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Chins Chinchillas....

ferndalezoo

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Besides all our other pets, we have three chinchillas. Eddie (standard grey) is a year old, Leroy (white/mosaic?) is a year and a half, and Dudley (standard grey) is two years old. Leroy and Dudley are recently out of quarantine, and are now happily co-housed with Eddie. The problem is that I don't like the cage they are in, and would like to build a new one. The bar spacing is too far apart (they're in what amounts to a ferret cage currently), and I'd like to go bigger, now that there are 3 of them. I know that C&C cages aren't ideal (again with the bar spacing issue) but would it work with the finer mesh cubes? Where can those be purchased? My cavy C&C is cable-tied together, but I know my chins would chew through those. I can get metal J-clips from a farm-and-fleet type store, though. Would those work to hold it together? Our degus are in a cage made from coated hardware cloth metal mesh, but I can't find any locally anymore.
 

Biscuit

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I would not use C&C. It just doesn't seem sturdy enough for all the leaping around.

Plus, do you have a wheel? Chins love wheels, but need really big ones, can't have plastic, and wire ones are bad due to feet getting stuck. So basically, all pet store wheels are out of the question.

Chinchilla Cages from Quality Cage Co.

I have two mansions from them. They are extremely easy to put together (you basically just unfold them), very very sturdy, come with ledge guards and such that keep most everything in the cage. The grid spacing is good for for everything but babies, and perfect for hanging toys and tunnels and everything else chins love.

Also on that page is the ChinSpin. I love this wheel! The 15" is the only one big enough, don't get the 11". I know it looks expensive but it's so worth it. They love that thing. It's powder coated and lasts forever!

Here is a picture of one of my cages: Okra & Radish

That wheel is not the chinspin, but the chinspin looks very similar. Better beacuse it's darker and powder coated. The fleece tube in the back is the best thing I ever got. I can find links to where I ordered that if you're interested! I also have shelf guards (like on the top back ledge) on all the shelves now. Mine also has the custom drop-in grid there. The cage does not come with that by default, but I had a litter-eater.
 
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Susan9608

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Hey Biscuit -

I like your chin cage. :)

Do your chins use the hammock much? I've thought about getting one for mine, but I'm worried about them falling out. Do yours ever fall? And what's the big triangular blue thing? It looks like a triangle hammock. That's kind of cool.

I wouldn't even use fine mesh cubes for chins, honestly. The fine mesh spacing is better, but it has those open corners, and I think a chin could get his head caught in there.

I agree with Biscuit; I don't think C&C cages are ideal for chins. They need something really, really sturdy. If you want to make something, melamine and wire mesh cages aren't that difficult to make, and there are many plans available on the internet. We have another member, Plummie, who has some great chin cages made of those materials, and she could probably direct you to the plans.

Good luck.
 

Biscuit

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Neither of the chins used the hammock, ever! I think if it were lower in the cage maybe they would, but it's harder to hang that way. There are a lot of peoples chins who use them, and a lot that won't touch them. I haven't heard of chins falling out of it. I was worried about that anyway, which is why I had it between the shelf and that ledge. Now it's inside Radish's house in the other cage. She sleeps on it and it just lays on the floor.

The triangle is a fleece tiki hut! Okra doesn't sleep in it, but she spends a lot of time in it just hanging out. It's a pvc type material with fleece around it.

The melamine cages are great for keeping poo and litter in, but it's typically harder to adjust ledges and add new things. Airflow can be a problem, depending upon your air, the space they are in, and so on. I would still love to have a melamine someday. I live in a somewhat spartan, modernish condo, and the industrial look of QC cages gets to me.

If you were to get a QC, I would recommend ordering enough guards for all the shelves with it, and the stand with wheels. OH! I also had to custom ask for that 2nd door! It's a request they get a lot, and cost very little extra. You WILL want the 2nd door on the mansion.

Susan is very right about squeezing through. Chins can flatten themselves and squeeze through spaces you'd never imagine. They are practically mouse sized under all that fur. Not really, but you get the idea.
 

HyperactiveCavy

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Biscuit,

What size cage spacing is that (1x1?). We have 2 baby chins now, not sure 1x1 would be too big...and/or if the 1x1/2 will be too small for adults. We were also concered with the height of the mansion...Do they ever mis-jump/fall from the top level? Thanks.
 

Biscuit

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I don't think it can really be too small. I wish I had gotten the 1X1/2 and I have adults. :) 1X1/2 keeps cats paws out. Mine is 1X1.

Mine haven't missed or falling from the top level. They tend to jump down to the others. I have them staggered and ledges. If you are concerned about that, the best thing to do is put an additional ledge across the middle of the cage between the two doors. Many people have done this.
 
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