WHATS SAFE AND WHATS NOT: THE REAL SCOOP
Hi hello, my name is Lexie. I have a standard female grey chinchilla who will be turning 5 this October. She lives in a Ferret Nation and is just a little angel.This blog is dedicated to chinchillas and their care, and most importantly how to care for them and to teach chin owners what not to spoil their chins with! So... without further ado, here are the most safe and the most dangerous things to give your little chin!
HOUSING:
Okay. This should NOT even be on the market for any chinchilla OR any small pet!
Chinchillas should have a cage of A MINIMUM of 24"x24"x24" !
This cage should only be for kits (babies) and/or a maternity cage, which is temporary. No animal should spend their entire lives in such an atrocity, and Petco ought to know better. The food included in this "Starter Kit" contains sunflower seeds and all sorts of quote on quote "healthy" treats, when in reality chinchillas will just pick out what they want to eat, and not the tiny bit of healthy pellet. Anything with "Fiesta" first should not even be considered.
This is also from Petco. THIS IS THE DESCRIPTION:
Safely and securely house your small pets in the Hagen Living World Deluxe Habitat. This complete wire-plastic hybrid habitat is ideal for rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs and more.
The cage is ONE LEVELED. Any cage that only has one level and no multiple levels should also be crossed off the list. There should be no second-thoughts about it. I feel sorry for any animal stuck in this so called "Excellent choice" of a box. Also, this cage is PLASTIC. Plastic is toxic to chinchillas due to their sensitive digestive tract and any consumed plastic could block their delicate system.
Is this even considered? Ever? If this doesn't scream claustrophobic , then I don't know what does.This is obviously WAY too small for any small animal. This couldn't even hold a rat if it wanted to. It is one leveled, and there's not nearly enough room for an animal that is capable of jumping 4-6 feet high.
GOOD CAGES:
The Ferret Nation is a perfect choice for a chinchilla. It is a metal, sturdy cage that I would recommend, myself. I personally keep my lil chinny in one of these and I have no problems with it, ever. I cannot stress this enough,though. Please, remove the plastic shelving and replace it with wooden shelving, hammocks,hidey nests, etc. The plastic is toxic, and the ramps should also be removed, Chinchillas prefer to jump not climb a ramp. This is a perfect FURever home for 1-3 chins to enjoy comfortably. Never put more than 3 in one of these, unless you add a add-on unit (a single unit added to the top). Overall, my score
4/5 Stars
Pros:
*Large, spacious
*Metal, not plastic
*Durable
Cons:
*Plastic shelving,must be replaced with wooden shelving (ONLY safe woods)
HELPFUL LINKS:
Purchase the Ferret Nation Here: http://www.ferret.com/item/critter-nation-small-animal-cage-double-unit/650232/
http://www.ferret.com/item/ferret-nation-habitat-model-182-double-unit/650431/
(Single ferret Nation unit, holds 1 Chinny comfortably)
DIET:
*BAD FOODS
This is HORRIBLE. Chinchillas DO NOT eat this junk. It is all sugar and fruit, which chinchillas do not eat.
Ah. The "Gourmet" variety diet. Complete with sunflower seeds, and dried fruit kibble. Lovely. yahh...NO. When given the chance, chinchillas will pick out the "good stuff" and not get the "Healthy" pellets. This should never be fed...ever.
GOOD FOODS:
Chinchillas need a healthy, varied diet. My own personal chilla is perfectly healthy and has been on this food her WHOLE LIFE. It has all the right ingredients. And also, NEVER feed your chilla rabbit, guinea pig, or hamster foods, or any other foods for that matter other than the safe diets. Other diets include:
*Oxbow
*Mizzouri
*Tradition
Healthy Hay:
*Oxbow
*Kaytee (Not best, but not too bad)
Safe Dusts:
*Blue Cloud (Personal favorite)
*Blue Sparkle
ACCESSORIES:
*These are Plastic hide-y houses that are advertised for all small pets, including chinchillas. I cannot stress this enough, PLEASE do NOT use PLASTIC! These are not safe, are easy for a chinchilla to chew up and tip over. I highly do not advise anyone to ever purchase these for a chinchilla.
GOOD TOYS:
Better toys and hide houses include:
*Any chinchilla house that is made of a safe, non-toxic wood will provide hours of fun and sleepy time as well as teeth-filling.
SAFE WOODS:
Pine (Kild-Dried)
Applewood
Or any other wood without pits (pitted-fruits)
Check out the links below for a full guide to all the safe woods :)
LINKS:
http://www.zoeyandlilostoybox.com
(Safe Toys)
http://www.simplychintastic.com/housing.html
(More safe toys and ledges)
http://tjschinchillasupplies.com/
(Chinchilla supplies and other helpful info)
www.whimsys-menagerie.com
Thank you for visiting my page, Kudos to you for doing your
Research! See you soon on my next topic: Your Chinchilla And You
God Bless :)
