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Animal centre has deluge of degus

6:33pm Sunday 21st February 2010 in


A WEST Oxfordshire animal centre has had an influx of degus rescued from dustbins and washing machines.

The 22 rodents – similar to chinchillas – arrived at The Blue Cross Centre, near Burford, after being transferred from another charity.

They were rescued from a group of more than 100 being kept in unsuitable conditions, including living in dustbins and washing machines.

The 17 males are ready for new homes, but the five females may be pregnant and so will be kept separately and monitored until they are ready to be re-homed.

Deputy centre manager Alyson Jones said: “The most degus we’ve ever had at one time before is five, so 22 is a bit of an invasion.

“They’re really fun cheeky characters who make lovely, low-maintenance pets, but as they’re quite unusual people may worry about how to look after them. Don’t let that put you off – we’re happy to help with tips on accommodation, food and handling – just give us a call or drop in.

“If you don’t have enough time for a dog, or don’t have outdoor space for a guinea pig or rabbit, a degus could be the perfect pet for you.”

Degus live to about seven years and need to live in pairs or small groups.

They prefer a multi-level cage with a sturdy floor and love to climb.

For more information about the degus and other homeless pets, call the centre on 01993 822483 or visit bluecross.org.uk/burford

Comments(7)

downfader says...
7:37pm Sun 21 Feb 10

Weren't these originally breed for food?
.
Plenty of homeless people out there who could use a good meal, LOL!

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Pierre My says...
7:50pm Sun 21 Feb 10

Yeah, but there isn't a lot of meat on them, especially the legs. You would need all 22 for a decent sunday roast.

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downfader says...
7:52pm Sun 21 Feb 10

Pierre My wrote:
Yeah, but there isn't a lot of meat on them, especially the legs. You would need all 22 for a decent sunday roast.
Same with pigeon and quail though I suppose.

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newcy says...
9:29am Mon 22 Feb 10

Degus are lovely, cheeky little chappies. However, in pairs or groups they do tend to prefer each other's company to human contact - so while they should be handled daily, it will be on their terms to a certain extent! The other issues are that they need lots of space, and they can chew through anything -except for the toughened glass tanks, and they need mutli-levels and deep spaces for burrowing. The only other thing is their personal habits - they do need some privacy to spare your blushes more than theirs - our brother degus used to put on floor-shows for guests and had to have a tea-towel curtain for the front of their tank when people came round.

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newcy says...
9:33am Mon 22 Feb 10

You can see two degus on Google video under 'Rodent Gymnastics' - trying to flip each other out of their wheel.

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newcy says...
4:44pm Mon 22 Feb 10

They are not just 'similar' to chinchillas, they are believed to be a gerbil/chinchilla cross-breed, created by nature, rahter than some sort of 'Chinchilla Club' breeding plan. They will breed like mad - like all rodents, but, like gerbils/mice/hamster
s etc, are a ropy area when ti comes to the question of general anaesthetic and sterilisation. Much wiser to not keep males and females together unless you want 22 plus - that's one massive food bill with the volumes the little guys eat!

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Pierre My says...
3:15am Tue 23 Feb 10

newcy wrote:
They are not just 'similar' to chinchillas, they are believed to be a gerbil/chinchilla cross-breed, created by nature, rahter than some sort of 'Chinchilla Club' breeding plan. They will breed like mad - like all rodents, but, like gerbils/mice/hamster s etc, are a ropy area when ti comes to the question of general anaesthetic and sterilisation. Much wiser to not keep males and females together unless you want 22 plus - that's one massive food bill with the volumes the little guys eat!
Better we eat them first then mate.

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