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[slinky123]

 Hi all, I just built my first cage for housing 2 young chins and the dimensions are L x 2' 1/4'' W x 2' 1/4'' H x 5' 1/2'' The side of the cage I created a door that locks via a normal standard gate lock, the door is big enough to be able to walk inside if needed.
It's got a 3' Extended roof so even on the top floor the chins still have room to jump. The cage is made completely out of untreated pine wood so the whole thing is safe to chew.
 Currently there are 4 Levels to the cage, ground floor a small perch, and 2 play areas. The Play areas are about 1' 1/2'' by 1' 1/2'' and the perch is probably about 1' by 6''. Some chew-safe pine wood bird toy ladders lead to each level I'm not totally sure if they can use the ladders I would personally prefer a ramp or two for them but I haven't figured out a good design just yet. Theres the basic food water and hide outs on both the ground floor and the top floor.

 Is this enough? What could I change? Ill try to get some pictures later on.

[GrayRodent]

I recommend staggering the floor openings so ramps are not needed and avoiding ramps. Ramps or shelving made using wire mesh must be avoided. Solid ramps are not needed as chinchillas prefer to jump.

[GrayRodent]

Without any pictures it is difficult to make an assessment.

[slinky123]

I have added new levels and redesigned it a bit today it took me all day long but I think it payed off Kiwi and Chili are squeeking and loving it i agree with you on the jumping factor they seem to jump to each level but being that they have their own temperature controlled room in the house they love running all over the place. The wheel is too small im aware but kiwi likes to sit in it and chili amuses himself by trying to stand on it. The levels are wire mesh covered in cardboard with safe bedding ontop to keep them from hurting their toes, and the bottom is pretty much just a soft tarp for easy clean up just pull it out and dump it.

[GrayRodent]

I'm a little cconcerned about the fasteners on the walls. I recommend using staples spaced no more than an inch apart. Gaps along the edges can be very dangerous. It is most critical for the floor. If those screws and fender washers are the only fasteners my opinion is your cage is not safe but that can easily fixed with staples. Also the wheel seems a little too small but that's hard to tell. What is its diameter? Wheels under 14" should not be used for chins.
My chinchilla, Kulu, once got a toe in between the floor and the construction cloth that was used at the time. The fasteners were spaced about 4 inches apart and it was wrapped wire around the metal frame of the cage. (It is a large parrot cage) so it had some gaps that didn't seem like much at the time but it caused a deep gash on one of his large toes, that if it would have infected or fractured, could have been life-threatening. Thankfully it healed uneventfully on its own. Since Kulu was only three months old at the time and still was rapidly growing there was a minimum of disfigurement to his foot. I have redesigned the floor since using a wooden inner frame and use staples now spaced close enough together that there is no way that can happen again.

[GrayRodent]

Cardboard on the floor won't work very well. If it gets soaked with urine it can grow mold which can be extremely hazardous to pets. You should have wooden shelving in your cage. It is standard practice for keeping chinchillas.

Another thing to consider is the doors. You need to be able to reach every area of the cage easily with your own arm. If you don't have access to your pets you won't be able to get them out quickly if you need to or remove them from the cage safely. You may need to add large doors to facilitate this.

It looks like you have put a lot of effort into your cage. With a little tweaking I think you'll have a very nice place for your pets.

[GrayRodent]

One last thing to add and I'm not sure you have considered this is that a baby safe cage is one level so when it's nursing time you'll probably need to use to use a different cage for the dam and the kits that is more horizontally situated. The vertical height is dangerous to the kits if they climb and if the dam goes to a level out of their reach the kits can die from cold or starvation both of which have been known to occur.

[slinky123]

Thank you ! And i have a seperate nursery safe cage for her during her pregnancy and birth! Good info to know i think theyll be safe for tge night as the hardware store is closed but will definately add these safety features, the wheel is small they fit in it during the younger years of their life but sometimes sit in it like a seat so i just keep it in there.

[slinky123]

And the door is a 4.9ft door which you canopen and fully walk into the cage if needed making every level and dark corner easily accessable. I chinchilla proofed the whole room they are in its completely empty so if i see either running around the room in the morning because my design  failed its no big deal

[GrayRodent]

Awesome. I think this setup will work well.