Degus

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Our Pet Pages :

Degus that are – or have been – part of our family.

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Luna

This is Luna. Luna is Latin for “Moon” but I’m not too sure why Luna has her name as it was the name she had when we got her as an almost 2 year old in September 2013. It may be something to do with the crescent shaped markings she has on each side of her head though. Luna is quite nervous and takes some time to get used to you. She’d prefer to be petted and scratched while she sits in her hammock rather than actually being handled. She absolutely LOVES having a scratch (being tickled, stroked, etc.) on her head, nose, behind her ears, on her chest, and on her back. Luna loves her wheel, her sand bath and her hammock, all of which she spends a lot of time in; especially the wheel. She also loves coming out for a run in a secure area, though can sometimes be difficult to catch again. Luckily she also loves food, which makes catching her to get her back in her cage easier. She will take food from your hands. She’s also very good at finding a weak spot in cages and using it to her advantage to escape.

R.I.P. Luna: 1st October 2011 - 1st March 2014

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Jacob

This is Jacob. Jacob is a Hebrew name that means “supplanter” but we didn’t name him for the meaning of the name; he’s actually named after the main werewolf from the “Twilight” books and movies, for no other reason than that we liked the name and like the character from the books and movies. He’s easily identified by the clear markings on his nose: a black stripe and a patch of white that looks similar to the boot shape of Italy in our opinion. Jacob is a very outgoing degu. He loves exploring and will climb or jump on things to get a better look at them, or to have a taste of them. Jacob is usually the first to come and greet someone and the most willing of the sibling group of four to be petted or scratched. Although, even Jacob can be difficult to catch and reluctant to be handled sometimes. He absolutely LOVES being scratched behind the ears and having his tummy rubbed, and also sometimes likes to be tickled under the chin. Jacob loves running on his wheel, or hopping; he’ll hop while on the wheel rather than running sometimes, which is funny to watch. He also LOVES his sand bath, and enjoys playing with empty cardboard tubes.

R.I.P. Jacob: 9th March 2013 - 3rd November 2016.

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Jasper

This is Jasper. Jasper is a Persian name that means “treasurer” but we picked the name to go with Jacob since Jasper is one of the vampires from the “Twilight” books and movies (plus, we like the name). He’s the only one of the sibling group of four boys with no markings on his nose. He’s a sensitive degu who can easily become upset, causing him to squeal in distress. Jasper spends a lot of time running on his wheel or trying to initiate group grooming sessions with his brothers. His other favourite thing to do is eat: Jasper LOVES his food! We always say that Jasper has one question he feels needs answering in this life, and that question is “can I eat it?”

R.I.P. Jasper: 9th March 2013 - 18th June 2016.

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Jenks

This is Jenks. Jenks is a Hebrew name that means “God is gracious” but we actually named him after the pixie who is one of the main characters in Kim Harrison’s “Hollows” book series, and picked the name because it was another “J” name we liked that would go with Jacob and Jasper. His nose markings are difficult to spot, but he has a very thin black stripe across the bridge of his nose and a white spot near each of his nostrils. Jenks is a nervous but overly enthusiastic degu: once he gets up the courage to investigate something he tends to be overly enthusiastic about doing so, so that he will often miss the food and nip your finger instead when taking food from your hand. He also tends to be a bit overly enthusiastic about grooming his brothers, the result of which is a yelp followed by a slap from the degu he’s grooming. Jenks sometimes suffers from nightmares and wakes up squealing in distress, but this doesn’t happen so much now that we leave the TV or radio on for the degus when we go out or go to bed. He’ll chew on just about anything, including the bars of his cage.

R. I. P. Jenks: 9th March 2013 - 26th September 2016

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Joshua

This is Joshua. Joshua is a Hebrew name that means “God is salvation” but we picked it because it was the first “J” name we thought of to go with Jacob, Jasper and Jenks, and we wanted a “J” name because his three brothers all had “J” names. His nose markings are simple; just a single white spot on the left side of his nose. He’s a shy but affectionate degu: it sometimes takes him a long time to get used to you, but when he does he’s eager for attention. He loves to run on his wheel, and will sometimes continue to do so rather than getting up the courage to come and get his share of any treats being handed out. His favourite food is Bite sized Shredded Wheat cereal, which he will hold in one paw while breaking off tiny pieces with the other paw to nibble on daintily.

R. I. P. Joshua: 9th March 2013 - 23rd December 2019

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