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[prince_medion]

Hi everyone, I bought an adjustable child barrier/room divider/play pen thing to separate the living room so chinchilla can't go where there's all the furniture and electric cables and such and by closing the right doors, will lead them to the bathroom where they can play.

However, between each side of the gate and the panels there is gaps varying in width between 4.5 to 6cm (1.7 to 2.36 inch), would a chinchilla manage to squeeze through that? if yes I can make some wood panels to cover the gaps.

[GrayRodent]

Keep in mind that a chinchilla can fit through a space the diameter of its head. Their bones are very flexible and they ooze through a gap or a hole like jelly! Okay maybe not that bad but be careful.
Also keep in mind chinchillas can jump vertically. Some say they can they can jump up to six feet straight up and can jump from the floor onto your shoulder. I've seen mine jump about 3 feet from the floor to a countertop. Consider that as well.
If you use wood panels you should be using something that is chinchilla safe such as white pine boards. Either that or set it up so there's no way they can reach the edges to chew them.

Hope this helps.

[prince_medion]

Don't worry, I know about the wood, I already bought kiln dried untreated pine for the shelves which I'm gonna build in a couple of weeks when I have the time off and then can cover those gaps with off-cuts . I have had experience in the past in making platforms, bridges and even some wood and rope nets for dwarf hamsters. I am not an owner yet, I have done a lot of research before considering chinchillas and I am taking my time to prepare everything for a possible adoption around end august and already found a local breeder and a boarding facility if I need to go on holiday.

[GrayRodent]

Awesome. Here are some important tips that might help you that are the top three:

1. Chinchilla diet is critically important. I gather you're from the UK because in the US we don't go on 'holiday'. Beaphar Care+ is probably the best chinchilla diet you'll find there. There are other diets that are commonly fed that include fruits, nuts, and vegetables which are deadly to them. If you feed this kind of diet your chin will not live anywhere near its 10 year normal lifespan.
There are a few rabbit diets that can work but they must be specific brands and types. Ask if you need to resort to this. If you can find it use Oxbow Chinchilla Deluxe.
Also feed loose timothy hay at all times.
2. Temperature is critical. Keep at or below 23C. Warmer temps cause internal problems.
3. Handle your pet firmly and do no overhandle. Struggling and playing can cause issues with overheating. At first don't have your pet out of the cage for more than 10-15minutes at a time. Always release your pet at floor or shelf level. Do not allow it to jump from your hands. A chinchilla that falls onto its face can incur serious injuries to the teeth. Any injury to the teeth can cause malocclusion which is usually terminal.

I'm not trying to sound alarmist or anything. Caring for chinchillas is very rewarding and I expect you'll do well. For the most part they are very easy to take care of and handle but it will take time to tame your chin with frequent handling. I'm not someone who constantly worries about my pets and what can go wrong with them but I've seen a lot of tragic mistakes people make on our boards and they are often quite preventable.

[prince_medion]

thanks for your reply but I already knew that as like i said I already done extensive research but I can't get beaphar locally and refuse to buy exclusively online in case delivery messes up so I have a local shop to fall back on in case of emergency. With that in mind there is 2 other good foods available here in the uk: Science supreme selective, and burgess excel with mint, all online reviews are good and I also settled for burgess timothy hay. My house never really go above 20 degrees c and I got a nice big terracotta dish which keeps cool and can always but in the fridge and quickly wipe out moisture out before putting back in extreme case.

Could anybody advise me in how wide is a chinchilla head from as young as 4 month to fully grown? I tried to look that up online but haven't managed to found out anything and I can't measure for myself.

[GrayRodent]

Awesome. Although the size of an individual chinchilla can vary depending on breeding and gender I'd say somewhere around 2". I could get out my calipers but I'd feel horrible if they scratched my pets! Recommended bar spacing for adults is 1".

[prince_medion]

I think I might just cover these gaps with either net or wood, seriously i knew there was gaps but they did not look big on the picture, never mind, good job I'm handy enough to fix things. the rest of the barrier is a metal frame with a fabric and net cover so it should be safe, it is also quite tall. either way the chins are not gonna be out unsupervised so whatever happen we can stop them or get their attention with a safe and natural treat or a sand bath.

[GrayRodent]

Awesome. I'd love to see some photos of this in action. If you have trouble posting photos (I know the forum software can be annoying) you can e-mail them to admin@chinchillaclub.com and I'll make sure they get posted.

[prince_medion]

Ah great, it will be a while though as I don't plan on getting them till end of august after my big holiday/vacation and my bathroom has been done up. No point getting them before, would not be best for them. It also gives me time to work on the cage, I'm making the shelves next week and I already have all the stuff I need. I also got all the supplies and toys I need already. The only thing I got left to buy is the food nearer the date of adoption and perhaps a new chinchilla bath. I found out through reviews, that the ceramic one with the little ears on top I bought way back for my dwarf hamsters when they are in their play pen during cleaning(it's the large one meant for chinchillas), is too small for an adult chinchilla. So I might buy the big plastic one with a slanted roof and a curved bottom from superpet/kaytee (supervised of course so they don't chew on the plastic). Speaking of bath, I have made the decision that bath will be used as an incentive to go back home after time out, and then take it out when they're done.

[GrayRodent]

Keep in mind you don't want to bathe more often than about every other day. Dust bath can cause excessive skin dryness. Right now blue cloud has been the only suitable dust but a new product called chilldust is entering the market soon. I don't know if it will have the same effect or not but it should be a good dust.

Many people are happy with the plastic house things. You do know the risks of plastic so you should be fine. Personally I use a metal pan. Could be as simple as a pan for a loaf of bread.  I put it in my bathtub and it works well. Be sure to sweep the tub when your done because it can clog your drain.

Also if you bathe too often your chinchilla may not bathe as much. I'm looking forward to your pets too. I think they'll work out well for you.

[prince_medion]

Yeah i meant to say every other day and alternate the incentives with different treats like a raisin or a rosebud one day and some bark or twigs or a small amount of dandelion or other herbs (I got a list of them that chins like and are good for them, plus I grow most of em organically in my garden already) some other days, and perhaps once they are bonded enough i could reward them with a nice chin scratch if they take to it.

[GrayRodent]

Over time you can expect them to take to getting scratched or rubbed or otherwise handled. One of my chin really likes to be scratched on the chin. The other one does too but prefers to have his back and neck rubbed. Not always but often they'll come up to you when you put your head close to the bars and they'll try to groom your hair. I don't even give treats anymore. (although I'm not saying don't give them treats)