Why Our Chinchillas Need a Metal Cage
This most appealing of small rodents can make a wonderful pet as long as the new owner understands and appreciates a few chinchilla facts, which must be taken into consideration if deciding to have one.
They chew. They are rodents and chewing is their gig. They need to gnaw because their long front incisor teeth continue to grow throughout their lives and, if allowed to grow too long, the animal cannot eat, eventually starving to death. They will gnaw on anything and everything including baseboards, the bottoms of wooden chairs, wires, your shoes, and cardboard boxes. Chinchillas can injure themselves by chewing on items which have high amounts of resins or other chemicals. They need safe items to satisfy their gnawing needs and may also need dental care to keep those incisors from becoming too long. So, when outside his chinchilla cage, he needs careful supervision – plus he can jump about six feet high!
Natives of the South American Andes, chinchillas have thick fur and are related to guinea pigs. Many find their appearance, soft thick fur, clean habits and lack of odor very attractive when considering one as a pet. But they are not for everyone – sure, they look cuddly, but they absolutely are not and neither do they like being held. So if you have small children, a chinchilla should not be your first choice as a pet. Chinchilla pets have some unique needs and one of the most important is the chinchilla cage in which you’ll make his home for him.
First, your chinchilla cage should be made only of metal as he will chomp his way through plastic of any kind. He will destroy a plastic chinchilla cage over a fairly short time and as it will stain easily, it will not be very attractive as part of your home décor. Plastic can also harbor bacteria which is not good for the animal or for his human parents.
So a metal chinchilla cage is essential. Buy the largest your home and budget can handle because chinchillas are very active (at night) and need enough space to romp and play, stretch out and chill. And perhaps if you decided to get a second chinchilla, the cage would then be large enough to accommodate two of the little creatures, saving you the expense of having to replace your first choice.
Consider getting a multi-tiered chinchilla cage to allow him to climb around in his space. A chinchilla cage with a couple of ladders and platforms will suit him perfectly and if you can add a hammock for him to snooze in, he will be in chinchilla heaven. Choose your chinchilla cage with large doors so that you can reach him more easily and make cleaning the cage easier too.
Now, having got the chinchilla cage, we need to decide where to put it. Chinchillas are very susceptible to heat and cold, so his cage should be kept in a place where the temperature can be controlled. It should not be higher than 75 degrees F as your pet can become heat-stricken very quickly because of his thick, dense fur. You’ll also need to give him a “house” inside his cage; a darker spot where he can curl up and sleep during the day as these little guys are nocturnal.
Another thing to keep in mind – in his native environment, your little chinchilla instinctively cleans his fur by taking dust baths. They roll around in volcanic dust which gets into their fur and absorbs oil and dirt. The dust bath is essential to his good health and he’ll need one at least two to three times a week. You can get special chinchilla dust which is made from fine pumice at an exotic animal store or online – just pour it into a large shallow container and let him roll to his heart’s content. Do not – repeat – do not give him a bath in water. His dense fur prevents air-drying and the fur close to his skin will retain moisture, which can cause fungus growth or fur rot.
Choosing the right chinchilla cage for your new pet will enable him to live in the best possible environment for his species – and allow you to enjoy him as well, each respecting the other’s needs.
About the Author
How to install roll cage / bed cage for a truck.
|
|
Dualit Immersion Hand Blender with Accessories Kit $114.04 Motor: 320 Watts. Powerful heavy duty 320-watt motor. Variable speed control 9000-rpm to 16000-rpm. Pulse plus button spins at 17000-rpm, processes 1.5-liter per second…. |
|
|
Warming Rack $23.55 The warming rack is a universal accessory for all Dualit Vario Toasters. It can be used to warm a variety of different bread products including muffins, bagels, croissants, etc. It features adjustable brackets to support the appropriate toaster…. |
|
|
NewGen Dualit Toaster NewGen Dualit Toaster. The NewGen Dualit Toaster features an insulated stainless-steel body, variable controls and automatic turnoff. Also includes a defrost setting for frozen bread and the option to toast buns and bagels! Selector control lets you heat either or both slots. Designed for commercial use, the toaster is hand assembled in England and built to last. Extra-wide 28mm slots can accommod… |
|
|
The Legend of Johnny Cash $6.87 This introduction to the Man in Black’s catalog is about as fine a one as can be found on one disc, primarily because the 21 classic tracks span J.R. Cash’s entire career, from his first rockabilly single, “Hey, Porter”/”Cry! Cry! Cry!” (Sun Records, 1955), to his last significant alt-country tracks (American Recordings, 2003). Though Cash had his peaks and valleys in the studio, what shines brigh… |
|
|
Knowing $17.98 No Description Available.Genre: Soundtracks & ScoresMedia Format: Compact DiskRating: Release Date: 24-MAR-2009… |
|
|
Live on I-5: Limited Special Edition (CD & DVD) $24.95 The deluxe edition of Live on I-5 includes a bonus DVD featuring 3 live performances from Lollapalooza 2010. Their first live release, Live on I-5 captures Soundgarden during their tour for Down on the Upside. While the album was originally recorded in 1996, Soundgarden disbanded shortly afterwards, causing it to sit on the shelves for over a decade until their 2010 reunion. — Rovi All Music Guid… |
|
|
Rugged Ridge 13305.21 Black Roll Bar Fire Extinguisher Holder for All 3 Jeep Roll Bar $19.99 Rugged Ridge Sport Bar Fire Extinguisher Holder BLACK For all Jeep 3in Roll Bars – it’s never been easier or more convenient to have your fire extinguisher within reach than with the new Rugged Ridge Sport Bar Fire Extinguisher Holder. Designed to fit around stock roll bars or padded sport bars, this nifty item will hold up to a 3 lb. extinguisher. Hook and loop attachment gives you the ease to in… |
|
|
Bosch PB360S Basic Power Box Jobsite Radio $390.00 The new Power Box 360 offers premium 360 stereo sound from the 4 speakers and subwoofer. 2 times more sound power than the last generation Power Box. Rubbed rubber/aluminum roll cage offers best in class protection against tough jobsite conditions. Weather resistant design means you can use it anywhere. Runs off of Bosch 14.4V and 18V Li ion batteries. Advanced digital tuner has great reception in… |
|
|
Bosch PBA100D I-Pod Dock for Power Box Jobsite Radio $37.86 Listen to your favorite music on the jobsite with your Power Box while charging your iPod – without cables, plugs or wires. Protected docking case has unique inserts to guard any size iPod from shock and movement. More than just a case – it’s also dust and weather resistant. Attaches within Power Box protective roll cage. Dock plugs directly into Power Box’s 12-volt auxiliary outlet and 3.5mm inpu… |
|
|
Fast Times at Ridgemont High $2.99 … |