Hi everyone!
I'm Valerie, a Social Work major. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, then moved to Michigan a couple of years ago.
I am a first-time chinchilla mom. My chinnie's name is Pichu, and yes, it's a pun after the pokemon (not to be confused with Pikachu) and the two geographical features in the Andes with that word in the name, Machu Picchu and Picchu Picchu. One of my friends rambled to me that I should never use puns for my pets, and maybe I shouldn't, but I doubt my chinchilla minds
I'm glad to have a chinchilla. I've actually wanted one since the 4th grade when a peer brought one in, haha.
Anyway, I am facing some issues. Pichu and his supplies were given to me by a friend... and from what I can tell, she bought all of the wrong stuff. The only thing that seems appropriate is the size of the cage.
I have a lot of questions. Please help me!
-
CAGE: It looks to be 5 feet high by 4 feet wide. There's three levels. The frames are made of wood (no chew marks) and the top/floors/walls consist of wire mesh. There's a tray below the bottom level for collecting waste. There's also some very small platforms for him to perch on, but he only uses the one on the top level.
Question 1: To my knowledge, Pichu has never been injured by the wire mesh floors. But to be on the safe side, what do you suggest for a light, inexpensive material to put over the floors?
Question 2: To keep him cool and help prevent injuries to his feet, I put some ceramic tiles over the wire mesh of the top level. Is this effective/safe or dangerous?
Question 3: I know chinchillas are agile. Also, Pichu is always on the top level of his cage unless he is frightened (he doesn't trust me yet), so the middle and bottom are basically unused. That said, should I remove the middle floor so he has space to jump and climb? (I considered constructing a new level that has a lot more vertical space, but I'd rather not for my own sake. I'm only 5'2", so the cage is really tall for me already.)
Question 4: I want the cage to replicate natural habitat. Could I use safe woods and rocks? Also feel free to suggest other natural materials.
-
TOYS: A hanging toy with wooden cubes and a bell, but I've never seen Pichu use it. He also has something that I...uh... have no idea what it's for. It's a ball that's split in half with prongs to connect the sides.
Question 5: What toys do you suggest? Pichu seems really bored with his stuff...
Question 6: I know it's essential for a chinchilla to have an exercise wheel, but previous owner never got him one. So on the day I got Pichu, I bought a plastic Flying Saucer... and returned it due to Pichu chewing on it (this could have been because he had run out of chew sticks, I don't know). What kind of wheel is good and would he ultimately be safe with a plastic one?
-
BEDDING: A plastic house. He also has red cedar shavings, which I read is toxic for pets because of the phenols.
Question 7: What do you suggest for a house? I don't like the plastic house; it worries me because of the chew marks.
Question 8: What kind of bedding should he have? I'd like to avoid Carefresh/related bedding because it's expensive. Could I use old newspaper ripped up into pieces? Or if wood shavings are better, what kinds are safe?
- FOOD: Timothy hay, Nutriphase pellets, and treats (dried papayas, raisins, rosehip buds). I think these are enough for a well-balanced diet, am I right?
Sorry for the flood of questions! Like I said, I'm brand new to having a chinchilla.
Thanks in advance
