How to choose a cage for degu (Chilean squirrel), care rules and diet.

Before purchasing a Chilean degu squirrel, it is important to prepare in detail everything necessary to ensure comfortable conditions for its life support. Despite its small size, the animal requires a large amount of free space. Squirrels love to move a lot, play and be interested in the world around them.

The aviary industry puts on the market high-quality products at a high cost, which can be found in every store. You can save money and reproduce a degu cage with your own hands. The project does not require large investments.

The price of the issue is the minimum cost. If you wish, you can search the Internet for advertisements of those who want to give away the cage for free.

Making a simple squirrel feeder

You can make a regular squirrel feeder from available materials in literally 1 day. The sequence of actions will be as follows:

1. Create a project and drawing of the house, which accurately takes into account the ratio of the sizes of all parts: the bottom, side walls and roof (you can also make the back wall and shelves).
2. Choose a material for the house - a dry wooden board is ideal.
3. Transfer all the details to the board using a pencil and ruler; cut them out carefully.
4. Fasten all parts with nails or self-tapping screws.
5. Secure the feeder to the tree using strong wire or clamps.

Decorative design

When decorating a house for a squirrel, it is important to avoid using paints, but you can use any interesting decorative elements that are attractive to the animal. For example, a decoration in the form of cones, attached with nails to the roof or walls of the structure, is suitable.

If the house was assembled from solid logs, then some part can be decorated using the technique of decorative wood carving. The boards themselves, which have become the walls of the house, can first be decorated with burnt pictures. A good solution would be to design the entrance area separately - to create a kind of porch, reminiscent of a birdhouse platform, so that it is easier for squirrels to get inside.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a degu cage with your own hands

To imagine what the finished cage will look like, you can visit different pet stores and look at the products on offer. Also look at the work of other artists.

Important! The size of the cage is selected depending on the number of pets - the more pets, the larger the house should be.

Preparatory stage

You need to start with a drawing. If you are an experienced craftsman and have a trained eye, then you can skip this step. But it’s better to make a drawing indicating all the dimensions and the amount of material needed. If you do not want to create a drawing yourself, use the proposed model.

After the drawing is transferred to paper, start preparing the necessary tools and materials.

You will need the following materials:

• nails;
• self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws;
• lining;
• wooden blocks;
• galvanized mesh;
• lock on the door.

Tools also needed:

• hammer;
• screwdriver or drill;
• hacksaw;
• metal scissors.

Make blanks based on existing drawings. Also indicate all dimensions and quantities in the drawing, and be guided by it when preparing for work. Once all the elements are ready, you can begin assembly.

Assembly

Assembly is carried out gradually, from bottom to top.

1. First, assemble the bottom: make a base from wooden blocks and make a bottom from clapboard. Screw the bars with screws or self-tapping screws, so you can create a reliable base for the cage.
2. Then make three walls. Screw the mesh to the base, and gradually make all three walls. For greater strength, you can make one wall from lining. Plexiglas is also a good option, in this case you will prevent the contents of the house from scattering outside.
3. Separately, make another wall with a door. And leave it for now.

At this stage, it is worth taking a break and doing some internal arrangement.

Important! At first it makes only 3 walls, the fourth is placed only after the cell is filled.

If you do all the walls at once, it will be inconvenient to fill your home with various elements.

Filling

So that the animal can fully realize the need for activity, make a cage in several tiers, and place various objects inside. Among them the most suitable:

• shelves;
• thick branches;
• hammock;
• you can hang a rope along which your pet can climb to other floors;
• be sure to make a house;
• screw on the wheel (it’s easier to buy it ready-made).

Design the cage with love and care for your pet. Don’t be lazy once again to sand a sharp corner or prepare another shelf. But remember that you also cannot overdo it with filling - there should be a lot of free space in the home for comfortable movement.

Health

If you want your pet to remain healthy and active, you need to choose a cage that is wide and fairly tall so that not only a wheel can fit in this house, but also ledges for climbing, a hammock or sleeping mat, treats, food, shavings and other necessary toys and accessories. A plastic tray is considered an excellent solution for the bottom of a cage with metal bars.

Most cages designed for chinchillas and other rodents will work just fine. You should avoid small plastic parts as your pets will chew them.

Before choosing a cage, first make sure you research the dimensions you need in detail and choose the right accessories to ensure you've considered every option. For example, if there is a moving part in the installation that could potentially catch your leg, tail, or neck. Will a degu be able to chew the bottom of the cage? In general, all materials from which the cage or toys are made must be non-toxic. The lock on the door to the house must close securely.

Finally, when comparing ideas and plans for choosing and creating a degu house, resist the temptation to use an aquarium. Even the largest aquariums will not provide the right type of ventilation or layout that will support a multi-level habitat that your pet will truly enjoy.

Product installation

As in the case of a birdhouse in the country, a house for a squirrel can be secured to a tree with special clamps or wire . Also, it can be stuffed onto a dead part of the tree so as not to injure it. It is advisable to do this in more or less dense vegetation, without turning the front towards noisy places, so that the animals feel some kind of security.

It is better to install the squirrel house higher, at a level of 3-6 meters, but do not forget that working at height can be dangerous, and therefore, be sure to use insurance.

Diet

The best food for feeding degus is guinea pig or chinchilla food. Sugar is not suitable for degus to eat, so you need to check the list of ingredients on the food packaging. Dried fruits or molasses should be avoided and not added to your pet's food. Fresh hay must be available at all times. You need to supplement your pet's diet with fresh vegetables, but not fruits, which have a high content of natural sugar. You can try offering your furry animal seeds or puffed rice.

For information on what a degu cage should be like, see below.

Whole squirrel: how to make

You can also make a squirrel cage from a single piece of wood. To do this, you need to take a piece of log from the type of wood that is typical for your region. Squirrels love to settle in oak trees. At the same time, they avoid houses that are made of aspen and birch. Poplar squirrel forests are completely unsuitable for squirrels to live in.

We will take a pine stump. To do this, we will need to select a pine log of at least 40 cm in diameter. We saw off a 4 cm thick circle from it. This will be the roof of our squirrel hut for the squirrels.

After this, a piece of log 40 cm long is sawn off. On one side of the piece, a hole is hollowed out of a size that will be sufficient for a squirrel to live in. The thickness of the side walls is left at 2.5 cm and the bottom at 3 cm. An inlet hole is cut out from the side. The lid of the house is nailed down. That's basically it. The squirrel is ready.

For a two-story squirrel cage made from a single piece of wood, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. two circles 4 cm thick are cut out. This is the roof of the second floor and the bottom of the first floor;
2. a piece of log 75 cm long is sawn off;
3. on the two end sides of the log, holes are hollowed out to a depth of 35 cm with a thickness of the side walls of 3 cm;
4. the roof and bottom are attached;
5. two inlet holes are made at the required height.

Solid wood squirrel houses fit more naturally into the garden design. Squirrels love to live in them. These are practical, durable and warm houses that will become a real home for forest inhabitants.

It happens that a pet needs to be kept outside, for example. But it happens exactly the opposite - a wild forest animal lives in our apartment, and under certain conditions can even become tame. An example of this is the common squirrel, a small, nimble animal that lives in trees.

Common squirrel

Reviews

Anna Koteeva, 32 years old, Kropyvnytskyi

For our daughter’s fifth birthday, my husband and I decided to give her a gift – a degu. Since our apartment is not large, my husband decided to use the niche wisely, where they placed a house for the pet. We did not buy a ready-made cage, since they are not very cheap, and despite the fact that houses for hamsters or rats are not suitable for the Chilean squirrel. Therefore, the husband himself made a cage from plexiglass on one floor. Since we knew that such animals live in pairs, we gave the baby 2 degus. Imagine our surprise when a year later one “boy” brought us offspring. As a result, the husband had to finish 2 floors and another house, since it turns out that until the babies grow up, the males need to be kept separately. I would also like to add that such rodents need their own houses, that is, one housing per individual. Otherwise they fight.

Timofey Kolt, 51 years old, Uman

I work in a pet store and they often buy Chilean squirrels from me. When a buyer purchases an animal, he tries to buy everything necessary for it. Unfortunately, cages for such rodents are not very cheap, so many people simply buy furnishings for them, making the house themselves. And here not everyone doesn’t know that baby degus need their own corner. I make cells for sale myself, so I want to give one piece of advice. Since such animals do not like direct sun, they need a place where they can hide from it. If it is not possible to buy a ready-made house, then you can simply cover one of the corners with thick dark fabric.

Kristina Lebedeva, 24 years old, Moscow

My beloved gave me a degu on February 14th. We made the cage ourselves. I insisted on plexiglass, as it is easier to fit into the interior. I paid special attention to the comfort of pets. Therefore, having studied a lot of literature, I want to give a couple of tips. Degus secrete a lot of liquid, which is why we change the tray almost every day. Once every 3-4 months, my boyfriend makes me new wooden shelves, as they absorb moisture very strongly and begin to smell unpleasant. Also, so that my little ones wouldn’t get bored, I sewed a hammock myself and hung it on the “2nd floor”. When I first set up the cage, I bought ordinary rodent houses for them. Literally by the second month, they no longer resembled anything. So then I bought them a home made of pine needles. It turns out that this breed is absolutely safe for degus, but it tastes bitter, so they don’t touch the houses anymore.

DIY squirrel feeder

The proposed version of the feeder is not a little more difficult to assemble than a squirrel house. This option is rarely used in squirrel enclosures, but is often found in European parks. The design is practical and convenient to use. Fluffy beauties take food out of it with pleasure. The specific structure ensures that food poured into the feeder will not be eaten by magpies, crows, pigeons and other large birds. Unlike a house for squirrels, the feeder is made transparent. Its main element is a glass jar. This is a good solution not only from the point of view of food safety. A glass aquarium makes it possible to watch the animal eating, and it does so in a surprisingly touching way.

Squirrel feeder with jar

So, to assemble a squirrel feeder with your own hands you will need:

• ruler;
• screws;
• saw;
• glass jar of at least liter volume;
• board 180 cm long;
• sandpaper.

Feeder drawing

The board is sawn and assembled like a small dressing room. Holes with a diameter of 10 cm are drilled on the sides. A hole is made in the center of the front wall into which the neck of the glass container should easily fit. The body of the can rests on the board of the elongated bottom and is fixed by the side. Just like a house or enclosure for squirrels, the feeder will also require care. From there you will need to periodically throw away droppings and leftover food.

Feeder out of the box

This is a unified model of a squirrel feeder. The box should be larger in size than kefir packs, the proportions of which are quite satisfactory for the birds. A hole is cut into the side wall of the box, and ropes are pulled into the holes cut under the top of the container. For them, an impromptu dining room will be suspended from a tree.

Squirrel feeder from a box

Open feeder

The most unpretentious option. The specificity is that pegs are fixed on a wooden stand, on which corn cobs are strung. Birds are not able to cope with large vegetable grains and all the food goes exclusively to squirrels, who do it without difficulty.

Open feeder with corn on the cob

How to please a squirrel

What can you put in a squirrel feeder, besides seeds and nuts in shells? In winter, it should contain dried fruits, without any additives, and pieces of unsalted lard. The latter is rich in calories and vitamins, which contributes to good tolerance to cold weather. Dried mushrooms, oatmeal and flax seeds can be offered as food. Make sure that the products offered do not contain flavorings, salt or sugar.

Dried fruits will please squirrels

Other furnishings

When purchasing a house and all additional equipment for a degu, you need to take into account all the needs and wishes of the animal. If the animal does not have the opportunity to sharpen its teeth, then it will suffer from the unpleasant sensations that appear as new fangs grow.

That is why stones, twigs and other solid objects must be kept within the cage. Most of all, degus like to gnaw the branches of pears, chestnuts or willows along with the bark.

The cage can accommodate as many pipes and complex tunnels as possible through which the animals will move. They love narrow, dark spaces that resemble burrows. You can make the pipe yourself from metal corrugation. The edges should be processed so that the animal cannot be injured.

Degu cage

The litter is sawdust, white paper, and corn cobs. The side surface allows you to place drip drinkers with clean water and convenient feeders. All equipment can be made of plexiglass and thoroughly disinfected.

In order to create an enclosure for a degu, you need to take into account all the needs of the animal and know its preferences. The well-being and mood of your pet completely depends on the environment.

It is very important to consider available space. You shouldn’t fill the entire cage with toys and utensils, as the animals are constantly moving and jumping.

Each element must be safe for the health of the animal.

Thus, the animal will feel happy and calm being in the house where everything is created according to its needs.

We build a squirrel farm with our own hands

To build a squirrel colony with your own hands, you won’t need much. First, you need to decide what you will make your squirrel house out of. We offer you two options:

1. construction of a house for squirrels from edged boards using self-tapping screws and insulation with natural moss;
2. making a squirrel cage with your own hands from a single piece of wood of the type that is typical for your region.

Wheel

The degu cage should be equipped with a wheel, which the animals love to spin. It is better to make such a structure from metal or organic glass. You can cover the wheel with fabric to make the paws of rodents more comfortable. This will also prevent the formation of corns.

The main condition in the design of the wheel is the integrity of the treadmill. If there are gaps or crevices, the degu's tail could get caught in there, causing injury.

The size of the wheel for animals must be at least 20 centimeters in diameter.

How to build a solid squirrel farm

Animals live in log houses with pleasure: it is cozy and, thanks to the thick walls, very warm. Such squirrel nests will naturally fit into any design and blend into your garden. When purchasing a log, keep in mind that squirrels love coniferous and oak hollows most of all; they are reluctant to settle in birch and aspen ones, and generally avoid poplar ones. Use a log with a diameter of at least 40 cm.

Step-by-step construction of a house made of solid logs

1. build a roof - saw off a circle 4 cm thick;
2. cut a piece 40 cm long - this is a squirrel harvest;
3. hollow out in the hemp a cavity of the size necessary for the animals to live, not forgetting to leave the thickness of the side walls and bottom about 3 cm;
4. cut a round hole on the side - a manhole;
5. nail the previously made lid on top;
6. If desired, arrange a porch - pin a snag or a thick branch.

A wonderful squirrel cage is ready! In the same way, a two-story log house is created.

Two-story apartment made from a single piece of wood

1. saw off two circles 4 cm thick - the bottom of the first floor and the roof of the second;
2. prepare a piece of log 75 cm long;
3. hollow out holes 35 cm deep in it from the ends, not forgetting about the thickness of the walls;
4. attach the bottom and roof;
5. cut two entry holes at the desired height.

Belchatnik on two floors

You have built a luxurious apartment for a family of nimble animals!

“New building” for a squirrel: the purpose of construction

House for several squirrels

Rodents can live in a self-constructed house all year round, and they will feel comfortable, safe and well-fed, especially in winter, when there is no urgent need to look for food.

Therefore, you can observe their interesting behavior and feed them with nuts whenever possible.

Psychologists have proven that contact and observation of small furry animals causes positive emotions in a person; as they say, relaxation occurs.

A house for a squirrel is:

• food storage
• area for the birth of baby squirrels
• reliable protection in cold weather

In addition, a home for a furry animal, made independently, is a worthy decoration for any park.

By creating a squirrel colony, this is not only helping our smaller friends, but also fulfilling the main mission of man on earth - to make the world more beautiful.

Sand for bathing

Degus need to regularly take sand baths to cleanse their fur of sebum and to get rid of excess moisture. Any container can be used. It is recommended to place a bathing suit in the cage every day, but you can reduce the number of such baths to two or three per week. The container should not be kept in the enclosure all the time, because it will quickly fill with garbage, and the degus will use it as a toilet.

Ordinary sand is not suitable for these animals. It is too rough for them and can damage their delicate skin. Therefore, you should purchase a special mixture for bathing chinchillas at a pet store.

Requirements for building a house

1. A squirrel's home should be built only from natural wood. Therefore, when constructing a house for a squirrel with your own hands, you should not allow the use of artificial, sealed or plastic building materials.
2. You cannot line the squirrel cage from the inside. The internal walls of the house must also be made of natural material, not treated with varnish, paint or other chemicals. Synthetic smells will only scare away the animal, and it will never settle in such a squirrel forest.
3. It is necessary to respect the dimensions of the living space. Squirrels prefer to live in small, cozy and warm houses, and therefore the squirrel colony should be compact. In large buildings, the risk of freezing inside the squirrel nest increases significantly, from where the squirrel will quickly move out.

Equipping an enclosure for degus

If the external elements of the cage are aimed at preventing the degu from escaping, then the internal parts are designed to create a comfortable environment, the ability to move around in a small space and maintain an active lifestyle.

Shelves in a cage for degus

Housing for squirrels must have at least 2 levels. They will be separated from each other in the cage by horizontal wooden partitions. To move degus across floors, holes are made in the shelves, to which ladders, rope cords, or, for example, tree trunk cuts are connected.

The shelf can be made from plywood and blocks, but its end edges, accessible to the degu's teeth, should be covered with metal elements. An aluminum corner or profile works well in this role. With their help, all wooden ribs are carefully closed, which will save the partition from merciless and rapid destruction.

Feeder and drinker for squirrels

If you can easily make the entire cage for a squirrel with your own hands, then the containers should be picked up at a pet store. Dishes for degu can be glass, ceramic or metal:

House or shelter for degus

A squirrel house can be of any shape. They even put boxes with an open front in the cage. Rodents do not spend very much time in them, only when they want to hide from prying eyes.

For degus, another element is much more important - imitation burrows, which will be completely closed on all sides. You can use cardboard tubes for this. They are easy to find in hardware and construction stores or even made yourself from suitable material. The pipes will become a favorite place for Chilean squirrels, who are accustomed to living in underground passages, to spend the night and rest.

You should be prepared for the fact that the degu will begin to chew on all these items and from time to time the internal elements of the cage will require updating. Therefore, it is recommended to make wooden props from hardwood, and protect the edges with metal edging. This way they will last much longer.

Other devices and items that need to be installed in the cage

The degu cage must be equipped with additional accessories:

Another very important device that needs to be installed in the cage is a bathtub. Degus do not like water and experience extreme stress if they get into it. But the Chilean squirrel cleans its coat with sand. Choose a sand bath taking into account the following nuances:

How to install the house correctly?

Creating comfortable living conditions and a cozy atmosphere for the animal is the main goal facing the creator of the squirrel farm. For this reason, the following rules must be observed:

• the squirrel must be fixed to the tree;
• the height of the house must be at least 5 m from the ground level so that the animal feels safe and calm;
• the structure must be positioned in such a way that the entrance hole “looks” at the south or east side;
• you cannot fasten the house with a hole in the direction where the constant winds in a particular area are directed;
• the bottom of the squirrel nest should be covered with a little moss;
• Build a feeding trough next to the house so that the furry residents quickly settle into their new place.

Additional items

In addition to the basic items and accessories that should be in the cage, for a healthy and active life the degu will need additional accessories:

• hay rack;
• beautiful frame made of untreated wood;
• place for digging holes;
• hammock;
• tree branches without pesticides.

Construction of a squirrel colony from boards

In order to construct a house for a squirrel, there is practically no need for a drawing, since the process is very simple. For work, you should prepare the following materials in advance:

1. Board 3 m long, 20 mm thick, 30 cm wide.
2. Hacksaw or jigsaw.
3. Square.
4. Sandpaper.
5. Glue.
6. Self-tapping screws.

Preparing the Components

So, to know for sure how to make a house for a squirrel, the first thing you need to do is prepare the individual parts. To do this, you should perform a number of actions:

1. It is necessary to measure and saw off 55 cm along the length of the board - this part will serve as the back wall of the squirrel cage.
2. On the same board, you should outline 5 cm at the top and bottom - this will leave room for the subsequent attachment of the house to the tree.
3. Then you need to cut 2 parts along the board, each measuring 25x45 cm - these will be the side walls of the house.
4. Saw off a piece measuring 20x25cm, which will serve as a partition.
5. The remaining planks will play the role of a porch in the squirrel garden.

Making an entrance hole

To make “doors” for the squirrel cage, you will need to cut round holes of the correct shape using a jigsaw. The optimal size for the “entrance door” is 7 cm. A hole of this diameter will allow the squirrel to feel comfortable inside the structure and not let the heat out. The holes should then be carefully sanded to avoid damaging the animal. Squirrels often run the risk of getting hurt by getting their paws caught in wood chips.

Putting the structure together

After a painstaking process of preparing all the components of the structure, the squirrel colony itself should be formed from them. To do this, all fragments of the house must first be secured with glue. This will make sure that the shapes are correct and consistent, and you will see how correctly all the components are fitted. Then you can finally fix all the components using standard self-tapping screws. It is important to note that when driving in regular nails there is a risk of injury to the animal, so their use is not recommended.

The house is ready. After its final assembly, you can insulate the bottom by laying tow or a little forest moss on it. This way, you give the furry residents the opportunity to eliminate minor errors that arose during the construction of the squirrel colony on their own in order to provide their home with maximum comfort.

General principles of creation

One of the main tasks when creating a squirrel cage with your own hands is to correctly calculate the dimensions of all the parts and draw up the drawings. When identifying the parameters of walls and roofs, you can use ready-made figures presented on the Internet. The base house's side walls are 45 by 25 centimeters, and the top and bottom walls are 55 by 30 centimeters.

There is also an internal partition, the length of which corresponds to 25 centimeters and the width to 20 centimeters. It is worth doing it, since the animals live in families, but each individual prefers to have a separate space. It is worth explaining that the result will be a simple house with a flat roof

If you want to make the structure more interesting - with a vaulted roof, then you will have to independently calculate the angle of the vault and the parameters of the roof. In addition, the side walls should extend upward, forming corners responsible for complete sealing. It is better to sand a wooden board first, but not to process it. The wall thickness should be between 1.5 and 2 centimeters.

In general, a three-meter board with a width of 30 centimeters will be enough for all the work. Assembly will require familiar tools usually found in the household. Most often this is a pencil with a ruler, a hacksaw and jigsaw, a screwdriver with self-tapping screws, sandpaper and, possibly, waterproof glue that does not have any odor.

The use of glue is not mandatory, so if you cannot find a suitable composition, then it is better to skip the gluing stage altogether. Don’t forget about the need to dry the finished structure in the fresh air for about a day.

When making wooden blanks, it is recommended to maintain a five-millimeter error. The diameter of the inlet hole must be at least 7 centimeters.

It is worth mentioning that it is easy to create a second floor in a tall house. This way the space can accommodate a large number of individuals in winter.

Caring for a squirrel house

Over time, colonies of bacteria can form in the squirrel colony, which provoke the appearance of unpleasant odors and diseases of the animals themselves. Therefore, caring for the home of furry animals involves mandatory cleaning of the squirrel colony at the end of the summer.

So, cleaning the house includes removing any dirt, insulation materials, debris and husks that were used by the animals. You can also wipe the walls and bottom of the squirrel hut with a damp cloth, then let the house dry and lay fresh bedding on the bottom. In order to avoid contact with pathogenic microorganisms, cleaning work should be carried out using rubber gloves.

The idea for creating an original squirrel colony is presented in the video:

Basic items that should be in the cage

A free cage must be equipped with a hard bottom. It must be covered with shavings. There should be a bowl of food and a bottle of water. Food for your animal can be selected from food for guinea pigs or pellets for chinchillas. The arrangement of the cage includes not only important objects for climbing or feeding, the existence of objects that the degu will chew is considered mandatory.

The exercise wheel should be selected as hard as possible.

Small tricks ↑

• You can use anything: any old boards, boards from packing boxes, slabs - as long as it is natural wood.
• All material for production must be dry.
• The optimal board thickness is 2-2.5 cm. In this case, the house will last a long time.
• There is no need to plan the boards for the inner walls of the squirrel cage.
• The width of the side panel should be 30 cm, and the front and back should be 25 cm. We have already indicated all other parameters above. This is done for the convenience of the squirrels, because they will not live in too large dwellings.
• It is better not to nail the bottom of the squirrel cage from the outside, but to place it inside - this way it will not fall out and will serve for a long time.

The simplest squirrel hut made from boards may be liked by the animals more than an ornate store-bought house

Belchatnik can be made in two ways:

• put together from boards, like a birdhouse;
• hollow out from a solid log.

Equipment for rodents

Arranging a degu cage requires special attention. It contains drinking bowls, feeders, a house, a “bathhouse” and toys. Items can be purchased in the store. Stainless steel bowls are used as feeders. They are fixed to the walls or to the frame. It is recommended to use nipple drinkers. A manger is used for hay.

There should be several houses. Sometimes squirrels sleep in the same house, hugging each other. In this case, you can make a “bathhouse” from another shelter, which is necessary for the animals to bathe. Choose wooden or ceramic structures. A stump without a core, wooden labyrinths, straw structures can serve as a shelter for rodents:

It is necessary to create comfortable living conditions for degus. The cage is made spacious, multi-tiered with stripes and transitions. Filler is placed on the floor. This will help avoid corns. All dirt will collect in the pan, but it is protected from the teeth of a rodent. The health of the Chilean squirrel depends on how spacious the home is.

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Source

Requirements for the feeder

A feeding trough, as well as a house for furry beauties, must be made in accordance with certain rules:

1. For a do-it-yourself squirrel feeder, only natural wood is used, and not varnished chipboard or even plastic fragments. Firstly, squirrels live in the forest and all kinds of paints, laminates and plastic paraphernalia are extremely dangerous for a delicate organism. Secondly, the smell of varnish can scare away the squirrel and your work will be in vain.
2. You need to make a compact structure.
3. If the feeder is closed, then it needs a round hole.
4. In order for squirrels to visit the feeder, you need to hang it correctly - only on a tree, and at such a height that you can safely put food and treats there.

Appeal

Most degus should be treated with extreme caution. If you want your animal to remain tame, you need to communicate with it and pick it up daily. You need to insert your hands into the cage carefully and slowly so as not to frighten your pets, and so that your sudden movements are not perceived by the degu as aggressive actions of predators. Let the degus come up to you, first they will sniff your hand, then they will be able to eat from your hands, and then they will easily climb up to you.

Never pull a degu out of its cage by its tail!