Need major cage advice! Very new chinchilla owner

[AshleyG]

Hi! My husband and I recently decided to get a chinchilla. When we were in the pet store looking at supplies we talked to a girl who worked there that also had 2 chinchillas of her own. We thought," great! Someone who might understand products and know what works best from experience!" Oh, how wrong we were...

Now, before I begin, I fully understand I should have googled this or something to confirm and now I feel like a major idiot, but I trusted what we were told and now I'm beating myself up (at 5am no less).

The girl recommended we buy a $100 starter kit, it was an "All Living Things" cage with the shelving, ramps, etc. Now I find out how harmful plastic is to chinchillas and that they should never, ever be in these cages. I can't entirely blame the girl that said this, I should have confirmed for myself but we did specifically ask her if the plastic was okay and as an owner I thought she would know!

Now I'm pretty much scared to death and want to make this situation right as quickly as possible, but my question is HOW?

1. Can my chinchilla be in this cage temporarily while I take the time to find and purchase a proper cage, maybe a week or two AT MOST, or should she be moved sooner? I'm so worried!

2. What is the best kind of cage? Wood? Metal? What kinds of wood? I was getting mixed answers. (I do know that wire floors, ramps, etc is bad for their feet.)

3. Can I buy a cage that is 100% safe, or will I kind of have to piece something together? I looked up a few and some have negative things about them... I can't seem to find one that seems completely suitable.

4. I saw it mentioned somewhere that I can just cover the plastic in fleece, is this true? The cage is fairly large and as of now she's a small girl. We did plan on upgrading to a larger one as she grew. Would it be at all possible to replace the food bowl, water bottle and then just cover the ramps and shelves for now until she's ready for a bigger home? (The floor is plastic but not accessible to her.)

5. IF the answer to question #4 is yes, what kind of fleece and where can I get it? If not, just disregard this!



I have all kinds of information on their diet, how they "bathe", their temperature and all that good stuff. That seems easy to read up on! All the information is about the same, but I can't seem to get any solid answers on the cage issue and it's frustrating.

Thanks very much!

 

[mgonya]

Hi, welcome to CnH. Most of us have Ferret Nation 182 cages bought on their web site. A lot of owners replace the shelving with Bass pans. I covered my 2 main plastic shelves with fleece bought from Wal-Mart. I laid it around each shelf, cut it with an 1" margin, pinned it and sewed it. I left the open end with about 6 -8 " long so I could fold it over and pin it. Basically pillow cases. Not everyone does it that way, however it works for my chin.

My first chin survived in a cheap plastic cage for 8 mo before I got her. She did nibble but I tried to keep her in wood blocks, stones and other toys to distract her. Go to the Ferret Nation link on this forum and see the hundreds of creative cages these chins call home. I bought the stronger fleece because they will pull at it. There are also links here to buy covers.

Don't worry, we've all made mistakes. You'll get a lot of good advice here. Take what works for you. Good luck.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Don't feel bad about purchasing the cage without researching in advance. It's normal to think pet store assistants should be able to give good advice. Unfortunately most pet stores don't teach proper care of chins and many of the products sold are not safe for chins.

Is this the cage? http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...US&green=AD5028E3-D189-5E93-AD31-CD451FE73257


The one pictured comes with a plastic water bottle. I would replace it with a glass one. Don't use the 2 lb. premium chinchilla food, Nutriphase Fruit Flavored Mineral Chews or Treat kabob with wood chews.

 

[becky12883]

That cage is okay for a starter. You can either cover the plastic shelves with fleece (from Joann's or other fabric store, anti-pill or blizzard), or you can replace them with wood shelves. Here's a link to all the diy instructions. Ditch the ramp completely. Cathy is right about the food and other items. I think the most recommended cage is the Ferret Nation 182 (FN). That's what I have. It's not completely chinchilla ready, but can be easily modified to work perfect. Here's a thread that has tons of great ideas for modifications. Check out the classifieds section for safe wood chews and anything else you might need/want too.

 

[e.murphy518]

All good suggestions for fixing up that cage as a temp...cover the plastic with fleece or make some wood shelves to attach to the cage. As for a permanent cage, the ferret nation cages are GREAT and almost 100% safe. You will just need to replace the cage pans with metal bass pans or cover them with fleece, and cover the two shelves with fleece or just replace them with a ton of wood shelves. If you go into the "ferret nation club" thread there are TONS of pics that will probably inspire you to look into this cage option

 

[obcsed]

The cage you have now should work just fine for awhile. It is easy and inexpensive to make wood shelves for it or cover the plastic to make it totally safe. My guess is you don't have a proper wheel for him/her. That would be the first thing to invest in and just fix the cage you have now. I agree you should check out the Ferret Nation thread to get some really good ideas about how to set one up. You can't go wrong with a Ferret Nation.

 

[cindyv3737]

Welcome to CnH. I did the exact same thing when Shelly picked me to be her slave. I left petsmart with a chin, and a big plastic cage.

You can cover the shelves with fleece. AnnieO who runs Chinchic on etsy can probably make some covers for you. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChinChic, she also has a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ShopChinChic

You can get a glass water bottle and new food dish at the pet store. The food dishes I use are metal bird feeders.

I have ferret nation cages for my girls. They love their big cages.

Where are you located? I've been thinking about selling my spare FN. I'd be willing to sell it to you if you are local.

 

[AshleyG]

First of all I want to thank you guys for making me feel about 1000 times better! My little Vulcana still hasn't decided she wants to chew on her cage or anything, so that's good!

Hi, welcome to CnH. Most of us have Ferret Nation 182 cages bought on their web site. A lot of owners replace the shelving with Bass pans. I covered my 2 main plastic shelves with fleece bought from Wal-Mart. I laid it around each shelf, cut it with an 1" margin, pinned it and sewed it. I left the open end with about 6 -8 " long so I could fold it over and pin it. Basically pillow cases. Not everyone does it that way, however it works for my chin.

My first chin survived in a cheap plastic cage for 8 mo before I got her. She did nibble but I tried to keep her in wood blocks, stones and other toys to distract her. Go to the Ferret Nation link on this forum and see the hundreds of creative cages these chins call home. I bought the stronger fleece because they will pull at it. There are also links here to buy covers.

Don't worry, we've all made mistakes. You'll get a lot of good advice here. Take what works for you. Good luck.

That makes me feel better to know that about your chin being in a plastic cage! Mine seems to be extremely distracted by her toys and the fact that she's in a new place and hasn't chewed on any plastic thankfully.

The fleece seems like great idea, assuming she'll like it, for a temporary situation and it seems like it would be pretty simple to do. I'll have to look into different kinds and see if she'd be happy with that. Will the fleece do anything to make her warm? I was a little concerned about that.

Thanks for your great advice! It helps TONS!

Don't feel bad about purchasing the cage without researching in advance. It's normal to think pet store assistants should be able to give good advice. Unfortunately most pet stores don't teach proper care of chins and many of the products sold are not safe for chins.

Is this the cage? http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...US&green=AD5028E3-D189-5E93-AD31-CD451FE73257


The one pictured comes with a plastic water bottle. I would replace it with a glass one. Don't use the 2 lb. premium chinchilla food, Nutriphase Fruit Flavored Mineral Chews or Treat kabob with wood chews.

That's very similar but not exactly. The only real difference is the ramps are solid and not wire. My husband knew wire is bad for their feet... he had a pet rat as a kid! However, the water bottle is plastic along with the food bowl. I actually just bought replacements! I bought her a Super Pet glass bottle, but took out the little floating duck (I did the same with all the guinea pigs I've had so nothing builds up on it, yuck) and a ceramic type bowl. I was hoping to find a bowl that might attach to the cage but no such luck.

I did know about the food! The girl at the store did warn me about their diet and not to use the food the kit came with. Thank you for the tips!

That cage is okay for a starter. You can either cover the plastic shelves with fleece (from Joann's or other fabric store, anti-pill or blizzard), or you can replace them with wood shelves. Here's a link to all the diy instructions. Ditch the ramp completely. Cathy is right about the food and other items. I think the most recommended cage is the Ferret Nation 182 (FN). That's what I have. It's not completely chinchilla ready, but can be easily modified to work perfect. Here's a thread that has tons of great ideas for modifications. Check out the classifieds section for safe wood chews and anything else you might need/want too.

Wow thanks for that link! That has some really great information! I know that will definitely come in handy. Why would you suggest removing the ramps? I've read that a few other times but no one really gave a reason. I mean, my girl doesn't really seem to use them anyway. She just happily bounces from shelf to shelf and back down to the door and on her little ledge we got her, and they ARE taking up space.

Thank you!

All good suggestions for fixing up that cage as a temp...cover the plastic with fleece or make some wood shelves to attach to the cage. As for a permanent cage, the ferret nation cages are GREAT and almost 100% safe. You will just need to replace the cage pans with metal bass pans or cover them with fleece, and cover the two shelves with fleece or just replace them with a ton of wood shelves. If you go into the "ferret nation club" thread there are TONS of pics that will probably inspire you to look into this cage option

Thanks for the advice! It seems like everyone is saying Ferret Nation! I'll have to look into that thread! So basically what everyone is saying is the best way to make the cage safe is go with something like the ferret nation that is CLOSE to safe, and just finish it up by covering and/or replacing anything plastic? That seems so much easier than I was thinking. I was so concerned that it was going to be a nightmare!

The cage you have now should work just fine for awhile. It is easy and inexpensive to make wood shelves for it or cover the plastic to make it totally safe. My guess is you don't have a proper wheel for him/her. That would be the first thing to invest in and just fix the cage you have now. I agree you should check out the Ferret Nation thread to get some really good ideas about how to set one up. You can't go wrong with a Ferret Nation.

The wheel we got her was suggested to us by the girl in the store but that is also all plastic and just kind of like a hamster wheel but really big! It ended up not fitting in her cage, it was too big! So we didn't use it. I thought maybe she could use it outside of her cage but now with the whole plastic thing I'm not so sure. What kind of wheel would you suggest? I read somewhere those flying saucer type ones are supposed to be good, but the girl at the store said they're bad for them!

Welcome to CnH. I did the exact same thing when Shelly picked me to be her slave. I left petsmart with a chin, and a big plastic cage.

You can cover the shelves with fleece. AnnieO who runs Chinchic on etsy can probably make some covers for you. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChinChic, she also has a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ShopChinChic

You can get a glass water bottle and new food dish at the pet store. The food dishes I use are metal bird feeders.

I have ferret nation cages for my girls. They love their big cages.

Where are you located? I've been thinking about selling my spare FN. I'd be willing to sell it to you if you are local.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who did this! It seems like the fleece is the way I'll go until I pick her up a new cage.

Metal bird feeder! That's a great idea! I replaced her water bottle with glass and got her a ceramic bowl and was a little upset because I wanted one that hooked to the cage like this plastic one and didn't even think to use a bird feeder! That's a great tip!

I'm actually in Florida, any chance you might be too? Thanks again for the advice!

 

[chinchillachris]

That cage should be fine for a while while you get a different one, If you would rather keep the cage instead of getting a new one, then I'd recommend covering the ramps and trays with fleece. And if the cage came with a plastic bottle, go out and buy a glass one instead. If you're getting a new cage, however, then the most highly recommended one is the ferret nation (it can be found on amazon.com). However, the Ferret Nation needs to have its plastic pans replaced with metal Bass pans from Bass Equipment Co. Good luck and congrats on your new chin!

 

[akane]

I would just pull the plastic shelves and put in wood or hammocks. They don't need ramps. It won't take much effort and you can put the items in any future cage you get. You can order shelves of various woods with the hardware already installed from vendors in the classified section if you don't want to make your own. Use a ceramic crock or similar dishes for food and replace the water bottle. The cage will be safe then just a little small. You might want to keep it around in case you decide to get a second chin and need 2 cages to quarantine and introduce them.

Ferret nations are the most popular and have been on sale from petsmart.com. The prices on ferret.com aren't too bad either. Metal Bass pans are around $20-$30 to replace the plastic ones. There is also quality cage company that has all sorts of sizes and shapes but the much smaller wire spacing makes them a little more expensive per sq ft. They will also do custom cages. You want about 2x2x3' or bigger.

 

[obcsed]

You are not going to find a good wheel at any pet store. The Flying Saucer (metal ones), ChinSpins and Silver Surfers are all great wheels. They are going to cost a lot more but they will last forever. Besides the plastic ones are really too small for chins. They make them arch their backs unnaturally. It is something to think about getting while you wait for her to out grow her current cage.

 

[hyperzuzik]

one question: when that girl gave you such bad advices, I hope that she recomended you pellets as food + hay. many people make mistakes in this area because they trust the pet stores... most food in pet stores can cause big problems and can harm your chin ... well in our pet stores... :/

 

[e.murphy518]

Yep, once you make the adjustments to a ferret nation they are well worth it. Also, regarding ramps. Chins love to hop around (as I am sure you have noticed) and as you saw with your girl, they most likely won't use them and really don't need them. Most chins prefer just to make the leap to the next shelf.

As for wheels, plastic is never a good option but I have one of each of the types that obcsed mentioned above and they are all great options and my chins LOVE them. They are pretty expensive, and the ferret nation can be too depending on where you get it but everything is well worth the money and will last your chin a very long time so you won't need to be paying for replacements very often

 

[AshleyG]

That cage should be fine for a while while you get a different one, If you would rather keep the cage instead of getting a new one, then I'd recommend covering the ramps and trays with fleece. And if the cage came with a plastic bottle, go out and buy a glass one instead. If you're getting a new cage, however, then the most highly recommended one is the ferret nation (it can be found on amazon.com). However, the Ferret Nation needs to have its plastic pans replaced with metal Bass pans from Bass Equipment Co. Good luck and congrats on your new chin!

I think I'll hold onto this cage for now and purchase a new one and start "chin-proofing" it while she grows that way when she's ready we can just move her over. In the mean time I actually already replaced her water bottle with a glass one and get her a ceramic bowl! She seemed a little miffed with me for taking her old one because it kind of hung on the side of the cage and she liked to bounce off of it! I also picked up plenty of fleece and that's my next project. Thanks for the advice!

I would just pull the plastic shelves and put in wood or hammocks. They don't need ramps. It won't take much effort and you can put the items in any future cage you get. You can order shelves of various woods with the hardware already installed from vendors in the classified section if you don't want to make your own. Use a ceramic crock or similar dishes for food and replace the water bottle. The cage will be safe then just a little small. You might want to keep it around in case you decide to get a second chin and need 2 cages to quarantine and introduce them.

Ferret nations are the most popular and have been on sale from petsmart.com. The prices on ferret.com aren't too bad either. Metal Bass pans are around $20-$30 to replace the plastic ones. There is also quality cage company that has all sorts of sizes and shapes but the much smaller wire spacing makes them a little more expensive per sq ft. They will also do custom cages. You want about 2x2x3' or bigger.

I was considering a hammock but most of the ones I saw weren't fleece and I've heard that's the only fabric I should use. Is this true? I guess other fabrics can fray and that wouldn't be good. Ana isn't much of a nibbler yet except for her wood but better safe than sorry! My husband is great with his hands and is looking into possibly building her shelves. Our goal for now is to make the current cage temporarily safe and start working on a newer, bigger and better one for her to move into. That's a great idea about keeping the cage. We were considering just selling it when the time comes but I'm sure we will want another chin in the future.

You are not going to find a good wheel at any pet store. The Flying Saucer (metal ones), ChinSpins and Silver Surfers are all great wheels. They are going to cost a lot more but they will last forever. Besides the plastic ones are really too small for chins. They make them arch their backs unnaturally. It is something to think about getting while you wait for her to out grow her current cage.

We got the biggest plastic one we could find, she hasn't used it (it didn't fit and I didn't want her trying it out of the cage unless I was sure) but now I really don't want her using it at all. It's a regular round one, not like the flying saucers and I don't want her getting hurt. I can see how it would make them move strangely. All that popping around there isn't much time for walking! (or running!) I'll definitely be looking into what you suggested for her next cage.

Out of curiosity... are there any other "toys" a chin might like? Or are they happier popping around and playing on their own? I'm so used to guinea pigs that LOVE toys and things they can roll around with their paws.

Yep, once you make the adjustments to a ferret nation they are well worth it. Also, regarding ramps. Chins love to hop around (as I am sure you have noticed) and as you saw with your girl, they most likely won't use them and really don't need them. Most chins prefer just to make the leap to the next shelf.

As for wheels, plastic is never a good option but I have one of each of the types that obcsed mentioned above and they are all great options and my chins LOVE them. They are pretty expensive, and the ferret nation can be too depending on where you get it but everything is well worth the money and will last your chin a very long time so you won't need to be paying for replacements very often

I'll definitely be taking her ramps out! We've already made quite a few adjustments since some of the answers we've gotten and our next 2 things now are take out the ramps and cover the shelves and floor. I've yet to see her even use her ramps for anything but maybe hopping onto them but she prefers jumping from the top down to her wooden ledge. Next I'll be looking into the metal wheels/saucers. Thanks so much for all your help! I'm actually surprised how reasonable prices are on some of these things. I just wish I had done this all from the beginning and saved the money from this plastic cage!

Better late than never, though


Here's one last question regarding the chins temperature...

Now, I do know they shouldn't be over or really even near 75 degrees. Some places told me 50 degrees and under is too cold, but other places told me there really is no temperature that is too cold. Which is true? I can't seem to find the "right" answer. Also, will fleece make them hot? I tend to keep my house a nice 60-65 degrees, I HATE being humid or warm (this is partly why I thought a chin would fit in at my house). We also get her the marble slab to help keep her cool... we were told the marble can be stuck in the freezer, would that be okay?

Thanks so much guys You're all so nice and helpful!

 

[alooper19]

Don't feel bad! A lot of people do this when they first buy their chins. My boyfriend for example got a chin before I was around and he put her in a plastic cage. She lived to be 10 years old even with being around plastic half of her life. Your chin should be alright in that cage temporarily.

If you're looking for a wheel, there are all kinds of metal ones. There is the flying saucer, chinspin, leo braun, and tons of other items. If you look in "Chin Polls" below, there is a thread that is all about wheels.

Just like everyone else recommended, the Ferret Nation is the most recommended cage I have seen on here. I have a Critter Nation but, I wish we would've gotten the Ferret Nation instead. We covered our plastic pans in fleece along with the shelves. I got my fleece from "Fleece for Furries" on facebook or you can contact her on here. Her name is "Shooper".

You can buy all kinds of items in the Classified section. Just snoop around there a bit and you'll find people selling items such as toys, wood chews, fleece, cage accessories etc!

I hope this helps! Again, don't feel bad!!

 

[AshleyG]

Don't feel bad! A lot of people do this when they first buy their chins. My boyfriend for example got a chin before I was around and he put her in a plastic cage. She lived to be 10 years old even with being around plastic half of her life. Your chin should be alright in that cage temporarily.

If you're looking for a wheel, there are all kinds of metal ones. There is the flying saucer, chinspin, leo braun, and tons of other items. If you look in "Chin Polls" below, there is a thread that is all about wheels.

Just like everyone else recommended, the Ferret Nation is the most recommended cage I have seen on here. I have a Critter Nation but, I wish we would've gotten the Ferret Nation instead. We covered our plastic pans in fleece along with the shelves. I got my fleece from "Fleece for Furries" on facebook or you can contact her on here. Her name is "Shooper".

You can buy all kinds of items in the Classified section. Just snoop around there a bit and you'll find people selling items such as toys, wood chews, fleece, cage accessories etc!

I hope this helps! Again, don't feel bad!!

Thank you! That makes me feel loads better! I'm really glad to see a lot of other people have made similar mistakes... I was so worried I was going to get screamed at for being horrible!

I'll have to check out wheel thread! I've been browsing because I'd like to get her one soon.

I haven't heard anything about the Critter Nation. Are they smaller or just not as good as the ferret ones? I think I'm doing okay so far... Since all of the advice I've gotten I've already removed her ramps (I think she's thankful!), replaced the water bottle and bowl, and covered her shelves and pan with fleece. She seemed confused... she went out to play with my husband and they had a great time while she hopped around the room then she gets back in her house and everything is different!

Thanks so much for the advice, and reassurance!

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Petsmart currently has the Ferret Nation Double Unit on sale for $105.47, after shipping it comes to like $125. A lot of people use the Ferret Nations.

Here's the linkhttp://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752837&kw=2752837&sr=1&origkw=2752837&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

If the link doesn't work for you (isn't for others I've shared it with), just go to Petsmart.com and in the Petsmart Search Bar type in 2752837

I hope it works for you.

 

[AshleyG]

one question: when that girl gave you such bad advices, I hope that she recomended you pellets as food + hay. many people make mistakes in this area because they trust the pet stores... most food in pet stores can cause big problems and can harm your chin ... well in our pet stores... :/

She did! The cage was wrong and the wheel was wrong, but at least the food was correct!

She showed me two kinds of food. One with a bunch of things added and one plain pellets and told me to get the plain unless I wanted to pick out all the other junk, so I just got the plain and regular hay for her.

She did say as for treats dandelion drops would be good, I bought them but haven't given her any yet. Are these safe? I did a little research and people said raisins but the girl in the pet store said no. It's hard to know what to believe!

Petsmart currently has the Ferret Nation Double Unit on sale for $105.47, after shipping it comes to like $125. A lot of people use the Ferret Nations.

Here's the linkhttp://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752837&kw=2752837&sr=1&origkw=2752837&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

If the link doesn't work for you (isn't for others I've shared it with), just go to Petsmart.com and in the Petsmart Search Bar type in 2752837

I hope it works for you.

Wow, thanks! I'm going to go check it out now and I'm crossing my fingers it's not too late because that's an excellent price! That's what I paid for this stupid plastic cage! >_<

 

[obcsed]

Toss the Dandelion drops and the raisins. They have way too much sugar which the chins can't handle. There are very few things sold in pet stores that are safe for chins. Most of us shop for toys and treats on line.

Some safe things for treats include Old Fashion Oatmeal flakes (not the quick cook style), a piece of plain mini shredded wheat, rose hips, and properly prepared wood sticks.

Chins love toys. Again there isn't much in the pet stores that are safe. About the only things I get at the pet store is lava ledges or lava bites. Check out the vendors on this site for some safe toys like wood blocks and pumice stone. Some vendors make wonderful hanging toys too.

Finally, never feed a chin any fresh or dried veggies or fruit or any kind of nuts. They can cause problems from bloat to fatty liver disease.

 

[EternallyCynical]

Thank you! That makes me feel loads better! I'm really glad to see a lot of other people have made similar mistakes... I was so worried I was going to get screamed at for being horrible!

I'll have to check out wheel thread! I've been browsing because I'd like to get her one soon.

I haven't heard anything about the Critter Nation. Are they smaller or just not as good as the ferret ones? I think I'm doing okay so far... Since all of the advice I've gotten I've already removed her ramps (I think she's thankful!), replaced the water bottle and bowl, and covered her shelves and pan with fleece. She seemed confused... she went out to play with my husband and they had a great time while she hopped around the room then she gets back in her house and everything is different!

Thanks so much for the advice, and reassurance!

I have a Critter Nation double level. As far as I know they're the same size. The main difference is the bar spacing (the CN has bars spaced much closer together) and the bars are horizontal, instead of primarily vertical. Its not a bad cage, but its harder to customize. There are a lot of complaints of the bars being kind of weak and snapping when chins get bouncy on ledges/wheels/etc. Considering that the FN is cheaper and considered more sturdy, I would go with that (I would have too if I'd known about the weak bars ahead of time!), but a Critter Nation will be just as safe with the same modifications as a FN, it'll just be more of a headache to mount anything to the side of the cage.