Persistent bar chewing is a familiar concern for degu owners. It can be noisy and may damage the animal’s teeth, but the aim should be to understand its cause and improve welfare rather than simply silence the behaviour.
Why does my degu chew the bars?
Repetitive, apparently functionless bar chewing may be a stereotypy. However, not every brief bite at a bar is a behavioural disorder. Possible influences include attempts to get out, frustration with confinement, stress and behaviour learned from companions. Some animals make sideways head movements or rapidly bite and release two nearby bars.
The noise can be frustrating, but the animal’s health comes first. Persistent chewing may injure or weaken the incisors. It is not, on its own, proof of poor welfare; equally, it should prompt a review of the animal’s needs. Consider the timing, location and events immediately before and after the behaviour.
- Space and layout. Degus need room for activity. An undersized enclosure or a poorly arranged environment may contribute to frustration. See the CARA cage-size guide.
- Stress. Loud noise, sudden environmental changes and rough handling may make an animal anxious.
- Limited enrichment. Digging, searching for food, exploring and gnawing should have appropriate outlets. Without them, repetitive substitute activities may develop.
- Anticipation and routine. Bar chewing may occur before an expected feed or outing. Predictability is not inherently harmful: reliable care and a regular light–dark cycle remain important. Varying activities can help without making essential care unpredictable.
- Health problems. Dental disease, pain or another illness may contribute. Have an animal with excessive chewing, damaged teeth, difficulty eating or a sudden behavioural change assessed by a vet. Read the guide to dental disease and malocclusion.
The wider context is discussed in the article on stereotypies and behavioural problems.
Reducing the behaviour
There is no single solution for every animal. Observe the degus before and after each change, and record how often and how long bar chewing occurs. A camera can help identify patterns. Compare similar observation periods rather than relying on whether one day seems quieter.
Improve the living environment
Start with sufficient space and a stimulating, safe layout. A suitably adapted aviary or ferret-style cage may offer useful room, but the product category alone does not establish suitability. Use solid platforms and safe connections to make space accessible without long unprotected falls. Add tunnels, hides, digging containers and varied activities.
Provide an appropriate digging substrate and safe objects to gnaw, such as untreated branches from suitable species, wooden toys and plain cardboard. Not every type of wood, soil or sand is safe. Food puzzles can encourage investigation and problem-solving; select designs that cannot trap the head or limbs.
Cardboard or toys fixed near a favourite chewing area may redirect activity temporarily, but covering the bars does not identify or resolve the cause. Ensure anything attached remains safe when chewed.
Offer supervised exercise
A secure area outside the cage can provide exploration and new sensory experiences. Arrange suitable daily opportunities for activity and gentle interaction, including simple food puzzles, according to the animals’ health and confidence. Remove electrical cables, toxic plants and other hazards. Our indoor playpen guide explains how to organise a supervised area.
Vary activities without destabilising the territory
Maintain reliable basic care while varying how part of the food ration is presented: scatter it in clean areas, use a simple puzzle or offer an appropriate search task. There is no need to withhold food or make essential feeding times deliberately erratic.
Introduce new toys and activities gradually. The original article suggested a new activity every two or three days as a starting point; this is an example, not a required schedule. Watch the response and retain familiar resting places and clean scent-bearing objects. Frequent wholesale rearrangement can increase stress rather than prevent boredom.
Reduce stress
Place the enclosure in a quiet location, away from sudden noise and disturbance. Handle the animals gently and patiently, allowing them to retreat. Provide enough suitable hiding places for each animal to feel secure.
Support appropriate social contact
Degus are social animals. Compatible conspecific companionship and positive contact with a familiar person can contribute to welfare. Introduce unfamiliar degus gradually using the introduction guide, rather than adding a stranger directly to the cage. Human interaction complements their social life; this advice does not mean housing them with other species.
Reward calm exploration or turning away from the bars with a small suitable reward. Take care not to establish a repeated sequence in which chewing immediately produces attention, an outing or food. If the pattern is difficult to assess, ask a vet or qualified clinical animal behaviourist for guidance.
Avoid repellents and punishment
Do not apply lemon, vinegar, pepper or similar irritants to stop chewing. “Natural” does not mean suitable, and an unpleasant taste does not treat the underlying behavioural problem. Shouting or punishment may increase fear and stress.
Persistent bar chewing deserves an assessment of health, housing, social conditions and daily activities. Improvements may reduce the behaviour, but an established stereotypy may persist and no particular toy or change can be promised to cure it. Follow the animal’s response and seek professional advice where necessary.
Sources
Edwards, M. S. (2009). Nutrition and behavior of degus (Octodon degus). Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, 12(2), 237–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2009.01.003
Jekl, V., Hauptman, K., & Knotek, Z. (2011). Diseases in pet degus: a retrospective study in 300 animals. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 52(2), 107–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.01028.x
RSPCA (n.d.). Caring for pet degus. Behaviour and welfare guidance. https://www.rspca.org.uk/en/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/degus/behaviour