Puddle's Splashing Joy

Puddle was a bundle of social energy with a paintbrush tail. A degu, looking like a large, sleek gerbil with tufted ears, he was a chatterbox. He lived with his brother in a large, complex enclosure and their communication was constant: chirps, whistles, and squeaks that mapped their social world. He loved to run on a large wheel and take dust baths in special chinchilla sand. He was an incredible jumper, leaping between platforms with precise grace. Watching a group of degus interact is like watching a tiny, furry soap opera, and Puddle was always the lead character, orchestrating play and demanding grooming. The chorus of chirps from their cage is now a silence we feel in our bones.