Since several members on here either have chinchillas or are contemplating getting some chinchillas, we thought it would be benefical to have some basic information on chinchillas, particularly in regards to housing.
While chinchillas are rodents from South America, like guinea pigs, it's important to remember that chinchillas are very different from guinea pigs and thus have very different needs. Their diet is different, their illnesses are different, and their habitats are also different.
With guinea pigs, ground space is important to allow guinea pigs to run laps and popcorn. With chinchillas, ground space is nice, but what's more important is height to allow a chinchilla to jump and leap. Whereas guinea pigs generally need ramps to go from one level to another, chinchillas will usually just jump.
When you decide that you want a pet chinchilla, the chinchilla's cage is probably one of the most important things you will need to obtain. Pet store cages, as with guinea pigs, are woefully inadequate. Not only are they usually too small, but they also generally consist of plastic clamps and plastic shelving.
If you are considering a chinchilla for a pet, or if you already have one housed in a pet store cage, I would urge you to consider making a cage yourself. It's really not difficult. I will post some examples and some links to cages that I personally find suitable.
I know there are some people on this forum who have C&C cages for their chinchillas; I know these people will fight to the death defending these cages. After keeping chinchillas of all ages and sizes for over 6 years now, I have to say that
as C&C cages are described and typically made for guinea pigs they are not entirely suitable for chinchillas.
My issues with C&C cages for chinchillas are:
- The Coroplast. Chinchillas are notorious chewers. A coroplast box inside of the cage grids just invites a chin to chew it. Not only will that leave your box in shreds, but if your chin swallows the coroplast, it can cause major intestinal blockage and kill your chinchilla. A lot of people will swear up and down that their chinchilla doesn't/won't chew on the coroplast. I urge you to consider safety above all else and simply don't give your chinchilla the opportunity to find out if he will or will not chew the coroplast. And to those that swear their chinchilla won't chew the coroplast, just because your chin hasn't yet chewed it doesn't mean that he can't or won't. That's something to consider. (A possible solution to this problem is to put the coroplast box on the outside of the grids.)
- The Zip Ties. A lot of people use zip ties to hold their C&C cages together. A chinchilla can break a zip tie with one half-hearted snap of his teeth. This can cause your whole cage to collapse or, at the very least, allow your chinchilla to escape. Plus, it again gives your chinchilla the opportunity to chew and possibly ingest plastic. (A possible solution to this is to use wire rather than zip ties. You must be absolutely sure, though, that there are no sharp wire ends a chinchilla could cut his hands on.)
- The Grids. I see the grids as a problem for a couple of reasons.
- The spacing of the grids. I see the spacing of the grids as a big problem. Baby and very young chinchillas can squeeze their whole bodies through those grid spacings (and yes, I know this from personal experience.) Whereas an adult guinea pig could probably not fit their head into a grid opening, a full-grown chinchilla can. (I also know this because today I got my chins out and placed them in a playpen made of grids. They immediately tried to escape and my chin, Buster, tried to do so by wedging his head into one of the grid spacings. Luckily, I was there to help extract him from the grid.) If your chinchilla gets his head wedged in there, he might not be able to extract it. He could break his neck trying to get loose or he could suffocate. I know many people think a chinchilla wouldn't try to put his head through one of the grid openings, but chinchillas are not like guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are generally pretty content to stay in their cage; chinchillas, on the other hand, are almost always trying to find a way to explore outside their cage. They are too curious to allow any escape opportunity pass unexamined. I think the grid spacings can be very dangerous to chinchillas. (A possible solution to this problem would be to "baby-proof" a chin cage just as you would for baby guinea pigs. You could also use mesh grids, but you'd need to watch out for the corner openings of the mesh grids.)
- The sturdy factor. My other issue with the grids is the sturdiness of them. With chinchillas, height is the issue, so you would need to build up, rather than out. Zip tying or wiring the grids together (which you'd have to, because using the connectors alone would leave a big enough space for a chinchilla to escape) doesn't seem very sturdy in my opinion, especially when you consider that you have to attach many different levels onto the grids. Chinchillas need different levels and perches, and you'd have to attach them to the upper grids. Also, a chin wheel that is the correct size is quite heavy. My fear is that if you did not painstakingly balance out where the ledges go along with the weight of you chinchilla on them, your entire cage might topple over, which could kill your chinchilla. (The only solution I have for this would be to attach your cage to a sturdy wall some how.)
I think the best thing to do is to make a cage out of melamine (which is water proof) and wire mesh. The spacing of wire mesh should be no larger than 1/2". Chinchillas also should not have a wire bottom to their cage (they can catch their toes in it and break a leg.) There are many examples on the internet of wood, melamine, and wire mesh cages, and they can be designed to look like furniture. You can make them as small or as large as you like, and they give your chin the room he needs along with a safe environment.
As far as the size goes, with chinchillas, you need to consider cubic feet, rather than square feet, as you have to factor in the height, as well as the width and lenght. Current breeder standards are, I believe, 2 feet high by 2 feet long by 1.5 feet deep. This is very small, only 6 cubic feet. I think, at a bare minimum for 1, possibly 2, chinchilla(s), you'd need at least 12 square feet (3 feet high by 2 feet long, by 2 feet deep), and of course, larger is always better. If you have a small cage, then you need to let your chin out for free time frequently. (No exercise balls. Chins can over heat in them and die.)
I'm trying to find some good photos of cages to post. I know Plummie, who's a member here, has some excellent chinchilla cages. Perhaps she'd be willing to post some photos of them. Until I find some good ones, I'll post a photo of mine.
If anyone needs information on chinchilla care, please let me know.
(sidenote: I'm not trying to criticize anyone who keeps their chinchillas in C&C cages. These are the problems that, from my experience with chins, I see and feel need to be brought to everyone's attention. So if you keep your chin in a C&C cage, I hope you'll think about these safety issues, but if it works for you, then great.)
08-14-06, 09:06 pm
Not Ranked. Helpful AND tactful post? : 0 
Re: Important Information on Chinchillas 
