Degus – Pocket Sized Pets

If you are thinking about getting degus to keep as pets, then it's natural to wonder which gender is actually best. So are male or female degus better, and is there really even a difference between the two? When it comes to male or female degus and which one is better, they generally display some of the same behaviors but each individual degu will act differently because they have their own unique personalities. So what it really comes down to is their personality rather than their gender. However, you can try to compare some of their slight differences to give you a good understanding of how they might act while you have them as your pets. Are Male Or Female Degus More Aggressive? One of the things that you have to think about and prepare for when getting degus is how aggressive they can be sometimes. So when it comes to boy and girl degus both can be slightly aggressive, but most of the time they're generally loving and caring animals. However, in some cases, female degus can be a little more aggressive with each other than males will be. The females can act a bit more bitter with each other sometimes while the males are usually more consistent with how they act depending on the season that they're in. For example, during their breeding season which is typically between late winter and late spring, male degus can become slightly more aggressive and protective. They can become overprotective about some of the things that they think are theirs like a food bowl or a water bowl and might try to challenge any other degus that come around it. It's completely natural for them to be this way and sometimes the females can act this way as well. So as time goes on and the degus start to become older, both the males and females will still fight with each other every now and then for one reason or another. The main reason why is because establishing dominance is very important for them. Establishing dominance is important because it's what's needed for them to have order in their lives. That way they can form a strong social group where one degu is the boss and the others fall in line after them, basically like a pecking order. For example, male degus can try to mount each other in order to show dominance, that way they can establish their own pecking order. Girl degus will fight for dominance occasionally but usually not as much as the male do. So this type of dominance behavior is common to see in both male and female degus in one way or another and it can seem a little aggressive, but it usually doesn't last that long. Are Male Or Female Degus More Affectionate? Another thing that you can think about when getting degus is how much affection they will show towards each other and their owners. Both male and female degus can show some form of affection. However, how much affection they can show will be different depending mostly on their personality and age. They can both show affection by trying to communicate through different sounds and also by grooming each other, so there really isn’t much of a difference in how much affection they can give. Both of them can be affectionate towards the other degus in their cage and sometimes even with their owners, but only after they have established trust and bonded with them. However, they won't always spend every day being loving with each other because different situations can cause them to act differently. For example, male degus can be more affectionate with each other as long as a female isn’t nearby. If a female degu is close to them then the male degus may start to fight with each other a little more. That way they can try to show who's boss and who can have the chance to mate with the female that’s close to them. It's also worth noting that female degus can sometimes do the same thing if they know that a male is close by too. So it's best to keep the males and females separated if you want them to stay loving with each other while they live in the same cage together. Is It Easier To Introduce New Degus To The Males Or Females? Introducing a new degu to the one that you currently have is important because it's something that you may have to do as their owners. Some reasons that you may have to do this are if you plan on getting more degus or if you only have one left because their cagemate unfortunately died. Degus are social animals so they really thrive when they are able to socially interact with each other on a daily basis. So in the event that you have to get a new degu comparing how easy it is to introduce them to each other depending on if they're male or female can be important. How easy it is to introduce a new degu to the current one that you have is something that can sometimes vary depending on if you have a male or female degu. Some pet degu owners say that it's easier to introduce new male degus to other male degus and it's harder to do that with the females. This is because sometimes the boy degus can be slightly more loving with each other than the girls and getting the male degus to get along with their new cagemate can be a whole lot easier. That is something that can be easily compared by using the split cage method. While separated in the same cage the males are usually able to bond with each other faster and easier than the females can. So some owners will sometimes say that they actually have a higher success rate when pairing the boys with the boys rather than the girls with the girls. Mixing Male And Female Degus Together If you're undecided on whether you would rather get a male or a female degu and you want to actually get both, then mixing them together is something that you should know about. Mixing male and female degus together shouldn't really be done unless you have a good amount of experience with keeping degus as pets. There can be a lot of fighting between them as they try to establish dominance and a lot of problems like injuries can arise from this. You'll also have to account for them breeding with each other during their mating season. Along with the extra responsibility, if this happens then they can have a lot of babies and you'll need a bigger cage that can provide more space for all of the new degus. That being said, it's still possible to mix male and female degus together if you have them desexed, but there can still be a decent amount of fighting and problems that you'll have to deal with. But if you are a more experienced owner, then this is something that's still definitely possible. Conclusion So to wrap up if male or female degus are better it ultimately comes down to their individual personalities. Because both of them can become aggressive at different times depending on the situation. But they can also show the same amount of affection towards each other and their owners as well. The only real difference, and it's only a slight one, is the fact that sometimes it's easier to introduce new male degus to each other while it can be a little harder to do that with the females. They will both generally behave in the same way, so what really matters is which individual degu that you pick and decide to adopt rather than if they are male or female.