I’m so happy, Daniel is feeling more like his usual self again. The tumour on his leg is infected again, it’s already been 3.5 weeks this time and it’s likely to keep getting infected. He was having some trouble getting around the cage (he’s got so many extra ledges now) and was just generally less happy. The last few days he’s started doing his normal Daniel things again. Rearranging his chew toys, destroying them, greeting me at the side of the cage and being eager to come out.

Hey there, I wanted to chime in to the degu-rat ask of pimpinchilton; I’ve had rats and I loved them dearly. It was devastating to loose them to old age and I am still heartbroken, even more than 10 years later. My rats were super affectionate and tame and while my Degus are tame, they are also completely different from rats. I, too, thought after my loss that Degus may have a similar personality, since I knew I couldn’t bear losing rats again within such a short time span (1/2)

I found someone who rescued Degus and gave them a new home; That’s how I got my first four trouble makers. They were so different from my rats, but so lovable, I fell for them instantly. They weren’t focused on me at all, though they were tame, settled on me to eat and didn’t mind being patted or picked up much; I’ve had Degus for 10 years now and they are all unique, like any pet or person. But their lifestyle, care & need differs greatly as well, keep that in mind and research beforehand. 2/2

Thank you @vambaer 🙂

@pimpinchilton more degu/rat information for you!

I know degus aren’t as naturally friendly towards humans as rats, but can you usually get them to be pretty tame/interactive? My first pair of pet rats just reached a year of age, and I’m already dreading having my heart broken by their 2-3 year lifespan. I’ve been toying with the idea of switching to degus someday.

I haven’t had rats before but I get the impression that they’re friendlier than degus and easier to train. All of my guys are tame and interactive but only one of them really seeks out attention from me. Most of them will happily climb me, sit on me to eat and are trained a bit. Daniel is perfect and I would have been absolutely delighted if all my degus were as affectionate as he is, it comes down to their individual personalities more than anything.

I’ve considered rats but their short lifespans put me off, I don’t think I could manage having my heart broken so often. I hope you aren’t alone and have people to support you when the time comes.

Happy belated birthday to your rats!