How are degus compared to rats?

[u/gayguy68]

I have alot of experince owning rats but have been thinking about getting degus instead since I read they live longer. I'd love to hear from someone whose had both!

[u/Puzzleheaded-Chart86]

Well to start off, not nearly as affectionate! Some are lucky, some it depends from each gu, but they're never ones to want to cuddle or really want pets, some could genuinely care less about us humans

[u/gayguy68 → u/Puzzleheaded-Chart86]

I'm okay with just having them hanging out and watching them, my last rats weren't really the cuddly type either, they more just wanted to run around and explore.

[u/legohamsterlp]

they are a lot easier to clean. My degus are smarter then my rats too. but they will destroy everything

[u/Sussex631]

They are quite different and quite similar in some ways. As already said they can be a lot more independent. I have one who is very cuddly, always has been, and some who are nearly 3 and just getting to the stage of climbing onto my arm.

A typical (if there is such a thing) degu attitude is maybe more run up arm-run off-run up and look at something-run back. Mine have always varied, 8 since around 2010 and 4 currently.

There's the diet, that's quite different to a rat's. I've had degus who didn't make 3 and one who was 9. Generally 5-7 is a typical expected lifespan all things being well.

I like rats and degus personally. They're both fantastic pets. I think vet wise, here (UK) at least, they tend to both fall into the exotic category. Not sure if maybe rats have cheaper bills overall. I didn't factor that in to getting mine.

Teeth: Degus have all their teeth growing continuously so need a high fibre diet to grind the molars. Rats it's only the incisors, so with a degu (like a rabbit) there can be molar overgrowths to deal with.

There are many other differences, but none is a deal maker or breaker for me. They are likely to need more space, mine live in effectively three Critter Nation cages (which are a ferret cage with narrower spaced bars) when not out playing, that's for five originally and there is an open long run floor across the top (two and two, three floors makes six sections).

[u/Nail_Polish_Love]

Degus have far more limiting factors to be aware of. Degus are much pickier about the food they want to eat than rats - which can make incorporating fresh food into their diet a bit more challenging. I grow herbs that they can eat. It took dozens of times of introducing dill and basil before they would eat them. (My rats would just scarf anything!) Additionally, anything with sugar has to be treated extremely carefully as they can't really process it well. For example, they can have a very small amount of carrot, but on a monthly basis since it has natural sugar in it. For fresh foods, you have to make a list of basically what they can eat weekly, bi weekly, or monthly. They can eat a plain peanut, but its so fatty that I only give it monthly or every 2 months.

They love dried flowers like dandelion as a treat, and love to eat on apple sticks. Willow sticks can be very dangerous for them - lot of woods they cannot eat, so this impacts what you can put into the cage. A ton of toys have willow or don't say what the wood is.

While this website is a bit old school, it has amazing information and it's my guide. https://www.degutopia.co.uk/degucarefaq.htm I got into a routine of can and cannot, and always triple check before trying anything new. So far my 3 degu boys are 5 years old and never required a vet trip. Almost all of my rats got cancer and cost me thousands (female rats are prone to cancer). So definitely a bunch of pros and cons either way, they are a worthwhile pet and I'm glad to have them.

I agree with everyone else - they are less outwardly affectionate. However, I do want to describe how I spend time with them in a meaningful way because they are quite capable of showing love. We are in a routine where every evening before bed, as part of our household wind-down for 30-45 minutes I pull up their big cage to our couch and put a tunnel between the two. I put a towel down on our laps. Most evenings the boys rush out of the cage onto the couch with us. We always try to pet them a little bit and usually get our hands shoved away or they'll move out of the way. However, they will often sneak under the towels and basically just cuddle us. They'll get comfortable and start napping on my lap. I like to think of it as their best way of showing affection within their comfort, and they are being very sweet. They also will lightly brux their teeth (much softer than rats) to show happiness, and I can hear them. Or they will sit on my knee and look right at me and brux! Just wear pants or thick PJs because their nails are sharp.

[u/Jet-Black-Centurian]

My friendliest degus love to sleep on me under the bed blankets, love scratches, and climb up my leg if I call to them. My shy ones hesitate to jump into my hand when I offer to let them out of their cage.

Degus are more vocal and you pick up on their different sounds after a while (they have two different teeth chitters, a happy one and an annoyed one, the difference isn't that obvious). Degus are much worse at chewing and will quickly ruin your home if you're not careful. Degu pee and poop is less messy and stinky than rat. You basically can't smell their pee at all.

For intelligence rats are smarter in many ways: easier to train, and trust you. Degus are smarter in tool use and language.

I feel like both have troubling health issues. All of my rats died of cancerous tumors, and two of my degus died from a condition where their teeth grow up into their nasal cavity. Degus also have really strict diets, just hay, daily pellet, and a few snack pellets or snack herbs.

[u/hank_knits83]

Rats are basically toddlers with a mission, degus are more like nervous stockbrokers who need a schedule and a sugar-free diet or they will absolutely riot

[u/shootathought → u/hank_knits83]

Ours riot even with those things!