How can I make this cage more chinchilla friendly?

[amorjessica]

I received this cage from a friend the other day. It's pretty large, but doesn't have shelves or ramps. Any idea on how to make it more chinchilla friendly?

 

[tunes]

I would get shelves cut to fit, both width and depth. Hang some hammocks in the middle. Leap 'n ledges all around the sides, a fleece covered PVC tube. The ledges will help make it more sturdy and the hammocks will help prevent falls.

Is it an adult chin going in here? Because if not, I would be hesitant to use it for a smaller chin with the space between those bars.

 

[shubbles]

Put a bunch of shelves.. at least 4 by 4's, kiln dried pine (they cut a home depot) add a hidey house of some sort, wooden or fleece. Some chins like hammocks and fleece tubes. Add some neat chew toys, petproductsbynature.com sells some nice wood. Some fleece liners or shavings, pine or aspen (although the cage looks like the pan is small) the shavings would probably be everywhere. Those plastic shelves look pretty unsturdy so take that out. They really don't need ramps, actually if they're metal, its dangerous. This thread, i forgot to mention, shows you how to make wood shelves http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9311&highlight=make+shelves

 

[Ash]

4x4s? 1" thick wood by 8" long cut to the length of the cage works fine. I'd do at least 4 larger shelves (2 that run the length, 2 that run the width), a bunch of smaller ledges and sitting spots, a tube, a hide house, either one that hangs or one that goes in the bottom of the cage. Fleece hammocks. You can make it look awesome with a little TLC!

If you're feeling really adventurous, you can make one "middle level" shelf that spans the entire middle with a jump hole cut out, and that would help sturdy it up as well.

 

[amorjessica]

Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm definitely going to be replacing the plastic shelves with tons of homemade ones. In the cage my chins are in now, I put Carefresh bedding in the pan, but that pan is separated from the cage (if that makes sense). Can I do the same in this one?

 

[3CsMommy]

Take measurements and hit home depot, lowes, or (hopefully you have) a mom and pop lumber yard that will cut to fit for you, and get some shelves made out of 1" by 8" kiln dried pine. Once they're all screwed in (I use wood screws and two sizes of fender washer to attach them with a drill from the outside) it'll be nice and sturdy. I'd do at least three down the back and 5 or so on the two sides. Sometimes another under the door helps with getting your fur kid(s) in/out better, and if you have a wheel, attaching one above the attachment point of the wheel cuts down on a lot of the rattles you might get as your chin runs. You might also want to consider picking up a couple of "dog clips" from the misc. hardware fasteners to reinforce the door closure. I'm not sure how chin proof that would be without it.

A hammock, esp. a "double wide" like the ones Carise makes, would fit well on the top, and I like to keep hay high in the cage so it has more chance of hitting the pan as it falls instead of falling out onto the floor. I'd put the hay rack/bag/haymock near the top too. Definitely not a bad gift, though. I'd love to have a cage that big again.

 

[Carol~Anne]

That's a pretty decent looking cage; nice black finish too.

Here's two threads devoted entirely to cages.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134

 

[shubbles]

Yeah, i might have put them in the wrong order. 4 inch length, 4 inch wide, 1 inch thick.