Building a safe, fun and comfortable environment for your degu is the first step to becoming a responsible owner. When taken care of, degus can be some of the most exciting and fun small pets to own, especially if they have a lot of room to roam around and play.
If you’ve decided that a degu is an ideal pet for your family, you’re going to need to find a good cage, which can be quite difficult and time consuming. This guide to the best degu cages of 2018 is designed to make the process easy and help you to find the perfect habitat for your small animal.
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Degu Cages Reviews
Midwest Critter Nation Habitat
Standalone critter cages can be a great choice for pet owners who have a lot of space for their small pets. The Midwest Critter Nation Habitat is the ideal place for your degu as it gives them more than enough space to run around, relax and keep themselves entertained.
Product Highlights
Designed with several different small critters in mind, this particular cage is phenomenal for small pets that love to be active as it gives them more than enough room to roam around. Some of other great highlights of the Midwest Critter Nation Habitat include:
- Half-inch wire spacing: If your degu decides that it wants to climb, you’ll love the fact that the entire habitat has a half inch of space in between all of the horizontal wires so they can climb safely and easily.
- Adjustable shelves: Instead of having to stick with a predesigned cage that you can’t customize based on the needs of your pet, you’ll love the adjustable shelves that allow you to change the heights of all of the levels.
- Safety ramp covers: To help prevent slips and injuries, all of the ramps inside of the Midwest Critter Nation Habitat are designed with a “Happy Feet Ramp Cover” which helps to protect your degu’s feet with the help of non-slip traction paths.
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MidWest Deluxe Critter Nation Double Unit Small Animal Cage (Model 162) Includes 2 leak-Proof Pans, 2 Shelves, 3 Ramps w/ Ramp Covers & 4 locking Wheel Casters, Measures 36"L x 24"W x 63"H Inches, Ideal for Dagus, Rats, Ferrets, Sugar Gliders
- Critter Nation Double Unit habitat/cage (162) includes two pans, two adjustable shelves, three plastic ramps with covers & easily maneuverable stand with 4 locking wheel casters
- Full-width double doors on Critter Nation small animal cage and removeable shelf provide maximum accessibility for easy cleaning & feeding
- Critter Nation's wide expanse shelves & full width leak-proof pans provide maximized play area & prevent dangerous falls
- Great for Rats, Chinchillas, Dagus, Ferrets |Tubing (Corners) 0.6 inches square & 1/2 " horizontal wire spacing allow pets to fulfill their instinct to climb & explore in a secure environment
- Critter Nation small animal cage measures 36"L x 25"W x 63"H | No tools required assembly & includes a 1- year Manufacturer's Warranty
The Good
When you first start using this habitat, you will notice a few benefits, such as:
- Easy to clean: Arguably one of the most difficult parts of owning small pets is cleaning. You won’t have to spend hours cleaning this cage as you have access to double wide doors and shelves that you can remove entirely for a deep clean.
- Easy to accessorize: All of the shelves offer three different height adjustments, which is great if you want to hang different types of toys and treats from the side of the habitat. You’ll have far more control over the things you put in the habitat than with other models.
- Sturdy and reliable: Once you have constructed the cage, the first thing you’re going to notice is how sturdy and reliable it feels which is great for people who have been used unreliable habitats in the past.
The Bad
Two concerns that you might experience with the Midwest Critter Nation Habitat are:
- Difficult to assemble: In comparison to traditional tabletop cages, the Midwest Critter Nation Habitat will be difficult to put together.
- Shallow litter pans: The vast majority of small pets require deep litter pans to collect their waste. Unfortunately, this model only comes with a shallow litter pan which means you’ll have to clean it quite often.
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CONS
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Ferplast Pig Cage
As a more traditional type of habitat that you can choose for your degu, the Ferplast Pig Cage is ideal for people who don’t have a lot of space to house a vertical unit. There are plenty of great things about this particular cage, such as the fact that it has a simple design that is easy for anyone to use.
Product Highlights
Created with the everyday small pet owner in mind, the Ferplast Pig Cage is a traditional design that nearly everyone has seen at least once in their life. It also comes with plenty of accessories including a guinea pig home, hay feeder, bowl and drinking bottle. A couple of other great highlights include:
- Opening front door: To help make cleaning easier and less time-consuming, the entire front of the cage opens easily, giving you access to the entire cage.
- Removable base: As the metal grated top attaches to the bottom of the unit, you’ll easily be able to remove it, which is another great cleaning feature.
Ferplast Cavie Guinea Pig Cage & Rabbit Cage | Pet Cage Includes All Accessories to Get You Started & a 1-Year Warranty
- Fully Equipped Guinea Pig Cage | Cavie is a great starter guinea pig home & includes a food dish, water bottle, large guinea pig hide-out
- Easy Maintenance Guinea Pig Cage | Front & side doors fully open for quick cleaning access and the deep 6-inch base contains litter & other debris inside the guinea pig cage
- Great Guinea Pig Starter Cage | Guinea pig cage measures 30.3L x 18.5W x 16.5H inches, deep base measures 30.3L x 18.5W x 6H, wire mesh is 1W x 10L inches
- Versatile Pet Cage | Cavie is an ideal choice as a guinea pig cage & a hedgehog cage
- Ferplast Quality Guarantee! | Cavie guinea pig cage includes a 1-Year Manufacturer's Warranty
The Good
Even though the Ferplast Pig Cage may not come with as many features as other habitats, there are plenty of benefits to be had, including:
- Easy to set up: Instead of having to spend hours trying to affix shelves to the outside of the cage, this particular habitat is incredibly easy to assemble.
- Ideal size for one animal: Even though you might be concerned about its size at first, the Ferplast Pig Cage is great for one degu at a time as it has the perfect amount of space for a covered sleeping area, an exercise area and a play area.
The Bad
There are a couple of issues with the Ferplast Pig Cage:
- Too small for two degus: Depending on the number of pets you intend on owning, you certainly won’t be able to keep two degus in this habitat comfortably without having to worry about territorial issues.
- Unreliable accessories: Although the accessories that come with the cage are useful at first, as you begin to use them regularly you’ll find several problems with them, such as that the water bottle never stays on the holder and the food bowl may be too big.
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CONS
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Living World Deluxe Habitat
With a similar design to the Ferplast Pig Cage, the Living World Deluxe Habitat excels where other traditional tabletop cages may fail. With its high-quality construction and accessible features, it’s a great option for all small pets, especially degus.
Product Highlights
At first glance, the Living World Deluxe Habitat looks like a great choice for the following reasons:
- Hybrid cage design: With a plastic base and a wireframe upper body, you’ll be able to provide your pets with a ventilated, safe and comfortable environment.
- Accessible areas: With the combination of a hidden resting area, an accessible second level and the typical bottom floor, there are plenty of different places for your pets to relax and play.
- Tool-free assembly: If you’re ready to have your new pet’s home put together immediately, you’ll appreciate that the Living World Deluxe Habitat can be constructed without the use of any tools and within a matter of minutes.
Living World Guinea Pig, Rabbit, Ferret Cage - X-Large Deluxe Hutch
- Habitat that provides everything you need for safely housing a small animal. Finish-Epoxy
- The hybrid cage, consisting of an upper wire frame and a plastic bottom base, provides a safe, well ventilated and comfortable place for small pets
- Includes a balcony with an access ramp and a tip proof food dish that secures to the balcony floor
- Available in X large size. Rabbit cages and guinea pig cages need to be kept dry and cleaned regularly to make sure your pet is happy and healthy
- Measures 46 8/9 inch length by 22 4/5 inch width by 24 inch height
The Good
It seems to be that this particular habitat offers all of the benefits that you would expect from a tabletop cage, including:
- Safety latch when opening: Instead of a traditional wire door that simply slides open and is dangerous for your pets, there is a small metal bar that needs to be raised prior to opening the front door.
- Spacious: Unlike other tabletop wire cages that only have enough space for one degu, you’ll easily be able to fit two in the same space without any issues. Also, this particular model comes in an even larger size, which might be more comfortable for more than one pet.
- Easy to carry: In the event that you need to transport your cage from one area to another, you’ll appreciate how lightweight the cage is, especially as it is larger than what you would expect from a traditional wire cage.
The Bad
There are plenty of great features about the Living World Deluxe Habitat, but there are a couple of concerns as well:
- Difficult to clean: Although its design suggests that it would be easy to clean, it all depends on the amount of waste you allow to accumulate in the cage. A tip for saving time on cleaning is to leave a puppy pad on the bottom of the cage with the bedding on top, so when you clean you just remove the pad. Otherwise, you’ll have to completely empty the cage and clean every corner once a week.
- Poorly constructed accessories: Even though the Living World Deluxe Habitat is designed to give your degu a comfortable place to live as soon as you unbox it, the accessories aren’t reliable and sometimes even the water bottle won’t work, causing your pets to become frustrated.
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Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage
Giving your pets a lot of space can be a great way to make sure they’re getting enough exercise on a daily basis. However, you will need a larger cage with a lot of floor space. The Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage surely will give your degus more than enough room to experience luxury and freedom, and it takes the idea of a large cage to a whole new level.
Product Highlights
A few of the most phenomenal highlights of the Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage include:
- Multiple levels: By far, the most noticeable highlight of this habitat is that it offers five different shelves, five separate ramps and a slide-out tray.
- Multiple doors: Another interesting feature that can not only make it easier to clean the cage but also hang toys and accessories is the doors. There are three oversized doors on the front of the cage, allowing you to easily access every level in the cage.
- One-inch bar spacing: To give your pets enough space to climb around the cage without falling through or getting stuck, all of the bars are specifically designed with one-inch bar spacing.
Yaheetech 52-inch 6 Level Large Metal Ferret Cage and Habitats Small Animal Hutch with 3 Front Doors/Feeder/Wheels for Bunny Chinchilla Squirrels Indoor Outdoor -White
- 【Durable & Sturdy Chinchilla Cage】This cage is constructed of powder coated metal square tubes and wires; non-toxic hammertone paint gives this stylish cage excellent wear and corrosion resistance; features 4 heavy duty casters at the bottom guarantee high load capacity
- 【Extra Large Exercise Place】 25.2 x 17.2 x 52'' large pet cage with 0.9'' bar spacing allows several small animals to have fun at the same time; six tiers are connected with ramps, which expand the usable area for pets to climb and rest; perfect for small pets like guinea pigs, squirrels, chinchillas, ferrets, rabbits, rats, hedgehogs, etc.
- 【Safe & Secure Bunny Cage】All three arched doors are secured with latches, keeping your pets safe in the cage when you are not around; arc designed ramp with embossed stripes for safety purpose, which can increase the friction and prevent your pets from slipping during their climbing; smooth seams and rounded corners protect your pets and yourself from undesired injury
- 【Easy Cleaning】3-Door design makes it easy to clean the cage and tiers with tools; a slide-out tray under the cage can be removed and cleaned with water; a metal mesh between pets and the tray can avoid your pets walking/laying directly on their droppings
- 【Countvenient Moving】Due to its extra large size, it may take a little effort to move this cage. However, our ferret cage that sits on four heavy duty rolling casters has perfectly solved this problem. Ball-shaped casters can roll in all directions smoothly.
The Good
There are several benefits of using the Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage, such as:
- Easy to build: Even though you would assume that a large cage would take time to assemble, this particular design is incredibly easy to build and can be set up within six minutes. There aren’t any special tools needed as the kit comes with an Allen key.
- Enough space for accessories: Instead of having to worry about whether you can fit wheels in the cage or hang treats or accessories, there is enough room for everything you’d like to accessorize with.
The Bad
There isn’t too much to talk about when it comes to negatives. However, one issue you might notice with the Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage is:
- Poorly made ramps: In the event that you have a relatively rambunctious degu, you might experience some issues with the ramps as they seem to be made out of thin plastic that breaks easily.
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CONS
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Lixit Animal Care Cage
If you’re looking for a habitat that is more functional and user-friendly than anything else, you’ll surely appreciate the Lixit Animal Care Cage. It has a very basic design which is great for people who aren’t interested in dealing with added bells and whistles that would make a cage more difficult to put together and maintain.
Product Highlights
A few of the biggest highlights of the Lixit Animal Care Cage are:
- Solid metal cage: Instead of having to worry about wire cages that easily bend, all of the metal used in this habitat is solid, giving your pets a safe place to live.
- Included accessories: There are plenty of accessories that come with the Lixit Animal Care Cage that make it immediately ready to use as soon as you unbox it. You’ll have access to a drinking bottle, exercise wheel, bowl and house.
Savic Mickey X-Large Hamster Cage
- Extra large mice / dwarf hamster cage
- Easy to assemble
- Quality plastic
The Good
Some of the best features of this habitat include:
- Easy to clean: With the ability to completely remove the base of the cage, you’ll have an easier time cleaning the cage.
- Great for small spaces: In comparison to other wire cages that are larger in size, this is the ideal model for small areas. With that being said, you’ll only be able to fit a single degu in it at a time.
- Useful for tiny to medium animals: The spacing in between the wire bars is perfect for both tiny pets such as miniature hamsters and medium pets such as degus. If you intend on using the same cage for several years, it is incredibly versatile.
The Bad
Even though there are plenty of great things about the Lixit Animal Care Cage, there is one negative aspect as well:
- Defective accessories: If you intend on using the included accessories for the entirety of the cage’s lifetime, you will find that they are constructed using inexpensive materials that have the tendency to break.
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Buyer's Guide
Choosing an animal cage is not just about finding a design that looks great in your home—it has to be comfortable and safe for your pet degu as well. There are many things to think about when you first start searching for the perfect model, ranging from the dimensions of the cage to its usage.
Product Dimensions
The first thing you need to think about is where you’re going to place your cage, as this will determine the dimensions you should be looking for. The best part is that there are several different types of cages that are designed for different areas of your home, such as standalone cages, tabletop cages and desktop cages.
It’s always best to take the time to measure where you want the cage to go and then find the appropriate habitat that will fit it. Otherwise, you may end up in a situation where you have to arrange your furniture around your new degu habitat.
Weight
As another feature that is entirely dependent on your lifestyle and how you intend on using your cage, you’re going to need to take weight into consideration. If you’re in the market for a habitat that you can bring with you on your travels, you’re going want a lightweight design. On the other hand, if you have a specific place in your home where the cage will remain for the entirety of your pet’s lifetime, you can opt for heavier models.
Materials
When it comes to degu habitats, you’re going to need to find materials that are resilient, easy for them to climb on and easy to clean, such as solid metals and plastic. Degus can be extremely active small pets, which means all of the ramps, ledges and shelves inside of your cage should be built to last and not made out of cheap plastic.
You’re also going to want to make sure that the metal used to build the cage isn’t prone to rust, especially if you intend on cleaning the habitat with water on a regular basis. Ideally, you’re going to want a litter tray at the bottom of the cage that is made out of plastic so that cleaning all of your degu’s waste is quick and easy.
Features
If there’s one thing that’s known about small pet habitats it’s that they typically come with a variety of features, not all of which may be things your pet will be interested in. Ideally, you will want:
- Multiple levels: To give your degu more opportunities for playtime and exercise, multiple levels inside of the cage are necessary.
- Sleeping area: Some cages also come with a little house where your degu can rest when they get tired. This gives them a safe and reliable place to rest their head without having to worry about intruding light or strangers hovering around their cage.
- Food bowl and water dispenser: As long as you are able to find a cage that comes with reliable accessories, a food bowl and water dispenser can be great to have as it means you won’t have to buy any on your own. Ideally, you’re going to want a non-tip bowl and a water dispenser that is large enough for a degu.
Size
Similar to what we discussed in product dimensions, deciding on the size of the cage is important, especially if you have a relatively small area to work with. You also need to take the needs of your degu into account as you’ll want to make sure that their habitat isn’t so large that they get lonely or so small that they feel claustrophobic.
Another important thing to think about is whether or not you intend on purchasing another degu as a partner for your existing pet, as a larger cage will be needed for two or more pets.
Best Degu Cages FAQs
How to build a degu cage?
It’s important to remember that every degu cage is different and therefore their assembly instructions are going to differ. In most cases, you will need to have a base, a metal top and any toys or treats that you’ll want to hang on the sides.
In order to make sure that you put the cage together quickly and safely, always refer to the assembly instructions that are provided with the habitat you’ve purchased.
With the help of the instructions that come with your degu cage, making a degu cage should be simple. However, there are a few other things to take into consideration when you start building the cage, including:
- Bedding materials: It’s imperative that you add absorbent bedding materials to the bottom of the cage. Avoid using wood shavings as they can harbor fungus.
- Branches: Degus absolutely love to climb, especially if you have one with a vibrant personality. It’s a good idea to safely affix strong and thick branches throughout your cage with the help of zip ties.
- Carpeting/cardboard: Another interesting feature of a degu is that they have relatively sensitive feet and if you have a cage with metal racks as shelves, you might want to consider covering them with cardboard and carpet to make their habitat more comfortable.
How big should a degu cage be?
As a small pet that is incredibly active, you can guarantee that your degu is going to want to run and climb around their cage as often as possible. The minimum height for a degu cage should be around four feet high and three feet long, as anything less than that won’t give them enough space to express their instinctual need to climb.
However, if you have a relatively slow and more relaxed degu, you can get away with using a smaller cage, such as one designed for a hamster. It’s always important to consider the needs of your pet before deciding on their ideal habitat.
What is the minimum size for a hamster cage?
Hamsters can be phenomenal pets. However, they do require a sufficient amount of space for exercise, socializing, playtime and sleeping. The minimum size for any hamster cage is approximately two feet long by one foot wide, but if you decide that you want a larger cage it’s always better to choose a longer one rather than a taller one with unused space at the top.
What to put in a hamster cage?
If you are using a hamster cage for your degu or if you are interested in buying a hamster, it’s important to know what you should put in the cage to create a comfortable and fun environment for your pets. Aside from bedding, carpeting and branches, you’ll also want to consider:
- Water dispensers
- Food bowls
- Exercise wheels
- Snacks/treats
- Toys
- Nesting materials
Conclusion
Once you have an idea of what you should be looking for when it comes to a degu cage, it’s easy to see how the Yaheetech 6 Level Ferret Cage is the best model on the market. Its design is ideal for a small animal that enjoys climbing, running around and playing with toys. However, you may have to secure some of the ramps with zip ties to ensure it’s safe over a long period of time.
Another great aspect of this particular habitat is that although it is large, it has wheels on its base which makes it quite simple to move around from one area to another. You’ll easily be able to transport your pet from different rooms and you can easily move the cage for cleaning. There are also oversized doors on the front of the cage that make it easy to access the hard-to-reach areas for cleaning.
At the end of the day, choosing the perfect degu housing is all based on your personal preference and the preference of your pet. With the right knowledge and advice, you’ll be able to create the ideal environment for the newest addition to your family.
