Ideas for a Chinchilla Cage

Chinchillas are very picky about their housing. They should typically not be kept together as they are likely to become aggressive. As such a chinchilla usually has a cage all to himself. Chinchillas have certain requirements that vary from other animals to stay happy and healthy.

  1. Location

    • The location of the cage is very important for your chinchilla. Many environmental factors affect the comfort of the animal. These elements include temperature, humidity and lighting. Chinchillas are not well suited to the heat, and as such their environment should be somewhat cool, preferably not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The room they are housed in should be dry and well ventilated. While the cage should be in a well-lit area, it should never be kept in direct sunlight.

    Physical Attributes

    • Chinchillas are active climbers, and should have tall cages to give them space. The cage should be approximately 6-feet tall, 6-feet wide and 3-feet deep to give the chinchilla the appropriate space to move around. This is only for a single chinchilla however, and more chinchillas will require a bigger cage. Waste disposal is often built into the cage as they may have mesh flooring with a removable tray beneath. If this is the case, make sure each level of the cage has a tray.

    Food

    • The food in the chinchilla cage should be kept high on the side of the cage. This is because chinchillas are likely to topple any food bowls kept on the ground. If they do not knock the bowl over they may also bury the food and make it difficult to find later. They are also prone to use the bowl as a litter tray and soil their own food.

    Cleanliness

    • The cage should be cleaned often. Litter should be cleaned at least once a week. The water bottle must be cleaned out every other day. To clean your chinchillas you should provide a dust bath. This means giving the chinchilla access to a small tray of dust for around half an hour a day. They will roll around in the dust and clean themselves. This dust can be reused until it is visibly dirty. Chinchillas should never be bathed in water.