Making Your Chinchilla's Cage Resemble Its Natural Habitat (ON A BUDGET)

[aaron89978]

Hello, everyone. I'm new here.
I've done thorough research on chins, but I would still feel better making its cage resemble its natural habitat. Does anyone here have any suggestions?

I've been thinking of putting some rocks in there, and maybe even chiseling out some big enough holes in those rocks for the chinchilla to fit into, rather than having just the hammock. Has anyone considered or even done this?

Thanks.

 

[Molly]

I added six large rocks to Gus's home after learning that sitting on the same flat surfaces all day can wear on their pressure points. (His feet were raw at the time and I was trying to do everything I could, since I couldn't figure out the cause!) He loves spending time on them and hops from rock to rock, but he also loves his pine shelves and fleece toys...I don't think I'd ever want to make it all rocky. He does try to dig the rocks so he can produce dust to roll in...of course, no dust is produced, but he always keeps trying!

Here's a link Puddles&Chubbs gave me to rock ledges: www.birdontherocks.com They might be a nice compromise, or you could make them yourself. Good luck and post pictures of your creation!

 

[aaron89978]

Awesome! I'm just wanting to be able to know that I'm giving the best for my chinchilla. I haven't gotten one yet, so I am - I guess you could say - over-preparing. I mean come on, you don't see the chinchillas at the zoo in a cage bought from Petsmart. But obviously, there are budget restrictions when trying to mimic the chins habitat in your own home.

 

[3CsMommy]

I'd try to make sure anything rock like you include is either on the lowest level or otherwise anchored to the cage/shelves, so the chins aren't injured if a piece of something comes loose. Branches or large (safe) wooden bird perches might be a nice alternative to stones or tiles on the upper levels. There's a list of safe woods to use in a cage in the FAQs section (I think?) and Bird on the Rocks, which Molly linked you to, also offers wood perches, some of which are chin safe. If I were doing this, I'd probably go with Manzanita, which is pretty darn tough, if I didn't already have a bunch of big chunks of safe stuff from my parents' house.