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[JonRich]

Hello all , just wanted to say "Hello". My name is Jon, i live in NYC with my wife and 2 little girls. I keep a lot of exotic animals (mainly reptiles). This is my first Chin, it's through an adoption. Here to get some info to keep her healthy and happy.

thanks in advance

[JonRich]

The option to keep Chinchillas came up a few times and I just wasn't ready, or wanted to keep them at the time. Recently a friend of mine who had a young female Chin told me he was moving and if I would take her. I told him to give me a few days to think it over. I showed the wife and kids a few pix and they pretty much told me "don't come home without her". lol. Well I picked her up yesterday.


I had a large screened cage (30"x30"x56") that's been empty for a few months that once housed one of my Panther Chameleons.

I cleaned it out good and hot steam sterilize the cage and tosses in some climbing features and some bedding.

[JonRich]

I quickly learned that the planks of wood was too smooth and getting a foothold at times for the Chin was an issue. So i scored it a but with a file to add some texture. It worked for the night. Plans today was to utilize the whole cage and see if i can find some grip-tape (like whats on a skateboard). Went to HomeDepot today and for some 1"x 8" planks of wood to do some shelves and i got some fine grip-tape.

First thing i wanted to change was to make the shelf on the left wider.

added a 2nd shelf towards the front of the cage.

another shelf up and towards the back.

grip-tape...

Also had some extra wood and figured i'd make a nest box.



Got some of the grip-tape laid down. Wanted it on the inclines and on the edges.



All done..



A little play time in the girl's room ( only room with no exposed wires)
Ariyana , my 4 year old



 The previous owner got her when she was young and handled her a lot. She is failry comfortable around people.

[chinclub]

Congrats on your new chinchilla and welcome to the forum.  The cage looks great!!  I would remove the ramps and the grip tape.  Chinchillas can jump very high and don't need ramps.  Also it is only a matter of time before she decides to chew the tape and that could make her sick.  If you stick with wood the same size as the two top shelves spaced so she can jump from one to the other she is do just fine.

[gasaraki03]

Congrats and interesting little cage.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Congrats! Im also from NYC

[JonRich]

Congrats on your new chinchilla and welcome to the forum.  The cage looks great!!  I would remove the ramps and the grip tape.  Chinchillas can jump very high and don't need ramps.  Also it is only a matter of time before she decides to chew the tape and that could make her sick.  If you stick with wood the same size as the two top shelves spaced so she can jump from one to the other she is do just fine.

Thanks for the welcome and the suggestion about the tape and the possible risk. I am learning a lot about her day by day and I now see that she would have no problems jumping the heights . I do like the ramp construction though . I may swap out the grip tape for and just bevel the wood to create a surface with better foothold on the inclines.

[JonRich]

Congrats and interesting little cage.

Thanks. I kept Chameleons in it at one point. It's alum screen ( which I hope she does not chew through ). It's large, figured it would give her plenty of room. And maybe eventually, later down the line get another one to keep her company.

[JonRich]

Congrats! Im also from NYC

Nice!! Where abouts?

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Lower Manhattan

[GrayRodent]

I have similar shelves in my cage minus the ramps and have done no work on them to texture or bevel them. My chinchilla doesn't seem to care and jumps from shelf to shelf. Because of a recent injury I removed the upper shelf to help his foot heal. He still jumps straight up almost to the top of the cage off the floor just playing around. It is remarkable how high these animals can go.

[JonRich]

Lower Manhattan

Ahhh. I'm in midtown Manhattan . Nice to know there are Chin keepers (or at least one near by).

[JonRich]

I have similar shelves in my cage minus the ramps and have done no work on them to texture or bevel them. My chinchilla doesn't seem to care and jumps from shelf to shelf. Because of a recent injury I removed the upper shelf to help his foot heal. He still jumps straight up almost to the top of the cage off the floor just playing around. It is remarkable how high these animals and go.

I will be removing the ramps and replace them with shelves later this week. After having her for the past week, I'm realizing that she will have no trouble at all jumping from held to shelf. I have even seen her jump off the screen of the side of the cage and up to the higher shelf out of pure joy!!