Cage Safety for Baby Chinchillas

Bringing home a baby chinchilla, or breeding chinchillas, is a large responsibility for a pet owner. The pet owner should baby proof the area in which the chinchilla will live and adjust the cage so that it is safe and the baby cannot get hurt or sick.

  1. Cage Size

    • Choose a cage that has plenty of room for the baby chinchilla to grow in and play. The cage needs to have wire mesh sides with 1-by-1/2 inch or 3/4-by-3/4 inch mesh grates. This will help to prevent the chinchilla babies from escaping and will allow for plenty of airflow. Measure the cage with a measuring tape. It should be at least 4 feet tall and have several platforms for the chinchillas to play on. If the cage is not large, the chinchilla will become bored and frustrated. Never cage a chinchilla in an aquarium, because the air will not flow through the cage.

    Cage Floor

    • Place a flat floor over each of the platforms to prevent the baby chinchilla from hurting her feet on the wire. The flat floor can be made out of old tile that you cut to size with a box knife. Wipe the tile down daily to clean up the baby chinchilla's messes.

    Home and Bedding

    • Provide the baby chinchilla with a home to hide in. The home should be big enough that the chinchilla can continue to grow and fit comfortably in it. The home should be made out of wood, because the baby chinchillas can chew through plastic. The bedding that you use for the chinchillas should not be pine or ceder, according to Small Animal Rescue. Chinchillas can get sick if you use pine or cedar bedding.

    Cage Accessories

    • The baby chinchillas will need fresh water at all times, and there should always be plenty of food in the cage as well. Baby chinchillas need timothy hay and chinchilla pellets available to them. Chinchillas are curious and active creatures and need an exercise wheel so that they can keep active. A large pan with dust in it is great for the chinchillas -- they will use it to take a dust bath. Check the cage accessories daily to make sure none are broken.