C&C cage for chins

**RustBottum** · #1 12-28-04, 01:45 pm

How big should a c&c cage be for 1 chinchilla?

**bunnyluv17** · #2 12-29-04, 08:11 am

Chinchillas are very active animals and need a large cage. I think the minimum for one or two chins would be 3 cubes long X 2 cubes wide X 3 cubes high, be sure to make upper levels as they love jumping.

**RustBottum** · #3 12-29-04, 10:28 am

ok cause my friend had a chinchilla and is now getting another 1 and i think that her cage is too small. It is a petstore cage. it is only about 1and 1/2 grids x 2 1/2 . (about)

**Plummie** · #4 01-27-05, 11:19 pm

Creative cubes should NEVER be used to construct a chinchilla cage. The 1.5" spacing is just large enough for a chin to squeeze their head through, but small enough for them to get stuck. This has happened to people who have used these grids, the spacing is just too large for this species. Their neck can snap or you will have to struggle to free them by snipping the wire, either way it can result in a bad situation.

**tashagurl** · #5 01-28-05, 12:12 am

You could double grid the cage--like baby-proofing. Or use the mesh cubes.

**tashagurl** · #6 01-28-05, 12:50 am

These grids...

http://www.cavycages.com/photos/show...php?photo=1882

**Plummie** · #7 01-28-05, 12:23 pm

Yup, you could do that! Though, I'm not sure how you would affix shelves to the cage with mesh that small.

**tashagurl** · #8 01-28-05, 08:20 pm

That could be a problem.

**dagwellismypigy** · #9 01-29-05, 06:32 am

i dont think it would be aproblem it would connect just how youwould connet regular gubes, maybe put some coroplast ontop for feet protection

**Plummie** · #10 01-29-05, 04:44 pm

Chins will destroy coroplast in a matter of minutes. Shelves for chinchillas need to be wire or pine and would need to be affixed to the side of the cage all the way up (they are jumpers!).

**Plummie** · #11 02-01-05, 07:30 pm

Also, I have decided to include a thread from a chinchilla forum describing this problem in detail: http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38496&highlight=creative+cubes+ne ck+snap

**Susan9608** · #12 02-12-05, 04:57 pm

I have chinchillas - 4 at the moment. I don't think a C&C cage would be appropriate for them at all. Chins chew, so the coloplast would be demolished in probably a couple of days, and the chins could get sick from eating it. Also, chins need height more than width ... they need room to jump and climb, as opposed to room for running laps. Chins also need shelves big enough for them to perch on and a place for their dust bath to be given. While chinchillas are related to guinea pigs, their needs are totally different. I suggest you check out http://www.chin.buffnet.net/. You can get all the information there you need on cages, care, etc.

I went through several cages with my chins. I first got one of those store cages supposedly designed for chinchillas. It was quite small, so we could only house one chin in it. When we got our second chin, we upgraded to one of those store bought ferret cages ...it was wire with a plastic bottom. The clamps that held the metal parts together were also plastic, and in a matter of a few weeks, our chins had chewed them all off and were escaping several times a day. We tried cable ties, but our female could snap those with one bite. So we finally custom built a cage with wood, melamine, and wire mesh. The melamine is good because it's water proof ... you don't want all sides of a chin cage open, because chins sometimes spray urine. You can see a picture of our cage on this site, it's posted under cages for other pets.

Good luck!

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