Degus are very sociable creatures, so it is therefore best to keep at least two of them in each cage. Solitary degus will become depressed, even if you pay lots of attention to it. Depression can decrease the degu's lifespan, and may cause it to become aggressive. It is best to keep two or more degus of the same sex. This not only prevents unwanted breeding, but prevents males fighting over females.

Degus are neither a nocturnal nor a diurnal animal. Generally, degus have short periods when they nap, followed by short periods of activity. During their waking hours, degus enjoy several activities. Our degus love their wheels, as well as chewing up pieces of wood or cardboard boxes. They also really enjoy their dust bath.

Degus are very curious animals, and are not usually afraid of people. When they have gained trust in a person, they often allow themselves to be held and have their ears scratched. Degus may nibble on your fingers, but with good intentions. However, degus do not like to be held tightly or for too long, and doing so may cause a degu to bite. Their teeth are very sharp, so don't give them a reason to use them! When picking a degu up, hold your hand out flat and let him climb into your hand. Don't try to pick him up from above, as instinct may tell the degu that you are a predatory bird, and he will try to escape. NEVER pick a degu up by its tail. Degus can shed their tails if caught by a predator, but it is a painful experience for them.

One problem with their curious nature is that they aren't afraid of larger animals, such as cats. Our degus will try to sneak past me out their cage door, even with 2 or 3 cats sitting right next to me. So beware of cats and other large animals if you let your degus out to run.

In nature, degus build nests with twigs they have collected, and domestic degus continue this instinct. In a cage, degus enjoy building nests out of paper, napkins, twigs, and other such suitable materials.

When introducing a new degu to an established colony, it is best to take things slowly. It is best if a large cage can be divided in half, or two cages placed next to each other. This way the degus can get used to each others' smells. When it is finally time to introduce them face to face, do so in neutral territory, such as on a bed, or in the bathtub. It is important to keep an eye on the degus at this point, in case you need to separate them. If the degus fight, don't immediately separate them, however, as they are most likely figuring out who will be boss. If the fighting continues or is severe, separate them and try again another day.

A trick that I used when introducing our degus was to add a bit of vanilla extract to their dust baths before introducing them in the bath tub. This way, they all smelled similar, and fighting was kept to a minimum.

Degus will groom each other's backs and behind the ears with their hands and mouth. They will sometimes also mount each other, even if they are the same sex. This is their way of asserting dominance.