Chinchilla Housing

neelyohara

So I've found myself with two chinchillas. They arrived with a cage that really isn't suitable for two adults.

At the moment they are 7 months (one male one female). At the weekend I priced up some new cages which seem to run from €230 upwards (the cages in question are aviaries), the problem is that even if I buy the cage I still need to fit it out with shelving and ledges (the current cage has a hammock and a ledge that takes up half the size of the cage).

Does anyone know of any cheap but quality cage suppliers?

I have thought about building a cage but I'm a DIY disaster. I'm not sure how much it would cost to get one built... especially given the do's and don'ts for the basic requirements!

Has anyone any thoughts or suggestions for housing? At the moment they are out of their cage for two hours each day, I'm changing the toys and items available to them regularly and I'm waiting for a flying saucer to be delivered (they have a wire wheel with a spoke running through it that must hurt their back when they use it).

Thanks folks!

dancingqueen

I don't know where you live but if you go up the North you would get a cage a lot cheaper... it's just an idea.

Also try the following: www.zooplus.co.uk

neelyohara

I was just looking at the zooplus.ie site when I got your message. Oddly enough their prices seem to favour the euro! Some cages are the same price - north or south, other cages are up to €50 more expensive up north!

It's worth keeping in mind tho', I can definitely get myself up to Newry!

Eemia

Hey! Congrats on becoming a Chinchilla owner.

I got two myself last year and ended up with 4, but changed some around as one baby was male and i just wanted females so now i have 3 The cage i had to start off with wasn't sufficient for 3 and i had planned on getting 3 all along so went about pricing cages, DIY etc etc and in the end i went with zooplus and saved myself a nice bit! I got two metal dog cages and turned one upside on top of the other. Now i had the space for them they work out about 6ft high by 4ft wide and 3ft deep but one might do you for your two? But then again a male and a female - babies? Would you consider neutering one?

This is my cage anyways

http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af306/Eemia1988/Chinchilla%20cage%20and%20accessories/DSCF2164.jpg

And i can point you in the direction of a few sites if you would like?

HTH

Eemia

neelyohara

Hi Eemia,

The dog cages are ingenious! Getting a suitable cage is high up on the priorities list - at night time it's like elephants are banging around in the room next to me!

They are in the spare room so I'm not bothered on the aesthetics of the cage - it's just at matter of being functional, lots of space for them and easy to clean for me!

I can't give them too much freedom right now as they aren't tame... they prefer the cat to me, so it's sand baths and running around in the bathroom for the moment!

They are definitely going to be neutered... oh trust me on that one! Their owner was going to get them put down as they were going away and couldn't handle them (they are only babies as it is!) and I stepped in and took them on. They appealed to the 12 year old in me who wanted chinchillas but could only afford a hamster!

I'm not sure which one to neuter... I assume it would be easier and safer to neuter the male but I'm not sure. The previous owner brought her to the vet a couple of weeks ago and she confirmed she wasn't pregnant just 'big' (I'm assuming they took the fact females are larger than males to be pregnancy)... but yes, it's the number one priority to get them neutered as soon as possible. I've emailed a couple of vets to check prices (my doggy and kitteh vet is pricey).

Definitely send me on those links. I could do with all the help I can get!

I'm off now to start looking at dog cages (I would *never* have even thought of that!) and more alternatives. Cheers!

Eemia

The cage on zooplus is a tabby cage if you throw that into the search you'll get a Tabby cage 1 and Tabby cage 11 - only difference is the size! On the .co.uk site they are on offer atm! Didn't check the irish site though. If its any use to you if you give me your email addy i can get you 10% off ZP

The only thing about some cages is the bar spacing, i found the above to be perfect and haven't any escapees bar when i left the door open lol :rolleyes: You can adapt the floor with small 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch wire so their feet won't go through the bars as they are like 1/2 inch x 4 inchs factory. It has a pull out tray to where their poop would fall. Its perfect all round i think. After that i just secured shelves etc, there is an easy way to do this so if you go down that route i can link you to the way to do it.

My girls don't get out too much as there are wayyyy too many places for them to disappear to in the bathroom so i use a play pen. Although one loves being out, ones not pushed and well other hates it.

Not sure on the who to neuter as i have all girls so no problems here but one of the sites i am going to link you to will point you in the right direction. Any time i have heard of neutering its been in the male though. Where abouts are you situated?

This is the link to a site doing hammocks etc. You should have a look around the whole site too. I ordered a love snug and my girls love it. All proceeds go to animal rescues as its volunteer run.

http://www.hammockyhammocks.co.uk/product_CanC.htm

This is where i got my wheel. I payed 82.50 for the wheel, two replacement bearings and postage. Which is virtually what the wheel should have cost so got Roughly 20pound savings.

http://www.shelfridges.co.uk/flyingsaucerwheel/

This is the website i use, mainly English owners on it but me and another girl are irish and couple of american owners.

http://chinwags.invisionzone.com/index.php

I ordered a bunch of treats off this site

http://www.onlynaturalpetsupplies.co.uk/

Also here is a link to an american site, some good threads are posted on this and a lot of stuff worth reading

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/

God post is mighty long now! Ha may stop rambeling and leave you be, in case you do need to ask anything just shout

Eemia

Sigma Force

zooplus.co.uk are great for reasonably priced critter cages

neelyohara

Eemia thanks a million for those sites!

I was looking through the shores last night and nearly purchased some bits and pieces... I had to stop myself though, I've a tendency to buy random stuff in the early hours of the morning - although my bank have finally stopped freezing my card and phoning me due to 'suspicious activity at unusual hours'.

I think hammockyhammocks looks like a brilliant site - it's fantastic that it's all for charity and I'm definitely getting something there. I'm still waiting for their wheel to arrive. It's not a heavy duty metal one but I'm hoping to get the best part of year out of it.

I'll definitely check out the forums and I'll let you know how I get on with the cage/s!

Eemia

I'm the same go on these mad animal buying sprees, recently it was for the new pup :rolleyes: Broke they'd have you lol

HH is fantastic and the girls that run it are SUPER friendly also, glady hand over money to them for the rescues. Also one of the Chinchilla Rescues that they help is actually on the Chin Wags site i linked you to.

Just a quick one....... please tell me your wheel isn't plastic?

morganafay

I've a tendency to buy random stuff for my pets too. :rolleyes: I was on cavycouture.co.uk and had put €175 worth of things in my trolley until I realised I didn't need any of them . . .

And if you're looking, there are wooden chinchilla wheels on zooplus (I've been looking because I want to get chinchillas maybe in a few months).

neelyohara

Eemia wrote: »

Just a quick one....... please tell me your wheel isn't plastic?

It is. I thought they would be OK with it because their entire cage is made out of plastic (bar the metal bars obviously!).... they have a hammock style thing that is just rock hard plastic, their bed/hut/thingy is plastic, the stairs and second floor is plastic!

As of yet the entire cage is nibble free... I checked the edges of everything and they don't seem to be interested. Since I've had them I've put in a tube from a loo roll, two hanging treat/seed things, two *rummages in box* ah nuts, I cut off the label part... anyway to 'sticks' of wood and a cuttle fish or cuttle bone... whatever they are called! So I'm hoping they have enough to keep them mentally stimulated and to keep those teeth down.

I plan on getting the metal saucer that you linked to but at the moment it's neutering and a better cage as priority!

It's hilarious, the saucer arrived today and the female doesn't know what to do with herself! She loved her wheel even if her nose was nearly in her ass when she used it.... I've covered the saucer with sand and they've jumped on it but it's just not clicking as to what it's for!

morganafay wrote: »

...put €175 worth of things in my trolley until I realised I didn't need any of them . . .

Oh god yep. You have no idea what I could do if I had free reign as to how many and what type of animals I could have/house and an unlimited budget to keep them!

So we were at the vet today and I am so thankful that she's not pregnant! The last owner suspected it and I took them on knowing this. I mean, she may still be in the extreme early stages but right now it doesn't appear that she has any babies developing inside her.

The poor little dude is going in on Monday evening to get the snip on Tuesday. The problem is - not something I knew - is that he might still be fertile for a month or so after the op!

Long story short I'm off to hunt down a cage tomorrow as they need to be separated asap. There is a maxizoo not a million miles from me and they have large aviaries there. They also have the dog cages. I'll have a look at zooplus again and take a gander through ebay, buyandsell, etc see if by some miracle there is something available.

Oh and I need names for them!!! I have no idea why but I'm completely uninspired at the moment, suggestions on a postcard please!

morganafay

Names: Pikachu, Raichu, Pichu . . . I've seen a few chinchillas called those! . . . nerds.

Or Cenci (pronounced kinda like Chinchi, or Cheen-chi) is the name of one of my guinea pigs, and the only way I can get my dad to remember it is to say it's like chinchilla. It's from this really weird old film I was watching and Mia Farrow played a girl called Cenci . . .


Oh and they have really long pregnancies so I hope she's not in the early stages . . . but if she is she'd hopefully only have one or two babies, so not too bad!

murray25

I'm looking for a good home for my female Chinchilla. I have to rent out a room in my house and therefore cant keep her. She is about a year old and very friendly.

If anyone is interested let me know.

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