what type of ledges, besides wood?

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exoticmama25

Member
Joined
May 23, 2013
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7
hello guys I am here with another probably one of many questions. I would like to know if it would be alright to use metal ledges in my chins cage? please dont confuse this with wire ledges Im refering to solid metal levels? i am wondering because I woke up this morning to my leges completley chewed even there box, despite them having toys to chew on! if this would be okay this would make there cage look more attractive and would keep them cool in the approaching hot summer months. if It is not safe to use metal what other type of material could I use besides wood because they are eating there ledges up for some reason. thank you all for your advice. :)
 
You might consider using tiled ledges and shelves as a great way to keep them cool during the warm months and have shelves that aren't being constantly devoured.
 
They'll chew the metal too, they love the taste. You can tile them, like suggested above. That seems to deter them the longest but I just plan on replacing mine every year.
 
I'm not sure why you would really want to replace something they can safely chew on with something that they can not. You'd end up just having to buy more and more chew toys, which is more expensive than some wooden ledges. I make all my own ledges and the most expensive part is the hardware used to hold them together and bolt them to the side of the cage. But even after they chew them up the hardware is still reusable. So replacing the ledges then just becomes a matter of buying a new plank of wood, which is really quite cheap. What I found works pretty well to make the wooden ledges last a little longer is to add a piece of wood to act as a poo guard. A vertical piece of wood which not only helps to block poos from flying out of the cage, but also provides a easily accessible chew location. When the chin sits on the ledge they are more eager to chew the vertical piece of wood rather than reach over and gnaw on the horizontal ledge itself. When the guard gets chewed down too much, unbolt the whole thing and replace just the guard.
 
halfstache said:
I'm not sure why you would really want to replace something they can safely chew on with something that they can not. You'd end up just having to buy more and more chew toys, which is more expensive than some wooden ledges. I make all my own ledges and the most expensive part is the hardware used to hold them together and bolt them to the side of the cage. But even after they chew them up the hardware is still reusable. So replacing the ledges then just becomes a matter of buying a new plank of wood, which is really quite cheap. What I found works pretty well to make the wooden ledges last a little longer is to add a piece of wood to act as a poo guard. A vertical piece of wood which not only helps to block poos from flying out of the cage, but also provides a easily accessible chew location. When the chin sits on the ledge they are more eager to chew the vertical piece of wood rather than reach over and gnaw on the horizontal ledge itself. When the guard gets chewed down too much, unbolt the whole thing and replace just the guard.
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Agreed.
 
@ halfstache-

The reason I want to replace the wooden ledges is because they are indeed homemade ledges that my fiance made for them..but they must really like to chew the wood because they have riduled the wood and it looks awful. what type of wood should I get then to make them more ledges? could I go to the lumber yard and get some 2x4s and cut them to fit the cage? I am completley new to all this so please bare with me. I have lots of wooden bird chew toys in there cage but I think they chewed so intensely last night bc I wasnt thinking and turned the light off in there room because I had to go shopping in town. Do you think they got mad because I left them? Can chinchillas suffer seperation aniexty like small children do? I really dont know what to do about the ledges I guess I will just give the metal ledges a try and see how it works out and then maybe try ledgeswith tile. Im sure it will be alot of trial and error until I find something that works..
 
There are natural lava block (or pumice stone) ledges that I prefer. In fact, I think Sigma prefers them over the wood ones, too. They can still chew on them, but makes for a post-pone chewing-through party. I also think the pumice is better than the wood since it's a little more sturdy, IMHO.

I wouldn't suggest metal ledges. The edges would be hard to smooth, and the chinchilla can't do much with them besides sit on them. Chewing on them is half the fun. ;)
 
I had a rescue come in that had a cage with it. The previous owner had , attached 4 inch high strips of metal on the outside of the cage anywhere there was a shelf. The chinchilla managed to chew on the metal and actually had chewed a out chunks of the metal. I wish I had taken pictures of it. I would not use metal shelves for this vary reason.
 
exoticmama25 said:
@ halfstache-

The reason I want to replace the wooden ledges is because they are indeed homemade ledges that my fiance made for them..but they must really like to chew the wood because they have riduled the wood and it looks awful. what type of wood should I get then to make them more ledges? could I go to the lumber yard and get some 2x4s and cut them to fit the cage? I am completley new to all this so please bare with me. I have lots of wooden bird chew toys in there cage but I think they chewed so intensely last night bc I wasnt thinking and turned the light off in there room because I had to go shopping in town. Do you think they got mad because I left them? Can chinchillas suffer seperation aniexty like small children do? I really dont know what to do about the ledges I guess I will just give the metal ledges a try and see how it works out and then maybe try ledgeswith tile. Im sure it will be alot of trial and error until I find something that works..
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Home Depot, Lowes and/or any lumberyard will sell kiln dried pine in 2 X 4s. That is what you'll want to use.
 
A wooden ledge that looks awful because it has been chewed is a beautiful thing. Its visible proof that your chin has had something to do. He wasn't bored the entire time he was destroying his surroundings. And as an added benefit his teeth are being filed by wearing them down. Personally I don't use 2 x 4's. I use planks that are 8 inches wide to start with and are about 1/2" thick. I've noticed they seem to prefer the things that they can destroy the fastest. If it keeps them interested, and entertained that is fantastic. Plus if they chew it up quick enough, it will be replaced quicker. That may not seem like a benefit, but wood can absorb odors, and may need to be sanded. Sometimes it's easier to replace the wood than it is to bother with sanding.
 
Dragonflye said:
Home Depot, Lowes and/or any lumberyard will sell kiln dried pine in 2 X 4s. That is what you'll want to use.
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I have a question regarding this:

I've been in home depot looking for kiln dried pine 2x4s. I believe I've found them in the 'stud' section, but all the price tag says is '2x4 kd somethingsomethingsomething (sometimes pine, sometimes whitewood)'

I'm assuming the kd means 'kiln dried', but the two sales people I asked weren't sure exactly what it meant other than, 'it's not treated'.

So, before I put a potentially dangerous wood in my chins cage, I just wanted to confirm that the 'KD' did mean 'kiln dried', and if not...where I can find that in the store.
 
I also use 2x6"'s and 2" x 8"'s, they last quite a long time.

I've been in home depot looking for kiln dried pine 2x4s. I believe I've found them in the 'stud' section, but all the price tag says is '2x4 kd somethingsomethingsomething (sometimes pine, sometimes whitewood)'
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All commercial white wood species are safe for chinchillas that I know of. Even if it is stamped "Pine" it can be a number of different types, there are over 100. Usually it is a type of fir or poplar or some other soft white wood.
 
Id suggest trying Lowe's as well, if there is one near you. I no the home depot in my area has a horrible selection, and even worse quality of product. But the Lowe's near by had everything i needed, in a lot more sizes. I ended up going with Poplar.
 
It is possible to find harder wood ledges than just the kiln dried pine. I know a local carpenter who has his own electric sawmill he built, that makes planks out of paper birch trees, arbutus, poplar and dogwood trees. He has his own kiln as well. It was by sheer luck and through a customer of mine who found him for me. I admit, my chins used to go through ledges, very fast too when I just used the kd pine only.

My point is, if you feel the ledges are being chewed up too fast, it is possible to find ledges/make your own,etc.. that are made of a harder wood (and safe), like natural manzanita and arbutus, and these will not be chewed up quickly at all.

Due to the hardness of the wood, it takes a long long long time for the chins to chew through it and those two woods are chin safe. Perhaps if you look around locally, you can find other alternatives to the kiln dried pine that last longer and are safe also. Just make sure they are not treated and are a safe wood to use. The lava ledges mentioned are also safe alternatives too. :)
 
Flagstone

So I have about 1/2 pine/poplar shelves and the other 1/2 are these fancy flagstone ledges from http://www.birdontherocks.com/

I got the 8 ledge pack and the big swing. The girls absolutely love love their flagstone shelves. They like to rub their faces for a good scratch and also do chew on them, but they don't do any damage to the ledges. The swing is one to their favorite cage accessories.

Also, I have tons and tons of hew toys of different types of wood and they barely touch the wooden ledges.
 
I wouldn't keep metal ledges in the cage even if they're solid. So my reasoning is if they like to chew on it & break off a small piece their little bodies can't digest it. Plus it could create a sharp edge that could hurt them too. I use large pine wooden ledges, lava rock ledges & a granite slate (for keeping him cool) that sits on his top floor.
 
We generally stick with pine ledges here - actually, I am in the process of getting new wood because some of our ledges are looking rough! - but we do have a couple of lava ledges that the chins like.

The flagstone ledges are nice, but I prefer something my chins can chew. As breeders, they don't get as much stimulation as a pet-only chinchilla would. And I love stuff I can make myself (or rather, have my hubby or dad make for me).
 
Poplar is safe and slightly harder than pine,works well lasts a little longer than pine, but they will still chew on them. The down side is it is a little more expensive than pine. You can get it at lowes or home depot.
 
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