The small pets that people like to keep range from hamsters to mice and rats, chinchillas to ferrets. The best part is that Ideas-4-Pets has a cage for each and every one of them. Our variety of small animal cages is sure to tickle anyone’s fancy.

Small animal cages

Small animal cages should not be tiny and pokey, in fact, they can be rather roomy and elaborate to give your pets the best quality of life possible. These cages need to cater to all of the needs of these little critters. Ferret and chinchilla cages can actually get quite big and take up a reasonable amount of space so you need to ensure you have the room to keep these pets happy and healthy before you bring them home.

These small animal cages can range from simple single story or tiered cages to multiple tiered or storey mansions for comfortable living. Our small animal cages can get quite creative and elaborate, allowing your critter to live and play in lots of space.

Hamster cages are possibly the most creative of all the small animal cages. Pipes and connectors create elaborate tunnels and runs for your hammy to roam and have fun in. Small animal cages offer fun, creativity and a cosy home for your furry friends. We offer you only the best quality to pamper and care for your pets. Browse through our selection of small animal cages to find the perfect one.

Degus originate from Chile where they live in large family groups of up to 90 or 100 individuals in the wild.  They came into the domestic market about 50 years ago because they were used in laboratories to investigate the fact that they have diabetic tendencies. Degus can’t digest sugar and if it’s ingested they are likely to develop diabetes which makes them a key species to understand.

In the wild a Degu will usually live less than a year but domestic degus generally live between 5 and 8 years.  This is probably due to the better conditions they have in domestic homes eg. constant access to fresh water, quality food and general care.

A degus hair is tweed brown coloured and his tummy is a creamy colour.  They have lighter circles around their eyes, long whiskers and big ears. Their hind legs are shorter than their front legs and each has five hair-covered fingers which they nibble on so that their claws don’t grow too long.

The teeth of a healthy degu are a yellow / orange colour and unlike us humans, white teeth are an indication of a serious disease. Degus’ teeth become orange a couple of weeks after their birth because of the reaction of chlorophyll from green plants with degus’ saliva – this reaction also makes the degus’ saliva orange.

Degus that are kept as lone pets will nearly always die much younger than those kept in groups as they are very sociable animals who crave attention and will pine if left alone. Unless you are prepared to devote several hours a day keeping your Degu entertained, a cage mate for him is very important.  Because degus are curious little pets, although they can be affectionate, they are not too keen on sitting still for long, they are far happier exploring, running around, tasting anything that looks interesting – including fingers and furniture – and basically doing anything EXCEPT sitting still!

Degus are sexually mature at about 9 months old although some have been known to be sexually mature at only 2 months old !!  It is therefore important to keep them in single sex groups when weaned at about 5 weeks. Baby degus are born after a gestation of about 90 days and are born well developed.  They will start to explore their surroundings when just a few hours old.

Because, as mentioned earlier, degus cannot digest sugar, sugar must never form part of their diet.  No sweet treats, no food with added molasses and keep sunflower seeds to a minimum.  Even some apple can cause the death of a degu.  A chinchilla mix is usually the best type of food to be offered if a Degu food mix isn’t available. Hay should also be offered on a daily basis. Because Degus are very vocal and have a large spectrum of sounds which includes beeps, whistles and squeaks, they often let you know when it’s food time!
 
Degus need a lot of space to run around in so his cage should be large enough to allow for this.  Chinchilla cages are ideal cages for degus as they are made from metal and not plastic – he’d chew his way out of a plastic cage!!  Your degu will want to climb and explore his home and his cage should have a solid base. A plastic base will be chewed through in days as degus are very destructive little creatures.  ideas-4-pets have a selection of rodent & chinchilla cages that would make a wonderful home for your pet degu.

Your Degu will also need to be able to move off the wire at times, so purchasing a chinchilla cage with some wooden platforms would be ideal. If a solid floor somewhere in the cage is not available, your degu is likely to develop a painful condition known as Bumblefoot. In extreme cases this will result in his foot needing to be amputated. This condition can be avoided easily by providing ledges, platforms or shelves in his cage and toys that are solid wood and would allow your Degu to stand on.

As mentioned earlier, the Degu is VERY destructive so make sure he can’t escape from his cage – if he is kept in an aquarium make sure that the lid is securely fastened and if he is in a cage, make sure the door is securely fastenend. Also, it’s worth keeping his drinking bottle outside the cage to limit how often it has to be replaced!!

If your degu does escape, never try to catch him by his tail. In defence against their natural enemies, degus can lose the end of their tails resulting in a bloody injury and the end of their tail never grows back again. If left untreated, his tail can get infected.

As mentioned previously, look after your degu properly and your will have your furry little friend with you for up to 5 years – making him about 80 years old !!