Planning a holiday also means arranging reliable care for your degus. Several options are available; choose according to the animals’ health, temperament and daily needs, and make arrangements well before departure.
Choosing holiday care
Each arrangement has advantages and limitations. The priority is a competent carer who can inspect the animals, provide their usual care and act promptly if something is wrong.
A trusted person or a pet sitter
A family member, friend or neighbour may be able to care for the degus in their own home, allowing them to remain in familiar surroundings. Leave written instructions explaining their normal routine, food, water systems, cleaning and any medication. Arrange at least a daily visit, with more frequent care when their health or treatment requires it.
Professional sitters can also be found through specialist services. French examples include Animalin and Animaute. Check each sitter’s experience with degus; a listing on a platform does not establish species-specific competence. Invite the carer to meet the animals before you leave so that you can demonstrate their routine and the equipment.
Provide enough food, hay and bedding for the whole absence, together with your contact details, the vet’s number and emergency instructions. A camera facing the enclosure may help you observe the animals remotely, but it cannot replace a person who checks them and can intervene.
The following care sheet is available in French:
[pdf-embedder url=”https://octodons.fr/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/fiche-vacance-octodon.pdf” title=”Holiday care sheet (French)”]
Specialist boarding
Some boarding facilities accept small rodents, including degus. They may provide regular professional supervision, although an unfamiliar setting can be stressful. Assess hygiene, compliance with applicable local requirements, staff experience and the standard of care. Ask how animals are separated: contact with unfamiliar animals or shared equipment can expose degus to infections and parasites. Do not allow them to be mixed with unfamiliar degus simply for the duration of boarding.
Taking degus on holiday
Travel is often the least suitable arrangement. It requires a secure carrier for the journey, appropriate accommodation and a spacious, properly equipped enclosure at the destination. A sturdy indoor playpen may provide supervised exercise, but does not replace their main enclosure. Check that your accommodation accepts degus before booking.
For an elderly animal or one requiring particular treatment, discuss the alternatives with the vet. Travelling with the owner may occasionally be appropriate, but age or illness does not automatically make travel the safer choice. Plan the route and avoid the hottest hours; read the transport guide before setting off.
What about a short absence?
The French article originally suggested that degus could be left unattended for two or three days with extra food and water. This is not a safe routine recommendation. The RSPCA advises that somebody feed them and check both animals and enclosure every day. Water bottles can block or leak, a bowl can tip, and an illness or injury can develop even when supplies appear sufficient.
For any absence, provide ample hay and the measured dry-food ration, inspect the enclosure for hazards and arrange daily checks. More than one secure water point can provide a backup, but does not replace these visits. A bowl must be safe for the animals present, especially where there are young pups.
Plan care around the individual degus and leave clear instructions. A familiar environment and an observant, reliable carer are the best basis for a peaceful holiday.
Sources
RSPCA (n.d.). Degu health and welfare. Care guidance, including holiday arrangements. https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/degus/health
Animalin (n.d.). Pet-sitting services. Official service website. https://www.animalin.com/
Animaute (n.d.). Garde d’animaux : les solutions de garde. Official service website. https://www.animaute.fr/p/faire-garder-son-animal