Check one foodCheck a cage

What can degus eat? A fridge-door chart

14 foods we have checked for degus. Treats are small: the full answer for each food gives the amount.

Yes (0)

    Sometimes (10)

    • Apples (now and then)
    • Broccoli (1–2 times a week)
    • Carrots (now and then)
    • Cucumber (1–2 times a week)
    • Dried herbs
    • Lettuce (1–2 times a week)
    • Peanuts (now and then)
    • Pumpkin seeds (1–2 times a week)
    • Sunflower seeds (1–2 times a week)
    • Tomatoes (now and then)

    No (4)

    • Bananas
    • Grapes
    • Iceberg lettuce
    • Strawberries

    Degu cage sizes

    Target for 2 to 4 degus93 × 63 × 159 cm (37 × 25 × 63 in), wide × deep × high
    Bare minimum for a pairAbout 70 × 45 × 70 cm (28 × 18 × 28 in), with daily time out
    Bar spacing1.25 cm (½ in) or less; never over 2 cm (¾ in)
    MaterialAll metal, with a solid metal base
    RoofSolid or covered, so nothing moves overhead
    WheelSolid, at least 30 cm (12 in) across
    AvoidPlastic bases, glass tanks, vivariums, open-rung wheels

    Sources include Blue Cross, Burgess Pet Care, Chewy, Degutopia, PDSA, PetMD, RSPCA, Woodgreen. Each answer and its sources: bruxlings.com/pages/what-can-degus-eat. General guidance for healthy adult animals, checked 13 November 2026.
    Free to print, share and put on your website under CC BY 4.0: please credit Bruxlings with a link.