A Social Pup in a Chewing Family
Baby degus are born furred, eyes open and mobile, into one of the most social family structures of any small pet: the mother nurses them, other adults may help keep them warm, and the litter grows up in constant contact. Keep that structure intact for the first weeks in a large cage they cannot chew out of, because degus demolish plastic bases and wooden fittings that would hold a rat or hamster. Metal or glass housing saves you from discovering an escape route at three in the morning. Pups begin exploring within days, so low shelves, ramps with grip, and a solid-surfaced wheel sized for adults they will grow into, used under supervision as they strengthen, keep small legs safe from falls and caught feet.
The Degu Diet Rule Starts at Birth: No Sugar
Degus have an unusual vulnerability to sugar, developing serious health problems on diets other rodents tolerate, and a pup's habits form around whatever the litter is offered. So the family diet is strict from day one: unlimited grass hay as the staple, plain degu or suitable pellets measured sensibly, and water always available, with pups learning to drink from the bottle as they begin eating solids around the second and third week. Never offer fruit, honey sticks, yoghurt drops, sweetened treats or mixes containing molasses or dried fruit, and be suspicious of any colourful commercial mix. Suitable fresh foods, introduced sparingly once pups eat confidently, are plain leafy vegetables and herbs. What the mother eats sets the menu the pups will trust as adults.
Weaning and Watching the Litter
Nursing continues for roughly five to six weeks, with solids steadily taking over. Weigh each pup weekly, in grams, and keep litter notes: in a group this social, the pup who lags is often simply the one being edged away from the bowl, which two feeding stations and scattered hay fix easily. Watch droppings stay dry and formed, coats stay sleek, and energy stay high. A pup who separates from the huddle, loses weight, develops wet droppings or goes quiet needs an exotic vet quickly, because degu pups, for all their precocious scampering, have small reserves. Confirm sexes at a vet check before the young males approach maturity, since degu sexing errors are common and litters follow fast.
Handling: Early, Gentle and Never by the Tail
Degus reward early socialising: once the mother is settled, usually within the first days, handle each pup briefly and calmly every day, letting them sit in cupped hands and climb over a lap at floor level, so human contact becomes part of the family's normal day. One rule is absolute and must be shared with every visitor: never pick a degu up by the tail, and never grab a fleeing pup's tail, because degus can shed the tail skin as an escape defence, leaving an injury that needs veterinary care. Scoop from underneath or guide the pup into a small box. That single fact belongs at the top of any instruction sheet for helpers.
Housing Details That Matter for Pups
Fill the cage with hay for nesting and nibbling, wooden chews and branches from safe trees to keep ever-growing teeth busy, a sand or dust bath dish offered regularly for coat care, and hides at more than one level. Keep the room free of direct sun and sudden temperature swings. If the father is present, take veterinary advice on separating him, since degu family planning is as real as any other rodent's and a mother can be mated again soon after birth. Plan the young males' and females' future housing before weaning day arrives, so separation is a move into a ready home rather than a scramble.
Litter Care Is a Team Diary
Weekly gram weights for a whole litter, two feeding stations to check, dust baths to offer and sexes to confirm are exactly the jobs that blur in a busy household. KinsLe's Care Teams lets you assign the weighing, the socialising sessions and the cage checks to named helpers, each marked when done, so every degu pup gets handled, fed and recorded equally.