might be something suitable for degus on it.

giddybootz

I have a 5 foot tall Parrot cage for mine. The 'vine' you can buy for snakes and reptilse are good for climbimg on too.

If you are in Dublin there is a very good pet shop on Camden st where I have always been able to get solid wheels for mine.

They also love tearing up tissue, old tshirts, towels etc so I poke a bit through the bars of the cage and they spend hours pulling it through and tearing it up for the bed!!