Editing Common degu (section)

==As pets==
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2025}}
[[File:Degus-4er-Bande.jpg|thumb|Captive common degus need plenty of space to exhibit a full range of normal behaviours]]
[[File:Common degu in a cage - 2023 March 7.webm|thumb|A degu in a cage, 2023]]

After initial interest into common degus as [[Animal research|research subjects]], they have become popular as [[pet]]s. Their advantages over traditional small pets are their [[Diurnality|diurnal]] habits, bubbly personalities, the haired tail (as compared to [[rat]]s and [[mouse|mice]]) and their lifespan: they are reported to live up to 13 years under ideal circumstances (though a poor gene pool or genetic background often reduces a pet degu's lifespan significantly).{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} The average lifespan of a common degu in captivity is typically around six to eight years of age.

One disadvantage of the common degu as a pet is their predisposition to chewing, due to their continually growing incisor and molar teeth.<ref name=Woods1975/> For this reason, common degus cannot be housed in plastic-bottomed cages typically found in pet stores. Lining the floors of a degu enclosure with grass mats or a soft fabric prevents infections known as [[Bumblefoot (infection)|bumblefoot]].{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

Untamed common degus, as with some other small animals kept as pets, can be prone to biting, but their intelligence makes them easy to tame. Regular non-predatory handling and food offerings help with this transition. The common degu's tail skin and tuft is easily "shed" (pulled off). This helps common degus in the wild elude capture by predators, but it is painful to the creature and the tail end will not grow back, and as such pulling on it or picking up a degu by the tail is not recommended. When tail shedding occurs, common degus will chew off the damaged portion. This can reduce the chances of infection.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

Common degus often "groom" their human owners with a gentle nibbling action, and will bond with people that spend time with them. Common degus need regular [[Sand bathing|sand baths]], like [[Chinchilla]]s need dust baths, to keep their coats healthy and free from grease. They should have access to these baths regularly, preferably two or three times a week for half an hour at a time. However, daily sand bathing can make their coats soiled.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

===Prohibitions===
Some jurisdictions consider common degus as a potential [[invasive species]] and forbid owning them as a pet.

In the United States, they are illegal to own in [[California]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/living-with-wildlife/restricted-pet-species|title=Why can't I have a [...] in California?|last=CDFW|first=California Department of Fish and Wildlife|date=2018|website=Wildlife.ca.gov|access-date=2019-04-11}}</ref> [[Utah]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r657/r657-003.htm#T24|title=UT Admin Code R657-3. Collection, Importation, Transportation, and Possession of Animals. April 1, 2019|website=Rules.utah.gov|access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Connecticut]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eregulations.ct.gov/eRegsPortal/Browse/getDocument?guid={D0E38E56-0000-CCCD-B87B-ABCD1F121231|title=Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies : TITLE 26. Fisheries & Game|website=Eregulations.ct.gov|access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref> and [[Alaska]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animalhub.com/10-cool-facts-degus/|title=10 Facts That Make Degus The Coolest Pet Ever!|date=6 March 2016|website=Animalhub.com|access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref>