Buying cages for chins.

[AZChins]

There are so many cages out there that are not chinchilla appropriate. Some can be made to be safe and appropriate and require a lot of work to make them that way. When they are like this it isn't worth it to buy them unless you get them used and want to have to change anything. Buying a cage new that has to be completely gutted, have different shelves added or has to have everything covered in smaller wire mesh can be spending a lot of extra money on something that will essentially be a big empty cage that could have been purchased for a lot less.

http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendry...1394485969&sr=8-1&keywords=prevue+hendryx+485

That is the cage that has a lot of problems. It has the cheap plastic shelves and the wire spacing for the floors is just wrong. Everything needs to be yanked out and redone. This is a ferret cage, it isn't a chinnie cage. There are other problems I can see with it, but mostly those are things that don't work with my own cage preferences.

Anyway, when buying cages for chins please consider the fact that cages made for ferrets are going to probably need some work done to them to make them safe and appropriate for chinchillas. Just because it seems like a big cage doesn't mean that it is going to be good for chinchillas. People may as well start out with something that is going to be a good home for chinchillas if they are investing in a cage instead of jumping into buying something that will need several changes before it can even be used.

 

[ChinChiq]

Excellent point! I recently upgraded my new rescue chin from the cage she came with because I felt it wasn't sturdy enough for a chin even though the size was fine. I got her this cage in excellent condition for $70 on craigslist. http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Products-Chinchilla-495-Earthtone/dp/B001W8MDKO/ref=pd_sbs_petsupplies_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=029D70SGGQV27RHNZSNT
The shelves and ramps are solid metal so they can be used as is (even though chins don't need the ramps). The mesh on the bottom is wider than I would like, but that was easily fixed by laying down a layer of fleece (nothing fancy, just plain fleece folded to fit). I added wooden ledges that were in her old cage and it was set to go! I like that it is on a stand with wheels and that I didn't have to gut it to make it appropriate for my girl!

 

[AZChins]

While that isn't my favorite cage, the cage you got is fine. They at least tried by making the shelves solid on that one. But, it's okay, you got it used and didn't have to spend a fortune on it! If you decide to pull out everything and put in new shelves, it isn't like you are out a whole lot of money over it.

I had the same cage you have...I had some girls in it and they completely destroyed it in less than a year. Hopefully your chin doesn't do what Juliet did! She slowly but surely fatigued the welds that held the bars on...and then got out. (There's a whole story about that....and the end result is that I have more white hairs.)

 

[ChinChiq]

I agree that it is not my first choice for a cage, but considering this is the cage she came with (http://www.amazon.com/Economical-Levels-Ferret-Chinchilla-Glider/dp/B004GASVAQ/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_d_2), it is a major improvement! I would not have paid the Amazon price for it, but it was a perfect quick solution for me and I didn't have to put any extra money into it. I had the ledges and fleece at home already. It was nice to be able to find something that didn't need a complete overhaul just to make it chin safe. Eventually, I would love to get a double FN or CN for her, but I am happy with what I have for now.