Have Some Questions

[Sage12]

Hi, we got our standard gray chinchilla Sage a little less than 2 1/2 months ago. She is in a double critter nation. She was 5 or 6 months when we got her. I don’t know the exact age because we got her from PetSmart.
How high should her water bottle be? I want it to be comfortable for her to drink from.
Her Chin Spin finally arrived yesterday. She loves it. She has been on top of it more than once though. Why does she do this and is it safe?
She does not eat a lot of hay. It is the Oxbow Western Timothy Hay.
Is her cage good? I plan on putting tile on the bottom and adding a lot more wooden ledges. I added pictures below.

 

[Amethyst]

The water bottle should be at a level where all 4 paws are on the ground, but not so low that she is twisting her neck to drink, the nozzle of mine is up about 3 inches from where they stand to drink. I would also switch out the plastic bottle for a glass one, she may not have chewed it yet but most do and then you have a wet cage and the chin has no water. The cage itself is fine, though it does need more ledges, you don't want her to fall more then a foot or she could get seriously hurt. Some chins just like to sit on top of the wheel for some unknown reason, maybe just because they can? If you are worried about it I know some people just put a ledge or shelf right above the wheel so they can't actually get on top.

 

[Sage12]

Ok thank you. I do have one question though, how will the chinchilla chew the bottle if it is on the outside? I can imagine me dropping and breaking a glass one. Also is it normal for them to not eat a lot of hay? She eats less than what is in her hay rack in one week.

 

[Amethyst]

If she is able to get her teeth through the bars, at the top and/or bottom of the bottle she can chew it. You could also just wrap the bottle in fleece or clip a piece of fleece a board to the cage so she can't get it.


She may not like the hay you are giving her, chins should eat about a pile the size of the chin per day. You could try a different brand, chins can be picky and hay can vary from harvest to harvest and even field to field depending on growing conditions. So it can also end up varying from bag to bag especially which brands, like Oxbow, that don't list what cut is used, it seems to be mostly 2nd cut but can be a mix of cuts. You could also try mixing in another kind of grass hay like meadow or orchard to make it more flavorful and interesting. Although timothy should be the primary hay they can and should have other kinds too, grass hays can be given daily, grain hay like oat should be limited to about a handful a week, same with legume hay like alfalfa (if given at all, too much calcium can cause bladder stones in some chins).

 

[Sage12]

Ok, thank you.

 

[yspm10]

If you need wooden supplies I recommend Pandamonium pets on Etsy. A lot of variety. As far as hay just look for the greener looking hay. More fresh I guess. Mine does the same kinda just picks out the ones she doesn’t like, but definitely likes the greener looking ones.

 

[Sage12]

Ok, I will check that place out. Thank you!

 

[Sage12]

I am going to make wooden ledges. How wide should they be? I was thinking 5 inches by different lengths.

 

[Sage12]

I was think of getting one inch thick wood. Is that thick enough?

 

[Amethyst]

I am going to make wooden ledges. How wide should they be? I was thinking 5 inches by different lengths.

I was think of getting one inch thick wood. Is that thick enough?

The ledges in my chins' cage range from about 4-6 inches deep, are around 6-7 inches wide (not including the cage width shelves made of 2x8 boards) and 1-2 inches thick. So your idea for ledge sizes is right about the middle. 1" is thick enough, but the chin can chew through it faster then a 2" board.

 

[Sage12]

Thank you that helps me a lot.

 

[LillyChu]

Also keep in mind that not all wood is safe ^`^

 

[LillyChu]

Here are some sheets I found very handy, got them off facebook from a reliable group, hope this helps!

 

[Sage12]

Ok thank you. I was planning on using poplar.

 

[Sage12]

I improved Sage’s cage. You can’t see it very well but there is a glass water bottle. I have the tile for the bottom, I have to get it cut.

 

[Amethyst]

Unfortunately those ladders are not safe, chins have been known to get legs caught in them and end up breaking or dislocation their leg or hip. One way you can fix it if you want to use it is to attach a solid board to the back of it so the chin's legs can't go though.

 

[Sage12]

Ok thank you.