# Need answers ASAP! Rats and Degus??



## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

A friend of mine has three friendly Degus but she can't keep them. I've done a lot of reasearch about them as I was considering adopting one before and only once did I see anything say they couldn't live with rats, most everything I saw online said they would be fine together if you just made sure they each had a separate diet to fit their species needs. She wants me to take them as she can't keep them anymore and I said I would see if I could. The thing I saw about them not being able to live with rats just pretty much said it wasn't a good idea but I heard of people who had Degus and rats together. My rats have been around hamsters, mice, rabbits, sheep, dogs, cats, etc. and have never had any problems so I don't think they would hurt the Degus at all and my friend says the Degus are very friendly but that's toward humans not necessarily other animals. She wants to bring the Degus over and let them meet the rats. If they get along do you guys think it would be okay to take them? They have a lot of the same needs as rats and many of their cage arrangements I've seen are a lot similiar to that of rats but I understand they do have their differences. I believe that I can provide the proper care for both of these animals as I have been doing my research on Degus but they would have to live with my rats and I don't want anything to happen to my girls or the Degus like fighting or anything. What do you guys think?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I wouldn't. Rats are very well known to attack other species, it would not be that shocking if you woke up to one dead. They Might get along well outside the cage but inside they will attack each other. So I wouldn't do it.

Are you taking all of the Degus? just like rats, Degus do best in pairs to my knowledge (Sorry you worded it weird for me to tell). It's also best for their cage to be mainly wood or metal and no plastic. Degus are bigger chewers then rats.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

My rats have lived with a hamster, and mice before, and when my cat was a kitten was a tiny kitten about the same size as the rats she would crawl in the cage and cuddle with them. I have lots of wooden chew toys and I was planning to redo my cage to have lots of things for both the rats and Degus. I was planning to get all three of them, yes. I really want to take them and she can't find anyone else who wants them because they aren't so popular and most people don't know anything about them or anything. We have them right now in my rat cage and are getting alone really well. But if its really not going to be okay.......if I don't take them her parents are making her let them go outside


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## Kelsey514 (Sep 20, 2012)

Could you build a separate cage for the degus, at least for when you're not there to observe? 


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

I'm not sure..I could see. My parents said I could keep them and they doing good with the rats so far except the male degu seems to not like the rats much but the females are looking like great friends


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

I think my only issue I'm seeing is Rarity chasing the male degu around and jumping on him and it seems to startle him and make him nervous. Other than that they seem to be getting along great. Emimy is sitting and grooming the two females and treating them like her rat friends and they are seeming to like her a lot too. Gia was actually cuddling with the male for a bit until Rarity decided to ruin that moment. I think Rarity is in heat tonight as she usually does the whole chasing and mounting thing to the other rats when she's in heat. So hopefully by tomorrow it will be fine? I'm watching them very carefully as I wouldn't want anything to happen to my any of these little fuzzies. Is there any chance this will work out?


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## ILoveMyMonsters (May 25, 2012)

I am well-versed in interspecies introductions, but I am very much on the fence about this. Yes, so far your rats are getting along fine with the degus, and your girls appear docile, but rats can have high prey drives and may attack smaller animals. I learned this the hard way with my sweet, submissive Alban who attacked my Blue Tongued Skink without warning and would have killed her had I not intervened. IMO, it's a risk not worth taking, for everybody's sake. I would get a different cage for the degus - at least for when you aren't around to supervise them and then allow them out together at playtime, if at all.


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

I would monitor things really closely as rats and degus have very different communication both by sound and body language. What is unthreatening for one species could be terrifying, a call to arms/challenge for another. IMO, its a bad long term idea.


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

But aren't degus bigger than rats?  (I'm not siding here cause I dont' know enough but I thought I remembered degus being bigger haha)


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## Kelsey514 (Sep 20, 2012)

What about the cage your friend had them in? If it were me, I'd let them keep hanging out together while watching them for a couple weeks. They could have a separate cage for when you're out, but after 2 weeks if there haven't been any fights then I could move them in permanently. 

Then again, you might be better off with separate cages because I've read that degus are not stinky. Might be easier cleaning separate cages.

I'd love to see pics!


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

Like I said before, these rats have lived with a hamster and mice for long periods of time before and have never hurt anything. Nit disagreeing with what anyone is saying and not saying it couldnt happen. My little Rares is cuddling with the male degu now and finally stopped chasing him. 
Actually Degus and rats are abouy the same size but Degus have a longer lifespan.
I'm not sure what she did with their cage, they to rid of it and had the Degus in a plastic bin trying to find them a new home so getting their old cage isn't an option. I also can't afford to get another cage right now.
If I can't keep them and make this work I'm not sure what do with them, my friend has been looking for a home for them for months and I was her last hope, if she had brought them back home again her parents would have made her release them into the wild. 
I'm not sure what to do if this can't work.


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

That's a big risk but I think you want to hear an approval of this action and might have a hard time getting it here. 

Good luck, I hope no one gets hurt and you have a vet lined up just in case!

Clarice.


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

Well, good luck!  Hope everything works out!


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## Kelsey514 (Sep 20, 2012)

Where are you located? Maybe someone on here could help. I'd love a few degus 


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

Located in western Oregon.
And I just. I'm stubborn. And I don't give up on anything if I can possibly help it. And at first I was really iffy on getting the Degus but then my friend told me she would have to set them free outside if I didn't take them and when I saw them and held them I fell in love and couldn't resist. I really want this to work out and so far it's perfect. But I know there's a huge change it won't turn out like I want. It's frustrating. I will be very careful and hopefully no little critters will be hurt.  I feel like a bad rat momma now..I just couldn't help but give in to these little Degus.


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## Kelsey514 (Sep 20, 2012)

I can't blame you! But I'd suggest getting a $20 box of storage cubes, a $12 roll of hardware cloth, and zip ties. You can make a great cage for them for $32 and feel secure that you have an option in case things aren't working out. 


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

Oh that sounds fairly cheap and simple! I will see what I can do!


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## jd882 (Sep 16, 2012)

It gets me so upset when I hear people say they will just let an animal "go" or throw it in the trash if they can't find it a home like immediately! I got my hamster that way! Neighbor of mine was going to throw her out because she made too much noise at night! I no longer talk to that neighbor and Lady has a castle of her own amongst our other pets... 

Good luck with everything!


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## Kelsey514 (Sep 20, 2012)

http://guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm

Here's a good site on how to build them. The degus will probably eat thru the coroplast though. I used hardware cloth attached to each grid (because the holes should be no larger than 1" for adults). I put the cage on top of a utility table instead of building a bottom. You know the ones with vinyl wood on top? That way they can't get at any corners to chew. Good luck! Pics!! 


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

jd882 said:


> It gets me so upset when I hear people say they will just let an animal "go" or throw it in the trash if they can't find it a home like immediately! I got my hamster that way! Neighbor of mine was going to throw her out because she made too much noise at night! I no longer talk to that neighbor and Lady has a castle of her own amongst our other pets...
> 
> Good luck with everything!


Thanks! And yeah her parents told her if I wouldn't take them she had to let them go so she begged and begged me and I had to give in.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

Kelsey514 said:


> http://guineapigcages.com/cubes.htm
> 
> Here's a good site on how to build them. The degus will probably eat thru the coroplast though. I used hardware cloth attached to each grid (because the holes should be no larger than 1" for adults). I put the cage on top of a utility table instead of building a bottom. You know the ones with vinyl wood on top? That way they can't get at any corners to chew. Good luck! Pics!!
> 
> ...


Thanks a bunch!!!


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

Hey PrincessRat, you have a heart of gold and obviously love your animals. 20+ yrs ago when I was in high school and keeping rats I quickly became the "last chance or" person at my school. Several friends who got over their heads with animals or who's parents didn't want them anymore came to me begging that I take their pets....and I always did. I became the unofficial animal rescue because my parents were also understanding and loved animals. Before long all I seemed to be doing was taking care of animals and eventually I realized that my original pets weren't getting the attention they used to...none of them were because there were just too many of them. I cared for every last one until old age or illness took them over the bridge....some well into my college years. They had good lives and were loved. But I always feel a little guilty that they didn't get all of the attention individually that they probably should have had. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is...you're wonderful, kind, and responsible...don't let people take advantage of you because you have a HUGE heart and they know it.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

gal5150 said:


> Hey PrincessRat, you have a heart of gold and obviously love your animals. 20+ yrs ago when I was in high school and keeping rats I quickly became the "last chance or" person at my school. Several friends who got over their heads with animals or who's parents didn't want them anymore came to me begging that I take their pets....and I always did. I became the unofficial animal rescue because my parents were also understanding and loved animals. Before long all I seemed to be doing was taking care of animals and eventually I realized that my original pets weren't getting the attention they used to...none of them were because there were just too many of them. I cared for every last one until old age or illness took them over the bridge....some well into my college years. They had good lives and were loved. But I always feel a little guilty that they didn't get all of the attention individually that they probably should have had. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is...you're wonderful, kind, and responsible...don't let people take advantage of you because you have a HUGE heart and they know it.


Thanks! Most people don't really like me so my rats (and now Degus) are pretty much my only friends besides a couple people like the girl who gave me the degus. The moment I get home from school my little fuzzies are out and playing with me and usually are all day. Right now I have 3 rats and 3 Degus cuddling in my jacket.  it's crowded in there! Hehe.  I don't ever want to end up with too many though..


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

http://s1340.photobucket.com/albums/o733/princessrat1/

Let me know if the link doesn't work or anything. Degu pics! They are two females and a male...still all in need of names and I can't decide yet so any ideas would be great!


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

It doesn't work. Says it's a private album.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

LightningWolf said:


> It doesn't work. Says it's a private album.


Changed it to public, should work now?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Yep. Very cute btw


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

And I'm having one little issue...Rarity and the Degus are still pretty young, not fully grown yet..so they all have a lot of energy and have been playing together a lot. The thing is they all get a bit rough with eachother and it's fine except Rarity has some little scratches on her now. I've been close by and watching a lot and it's no aggression so far, they are just playing but the degu claws are very sharp and Rarity's a double Rex so when they play it was scratching her. I trimmed their nails and I'm hoping it will not happen anymore... She has one tiny cut on her leg that looks a bit deep though, should I be concerned? Anything I should put on it or anything?


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

Can you post a pic of the scratch on the leg? And I think animals are the finest friends around, so I'm glad you have them and I'm glad they have you. You are a wonderful soul.


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## PrincessRat (Aug 22, 2012)

It's not letting me post the photo 
It's just a tiny little cut but looks slightly deep like a little tiny chunk taken out of her front leg. Can I put like Neosporin or anything on it just to be safe? I don't think it's anything bad, it's really small but it's an open cut and I wouldn't want it to get infected or anything.?


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## ros3 (Mar 16, 2020)

Hey, i know this is a long shot since this was so long ago but, I live in oregon too, and I have a lone goo so I was wondering if this set of degus ever had babies and if so whether you still have them and could possibly set something up with me since they get depressed when they're alone, and i cant find them anywhere, though I was also wondering, assuming that's too hopeful a request, how this pairing worked out, and whether you think my degu (who has lived with mice before, no problem) would fair with a baby rat


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## BobbieTheRat🐾 (Apr 18, 2020)

ros3 said:


> Hey, i know this is a long shot since this was so long ago but, I live in oregon too, and I have a lone goo so I was wondering if this set of degus ever had babies and if so whether you still have them and could possibly set something up with me since they get depressed when they're alone, and i cant find them anywhere, though I was also wondering, assuming that's too hopeful a request, how this pairing worked out, and whether you think my degu (who has lived with mice before, no problem) would fair with a baby rat


Your degu _might_ (and I stress the word *might*) be fine with a baby rat. A mouse might be better though. Good luck with your degu!


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## Steech (Mar 20, 2021)

PrincessRat said:


> Located in western Oregon.
> And I just. I'm stubborn. And I don't give up on anything if I can possibly help it. And at first I was really iffy on getting the Degus but then my friend told me she would have to set them free outside if I didn't take them and when I saw them and held them I fell in love and couldn't resist. I really want this to work out and so far it's perfect. But I know there's a huge change it won't turn out like I want. It's frustrating. I will be very careful and hopefully no little critters will be hurt.  I feel like a bad rat momma now..I just couldn't help but give in to these little Degus.


Your friend should be shot with sh*t , you can't set a domesticated deagu in the wild..... hopefully she doesn't have anymore pets


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