Cage size?

[devonmariexoxo]

How big of a cage do I need for a single chinchilla? I'm wanting to make sure it can have a wheel in it, because I know they like them a lot. I was looking at The Chinchilla Cabin at Martin's Cages. It's 21"x14"x24" for the slide out pan, with levels. http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/chinchilla/ Is that big enough?

 

[jess32247]

Imo, it's too small. Some people will disagree, but I think bigger is better for a animal living in a cage for the majority of it's life, even with daily playtimie. My chins old cage was a little bigger then that and I hated it's size. My chin didn't even like it.

Why not get a cage they can grow into too, rather then having to upgrade again when they are fully grown? Yes, big cages are expensive, but owning chins are expensive.

Ferret Nation, Critter Nation, Chinchilla Mansion, Marshall Mansion, Chinchilla Townhouse are just a few off the top of my head. A lot of people have FN's, which are great cages. I wish I got one of them but instead of got a Marshall mansion, I love it either way.

 

[devonmariexoxo]

The main thing is, is it has to live in my room. And most all metal cages I find are on wheels, and I simply don't have the room for something like that. I'm looking for someone that's large enough for the chinchilla, can still fit where I'm putting it, and is all metal. Unfortunately, that seems to be a bit difficult.

 

[smhluvsmh]

When we adopted our first chin, Gizmo, we listened to the people at the pet store and they assured us that the cage we were buying ($100) was big enough. I forget what it was but it wasn't but 3 months before it was obvious that it wasn't nearly enough room for her to climb, hop, jump and be happy. The bars also broke from the weight of the wheel. Yes, cages are expensive, but if you invest a little more now, it'll be worth it. I have 2 FN142's. 2 chins in one and Gizmo has one all to herself. Couldn't be happier!

 

[jess32247]

The main thing is, is it has to live in my room. And most all metal cages I find are on wheels, and I simply don't have the room for something like that. I'm looking for someone that's large enough for the chinchilla, can still fit where I'm putting it, and is all metal. Unfortunately, that seems to be a bit difficult.

Could you make room for it? Maybe rerrange a little bit or find another room to put him in? If you don't have room for the cage, then maybe you should wait until you have room before you make the jump to own chin. I have a lot of supplies for my single chin, a lot more then people would think, and it takes up a lot of room so you ahve to think about that too. Also, how is he going to have daily playtime if you don't even have room for the cage?

Like I said before, bigger is better. That cage is much to small, and like most cages will need some work done for it before it's fit to house a chin, like the wire ramps/ledges need to be taken out and replaced with wood. Are you sure you're ready to commit to a chinchilla for the next 15 years?

 

[AZChins]

I think it's fine to use a cage that size for a chinchilla. My cages are smaller, the chins do not suffer. Larger cages are for the owners mostly. Not saying that they are a bad thing to have them be larger, but a smaller cage is fine, too. Not everyone has room for a massive cage or wants a massive cage. The cage you are wanting far exceeds the basic cage size guidelines, so it's definitely adequate. Personal preference comes into play when it comes to cage size.

Wire does not necessarily need to be replaced at all as long as it is the right spacing on the shelves and floors. I wouldn't worry about that with the Martin's Cage. All of my cages have wire floors - I prefer one level cages since there are far less problems with them.

 

[perabalaofmystery]

i think that cage work work ok. just as long as you dont put more than one chin in it. martin cages are known to be good cages.

 

[devonmariexoxo]

Thank you all for your input. Since I'm planning on only having one chin, I don't need a super large cage. And if the one I get ends up being too small, I will get a new one. I am only a teenager and must pay for everything with my own money, so I'm trying to do the best with what I can get. I'm planning on putting my cage on my chest in my room, but I have plenty of floor space for playtime, so that won't be a problem.