Homes sought for 18 degus abandoned by owner

Two of the litter of degus that were abandoned by their owner. Picture: Contributed

The 18 chinchilla-type rodents were left inside a box in a garden in the Hutchison area of Edinburgh.

They were found by a member of the public on Sunday along with a note from the owner saying they could no longer cope with them.

The animals are now in the care of the Scottish SPCA’s rescue centre in Balerno.

Assistant manager Kenny Sharpe said: “We have two adult degus, a litter of six juveniles and 10 week-old babies.

“The person who abandoned the animals left a note with them saying they couldn’t cope any more.

“It seems they weren’t expecting the degus to breed and were left overwhelmed with the number they ended up with.

“Although we sympathise with the situation, there is no excuse for abandoning an animal and whoever dumped them couldn’t have been sure they would have been found safe.

“We are now looking for homes for the degus. They are active, intelligent and sociable creatures that enjoy living in pairs or small groups.

“Anyone who is interested in giving a good home to any of them should give us a call on 03000 999 999.”