Choose a Large Chinchilla Cage
The first chinchilla I ever met was through a friend of my dad’s. I was about 8, at the time, and had never heard of this creature. I learned quickly that I was no match for its speed and agility. It wasn’t until I was older and had a chinchilla of my own, did I realize how irresponsible the owner was. The chinchilla’s cage was 1’ x 1’ x 1’. It must have been horrible for the little guy. The owner allowed it to run around and chew on everything. I am glad that I read a lot about chinchillas before I decided to finally buy one. Hopefully, some of this will help you choose the right home for your pet. The Midwest Critter Nation and the Marshall Folding Mansion are great for chinchillas because they have plenty of room to run around.
Midwest Critter Nation with Stand
This cage is 5’ tall. That is a great size for a chinchilla. One of the big advantages of this cage is the stand that sits below the cage. It’s a great place to keep food, the dust bath, hay, etc. The stand is adjustable. The spacing is ½”, which is recommended for chins. Another great feature is the ability to cut off access between the top and bottom level, which is great if you need to separate your chins. There are no tools required to put this together, so that’s a plus
It has a drop in pan, and as with most chinchilla cages (except homemade ones), the bedding will fly out of the cage. I would definitely recommend putting something up that will keep the bedding and droppings inside the cage. You do not want to have to sweep three times a day.
Marshall Folding Mansion
Much like the Critter Nation, this cage is big and has the wire spacing you need. It has a drop in pan.
This cage has two big advantages over the cage above. First, there is the price. It is quite a bit cheaper. The second thing is it is collapsible and easy to move. Although, if you are travelling with your cage a lot, a chinchilla probably is not the pet for you.
There are a few reasons I like the Critter Nation cage better. You can separate the levels. This is a big plus for cleaning your cage and if you have multiple chins. The Marshall Folding Mansion also has a lot of wasted space. You can overcome this by getting some leap ‘n ledges or just added a few chin-safe wood boards. Finally… no shelf. (This is actually important for me because I like to stay pretty organized.)
So, if you are on a budget, I’d go with the Marshall Folding Mansion. If you want those little extras and can spare a few bucks, go with the Critter Nation cage
When it comes to chinchilla cages, bigger is better.
What is the best chinchilla cage? A whole room, if you can sacrifice it. This isn’t an option for most people, so spring for the large chinchilla cage. This comes as no surprise to anyone that has, or has seen, a chinchilla in action. The height is the most important dimension of the chinchilla cage. Chins like to jump, and do it very well. The taller the home, the happier the chinchilla. The floor of the cage should be no smaller than 2′ x 2′.
There are a number of chinchilla cages you can choose from. The most common is an all metal wire chinchilla cage. Be careful, though. The holes of the chinchilla cage must be small enough to keep the chin’s feet from getting stuck. The holes should be no larger than 1/2” x 1/2”. Many of the metal cages will include different levels and ramps. One downside of the all metal chinchilla cage is that there is no flat surface for the chin to stand. A plank of untreated, chinchilla safe wood can be used on top of the metal levels. You can keep them in place by using a screw and wing nut. I would suggest doing this on at least one of the levels. It’s also a good idea to put wood on the ramps if you have a cage like the ones shown above.
The best option, in my opinion, is a mostly wood cage. There are a number of people that make these types of cages, but you won’t find them in most stores. Many people choose to do it themselves. This is nice because you can add solid wood shelves for your perches. You can also add a permanent chinchilla dust bath house that opens and closes, which is convenient. Again, it is important to make sure the building material is safe for the chinchilla. Also, the chinchilla cage CANNOT be enclosed. There needs to be airflow. I will have pictures of some great chinchilla cages I have seen in future posts.
In terms of chinchilla bedding, you can use newspaper or wood shavings. I have always used wood shavings in my chinchilla cage. If you decide to go with wood shavings, they will need to be made of aspen or kiln dried pine. Cedar shavings should never be used, as this has been known to cause respiratory issues in animals. The chinchilla cage will usually come with a drop in tray, or a slide out tray. Both have their advantages. I am a fan of the drop in tray. The drop in tray allows the chinchilla to be in direct contact with the bedding, which can cause you to spend more time cleaning up. The upside is that it is another solid surface for your chinchilla to stand. To me, it is worth the extra effort. At the time of this post, I know of no chinchilla that will clean up after itself. This means that it will be up to you to clean out the chinchilla cage. About once a week should do.
Please keep your chin safe and happy. Be aware that there are many cages out there that claim to be a chinchilla cage, but are actually dangerous for your chin. Safe chinchilla cages will help your chinchilla live a long and healthy life.
Click here to find a neat chinchilla video on youtube.
