melamine cage questions

[chinchillalover0927]

I am getting custom cages built and saw some people had pine all the way in there cages. The chins do not chew the pine walls? Also the cabinet specialist said cedar is close to pine and asked if cedar was ok to use? He gets it free so that's why he wondered also. please let me know, thanks.

 

[Chinmama]

Kiln dried pine is fine for use in chinchilla cages. Cedar is not safe for chinchillas and should not be used.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

I know pine is safe,what I was asking is do the chins destroy the walls if they are made out of pine instead of melamine??? He said it would be a lot cheaper for me if I could use all line walls. I'm worried aBout cage durability

 

[chinchillalover0927]

anyone else? I just need to know if they will chew on the walls if they are made of pine?

 

[greychins]

I have a melamine cage with melamine walls. The thing I would worry about a cage with pine walls - besides the fact they may chew it - is that pine is absorbent. When pee gets on that pine, you will never get it off - it will absorb into the wood. I personally think that a cage made of pine walls would start to smell after awhile... now, I see no problem with a pine-frame cage, but then more of the cage would be wire. The melamine, on the other hand, can be wiped clean and doesn't absorb unless liquid is literally sitting on the material.

 

[ticklechin]

I have had pine walled cages for over ten years, it is no problem.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

Ok Thank u so much

 

[greychins]

I have had pine walled cages for over ten years, it is no problem.

No? I'm surprised. I don't know if my chins spray for fun or what, but I am constantly cleaning pee stains off of my melamine interior walls.

 

[StevieP]

I'm always washing the walls behind my cages because of dried pee streaks.

 

[chechinchillas]

I have always worried that they would chew the melamie, but I have read that if it is smooth that they can't. Is this the same way with the pine walls? I use all wire walls for good air circulations (no wire floors of course). The cage pans are never deep enough to keep the shavings in when the chins are running around so recently I tried wrapping a 10" high piece of fleece around the entire perimeter of the bottom cage walls on the outside. I attach it with c rings like I use for cage making. I haven't had any trouble with them trying to chew and it works pretty well, plus it gives them a place to hide behind if they want to. I used to have to wipe pee off of the walls, but I guess the wrap is catching that too so eventually I'll have to take them off and wash them.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

Yea I don't want to waste my money getting pine walls when I could have saved money in the end my not needing to rebuild my cages LOL