Welcome to our world!

Hello!

Welcome to the maiden post of The Degu Diaries, a little corner of internet space dedicated to all things degu. Kick your shoes off, make yourself at home - would you like some tea? Coffee? Something stronger...?

To get things started properly, how about some introductions? My name is Emma. I'm twenty-five, and live in Derbyshire, UK, with my boyfriend James and our two little furballs (and future internet stars!), Pika and Pixie. With the start of a new year comes new ambitions and endeavours - thus, The Degu Diaries are here! 

James and I, summer 2016

We got our degus in October 2016, but hadn't actually heard of these cute little critters before last summer. We took a chance visit to a pet shop which had three or four goos, instantly fell in love, and decided we had to get some! I'm a big advocate of animal adoptions, however, so we took to the net to try and find a local rescue centre which had some little ones looking for a new home.

After a great deal of research we came across Notts Nibblers, a self-funded rescue centre who take in all manner of small pets from rabbits to rats. We took a trip to see the lovely lady in charge, Flo, and she showed us all the degus looking for a new forever home. Pika and Pixie (whose names we chose post-adoption) stole our hearts; Pika settling down quietly in James' hands sort of decided for us - we didn't choose the goos, the goos chose us!

About three weeks after first meeting the girls, it was time to pick them up and bring them to their new home! Flo had provided us with a tonne of helpful advice regarding cages, bedding/substrate, food, and other vital elements to looking after degus and, once we had her approval with the set-up, we got our degus on 19th October 2016. 

Since then our girls have blossomed, and it's been a pleasure to watch.

Pixie - named for her cheeky, mischievous nature - is naughty but loving. If a degu is going to try and escape its cage, it's our Pix. She's the first to investigate a new toy or item and can be almost cat-like in her anti-sociability, but when sleepy she'll happily curl into a ball in our hands, give you a gentle nibble of affection, and doze off.

Pika, who was going to be Pico until we realised that was probably a bit masculine, has both James and I wrapped around her little claw. She's always been the shyer of the two, forever letting Pixie go exploring first, but now she's equally as happy to come out and play. She's also the most clumsy little thing I've ever laid eyes on: Pika is the one most likely to miss a jump, or accidentally fall out of the cage out of sheer enthusiasm! She's also not what you'd call 'athletic' - whereas Pixie loves nothing more than whiling time away on the wheel, Pika prefers to just sit in it. She is, however, a complete sweetheart.

The stars of the show! Pika (L) and Pixie (R) before bedtime

Ever-curious Pixie

Pika shows off her hooman impression

Their exact age is unknown - they were still relatively young when rescued by Notts Nibblers in April 2016, so in October last year it was estimated that they were around one year old. We're not sure if they are related in any way, but I do like to think of them as sisters!   

So, that's us - now it's your turn! Do you have degus, or are you interested in getting some? The next few posts are going to concern the technicalities on being goo-owners: what cage we chose, the kind of bedding we use, what our girls love (and hate) to eat, how we keep the girls entertained, etc. If there is anything you'd specifically like to see discussed on this blog leave a comment below - I'd love to hear your ideas!

Follow me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes degu action, and on Twitter where I'll be announcing any and all new blog updates!

(Shameless plug - I'm looking to work on my personal blog more in 2017 as it's been neglected for a good while, so for a more general insight into my life as a twenty-something crazy degu lady feel free to head on over.)

Xx