Can Degus co-exist with other animals?

Waggie · #1 01-30-2003, 01:59 PM

I read somewhere that degus can be kept in the same cage as guinea pigs and rabbits? Does this sound familiar to anyone here?

Sassy · #2 01-30-2003, 02:03 PM

I have heard about degus and chins being together but I would not suggest it, all of the animals have different dietary needs.

Rabbit=rabbit pellets
Guinea pig= Guinea pig pellets
Degus= 50%chinchilla and 50% guinea pig
Chinchilla=Chinchilla pellets

Waggie · #3 01-30-2003, 02:35 PM

Ah, yes!!! It was guinea pigs and chinchillas!

Thank you, Sassy, for clarifying animals that could be kept together. I now remember someone on Petfinder was trying to find a home for his degus and chinchillas who were residing in a large cage together.

Please clarify the food for degus, can't be 50% chinchilla and 50% chinchilla?

Sassy · #4 01-30-2003, 02:41 PM

Sorry for the typo Waggie, I have fixed my mistake I had meant to say Guinea pig.....

They can be kept together but I would NOT recommend it or do it myself. A chinchilla should not have guinea pig pellets. A chinchilla should have chinchilla pellets.

Waggie · #5 01-30-2003, 02:59 PM

Thanks for clarifying!

I have a degu who is alone and I thought of possibly doing it, since I don't know if she is a boy or girl (I use "her" because it's easier than calling Chili "it"!). Rather than risk pregnancy, I was interested in what someone on this board would say.

You made a valid point and I will not do this. I may be getting some other degus from the same place as Chili. Maybe it would be just enough that she could have others like her next to her cage. It is also not known what sex these other degus are, either!!!

btw, why do you recommend 50% guinea pig pellets, 50% chinchilla? I've been giving my degu only guinea pig pellets...

Sassy · #6 01-30-2003, 03:05 PM

I did some research when I first got my degus and that is the recommended food for them . I fed mine that the whole time I had them and they did great.

Waggie · #7 01-30-2003, 03:22 PM

You reply fast!

Yeah, the website I looked up said either/or for feeding guinea pig or chinchilla food. I suppose what one lacks in nutrition, the other one fills.

How long did your degus live? I heard they can live up to 6 years??

Sorry for the questions, I'm still a newbie degu owner! :beam:

Sassy · #8 01-30-2003, 03:24 PM

LOL, my degus didn't die, I decided that it was best for them to go to a new home because I have so much with my kids and chinchillas and it wasnt fair to them

Waggie · #9 01-30-2003, 03:39 PM

Oh.

I'm sorry you had to give them up, but their new home should give them lots of attention.

I would enjoy having a chinchilla myself, but I heard you have to bond with them everyday and they live up to 18 years!

#10 02-02-2003, 11:51 AM

I had the idea to put my lonely little Degu Rue in with my Chinchilla... they DID NOT GET ALONG... and Rue got the tip of his tail bitten off!!!!! EEEEEEEGADS...bad idea to me! Now Rue has two little degu roommates, no more mixing the critters..lonely or not I am lucky it was just the TIP of his tail and not much worse. So maybe some can live together but not in this household.

Waggie · #11 02-03-2003, 11:33 AM

eep!

Luvnstuff, your intentions were good. Too bad it didn't work out. Was the chinchilla an adult? Maybe the two species have to be babies first?

I'm surprised anybody suggested that chinchillas or guinea pigs could live together in the first place (i.e. websites, etc)!

#12 02-03-2003, 04:37 PM

The Chin and the Degu were both adult rescues.. I had read probably similar articles how they live together in the wild and will nest in together..but not so here. So it MAY be possible and it may not. In my experience all animals just like people have different personalites. What works for one will never work for the other...yanno! :0)
I was nervous too about adding males to the adult male Degu.. worried they may fight and defintaly didnt want MORE degus so I didnt want to add a female! But I did end up adopting two males and the three boys live together so nice and sleep in their food dish like three "men" in a tub.

Waggie · #13 02-04-2003, 05:39 PM

The 3 degus in a tub sounds really cute!

How did you introduce the rescue to the other 2 male degus?

Sassy · #14 02-04-2003, 06:10 PM

I used the side by side cage that I use to introduce chinchills, I had them in it for about a week then I let them play together put them in the cage and watched for a few hours.

Waggie · #15 02-05-2003, 02:15 PM

Sassy, is that one of those split cages breeders use? Or were they whole cages next to each other? Did you have to completely clean out the cage so the cage would not smell like either of them?

If I could figure out what Chili is, it would be neat to try to get her a degu friend or 2.

btw, it would be nice to have a "sexing degus" in the degu section!

chins and degus