Appropriate Cage for One Chinchilla?

[l0rraine]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum! I came across it while doing some research on chinchillas, as I am very interested in getting one in the near future! I have had plenty of rodents over the years, tons of hamsters and a few rats, two of which i currently have but I think a chinchilla would be an awesome change from what I am used to!

ANYWAYS, my question is, are there any specific cages that you would suggest for a single chinchilla to live happily in? One that is big enough for him/her to play in but not super huge (or expensive haha). Specific brands/models etc?

I had a quick look in PJ's Pets today, and didn't see any chinchilla-specific cages, but there were a few multi-level rodent cages that were a decent size.

The major pet stores I have access to in my area are:

PJ's Pets
Petcetera
Petsmart

I have been looking around this forum a bit and everyone here seems to know what they're talking about, so i thought I'd ask for suggestions here before making the trips to all these pet stores!

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I know a lot of people on here use the Ferret Nation. You can get it Petsmart or online, sometimes with free shipping depending on where you shop online. It comes in the 141, 142 and 143 models. With the 141 and 142 being the single and double models.
I, personally, have 2 of the Petsmart cages, 1 Marchioro cage and 1 A frame cage I bought form 4J's plantation. (http://www.4jsplantation.com/cages.html) I love this cage, as it is space efficient and it came totally assembled and it is easy to clean, as well. I picked mine up because they are only 90 minutes from me, but they usually ship via Greyhound Bus.
The Marchioro cage is nice too because you can add levels onto it, though I have a one story for my special needs chin.
The one thing you have to remember is that with any pet store cage, they are going to come with plastic or metal shelves which should be taken out and replaced with wood ledges, shelves, tubes, hammocks, etc.

 

[l0rraine]

I know a lot of people on here use the Ferret Nation. You can get it Petsmart or online, sometimes with free shipping depending on where you shop online. It comes in the 141, 142 and 143 models. With the 141 and 142 being the single and double models.
I, personally, have 2 of the Petsmart cages, 1 Marchioro cage and 1 A frame cage I bought form 4J's plantation. (http://www.4jsplantation.com/cages.html) I love this cage, as it is space efficient and it came totally assembled and it is easy to clean, as well. I picked mine up because they are only 90 minutes from me, but they usually ship via Greyhound Bus.
The Marchioro cage is nice too because you can add levels onto it, though I have a one story for my special needs chin.
The one thing you have to remember is that with any pet store cage, they are going to come with plastic or metal shelves which should be taken out and replaced with wood ledges, shelves, tubes, hammocks, etc.

Awesome, thanks for the info! I looked up the Ferret Nation cages, do you think the 141 model would be a good size for one chinchilla? My rats get at least 2 hours of playtime everyday, and I would do the same for a chinchilla, but I want to make sure he will have enough space! Can the Ferret Nation cages only be purchased online? I guess I could call around and see if they are offered in any stores?

As for replacing the plastic shelves, etc with wood, my dad has a workshop in the basement and I'm sure he would be happy to make some for me

 

[Sandi]

I looked up the Ferret Nation cages, do you think the 141 model would be a good size for one chinchilla?

Yes, I have one chin in a 141 and the other four chins each have a section of the 2 FN 142's that I have as well.

 

[l0rraine]

Yes, I have one chin in a 141 and the other four chins each have a section of the 2 FN 142's that I have as well.

Ok awesome, thanks!

 

[CJR]

A lot of people say that the bigger the cage is, the better. This is not always true - many chinchillas do just fine in the 18x18 inch cubes that breeders keep their chins in. As long as the chin gets adequate exercise (via a wheel or playtime or both), there is no real need for a huge, enormous cage.

Of course, there is some debate about that.

But don't feel that you absolutely HAVE to get the biggest cage ever. Yeah, the chin will appreciate it, but they can live just as well in a smaller cage - just as you could live equally well in a small apartment or a mansion.

Just keep in mind that chins really should have exercise (in my opinion, anyway).

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

Awesome, thanks for the info! I looked up the Ferret Nation cages, do you think the 141 model would be a good size for one chinchilla? My rats get at least 2 hours of playtime everyday, and I would do the same for a chinchilla, but I want to make sure he will have enough space! Can the Ferret Nation cages only be purchased online? I guess I could call around and see if they are offered in any stores?

As for replacing the plastic shelves, etc with wood, my dad has a workshop in the basement and I'm sure he would be happy to make some for me

You actually can find the FN 142 at Petsmart over by the ferret and small animal aisle. It is just sometimes cheaper to find it online, but I know some people have had good luck with getting Petsmart to price match. There is plenty of room for one chinchilla in the 141, as long as he lots of ledges and outside play time. As for the length of play time, I think it may be wise to start off with a shorter play time until your chin gets used to it, unless he is already used to that length of time.

http://www.ferret.com/cages/cages/887/ This is the ferret.com site. they have the FN 142 for 199.99 plus 5.99 flat shipping. Not a bad deal for both levels!

 

[ruoc]

You can also check out Kijiji for used ones. I looked for a good year and finally snagged a ferret nation 142 for $60.00. ( I never get tired of typing that lol)Since then I've seen some go up at around $100. which is still a great deal, you just have to be patient.Good luck whichever way you decide to go.

 

[l0rraine]

You actually can find the FN 142 at Petsmart over by the ferret and small animal aisle. It is just sometimes cheaper to find it online, but I know some people have had good luck with getting Petsmart to price match. There is plenty of room for one chinchilla in the 141, as long as he lots of ledges and outside play time. As for the length of play time, I think it may be wise to start off with a shorter play time until your chin gets used to it, unless he is already used to that length of time.

http://www.ferret.com/cages/cages/887/ This is the ferret.com site. they have the FN 142 for 199.99 plus 5.99 flat shipping. Not a bad deal for both levels!

Ok cool, I might be going there in a few days and I'll see what I can find. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[KristinC1983]

The ferret nation club on here...

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134

There's a bunch of people on here that belong to the club-not me -I found it a couple days ago and WOW, the pics on that thread are amazing-what they did to their FNs is very impressive! It could give you lots of help remodeling and fun ideas....

Also: www.petchinchillas.info is fantastic help for anyone interested in chins or already an owner of chins. The one who started the Ferret Nation Club is actually the owner of the website-under cages, she gives great advice on choosing a cage, making it good for chins, wheel info, bedding, etc. It was my main guide for building my cage, which I love and my chin loves!

And since you're interested in chins and want one, consider looking into rescuing one. You can find chin rescues online-there may be one near you-there's probably a bunch on this site. There's nothing wrong with the chins-just the previous owners couldn't handle it for whatever reason. And since chins live so long, getting one a few years old makes no difference-with great care, you'll still be able to love them a long time. They often have younger ones aswell, though. I'll be adopting a boy for my boy eventually (hopefully they like each other-if not, another cage, lol). And I'm hoping eventually I can set up a little rescue of my own. So consider this when you're ready to start looking for a chin or 2 or 10

Mistywaterwoman also talks about safe woods to use for shelves, toys, etc!

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

A lot of people say that the bigger the cage is, the better. This is not always true - many chinchillas do just fine in the 18x18 inch cubes that breeders keep their chins in. As long as the chin gets adequate exercise (via a wheel or playtime or both), there is no real need for a huge, enormous cage.

Of course, there is some debate about that.

But don't feel that you absolutely HAVE to get the biggest cage ever. Yeah, the chin will appreciate it, but they can live just as well in a smaller cage - just as you could live equally well in a small apartment or a mansion.

Just keep in mind that chins really should have exercise (in my opinion, anyway).

the more room the better. im assuming that you are still in school (like me ) so think about all the time that your chinchilla will sit in his cage bored while your out at school. the more room you have in a cage the more toys you can put in there and the more excercise your chinchilla can get when your not there to take him out. i also suggest getting a wheel (solid metal ones) to let him release energy also. it sounds like you are going to be a great chinchilla owner and will want whats best for him/her. i suggest the ferret nation model 142. yes its big but the 141 model can get cramped when you start decking it out with toys. this is for the chins sake and yours. they are also easy to clean and fun to set up. if you get the chance look at the thread marked ferret nation club under the chin housing and supplies section, think someone has already posted the link on here. they have amazing set ups! not kidding some of them will make your jaw drop! good luck in your research and ask any questions you may have in the future.

 

[l0rraine]

Thanks for the help everyone, I ended up getting the Ferret Nation 141, which is currently housing my two rats, since their cage broke If I can afford it, I may get another one, then get a chinchilla to live in it!

For any other Canadians on here, they had every model of the Ferret and Critter Nation cages at PJ's Pets, thats the only store I could find it in!