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Post by Amie on Jan 24, 2006 8:32:59 GMT -8
I don't know if Degus are part of the gerbil species or not but I can't post in the other animal section and I am pretty sure that they are related. Anyway, I was in the pet store today and I say some degus. I have never seen them here. I asked someone that worked there how much they would cost. She told us that they are over 100$!! Is that a lot or are they extremely rare? Also they were very sweet and tame! I was actually surprised. If we put our fingers up against the glass or on the top they would come and start pawing our fingers, it was very sweet! Does that mean that this is a good pet store, because their animals are so tame? Does it come naturally in degus? I was just wondering because if I ever get any small rodent then it would have to be from this store! Thank you for your help! Megan  |
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Post by whitmoregirl on Jan 24, 2006 14:10:25 GMT -8
As far as I can tell , Degus aren't that rare - we have them near me all the time and they're usually about £25 (more or less I haven't looked recently)
Oh and the pawing at the glass may not be friendly behaviour - I once thought a hamster was being "friendly" until its bottom teeth got through the small hole (glass cage thingy with a metal strip peppered with holes) and connected with my finger!
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Post by caitlindawn on Jan 24, 2006 14:49:30 GMT -8
Degus, not rare atall, around here at least! 100 dollars seems insane to me. We had a rescue pair at our house and she gave birth to 6 lil babies, which were sold at 15 bucks a pair. Pet stores around here sell them for around 10 dollars I believe. With my experience with them, they have to be handled from a young age. I've had a lot of degus come and go through foster care, and you could really tell which ones were given lots of attention and which ones weren't. I had one pair of brothers for a fewmonths, and when you went to feed them, they would come flying over to your hand, barking. My family has quite a few scars from those li'l guys! Oh, and degus are related to chinchillas, and originally come from south america. They need quite a lot of room for a pair of them, too.
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Post by queen of the nile on Jan 24, 2006 15:22:12 GMT -8
Degus are not very closely related to gerbils, rather, they are much more closely related to chincillas. The degus I have seen have not been very tame. Unfortunatley, my only experience with them has been as shelter rescues, so they were often neglected  . I would think that the breeder, rather than the petstore would be responsible for these particular degus' tameness. They are very neat creatures! |
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Post by kimsgerbils on Jan 24, 2006 18:34:13 GMT -8
My degus arent' too tame... I have 3 males and 2 females (siblings in separate, yet same sex cages) They aren't too fond of me. I wouldn't know about prices since they aren't sold up here.. Mine were free rescues.
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Post by Amie on Jan 25, 2006 10:02:17 GMT -8
Then I wonder why they were so much! (And it was in francs but I put the $ there just to show that I meant money! Sorry about the confusion!) Even if it is in francs then that would mean over 100 in the U.S! I have never seen degus in any pet store that is why I thought that they were rare! I still hope that it is a good pet store though Thank you for your advice and help!! Megan |
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Post by sandy on Jan 25, 2006 10:07:01 GMT -8
I have a degu (she was with her mom but her mom died). She is fed treats so always comes up to the side of the cage, looking for some. She's very sweet. We didn't hand-raise her and her sibs though, just tried to handle them some. Probably if they are hand raised they get super tame and climb all over you and get really friendly, just like a love bird. In the same way, really. They are incredibly smart rodents! Around here degus are $15 each, Canadian Funds.
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Post by RitzieAnn on Jan 25, 2006 11:40:43 GMT -8
I was telling my roomie about your Degu Sandy, and she thinks it would be cool... 20 gerbils, 2 mice, 1 rabbit, 2 chinchillas and a Degu! LOL (along with 30 gallons worth in fish tanks!)
You have to have a license to breed them in Washington state. I've NEVER seen them before I saw Sandy's
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Post by sandy on Jan 25, 2006 11:44:06 GMT -8
Hey I thought you were going to come get her one day! The offer still stands...
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Post by RitzieAnn on Jan 25, 2006 19:48:30 GMT -8
How much? Hey, I thought you told me that she pees on everything, and all down her wall?!!?! Tryin to get me to taker her wizzer, is what she's doin! lol Hum... maybe YOU should bring her, and I'll make you lunch. Too bad babies are such a booger to bring over the border.
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RW
Member
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Puppy 6/6/07
Posts: 530
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Post by RW on Jan 27, 2006 6:26:27 GMT -8
Degus aren't very common in my area. I've only seen degus for sale twice in the past 5 years. One pet store was selling them for $40 apiece, the other for $20 apiece.
They really are neat, sort of like gerbils on steroids, at least that's what the young ones I saw reminded me of. They change in looks somewhat as they get older, don't they, and aren't quite as gerbil-like? I've only seen online photos of adults and they didn't look so much like the pups I saw. And wow, were those babies lively too! They were bonging off the lid of their enclosure like popcorn! Very cute!
RW
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Post by Amie on Jan 27, 2006 8:28:43 GMT -8
I have been to two Qualipets (the pet store that I saw them at) and both times the Duprasi were in hiding  Does that mean that they are unfriendly, or just sleeping? Megan |
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Post by sandy on Jan 27, 2006 10:42:57 GMT -8
Well I feel sorry for her now she's alone. If you've got chinchilla's apparently you can get them acquanted and they could all live together. She's really a sweetie--even if I do have to tin foil her upper cage next to the wall... Degus just like to mark their territory, is all. You know that their pee flouresces in the dark for them? So just think of it as...um...interior decorating or something (laughing). If you take her without the cage you could have her for fifteen Canadian, now that's a deal! I'll even throw in the Timothy Hay I have for her. Degus eat a lot more greenery, by the way, sort of more like rabbits. I feed her 2/3 alfalfa/1/3 seed mix, and as much Timothy hay as she wants. In summer she also gets dandelion leaves and rose clippings from outside, which she loves. Easy, easy to feed. Problems crop up when they get fed gerbil food and don't get enough to chew on.  |
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Post by kimsgerbils on Jan 29, 2006 17:49:29 GMT -8
Just a note, seeds aren't good for degus... They should be fed a no-molasses guinea pig/chinchilla food diet with free fed timothy and alfalfa. They become diabetic very easily and even too much of a healthy treat, such as dried carrot, can be too high in sugar and cause complications. Very cute degu though |
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. I would think that the breeder, rather than the petstore would be responsible for these particular degus' tameness. They are very neat creatures!
Does that mean that they are unfriendly, or just sleeping?