2 foot x 2 foot x 18 inch cage with slide out litter pan
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While chinchillas are small they need a sizeable cage. For one chinchilla the minimum size cage would be about 2 foot wide x 2 foot high x 18 inches deep, but a larger cage would be preferable, e.g. 3 foot wide x 2 foot high x 18 inches deep. A standard chinchilla cage will be constructed of strong wire mesh, this mesh should not be coated in plastic as the chinchilla may chew (and swallow) the plastic coating. Wooden shelving should be provided inside the cage to give them a place to rest off the wire; they will also appreciate a wooden house or box to retreat to. Some cages are designed such that the cage sits inside the base and can be lifted out for cleaning; others are designed with a slide out litter tray underneath the cage - I prefer a slide out litter tray for ease of cleaning. |
Accessories you will need include:
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- a hay rack (unless one is built into the cage),
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- a water bottle,
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- a food dish which cannot be knocked over,
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- a dust bath,
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- food and hay,
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- chinchilla dust or chinchilla sand. Do not use ordinary sand as this is too coarse.
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- litter - wood based cat litter or wood shavings are ok. Alternatively you may line the litter tray with newspaper provided the chins can not reach the paper - newsprint may not be good for them. Do not use sawdust as this is too fine, and do not use cedar wood shavings (cedar is harmful to chins).
Chinchilla safe toys
Chinchillas enjoy chewing, and they do need to chew in order to prevent their teeth becoming overgrown, chewable toys are therefore ideal for chinchillas. I avoid toys made of plastic, or ones that have plastic parts. If (or when) your chinchilla chews them they will end up swallowing the plastic and could end up with a blockage in their intestine. Similarly be careful of any small, or sharp, metal parts.
You will find that your chinchilla will appreciate toys in their cage being swapped occasionally. This prevents boredom, encourages activity, and stimulates the chin to chew the new toy.
Large exercise balls can be used outside the cage, these should be at least 15 inches in diameter. However I personally would not use them because exercise balls are better suited to animals which run or scurry, a chinchilla tends to hop and jump a lot so it may feel very restricted in an exercise ball. Also there is an argument against using these as a chinchilla can easily overheat due a combination of exertion, and lack of ventilation. General advice is to restrict such sessions to 20 minutes, and check your chin for signs of overheating.
Items which are suitable to leave in the cage for your chinchilla to chew, or play with are:
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- hanging parrot toys
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- hemp ropes (again designed for parrots, but mine love them)
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- pieces of pumice stone
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- some rabbit or large hamster toys
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- wood or branches (see below for woods you can use)
| Safe Woods for Chinchillas |
Unsafe woods |
Some say these woods are ok, others say no! |
| Apple |
Juniper |
Birch |
| Pear |
Cedar |
Lime |
| Willow |
Walnut |
Ash |
| Pine (if clean of phenol oils) |
Fresh pine branches |
Oak |
| Manzanita |
Plum |
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| Hazelnut |
Cherry |
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Poplar
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Any citrus wood, e.g. Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit |
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Manmade wood, e.g. Chipboard, MDF etc. |
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