Degu oatmeal with pics.

[ashlie]

So I have been trying stuff with the degus, they loved the dry oats, but then someone mentioned to make it like the oatmeal, so I took a little and put some water in it, they didn't like it runny, they liked it chunky and not liquidy...but here are some pics....they got mad when they were all done but they shouldn't have ate it so fast!

[jeannie]

Oh, they look really cute, and happy too. Do the three all get along well?

[ashlie]

Yeah, they are all brothers, so thye get along pretty well. Except when the fatty sleepy head who I call Abie is asleep, he knows how to kick their butts if he is disturbed.

[Die Fledermaus]

Yep, they look very nice indeed.

I have never seen a degu in a pet store in NYC; I assume we'd have to find breeders here.

[ashlie]

Thier mainly popular in the UK I live in Indiana and they just now posted in pet stores that they will never no longer sell degus, because noone wants them. But if it wasn't for the kids and stuff they would. IT's mainly because here they put signs on the cage "do not touch, will bite" but I have never been biten. It's to scare you away because also their tails fall off, but it's really not that bad, I had rabbits, and gerbils/hamsters, and sorry to say but I like the degus more. I love all animals, I mean I am an animal activist so I should, but I find Degus the easiest to take care of. Plus they aren't that popular in the US so I like saying I have a degu, and everyone asks what that is.

[calvinator1]

It does seem that there is more variety of animals easily available in the UK. Not sure if it's just people's interest (or lack thereof in the US) or stricter laws in the US. The fact that the types of animals one can keep as pets is determined on a state by state basis doesn't help either, I suppose. What importer would want to spend all that time to try and figure out where he can ship and where he can't?

[ashlie]

Also I actually called a pet store, because that got me thinking, they said that after that problem with Prarie Dogs, that more people are scared or exotic animals, and that the percentage of buyers for Rabbits, Chinchilla, and Degus has went down since.


Don't know that was just one petstore....and it's not a nation wide change. Most nationwide chains like petsmart, petco don't do exotic other than birds.

[Die Fledermaus]

Looks like it would take a lot of searching here in the U.S. and NYC to find a store/breeder

Degus have a website under that name, with 'org' the domain. Check it out. Didn't find any degus in and around NYC though, although one ad was from Warsaw, Poland!

[ashlie]

yep, degu.org and one other site is about all the degu sites around...and still it mainly talks about UK. I think it's even made from a person in the UK. Nothing against them, but they do get everything over there, surprisingly. I live in Indiana and I have found one breeder and she is thinking of only breeding hamsters, because she doesn't make much from degus. Which I am kind of anti breeding, but I mean only if the treat it like a puppy mill.

[Die Fledermaus]

I have big problems with most breeding for profit. Most people do it out of love for the species and as a hobby.

[angelic]

I've always wanted Degus, I think they are more common in the UK, I know of several places that always have them. They seem very friendly.

[hammyrat]

thats a lovely pair of degus there Ashlie!! what are they called? sorry if you have already said but im tired!

are you still looking for what to feed them because my mate keeps degus....

[Die Fledermaus]

Please tell us more about their personalities, compared to rats, gerbils, and hamsters.

[ashlie]

The only big dffenrence I see personally is that they don't sleep all the time, my gerbils and hamsters i use to have always just slept, so my degus are all active and have your attention.

[ashlie]

Their names are Abie, Alex, and Sinner....all boys, I am still looking for the right amount and kind of food to feed them. If there is any output ready to be brought out.