wow..I am taking my "hay ball" out asap! You reminded me though of a case I read not long after my first boy, Roo, came to share his life with us....I read about a case where a chinchilla had gotten his foot caught in a small space and after feverishly struggling to get free...chewed his own foot off!! I was devastated. At the time, I had a "chinchilla starter cage" and the shelves have like small grates...(for lack of a better decription) ..I went by his room to find him swinging from the shelf upside down and trying to get free...I FREAKED
and within a day...went and spent $300.00 on a super pet cage with many levels and shelves that are solid!!! Now, when I brought the girls home...they have a huge cage with the same thing and I have bought them granite, grass rugs etc...wonder if the girls may be more coordinated than the boys???
I still worry but thankfully have had no problems...My fiancee is home all day and I am home all night...so we have the basis covered! But, to be homest, I HAVE been looking for solid shelves to fit their cage but it is BIG and I have been unsuccessful at finding ones that fit the width...darn it!!!