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[cadillactaste]

You want to make sure you arrange the shelves such that, if your chin were to accidentally fall, he or she wouldn't fall more than 18 inches.

http://www.chinchillaplace.com/product-reviews/?Tag=Cage+Shelves

Does that go for baby chins as well does anyone know?

 That was my BIGGEST fear. Thus I had it so my chins couldn't fall off of a shelf without landing on another one...

[Jo Ann]

    I would think this is referring to kits under 6 weeks old.   By the time they are 6 or 7 weeks old, they are usually jumping 18" high or higher ... a good thick layer of bedding is always good to land on, for a chinchilla.   

 Of course,  I think kits under 6 weeks old should be in a single level whelping cage with their mom ... whelping cages for chinchillas should be no more than 15" tall.   Kits are born fully furred, eyes open and playing within the first hour after birth.  Within the first 24 to 48 hours, they will usually climb to the top of the cage ... they can climb up, but not down, so when they reach the top of the cage, they turn loose and drop to the bottom of the cage.  A fall of more than 15" or landing on a hut or feeding dish on the way down can break the bones of a kit and kill it.

If a mom and her new kits are in a cage with shelves, she will usually give birth to them on the floor of the cage.  Often a new chin mom's teats will become sore and she will retreat to shelves, leaping ledges, upper levels or the top of a hut to escape the kits and get a little rest ... the problem with this is that the kits can easily chill ... and/or ... will attempt to reach her by climbing the sides of the cage to reach/join momma chin ... this is when they can fall and get hurt ... this is why I strongly suggest using whelping cages.

By the time a kit is old enough to leave it's mom, it should be able to easily jump off of and up to a shelf 18" from the floor of the cage without injury, if the cage is not cluttered with items that could cause injuries.  Many people tend to want to add to many things to a cage ... each chinchilla needs at least 2 square feet of uncluttered area to play and jump around.   

   Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

Thanks Jo Ann once again for clearing that up for me...so my guys need me to loosen up a bit...and let them be chinchillas!

[cadillactaste]

Jo Ann...after reading this post...I went in and opened up the cage so they are now getting the entire 4 foot height inside the cage area to play in. I removed the upper left shelf. Raised the right shelf so it's the 11 1/2 inches instead of the 8 inches high...so it's basically in the "middle" of each cage section. They are typically nocturnal...but was busy playing until they wore themselves out going from top to lower level and back up again... Happy chins I believe...

[Jo Ann]

   Safety Hint:  When placing shelves/balconies/ledges in cages that have more than one full level ...  If you count the bottom of the cage as one level and have a second full floor (except for the ramp leading up to the second floor) ... always make sure you place the shelf or balcony above and over the open entrance ramp from the top floor to the bottom floor or next level.  This is a safety precaution to make sure the chin does not aim for the second floor, but land/fall down to the bottom floor by mistake.

It is just the opposite for the leaping ledges.  You do not want the leaping ledges on the top floor to be directly above an opening to the first floor ...  if the chin misses a leaping ledge, he could fall all the way to the first floor it the ledges are directly above the open space to the first floor ... the leaping ledges can safely be placed on any of the other three inside walls of the cage.

If you do not want to use a ramp from the first to the second full floor ... leaping ledges can lead from the first floor to the second floor ... just make sure the chin has enough clearance/head space, to move from the top leaping ledge on the first floor easily to land on the second floor.   

I hope this is not to confusing. 

In the picture below ... notice the placement of the top balcony ... it is directly over the opening leading down to the first floor balcony and first floor.  If a chin jumps or falls off the top balcony, he only has a short distance to land on the full top floor ... there is no chance of him falling into the hole.

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

I am still a bit confused about the spacing of the shelves/ ledges. Should the cage have both? Is it fine to have just the shelves. I went on the website cadillactaste posted. I really like that websight. I need to replace my shelves with wooden ones. Would it be best to buy them from that websight or is there an easy way to make shelves?

Here is a picture of what there cage looks like. I'm not home right now to take an updated picture. The shelves are still in the same place, but the ramps are not there and I have a saucer there inplace of the wheel. From the picture does it look like the shelves are in the right spot? They just turned 6 months old.

[Jo Ann]

   You can have shelves and leaping ledges or just shelves, or just leaping ledges ... that's your choice and what the chinchillas seem to like the most.    

With you having 2 female chinchillas (one which is probably pregnant now) and one male chinchilla, you are going to need to get another cage ... a.s.a.p.  If the little momma delivers in that cage, the kits will end up on the floor of your room instead of on the floor of the cage.  Even at six or seven weeks old, they would probably still be small enough to escape between the bars.  What you have is a cage made for ferrets, not chinchillas.  It's fine, if the chinchillas are big enough, but if they are small enough to get out between the wires, they will, you can count on that possible disaster.

Would it be best to buy them from that websight or is there an easy way to make shelves?

 
Personally, I could not afford to buy things like that from an on-line store ... if their prices don't get you, the the transport/shipping bill probably would.  Besides, I like doing things for my chin, I think they appreciate it and ... it just makes you have a good feeling about doing something with your own hands that is for your little ones.   [Or at least it does me ... besides, the money I save goes in the chinchilla bank.    ]  I take all the change in my purse each night and dump it into my chinchilla bank ... it really adds up fast ... my little bank holds about $100 in change.

For now, if you want to replace the shelves, take the shelf with you to somewhere like Lowe's or Home Depot and let them cut a board to fit inside of the cage.   I would suggest 1" x 8" board.  Multiply the length of shelves by the number of shelves, if they are they are all the same size to get the length (if they will not all be the same size add the length of each one) to get the total length of the board needed.

You might want to get you a hand saw to cut the leftover scraps into chew blocks for your chins.

You will need 6 or 7 wood screws for each shelf and 12 to 14 fender washers for each shelf.  (2 fender washers for each screw)  *Make sure the fender washers are larger in diameter than the distance between the bars on the wire (measure them before leaving home) and the center hole of the fender washer must be small enough that you can not push the head of the screw through the center hole. 

Pre-drill the holes for the screws (to keep the board from cracking), making holes for 2 screws on each end {about 1/3 the distance from each side} and 2 or 3 holes (evenly spaced) along the long side of the shelf that will be up against the cage bars ...
Place one fender washer directly against the wood and inside of the cage bars ...
Place the second fender washer between the outside of the bars and the screw head.  (It is sometimes best to have a second person helping you.)
Gently insert and screw each screw in place ... loosly ... you will come back and tighten each one when you have put the last one in.

For leaping ledges, I would use 2" x 4" boards cut into 6 or 8 inches in length.  Use sandpaper to smooth the edges.  Each leaping ledge will need 2 wood screws and 4 fender washers.  Place fender washers as described above and secure each ledge in place. 

Save your money for the chin bank!   

   Jo Ann

Check below 8-week Old Kit       
Good Reason for using 1/2" x 1"  OR  1/2" by 1/2" Wire ... NOT 1" x 2" Wire seen here.
1st picture ... kit exits the cage to get a raisin.
2nd picture ... Back inside, with a smug look on her face, with her prize raisin in her fat little cheek!   

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks Jo Ann,

It sounds a little confusing but i'm going to my boyfriend to do it for me. I'm going to have to pring out our post that explains how to make the shelves.  I'd much rather save my money if I could. The main thing I liked about the shelves on the website are the edgings. I think that would help alot with keeping the hay and poop inside of the cage. I guess i can make an edge also. I do really like some of the chew toys on that website as well.

My chins haven't had leaping ledges so i'm not sure if they would like them or not. I could always make one and see.

Its kinda funny that you said my cage is a ferret cage. I got it at the pet store where I bought my first chin, at petsmart. I forget what they called it. It said its for chins on the box. My chins can't get out of the cage inless I have the cage door open.

Can I put the new shelves in the same spot I have mine now or should I have more of them and closer together? Were would you subject I put a leaping ledge?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks for all your help.

[Jo Ann]

  

The main thing I liked about the shelves on the website are the edgings.

The edgings are nice ... But they will also be the first part of the shelf the chins chew.

If you want to add them to your shelves, just get some 1/2" x 1" or 1/2" x 1/2 wood pine strips or pine quarter round molding and place along the top edges of the shelf.  When using quarter round molding, place the flat sides to the top of the shelf the cage wire, leaving the rounded side showing inside the cage.   You can miter joint the corners with a 45 degree cut to fit the corners exactly, or you can butt the sides to the back strip.  When adding the edges, you can get a wood glue that is safe around children OR you can use finishing nails and deep set the nails.   

Remember:  Any nails or screws that become exposed due to the chinchilla's chewing the wood, needs to be moved or removed.  Keep sand paper handy to smooth any rough edges.

Its kinda funny that you said my cage is a ferret cage. I got it at the pet store where I bought my first chin, at petsmart. I forget what they called it. It said its for chins on the box. My chins can't get out of the cage inless I have the cage door open.

If you read very many of my posts, you will see where I do explain (many, many times) that most manufacturers do not do their research ... they look at the animal ... see: a chinchilla ... find that it is a member of the rodent family ... hummmm ...    ferrets are members of the rodent family ... and they come to this FALSE CONCLUSION: if it works for a ferret, it should work for a chinchilla ... So they tell the designers of the boxes to slap a picture of a chinchilla on the box and add the word chinchilla to the list.   

#1 Yes, the distance between the wires on that cage would be fine for most chins 6 months old or older ... IF one or more of them are NOT pregnant ... one of your chins is more than probably pregnant already ...  you can fit 4 kits in 1 hand {chinchilla kits are about the size of a small gerbil) ... they can easily climb out between two bars that are 1" apart.  If they climb out, if the fall does not kill them, they could chill to death, starve to death or you could squish one when you step on it.  Check out the pictures of the 8 week-old-kit {2 month old kit} in my last post, she's trying out a cage that was given to me and has wire that is 1" x 2" ... she has no trouble getting out of it when she wants the raisin I am holding.

#2 reason it is not safe for chinchillas ... chinchillas will chew anything they can get their little teeth into.  Hard plastic is broken off in sharp chips, are swallowed and do not dissolve in the digestive tract ... making many tiny cuts inviting infection and hemorrhaging.

Quoting myself:

What you have is a cage made for ferrets, not chinchillas.

I have to be a word picker and correct my self on the above statement:  The cage is made for chinchillas because the manufacturer is making it to sell to people for their chinchillas to live in ... it says so on the box ... BUT ... It is NOT SAFE for a growing chinchilla family to live in.



    Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks! for all the help. I'm going to head up to the homedepo and see if they have the stuff I need. Also, I have 2 male chins.

[Hoppinchins]

Also, I have knoticed you saying things like that. I wish I knew of this website befor I got my chins.

[Jo Ann]

   Sorry    I got you mixed up with another member I have been helping that had a mother daughter pair, then found out the daughter was a son instead ... had him fixed and he died on the table ... she got two more females so the mom of the one that died would not have to be left alone, so she then had three females, until she found out the origional momma chin was really a daddy chin, because it mated with one of the new 6-month-old-females she just got.      Bless her heart, she's been through the wringer for be a newbie first-time-chin-parent, but she's not giving up on them.   

Also, I have knoticed you saying things like that. I wish I knew of this website before I got my chins.

  That's the reason I try to keep up with the posts on the forum ... I was new at it once, too ... at that time there was even less information available ... and what you did find was usually wrong or 1/2 wrong.

I have three books I know I can trust when it comes to help for chinchillas ... "The Joy of Chinchillas", "After 40 Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas" and "The Rancher's Handbook".  You can check on CAchins.org and M.C.B.A. or Empress Chinchillas websites for one or more of these.  They may seem a little pricey at first glance, but they are worth their weight in gold when it comes to information that you can trust without a doubt.  Of course, now that chinchillas are in the pet part of the world, there is more and more research being done on them, so there is even more to learn.  When I started out ... feline distember and Giardia, and malocclusion were the main problems the breeders had to watch out for ... now, that they are being exposed to much more every day life, we are finding out they have many other possible problems lurking around every corner.

    Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

You mentioned that Jo Ann about the chinchilla cage made more for a ferret than a growing chin family. And I understand that. Due to the baby kits being so small and getting out of the cage.

I too wish I had found this site before I purchased our cage...Of course I loved that it is "sturdy" I loved the accessability for cleaning when the doors are open. And I loved the design of the bars and how it's a full bottom on the top level with only an access hole to get below...It seemed more to me as a bird cage style with the bars. I recall our first cage for the chins we had over 12 yrs. ago...It was more like a metal tray that the wire cage fit and locked onto. Like a rabbit cage if you will...It was flimsy...And I just didn't like it. I was forever scratching myself on a corner...So the Ferret Nation was a dream come true...And I seen where the one site stated if you removed the trays and bought Bass Equipment trays...and so fourth...That it made a terrific cage. So I was hooked.

Now...after all the money we have invested in it...I wonder if that was the wisest thing. I worry about them braking a leg on the bars of the cage when they get to running...typically they don't run the sides of the cage...But I know our Nibbles loved doing summersaults in the breeders cage...He would run up the side and flip over...Since it wasn't very tall...There is NO way we can go purchase another cage after what we've put out with this one...and what have you. My husband would bury me in a shallow grave out back! But...I do sometimes think...Gee I should have went with a chinchilla cage after all.

And we're still fighting with bedding all over the place being thrown. My husband mentioned about putting a screen so far up near the trays...outside of the bars on the cage...to help with that...But...I wonder if we had a chinchilla cage...if it would be thrown out less...

[Hoppinchins]

cadillactaste , I know about you mean about putting alot of money into the cage and what not. I'v had my chins for 5 months already and I'v had to make some addjustments to the cage already that cost $100 when I bought it. On stuff just for the cage, (three different water bottles bc the first one didn't work well and people at the pet store don't know what they are talking about. I found that out the hard way, I just had to buy new shelves, I took out the ramps bc they were plastic as well, I had to buy a new wheel bc the one that came in the cage wasn't safe for them), I'v easily spent an extra $100 about on them. I also wonder if in the long run it would be cheaper to get a chinchilla cage. I do love the two big size doors on my cage though. I have the same problem with the bedding that you do.

I am glad that I was able to go to home depot today to get the new shelves and everything and I only spent $22. I got 3 shelves the left overs, a free peice that I can use to make a couple ledges, wood, screws, washers, and the quarter moldings. I just had to wait around for awhile befor someone helped me, which was annoying. When the 1st one came buy a different customer grabed him befor he got to me and he kenw i had been waiting.. GR I almost said something to him, But I didn't.

Jo Ann,

Its fine and I feel sorry for that chin owner you are talking about. I have another question for you. I got the quarter moldings to put on the shelves, I'm assuming I should glow those on first befor I put the shelves into the cage?

[Hoppinchins]

Jo Ann,
I belive I know what you mean when you say this:

When using quarter round molding, place the flat sides to the top of the shelf the cage wire, leaving the rounded side showing inside the cage.

I just want to make sure.

Which picture is right? I think its the right one. this is how it would look inside the cage. The first picture is so the round part is facing inside the cage. .