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[Judo Troy]

Picking up my first chinchilla on Friday.
The previous owner says he has everything.
What are the Must Haves?
I've got about $100 extra cash to put towards items. What are your thoughts on things needed besides cage, water, feed, dust, Timothy Hay??

Any suggestions are welcomed!

-Troy

[GrayRodent]

You may know some of this already but here's my recommendation.

Wooden chew toys like blocks of various sizes are essential for tooth health and they should always be present. I also have a rather generic wood hut mine like likes to sleep in and chew on and gives him a place to hide and feel safe. It is best that the cage and accessories are all metal or chinchilla safe wood. Plastic can be fatal if swallowed by chins. A plastic bottomed caged can be chewed through allowing escape.

I got my chin from a previous owner as well. The cage had wire shelves that I removed. There was a plastic food bowl (that was chewed on) that I replaced with a ceramic bowl. I switched to a metal parrot dish that has a ring that mounts it to the cage because he kept dumping the ceramic bowl and it works nicely. There were wire shelves in the cage which are dangerous so I cut some new ones from an 1"x8" untreated white pine board and mounted them with large fender washers on 1/4" stud bolts. You can find these online but they are easy to make if you know how to use a drill and a saw. There was a hay feeder that looks like a wire ball which is a serious hazard I replaced with a wooden hay feeder.
Some chins like a fleece hammock and most don't chew on them. If yours chews on fleece I recommend avoiding it because it can cause bowel obstructions if swallowed. I have a cotton bandana tied to the roof of the cage and mine likes to sleep in it on occasion.

I recommend white pine bedding too. It's messy but it works and there is no threat of bowel obstructions. If you are feeding a deluxe food mix I recommend switching to plain alfalfa pellets because it is very unhealthy. If you are switching pelleted diet mix it slowly over a week to prevent digestive upset. The main part of his diet should be hay. Timothy is a good choice.

[Maysie]

I recommend a lava block for them to chew on. My little guy has two and they have to be the most played with things in his cage. A wooden ball is also a good investment if they are interested in playing with it. Hanging toys are always really good. If you plan on letting your little buddy out to run around and you're not sure if you can keep a room chinchilla proof a playpen is a good investment... I'm sure if you don't plan on letting your chinny out you'll eventually give in, they love to run free and will find as many ways possible to get away.
Good luck and I hope you have a great time with your new baby

[GrayRodent]

It is good to let them out regularly. It is not too tough to chin proof a bathroom and let him run there. My problem is catching mine when he is running around and needs to go back. I usually end up cornering him and he'll run into a box or a chinchilla ball that I use to transfer him between the sites. It works if you are careful not to startle him which I found is fairly easy to do. It's best to tame him well enough that he tolerates being handled in the cage before you do that or he will learn to be fearful of you and slip fur where he's been handled. It is generally recommended to wait at least a week before you do this to let him get accustomed to his new surroundings and make sure he is calm around you and lets you touch him without running off.

I did get a chinchilla wheel that he likes to play on when he is out. Not all chins use wheels though. I won't let him have one in his cage until he has stopped growing because it can stunt his growth if given constant access to it. My bathroom is so tiny (we live in an RV) that he needs it to help him get his exercise when it's too hot to let him run in his chinchilla ball. If you decide to get a wheel I recommend that you stay away from anything under 14" and any design with a post that sticks out in the middle that can touch his back. Otherwise you risk spinal damage. Of course metal is way safer than plastic. A good wheel is kind of pricey and runs around $60-$70USD.

[GrayRodent]

I wanted to mention a couple of things I bought for my chin because they are helpful. One is a scoop made for cleaning reptile substrate. It's a fine wire mesh scoop that I use to clean the dust bath. It is way more pleasant than picking the mess out by hand. He makes a nasty mess even though he only gets 15 minutes in it at a time. A regular cat scoop won't work because the holes are too big. I imagine you can use a tea strainer for this and it would be cheaper.
I also have two brooms with dust pans. One is small and I use it to sweep the shelves in the cage. My chin loves to chase it around in there and tries to chew on the bristles so it might be better to have a natural broom instead of plastic if yours does this and you want to play with him with the broom. I have a larger one to sweep around the cage in the morning because he'll make a big mess with hay overnight. When I move into a house I intend to put down a shop mat to keep that stuff off the carpet. Right now he's on linoleum.

I also kludged some metal seed guards from a parrot cage that I use behind the wood house which is filled with messy pine chips. They work pretty well but they're not perfect. Also I have the hay manger on a shelf so I put a guard there. I think these kinds of guards are available at some online stores made for rodent cages.

I also found my chinchilla loves to chase things around that dangle kind of like a cat plays with a toy. He was very interested in my camera strap so I took a piece of discarded chain and played with him in the cage and he was very entertained. I wouldn't leave in the cage though because I don't think it's all that safe for him. I will look for a braided natural rope toy next time I'm at the store. Because there's a slight risk of him getting tangled or caught in it I will only let him use it when I am holding it for him.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

American Pet Diner hay
 http://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Gold-Hay-5lb-Blue/dp/B003FM7JZY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348235540&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=american+pet+diet+hay .       It's a lot of hay, it lasts a chinny about 3 or 4 months.
Try to avoid using the store brands whenever you can, as they are unhealthy and overall MUCH more expensive. use TJ's chinchilla supplies.