New to Chins, need housing and wheel advice?

[Black Viper Skull]

Alright. So, I got my very first Chinchilla, Thumper just a few months ago. he was six or eight months when we got him.. I can't remember too well. It was really an unexpected thing, so I did as much research on them the night before, and needless to say, I fear iv made a few mistakes.

Mistake #1: Buying him the Super pet 'Comfort Wheel'. He never ran in it, as much as he did on it. He would climb to the top and run on it, but anyways. He chewed the little plastic piece keeping the wheel in piece OFF and now the wheel kept sliding off.

Mistake #2: Not enough research on cages. My chinchilla was actually free. A family friend gave him to me after my hamster died, but I almost refused because I didn't have a cage for him, but then she was kind enough to give me a cage with him. Her old cage. The selves are a thick and tough plastic (I know plastic should never be put in their cages, but it seemed safe since she used it herself with her own chinchillas, and he can't really get his teeth on it very well to chew it.) I can't find the exact cage online anymore, but it has black bars, with purple shelves and purple bottom. But I feel like maybe its too small for a chinchilla? I'm 5'5 and it comes to about the middle of my chest, and is about a foot and a half wide.. Maybe a little more.

Anyways. Are there any GOOD Do It Yourself cages and wheels out there?(with instructions) I cannot afford a 60-80 dollar wheel, and I won't be able to any time soon, and I certainly can't afford a 200-300 dollar cage. I only have one Chinchilla, so i'm just trying to take care of him the best I can. It truly scares me and break my heart knowing I could put him in danger without knowing it. If anyone can be of help, id be very grateful <3

Other things:
I use a large water bottle from wal-mart for his water
I use a ceramic bowel for his food
I give him hay bites with his food (Which also contains hay)
I use ASPEN bedding.

 

[sassyandclassy]

You should try to get an all metal cage because they chew on EVERYTHING and it can get into their digestive system.

I only got my chinchilla a few months ago so I'm kinda new to everything too. I haven't gotten her a wheel yet because her cage is quite big and she has plenty of room to run around and jump on the different levels.

I got an awesome cage on amazon that I originally saw at petco and petsmart for close to $200. On amazon it was around $100. I'll try to find the link for it.

The set up wasnt bad at all but you definitely need two people to put it together.

make sure you give him timothy hay not the other type (i forget what it's called).

 

[sassyandclassy]

http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Produc...915093&sr=8-1&keywords=prevue+chinchilla+cage

original price $305, sale price $132 =]

My chin loves this cage and so far I do too!

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Produc...915093&sr=8-1&keywords=prevue+chinchilla+cage

original price $305, sale price $132 =]

My chin loves this cage and so far I do too!

One thing about this cage is you need to also order a pan for the bottom of the cage because the spacing of the wires is dangerous for a chinchillas feet (inappropriate spacing can lead to broken legs resulting in amputation). You would also want to remove the ramps (chinchillas are jumpers, ramp are unnecessary and a hazard) and put in lots of kiln dried pine (or other safe wood) ledges. It's a nice shape for a starter cage that you can then fix up relatively inexpensively. A single level ferret nation also has a lot of potential (remove or cover the plastic, put in lots of ledges, ditch the ramps, etc.).

There are some people on this forum that have made DIY cages and searching the threads should be fairly easy. Also, if you go the ferret nation route, check out the ferret nation thread for lots of ideas on how you can customize your chins cage

Edit: You might also want to consider taking the plastic out of your current cage and customizing it with lots of wood ledges and the like. As for a wheel, Silver Surfer, Leo Braun, Flying Saucer (and I might be forgetting one) are your best bets and they are definitely worth saving up for. Think of your chins cage as a work that is constantly in progress and aim to continually improve is as you can afford to do so.

 

[kickster]

Here's what I would do.
Get this cage:http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&manufacturers_id=&products_id=610
I know it's expensive but it has everything a chinchilla needs in the gousing department. It has a wheel, a full cage set up complete with shelves and stand, a water bottle and a food bowl. All you need is the chinchilla and food.

 

[Black Viper Skull]

Since Thumper isn't chewing on the shelves (he much prefers to chew on the cage bars and his little dust rock than anything. Plus, he loves to sleep on the bottom shelf, and won't sleep anywhere else.. X3) I will leave them in until I get some wood shelves. The shelves have somewhat rounded edges, and makes it difficult to chew on, but he never has attempted to chew on them, so i'm not really all that worried. I am looking into saving for a new cage, and wheel. I will take the starter kit into consideration as well. I'm sure Thumper would go completely nuts over it xD But for now, what type of wood would be best to use for selves? (I also intend to make him some toys and a hammock so he has something to do, because his cage is literally empty, besides his bowel and shelves...)

 

[turtlemoon]

it sounds like the cage you're describing is this one:

http://tinyurl.com/all-living-things

if so, i found this great thread that includes someone with this same cage who has made it look, and feel, bigger and spacious for very cheap.

just go to Chin Housing and Supplies and look for the thread called "My Little Chin's Cage" (i'm not sure if we're allowed to link other threads, so this was the best i could do. =P)

good luck!

 

[Black Viper Skull]

Found the cage

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Del...d=1379059626&sr=8-10&keywords=chinchilla+cage This is actually the cage I have. Its pretty sturdy, but its kind of older, and all together, I really do just need a new one. (Also, the green ramps/tubes have been taken out.)

 

[Riven]

Check craigslist for ferret nation or critter nations, you don't have to spend a ton. I have a FN for sale for $75 if you're in Nebraska, lol. You can get them used pretty cheap sometimes. Any DYI cage will cost about a much as buying a used one if not more.

Really there is no substitute for a good wheel. Save up, or go without. They don't need a wheel, but they do enjoy them usually. Some chins won't even touch a wheel. You need a min. of 15", I'm sure the wheel you started with was too small. I personally recommend the flying saucers, they last forever because you can change out the bearings and offer a full stride run.

 

[jbrianchamberlin]

http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Produc...915093&sr=8-1&keywords=prevue+chinchilla+cage

original price $305, sale price $132 =]

My chin loves this cage and so far I do too!

I have this same cage and so far, no problems. Now I'm concerned about the ramps and the wire bottom. It has a tray under the wire to hold the bedding. Should this be changed somehow? And the ramps? They should come out? They use them all the time.