Building a degu cage (Issue 1)

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to share with you my experiences of building a degu cage. From what I have seen, scouring the internet, more and more degu owners have begun to build their own degu cage. I decided that this was a venture I would like to embark on. Below is a breakdown of the stages involved when I constructed my degu cage.

Step 1

Ok, so the 1st thing to do was to build the frame. I selected pieces of MDF and had them cut at the local hardware store. I then used strips of kiln dried pine to bolt each piece of MDF together. The base had 4 strips of kiln dried pine attached, I then bolted the sides and back onto the base. I also attached a small panel to the front; this is for keeping all the bedding in later on. 




At this point we had to take quite a large break between Steps 1 and 2, so we started building again about 7pm. Some of the pictures from here on are a little dark because we built it outside on the drive.





Step 2 

The next step was to attach planks of pine wood to the top of the degu cage; this makes the cage look neater and gives you something to staple the mesh onto.

It is important to make sure that you get a mesh that is too small for the degus to squeeze through, or to make sure that the mesh is high up enough that the degus can’t reach it.

In one of the pictures below you can see we have turned the degu house upside down so we can staple the mesh to the inside of the cage.


The mesh you can see in the pictures was too large and was later replaced by smaller mesh and a wooden lid.

It is also important to make sure that any structural frame work is covered with metal strips or is on the outside of the cage. In my design the degus are able to chew the pine strips inside the cage but fortunately doing so does not compromise the structural integrity of the cage and does not allow them to escape either.

  


Step 3

After the mesh is attached, we glued on some PVC runners to the top and bottom. It is important to make sure that these runners are flush.

  
Once the runners are in place you can add your windows so that you can see your degus playing in their new home. Using PVC windows is easier for this design as they are flexible and can be removed and replaced easily by simply lifting them out. However as a negative, PVC is much more easily scratched and cracked. This is something that has happened to me since finishing building my degu cage. Glass is much sturdier and resilient to biting and scratching.

Step 4

Once the main "DIY" jobs were completed I moved my degus new home to the place that I wanted it (in my case our garage, it is a large well ventilated room that remains at just under room temperature through most of the year).

I attached 2 more panels of pine to the top of the cage to keep it looking neat.

I then added the middle shelf and another panel of pine to hold in the bedding.


Left over pieces of MDF were added inside the cage to be used as ledges and shelves for the degus to climb and jump on.


Step 5

Finally add your choice of bedding; in my case I used wood shavings from Pets at Home. I added plenty of hay for them to forage in and use as nesting material as well as adding some shredded paper and fluff.

Add your cage furnishings. In my case the degus wheel, some wooden branches for them to climb and I used an old curved roof tile for them to use as a tunnel.

Then just put in your degus and enjoy watching them explore their new home!


I would say that in total, for an inexperienced cage builder (such as myself) that it takes around 6-7 hours to build a cage. (Unless you are wood gluing your cage together, as this may take longer.) Make sure to hoover out your cage and clear it of any potential splinters that may be left in the cage from the build. It may also be a good idea to observe the degus in their new home for a short while to make sure that you haven’t missed anything and that there is no escape routes.


Thanks for taking the time to read my post on how to build a degu cage.