From Office Job to Degu Empire: How a Pet Allergy Sparked a Unique UK Business
While many individuals leave stable employment for promotions or higher salaries, Lee Shepherd took a different path. He abandoned his steady job to craft wooden toys and sugar-free treats for degus, a small South American rodent largely unknown in Britain. Today, he has no regrets about this life-altering decision.
A Home Filled with Furry Friends
Shepherd, aged 49 and residing in Stoke-on-Trent, shares his home with 17 degus. These animals occupy multiple large cages in his living room and a dedicated room elsewhere in the house. What began as a practical effort to find suitable products for his unusual pets has blossomed into a full-time online enterprise named Totally Degu. This business now dispatches specialist items to rodent owners nationwide.
The Journey to Degu Discovery
The story commences with a straightforward dilemma. Shepherd suffers from allergies to cats and dogs, so when he and his family moved into their home and desired a pet, they had to explore alternatives. They encountered degus and swiftly developed a deep affection for them.
Originating from Chile, degus are small, sociable rodents characterized by long, silky fur and an active temperament. They adapt their sleep patterns to align with their owners and can learn basic commands. Shepherd portrays them as ideal pets for individuals seeking genuine interaction with an animal.
Identifying a Market Gap
However, a significant challenge emerged. In 2013, when Shepherd initially searched, products specifically designed for degus were nearly impossible to locate. Degus require a specialized diet and cannot consume anything containing sugar. Additionally, they are allergic to several common wood types, rendering most standard pet shop toys unsuitable. Consequently, Shepherd began fabricating his own items.
He constructed cage platforms, see-saw tunnels, tubes, and bamboo toys for his degus to climb on and chew. Chewing is essential for degus, as their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and must be regularly worn down. He started vending his handmade products on eBay, and orders gradually increased.
Embracing Entrepreneurship Full-Time
At that time, Shepherd was employed in a job he did not enjoy. When the side business became too demanding to manage alongside full-time work, he made a pivotal choice. He relinquished his job and devoted himself entirely to the business.
He operates the venture from a garden office and reports that it generates sufficient income to cover his expenses and care for his own animals. Shepherd is candid about its scale: it is not a booming enterprise but is sustainable and personally fulfilling.
Expanding Beyond the Degu Community
He also highlights that the products he manufactures are appropriate for other small rodents, including rats, hamsters, and gerbils. This broadens the market beyond the degu community, though degus remain his specialty and passion.
A Business Rooted in Compassion
For Shepherd, the business and the pets are inextricably linked. The living room cages and the spare room housing rescues are not merely a hobby that escalated. They are the fundamental reason the entire endeavor exists. He aimed to properly care for animals that the pet industry had largely overlooked and ultimately established a small business to address that void.
This narrative does not involve venture capital or viral sensations. It is simply about a man allergic to dogs, who fell in love with a Chilean rodent and deemed that a sufficient reason to transform his life.
