How to clean a degu cage: a simple routine

How often should you clean a degu cage?

Every day for the dirty spots, and every one to two weeks for everything. The charities agree on the daily part and differ a little on the full clean, so here is what each says.

We'd follow the RSPCA: a weekly clean of the whole cage, with the full strip-down of shelves and toys every second week if the cage stays fresh. Degus are fairly clean animals, and PDSA notes they smell less than many small pets, so a good daily routine keeps the big clean quick. The time estimates in the table above are our own, for a pair in a cage of the size in our degu cage size guide.

The daily spot clean

This takes around ten minutes and does most of the work. Degus usually pick one or two toilet spots, so you'll soon know where to look.

1. Scoop the toilet corner. Lift out wet and dirty bedding with a small scoop or gloved hand, and top up with fresh bedding.
2. Clear old food. Remove uneaten greens and any pellets that have been weed on or scattered into the toilet area.
3. Check for hoards. Feel inside nest boxes and tunnels for stashed food. The RSPCA warns to remove any that is going off.
4. Refresh water. Check the bottle for leaks and blockages, as the RSPCA advises, empty it and refill with fresh water.
5. Top up hay. Replace soiled hay and refill the rack so they always have plenty.
6. Take out the sand bath. If you offered one today, remove it after the session. The RSPCA says leaving it in can cause health problems.

The weekly full clean, step by step

Pick a time when your degus are awake, such as late morning, so you aren't waking them. Degus are active in the day and rest at night.

1. Move the degus somewhere safe. Let them walk into a tunnel or carrier, then put them in a secure carrier or play pen with hay, water and a hide.
2. Save some scent. Put aside a handful of clean, dry bedding and nesting material from a nest box.
3. Empty the cage. Take out hides, the wheel, bowls, the hay rack and toys, then tip all the bedding into a bag. It can go on the compost if it is paper, straw or wood.
4. Wash the tray and bars. Scrub the base and shelves with hot water and a mild washing-up liquid. Use an old toothbrush on corners and bar joins.
5. Wash the furniture. Clean bowls, the wheel and washable hides the same way. Bin chewed cardboard and replace it.
6. Rinse and dry. Rinse off every trace of soap and let everything dry fully. Damp bedding on a wet tray soon smells and grows damp growth.
7. Rebuild the cage. Add fresh bedding, mix in the saved handful, fill the nest box with hay, and put everything back in roughly the same places.

What should you clean a degu cage with?

Hot water and a mild, unperfumed washing-up liquid. That is Degutopia's advice, and it is safe for almost every job. PDSA suggests a pet-safe disinfectant for the fortnightly deep clean. Degutopia goes further and warns against harsh cleaners, and even against "pet safe" disinfectants for sensitive degus.

We'd use plain hot water and mild soap as the routine, and keep a pet-safe disinfectant for when it is truly needed, such as after a vet-diagnosed illness or before a new degu moves in. Rinse it off fully either way. Degus have sensitive airways, which is also why our degu bedding guide steers you to dust-free bedding.

• A small scoop or dustpan for the daily spot clean
• Mild, unperfumed washing-up liquid
• An old toothbrush and a scrubbing brush
• A bottle brush for the water bottle and spout
• A secure carrier or play pen for the degus
• Bin bags or a compost caddy
• Fresh bedding and hay

Cleaning bottles, bowls and the hay rack

Clean the water bottle or bowl every day. PetMD says to wash it with dish soap daily, rinse well and refill; the RSPCA asks you to check the bottle every day for leaks and blockages and to clean the bottle and nozzle thoroughly. A bottle brush reaches the green film that builds up inside. Shallow ceramic food bowls, which Degutopia recommends because degus can't tip them, go in with the washing-up each week or whenever they get dirty.

Why does my degu cage smell?

Usually one of four things, and each has a quick fix:

• The toilet corner was missed. Spot clean it every day.
• Hoarded food has gone off. Check nest boxes and tunnels daily.
• The bedding isn't absorbent. Use paper bedding or wood pulp under the hay, not hay alone.
• Too many degus for the cage. Degutopia says more degus need more frequent cleaning, and a bigger cage helps too.

A sudden new smell, a change in droppings or very wet bedding can also be a health sign. Diabetes, for example, makes degus drink and wee much more, as Woodgreen notes. See our degu health guide or ring your vet if it doesn't settle.

Health checks while you clean

Cleaning day is a good time for a look-over. The RSPCA asks for a daily check for a runny nose, wetness around the mouth, cloudy eyes and white teeth, and a closer look at the teeth at least once a week. Healthy degu teeth are yellow-orange, not white. Note the size and number of droppings too, because fewer or smaller droppings can point to tooth trouble.

The sand bath

Take the sand bath out after each session, two or three times a week for about 20 minutes as the RSPCA advises. Sieve out droppings after each use and change the sand about weekly, as Degutopia suggests. Our degu dust bath guide covers the sand to buy.

To lay the cage out again after cleaning, see degu cage setup, and for everything else, our complete degu care guide.