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[Hoppinchins]

My chinchillas are eventful going to need a bigger cage. My boyfriend was wondering if there are kits you can buy to make a cage. I know you can turn a farret cage into one for a chin, but those are also expensive. I didn't know if was a cheaper way of doing it. Any ideas?

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I like to make my own cages, and am known as the fool who can make a cage out of just about anything in a pinch. 

I have one that was an out side vent made to big for the hole, so I laid in on it's side, meshed one end, door on the other and a couple of plexie glass windows.

I have some made out of sheling units, using the shelves as dividers between several cages or the floor & roof of larger cages.

The ones I like best are just a pine frame, meshing 5 sides before I put it together as a box. This keeps the chins from chew the frame, and keeps all ends hidden and out of harms way. I make up 2 doors for easy cleaning, have a stainless steel pan made to fit in the botton, and shelves, houses, tubes or what ever.

The mesh I use has 1/4 square hole, though I have used the 1/2 inch as well. I may have to break through a square here and there, to let the water bottle spout fit through, and things like that. If I ever need to close up a hole I just screw a block of wood on either side, to each other. It becomes a chew block then.

Your best bet is to look around at members sites, most of us have who have homemade cages & post pics. Jo Ann has some awesome ones. I think they are a little more expensive to make, but would last longer , more like forever.

Your only limited by funds & imagination when building.

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks debbie. I'll have to check out those picture. I don't think i can on my phone, so i'll have to look on them when i turn on my computer. My boyfriend wants to see the pictures. I think i like the one you talked about last, the best.

[Jo Ann]

   Below is one that my husband made for a few of the people that adopted chins from me ... this one takes the limit in KB on the size of a photo per post.  Rather than take up allot of space, you might want to check out the cages I show on this page: http://luvnchins.com/ChinchillaSuppliesCages.html

My first cages were flight cages that were used in a pet store to keep large birds in that went out of business.  I still have most of them ... they have lasted much longer than I expected them to.   The flight cages eventually became play cages.

After that, Bill made many for me ... big ones, little ones  ... play cages and breeding cages ... it got so expensive to make them it soon became cheaper to buy them.  I have most of my breeding runs from Lee Musslewhite and Ralph Shoots.   

Here you will find examples and instructions on some of the excessories available for your little ones: http://luvnchins.com/ChinchillaSupplies.html

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks jo ann. I'm interested to see them, expecialy the play cage.

[Hoppinchins]

My boyfriend and i looked at some of the cages on the main website. We like the glass one the best and then the wire one. The lizard jungle gym looks pretty cool, but we don't have a lizard. I was wondering that with glass cage if they are at a greater risk of over heating since there isn't that much ventilation. I liked the middle picture off the link you sent me jo ann. Its the 2 floors and one balcony and the one with 2 floors and two balcony's. 

[Hoppinchins]

Also I have that big saucer which my chins go crazy one. Thats the reason the cage I have now isn't going to last as long as i'd like it to. I'm not sure if one of the cages is better than the other one.

[Jo Ann]

   Glass or plexi glass does NOT allow enough ventilation and should not be used with chinchillas.  Without the proper ventilation, the urine and feces in the bottom of the cage give off fumes that can easily cause respiratory infections.  The lack of fresh air is one of the main contributors to the death of many chinchillas. 
The build up of heat and moisture inside the glass or plexi glass cages in conjunction with urine/feces is a major breeding ground for the germs that can make a chinchilla sick or even kill them.
*NEVER use a fan or blowing air from a heating or airconditioning duct with a chinchilla ... this is not good for your little one and can cause major problems with their health.  As humans, when we sweat, a breeze or blowing air will help cool us as the liquid on our skin cools and evaporates ... chinchillas do not sweat, therefore a fan does not do for them what it does for us ... as a matter of fact, it can make them sick, according to every thing I have read so far.

My boyfriend and i looked at some of the cages on the main website. We like the glass one the best and then the wire one.

What website are you referring to here?

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Yeah, I wasn't sure if the glass cage was a good idea for the chins. The website I was talking about is the chinchillaclub.com, under cages

[Jo Ann]

    I'm not finding that page ... could you post the full URL to it, please?

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

http://chinchillaclub.com/ and then you go to health,care, cages and then I clicked on building a cage.

http://www.chinchillaclub.com/members/mag/1003cage.html this is the one about the glass cage

And I can't get the link to the wire cage to work anymore.

http://luvnchins.com/ChinchillaSuppliesCages.html are the cages in this website sturdy enough for a big heavy saucer? Also how big do you suggest a cage to be for 2 chins, maybe 3.

[Jo Ann]

   Thanks!  It's been a long time since I have been into the articles ... reminds me I need to do so more often.   

That big cage is very nice and it must have taken allot of work to build it.   But, I would think it would not be that easy to clean all surfaces constantly.  Even as big and nice as it is ... the fresh air flow is blocked.

Some of the different cages on my site are big enough and strong enough for the flying saucers (or any exercise wheel), others are not.  But ... remember  ... any wire will take only so much before it breaks.  If you place two  2" wide by 1" thick boards of untreated pine on the outside of the cage where the wheel attaches to the wall of the cage and screw the wheel brackets to boards with the wire between the boards and the brackets, there will be much less stress on the wire when the chins are running on the wheel when attached this way.  For an even stronger attachment, you could attach the two vertical boards to a third board forming an "H"  before attaching the wheel to the wood with the wire in between.

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Ok. what cages on your website are sturdy enough for a saucer? How sturdy is a ferret cage? Do they last long? There is one at pets mart that is on sale right now. What would I have to do to the cage to make it chin safe? 

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752837&utm_source=OCTperks102709&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=epetperks&utm_content=sp1

MIDWEST Ferret Nation Double Unit Home with Stand

Designed with ferrets and their owners in mind. After watching how ferrets play, eat, sleep, interact--attending to their every need for maintaining a safe and happy lifestyle, design began on the best environment as well as the most user-friendly ferret cage. The result being "Ferret Nation," a complete and feature filled habitat providing:

    * Full-width door openings.
    * One-hand operation dual locking door latches.
    * Wide, height adjustable shelves.
    * Full platform pans for maximum play area.
    * Swing-up locking ramps that securely separate ferrets for feeding and care.
    * Platinum gray hammertone finish.

Details:

    * Cage: 36''L x 25''W x 62 1/2''H
    * Mesh: 1''W x 5 5/8''H
    * Cage material: 12 gauge wire, 15mm square tube
    * Weight: 86 lbs.
    * Includes: 2 pans, 2 shelves, 3 ramps, a stand with storage shelf
    * Ramps: 18 5/8"L x 5 1/2"W
    * Ramp spacing: 1/2"
    * Shelves: 17"L x 22 7/8"W
    * Pans: 34 5/8"L x 22 7/8"W
    * Openings in floor: 8 7/8"L x 5 3/4"W

[Jo Ann]

    

Ok. what cages on your website are sturdy enough for a saucer? 

The cages we use our flying saucers in are flight cages, originally used in a pet store to house large birds or a large number of small birds.  The flight cages are 36 inches wide by 24 inches tall by 22 inches deep.  They are on page 2 of the Supplies Needed for your chinchilla at:  http://luvnchins.com/ChinchillaSupplies.html  OR you can go directly to them here: http://luvnchins.com/ChinchillaSuppliesCages.html (left hand column second row ... the wheels are not in the ones pictured there, but there is a stack of 3 flight cages on a stand made from white PVC pipe that my husband made for me.  I would not put flying saucers in cages smaller than this.   You might want to look near the bottom of the page where the cages are and look at the one Linda Lucas has shown there with a exercise wheel in it.

How sturdy is a ferret cage? Do they last long?

I do not know, I do not have one, I only have cages that are made for chinchillas.

There is one at pets mart that is on sale right now. What would I have to do to the cage to make it chin safe?

It would probably cost you more to make a ferret cage chin safe than it would be to purchase a very good chinchilla cage that is made for chinchillas.  You might want to check out Martin's cages at: http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/chinchilla/ and take a look at the The Chinchilla Highrise (FC-430HR) cage ... it is a perfect cage for chinchillas and would be less than the ferret cage that is on sale.

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks jo ann, i'll have to check out that website!