First time owner - questions

[Thurineth]

Hi there!

Me and my partner just adopted a 6month old chinchilla this evening. We were given a cage and all the things to go inside but I have a few questions.

Our cage has a wire bottom - I've read that this is not good for them? I think her front paws are a bit red, so i'm guessing its this?


Toys, there is some plastic toy in her cage which has been chewed a little - should I take this out?

I'm going to get her a nesting box tomorrow since there is an "animal cottage" in her house but its too small for her and has been stuffed full of hay. The wheel will also be replaced for being too small.

Can people suggest toys I can give her? I am going to make a snuggle buddy for her in the next few days and I would like to give her lots to play with.

L
XX

 

[Smidgeyy]

Wire bottoms are okay as long as you have other things for them to stand on. Personally, I would put some fleece down or make sure there is a nice amount of bedding there. If her feet look irritated, I would definitely do something about it.

All plastic should be covered with fleece or removed. Chewing plastic can be very harmful to chins.

Fleece is the only safe fabric for small pets, so if you make anything you want to make sure that that is all you use. You also need to be careful with the threads.

Toy wise... You can buy a lot of different things. My chins enjoy chinese finger traps and apple wood more than anything else. Check out some of the vendors here for some toy ideas.

Ledges, a hammock, a tube, etc... Are all great additions to a cage. Chins love hopping around on different levels so the more jumping spots the better. You also want to be careful since your chin is still a bit young, so ledges shouldn't be too far apart. Most chins LOVE tubes so that's something to definitely invest in.

Make sure you order an appropriate wheel as well. You won't find any safe ones in stores.

Congrats on your new little fluff♥

 

[Thurineth]

Hi, thanks for the speedy reply. We're also in touch with a breeder nearby so are firing questions at all.

We have managed to get the metal tray above the wire and she looks so much comfier, we are going to invest in a better cage at somepoint but are not rushing in until we do our homework first.

You mentioned tubes, would this be the cardboard ones?
Is cardboard ok for them?

We will order a decent wheel, had the same problem with our hamster, as the pet shop ones were far far too small!

 

[Thurineth]

Is newspaper ok to give to her as a lining for the base?

 

[Amethyst]

As said wire bottom is ok with solid surfaces to stand on, so long as it's 1/2" x 1/2" or smaller, otherwise they can also get legs or feet caught. When making a cuddle buddy you also want to not only make it of fleece but also stuff it with fleece in case they do chew it, if chewed too you do need to remove it before it causes a issue. Also make sure all the thread is inside the toy so she can't get to it.

One of the best threads on here for cage and toy ideas is the Ferret Nation Club thread. Also as said check out the vendors for other toy ideas, most are in the US but it'll give you an idea anyway.

 

[Pepperpot]

As previously stated, wire floors are ok providing solid resting areas are provided for your chins also. Fleece cage carpets seem to be very popular. Wire floors make cage cleaning far easier, and are more hygienic.

 

[Godofgods]

Is newspaper ok to give to her as a lining for the base?

No. They will likely eat it which can cause some serious health problems. If your looking for bedding, try aspen shavings or kiln dried pine shavings.