Degu cage setup: layouts and ideas that work

What do degus need in their cage?

Here is the full shopping and setup list, built from the RSPCA, PDSA and Degutopia guidance. Tick it off before your degus come home.

• A tall metal cage with a solid base and roof, at the size in our degu cage size guide
• Dust-free paper bedding, plus hay and plain shredded paper for the top layer
• A nest box big enough for every degu to sleep in together
• A separate hide for each degu, so each can get away on its own
• A solid wheel at least 30 cm (12 in) across, with no rungs or spokes
• Shelves or platforms at three or more heights, with ramps or branches between them
• Safe chew branches such as apple, pear, hazel or willow
• A hay rack or hay bowl that is always full
• A heavy, shallow ceramic bowl for each degu
• A water bottle with a metal spout, and a spare
• A heavy, shallow bowl and chinchilla sand for sand baths
• Cardboard boxes and tubes to chew and shred
• A room thermometer

The RSPCA asks for enough food, water, hiding places and toys for every degu so they don't have to compete. If you have three degus, count three hides and three bowls.

How should a degu cage be set up?

Bottom first, then each level, then the food and water. This order keeps bedding from burying things you've already placed.

1. Place the cage. Put it in a cool room, raised to about waist height on a sturdy table or stand, away from radiators, windows, TVs and speakers.
2. Lay the bedding. Fill the base with 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) of dust-free paper bedding, deeper in one corner for digging, then add hay on top. Our degu bedding guide compares the types.
3. Set the nest box. Put the shared nest box on the floor or the lowest level in a quiet corner and fill it with hay and soft paper strips.
4. Fit the wheel. Fix a solid wheel of 30 cm (12 in) or more where it can spin freely without touching a shelf or blocking a door.
5. Build the levels. Fit shelves at different heights, covering any wire with lino or a tile, and link them with ramps or branches so no jump or fall is too big.
6. Add hides and branches. Spread hides across the levels so each degu has its own, and wedge safe branches between shelves as climbing routes.
7. Set food and water. Fill the hay rack, place a heavy bowl for each degu away from the toilet corner, and clip the water bottle where it can't drip onto bedding.
8. Finish with chew items. Add a cardboard box or tube and a few loose pellets scattered in the bedding for foraging.

A degu cage layout that works

Think of the cage in zones. Degus use the floor for digging, eating and toileting, and the upper levels for lookout, climbing and naps.

Where to put a degu cage

Somewhere cool, steady and calm. The RSPCA wants the enclosure kept at 20°C (68°F) or lower, in a cool part of the house away from radiators and other heat sources. Degutopia gives an ideal room temperature of 18 to 22°C (64 to 72°F) and a safe range of 15 to 25°C (59 to 77°F), and warns that degus can't sweat. We'd aim for the RSPCA's 20°C (68°F) ceiling. Our degu temperature guide covers hot spells.

• Indoors, out of direct sunlight and draughts
• Away from TVs and speakers, whose vibrations PDSA says can stress degus
• At waist height on a shelf or table, which the RSPCA says helps them feel secure
• In a room that is light by day and dark at night, with lights on and off at similar times
• Out of reach of cats and dogs

Hides, nest boxes and furniture

Degus are prey animals and need places to vanish into. The RSPCA asks for hay-filled nest boxes they can reach at all times, big enough for all of them to rest together, plus enough hiding places for each to shelter alone. Burgess gives a nest box size of about 20 × 15 × 15 cm (8 × 6 × 6 in), which suits a pair; go bigger for a group. Degutopia suggests opaque boxes of kiln-dried pine, cardboard, or a large open terracotta pot.

Avoid plastic hides, which the RSPCA and Degutopia both warn against, and anything with gaps that could trap a foot or tail. Our pick of degu hides and houses and our best degu toys and cage accessories list options from other shops.

Branches, chews and things to climb

Branches give climbing routes and something to gnaw, which degus need because their teeth never stop growing. Degutopia lists apple, pear, hazel, hawthorn, lime (linden) and kiln-dried pine as safe; the RSPCA adds beech, and PDSA includes willow. They must be untreated and free of pesticides and paint. Burgess suggests washing branches, then baking them at a low heat for an hour before use. The RSPCA also suggests stable rock formations for climbing. Make sure stones can't topple.

Cardboard tubes and boxes are cheap and loved. Degutopia's list also includes pumice stones, coconut shells with the flesh removed and rope toys of cotton or sisal. For more ideas, see our degu enrichment guide.

Food and water stations

Give one food bowl per degu, as Degutopia suggests, using shallow ceramic bowls that can't be tipped. Keep hay in a rack or a large bowl and keep it full; hay is most of a degu's diet. A water bottle with a metal spout is best, because degus chew plastic. PetMD advises washing the bottle daily and refilling it with fresh water. Feeding amounts are in our degu diet guide.

Where does the sand bath go?

In and out, not left in. The RSPCA advises a heavy, shallow bowl of chinchilla sand about 4 cm (1.5 in) deep, two or three times a week for about 20 minutes, then removing it. PDSA warns that leaving sand in all the time can dry out their skin. Degutopia prefers a high-sided bowl in the play area. Read more in our degu dust bath guide.

DIY degu cage ideas

A home-built enclosure can give far more room than most shop cages. Degutopia's rules for building one are worth following to the letter.

• Plan the size from the number of degus first
• Give good airflow, such as a mesh top or panels
• Use only aluminium sheeting, glass, metal mesh or kiln-dried pine where degus can reach
• Line wooden frames with mesh inside or metal sheeting, because degus chew wood
• Keep mesh gaps to 1.25 cm (½ in) or less
• Fit large doors for cleaning
• Check every edge and screw for sharp points before the degus move in

Glass tanks and vivariums on their own are not suitable homes, as the RSPCA says they don't let enough air circulate. If you'd rather buy, see our best degu cages page.

Common setup mistakes

• Plastic bases, shelves, hides or wheels inside the cage
• Open-rung or spoked wheels, which can break legs or catch tails
• Thin bedding on a wire floor, which leaves nowhere to dig
• One hide for a group, which leads to squabbles
• A cage by a sunny window or radiator
• A sand bath left in all week

For the rest of what degus need, from diet to health, read our complete degu care guide, and keep the setup fresh with our degu cage cleaning routine.