Dana and Bubble taking a snooze:
:: CHINNIE HOME ::
Metal cages are the best. Cages with plastic bases, or any plastic bits for that matter, are best avoided. Whether you use a cage with a solid floor or mesh floor is entirely up to you. All my cages have mesh floors. Their droppings and urine fall through the mesh meaning that the chinchillas won't have to sit in their own mess. On the other hand, some people argue that a solid base is much kinder to their feet, and that if you clean out their cages regularly hygiene shouldn't be an issue. Some people even manage to toilet train their chinchillas solving the soiling problem! It is generally thought that long cages are better than tall ones due to the risk of falling, and also because of the fact that chinchillas are rock hoppers not climbers. However I have used both types of cages with no problems at all. As for how big a cage should be, this depends on a number of factors including how many are sharing a cage, how often a chin is let out for runs, and the size of its previous cage. It is not always the case that the bigger the cage the better. In general a standard single chinnie cage is about 24"W 18"D 18"T and a double cage is about 36"W 18"D 18"T.
This is what one of my single cages looks like without all its furniture:
:: CAGE ENRICHMENT ::
Most metal chinchilla cages come with wooden shelves which allow the chinchillas to rest their feet especially if they live in a cage with a mesh floor. These shelves will need to be replaced at regular intervals depending on how destructive your chinchilla is! Chew toys make life more interesting for your chinchilla, and are for sale in most pet shops. Parrot toys are fine as long as there are not too many stringy bits. Hammocks are usually very popular, although if your hammock isn't chew resistant it can be dangerous to your chins whose little legs can get trapped in bits of threads. Cardboard boxes are cheap alternatives that give your furries hours of fun. Some people also have a wheel for their chinnies. Please note that any wheel that is made of plastic and/or smaller than 16" in diameter is not really suitable for chinchillas, as plastic ingestion can cause blockage and a wheel that is too small can damage a chinchilla's spine. John Hopewell does sell a wheel that is 12" in diameter. It actually has more room than most other wheels with the same diameter and is OK for smaller chins (those under 500g).
Some of my cages:
Toys and hammocks:
:: MEAL TIME ::
Diet is a very important aspect of chinchilla husbandry. Simplicity is the key. Good quality chinchilla pellets and timothy / meadow hay should be all that is sufficient to keep a chinchilla healthy. Fresh water should be available at all times. I am not a big fan of mix as this encourages selective feeding while pellets ensure that every mouthful the chinchilla takes in is nutritionally balanced. Hay is extremely important for wearing down their teeth as well as for gut motility. There is controversy over whether to feed alfalfa hay daily as some people feel that it is too high in protein and calcium. All diet change should be made gradually due to the delicate chinnie stomach. Raisins can be fed as treats in small amounts. I don't tend to give raisins as these have a laxative effect on chinchillas if fed in excess. Other healthy treats include rose buds, herb mix and shredded wheat, which can all be given in moderation. Just Grass and Ready Grass also add variety to their diet, but must be introduced carefully as these are very rich nutritionally.
Here Ashby is munching on Charnwood pellets and Laurel is eating her Oxbow timothy hay like a good girl:
:: DUST BATH ::
Your pet chinchilla would need a dust bath every two to three days. Chinchilla dusting sand / powder can be purchased from most pet shops. This is specially made for chinchillas - please do not use sand of unknown origin on your chinchillas. And more importantly please do not wet your chinchilla as it can easily catch a chill if wet due to the density of its fur and the difficulty to dry it off again. Chinchilla bath houses are available in some pet shops as well, but the cheap alternative would be to use a cookie tin!
:: PLAY TIME ::
My chinnies enjoy a run outside of their cages two to three times a week. They all enjoy it and look forward to it, and I feel that regular exercise is important to their well-being. This is not to say that exercise is essential, as many chins don't get to play outside of their cages yet they are still completely healthy. Whether you let your chins out is totally up to you. If you do decide to let them out, make sure the room they are playing in is chin proof: that is, no wires, no plastic, no anything that is harmful to them when chewed. And remember, they *will* chew or at least nibble test everything and anything! Also it is important to not let them over-exert themselves, especailly if they are not used to coming out, in which case you must increase the amount of time they are allowed out gradually.
:: TEMPERATURE ::
As mentioned above chinchillas do much better in the cold (unless they are sick). They are best kept under 20 C. Above this they start to get uncomfortable and they can suffer from heat stroke at temperatures higher than about 26 C. Temperature is not a problem in the winter but in some parts of the UK it can be a huge problem in the summer. An air conditioner is a very good investment if you are thinking of keeping chinchillas.
