Chinchilla is considered one of the cutest and funniest pets, which can often be found in many houses and apartments. In order for this miracle at home to feel comfortable, as well as ensure proper care, before purchasing it, it is necessary to choose the right cell and place for its installation. If you have skills skills, you can make a house for a pet yourself.
Features
Chinchilla is recommended to keep in a specially designed cage or window. If the size of the room allows, for such animals acquire spacious aviary. The main feature of cells for chinchillas is that they must be free and equipped with all necessary accessories.
In addition, when designing a house for the animal, it is important to create a mountainous relief.
Since this pet spends a lot of time for entertainment (jumps a lot, frolics and runs), it should be further equip the cage with running wheels, different ladders, tunnels and hammocks.
Requirements
Regardless of whether the cage is purchased for the chinchilla in finished form or made independently, it must meet certain standards. This will further provide the pet proper conditions for his stay. Accommodation should be not only cozy, dry, bright, lit, but also have good ventilation.
In addition, several characteristics are important for the design.
Minimum size
For the maintenance of an adult chinchilla requires a lot of space: the dimensions of the cage should not be less than 50 cm in length and width and 70 cm in height. If the cell is small, then the animal will decrease activity, it will begin to hurt more often.
To keep several individuals, the above parameters must be multiplied by the number of animals.
Such sizes will be quite enough for the pet to have a place for rest, eating and playing.
Grid spacing
To protect the animal, this indicator should be no more than 20 mm. Otherwise, the "Fuzzies" can easily get out.
Free access for cleaning
Facilitate the process of cleaning the house will help the presence in the design of a sliding tray, where it will be possible to pour small chips or sawdust. If you buy a cage with a fixed floor, then it will be difficult and inconvenient to wash it.
Kinds
To date, cells for chinchillas are presented in a huge assortment, with each species differs not only in size, design, but also in price. For the maintenance of this type of animals, several cell constructions are best suited.
Showcase
It is made in large sizes and is intended for group breeding of pets. As a rule, such models are purchased by those who plan to professionally breed chinchillas. The storefront is made of various materials, but wooden construction is in great demand.
The cage made of wood is considered ecological, it looks attractive, but it must be additionally sheathed with a dense material.otherwise the pets will quickly gnaw through the walls of the structure. You can also make showcases from durable plywood and glass.
Box of twigs
This is a common type of cage, which can be found in every zoological store at an affordable price. Additionally, the boxes are completed with houses, which allows you to save money on home improvement for the animal.Such cells can be disassembled into separate parts, they are conveniently stored, transported in bags. In addition, the box just clean up. The only drawback of such models is products of twigs are not able to absorb sound.
DIY design
It can be multi-tiered, three-story, corner and wall. For more convenient operation, owners make designs on wheels using old cabinets and dressers. The main advantage of this house is that it can be assembled from any material at hand according to an individual design.
Most often, homemade designs are made of plywood, slats and glass, but for their assembly requires a certain experience and time.
Selection rules
Since the chinchilla spends all its life in a cage, it is for her a permanent home and entertainment platform. In order for a furry animal to feel as comfortable as possible in such limited living conditions, its housing must be hygienically clean, spacious and comfortable. Therefore, before you pick up a cage for your pet, It is necessary to take into account not only personal wishes, but also the general characteristics of the structure.
It is worth considering the main criteria for cell selection.
- Dimensions of construction. It is best to buy large houses from 90x50x40 cm in size. There is enough space for a chinchilla so that it can freely run, play and arrange a place to rest.
- Existence of the pushing pallet. This will simplify cleaning and reduce the time of its holding.
- Material manufacturing cells. It is advisable to give preference to metal and wood products. A good choice would be the combined design, its frame is made of planks, and the sides are sheathed with metal gratings.
- Safety of operation. To prevent the animal from getting hurt, the distance between the iron bars of the structure should be minimal.
In addition to all of the above, with the purchase of a structure it is worth paying attention and on air circulation.
It is recommended to purchase models that have drop-down windows for airing.
In the absence of good ventilation, the animal's coat may start to deteriorate and it will become sick.
How to equip it?
When the issue with the choice and purchase of a cell is resolved, it will remain only to equip it correctly. For rodent need arrange separate areas for eating, sleeping and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Since this “fluffy” is very fond of jumping and running, experts recommend installing special shelves in cells, placed in a checkerboard pattern parallel to each other.
Such shelves of various shapes and sizes can be independently made from any wood.
In addition, the design arrangement should provide for the presence of drinkers and feeders. For chinchillas drip drinker is ideal, this is due to the fact that "mohnatik" loves not only to drink a lot, but also to swim. But he can not wet his fur coat, face and legs.
As a drinker, it is recommended to use small flasks with a ball and a metal tube at the end. In this case, the cone should be made solely from durable glass, plastic is not allowed, because the pet quickly gnaws through it.
As for the feeder, it should have good stability, otherwise the animal during its mischievous games will easily turn it over. Feeder is allowed to buy both from metal and ceramic with strong fastening. The design should be quite strong and heavy. Plastic models are best not to buy, as they will not last long.
In addition to the main feeder, a special hay compartment is also installed in the cage. So that the chinchilla always feels great and does not hurt, Hay must be included in her diet. Avoiding debris from hay will help installation of a separate trough. It is found on sale in the form of a ball of wire, but this option has its drawbacks - the animal will stick its head through the bars and can get hurt. Therefore, for sennitsy well suited running ring, it is pre-closed and securely fixed.
A mandatory component of the cell chinchilla is considered a house. It is a wooden structure, the details of which are fastened with glue or studs. In the house a pet will spend the daytime sleeping. At night, the rodent will leave it and start active games.
The house can be made not only from wood, but also from plywood, but in this case it will have to be changed often, as the “fluffy” will quickly gnaw through the holes. If you plan to contain several individuals, then it is necessary for each of them to separately establish one house.
To a place to rest beautifully fit into the overall design of the cell, it is recommended to decorate it with branches from trees. Inside the house should put a filler of wood shavings, it will keep warm.
We must not forget about such an accessory as a hammock. He often replaces chinchillas with their main resting place, animals like to sleep in peculiar “beds”. Hammocks are easy to sew with their own hands from folded in two layers of fabric, which is usually used as jeans and fleece. Four holes are made through the corners of the fabric, metal chains are installed in them, which are fixed to the cage walls.
It is worth noting that this type of animal most often favors not hammocks, but hammocks.
Since in the wild, the animal washes its fur coat not with water, but with volcanic dust, it should be provided for home maintenance. special bathin which crushed zeolite, sand, talc, medical sulfur, wood ash are poured.
The bath should be bought round shape with a hole, in it the animal will arrange its swimming. It is quite interesting to watch this process: the pet first falls on the sand, then starts spinning in it at an incredible speed, creating unusual movements and thus cleaning its fur. It is strictly forbidden to replace the special sand with ordinary river sands, while bathing in it the beautiful beauty coat will lose its natural luster and beauty.
The container should not be placed in the cage all the time, it is put only for half an hour, then cleaned, otherwise the little naughty girl will make a mess in it or at least make it a toilet.
For a pet, you will also have to buy toys and sharpeners for teeth in the form of pumice and a special stone. Not simple pebbles are well suited, but sharpening with admixtures of minerals and vitamins. They allow the animal not only to sharpen teeth, but also help to support its immunity.
To "fluffy" did not miss and lead a healthy lifestyle, set in the cell running wheel. It can be from any material, but it is worth remembering that the animal starts the game at night, so metal elements are not recommended. Over time, they will emit an unpleasant creak that will disturb the home owners.
The wheel should be put only when it is planned to contain one individual. If there are two or more rodents, a “war” will begin.
For small cells additionally bought walking ballsWith the help of which the pet will be able to move freely around the room. In addition, rodents love a variety of fun, so their house must be decorated with ladders, tunnels, swing, and hanging bridges.
They must be made exclusively from natural solid and not have painted areas.
Transitions between zones in a cage are often decorated with edible tree branches, They are regularly replaced with new ones.
The arrangement of space for the toilet also plays a huge role. Chinchillas are clean animals and quickly become accustomed to the toilet. For this, a separate place is allocated in the cell, it is covered with corn filler, special granules or sawdust.
The filler is desirable to purchase without additives and flavors, since rodents will eat it. A good solution is to install a finished toilet with or without a folding grill; any glass packaging will also work.
If the cells are large, they can be equipped with all the accessories listed above, since there is enough space for that. As for small structures, they are equipped with only the most necessary, and retractable plastic pallets are installed.
In addition, in order to improve ventilation in the cage, a grid should be placed on both sides of the structure. It should be made of steel wire, have rectangular or straight cells, as well as a corrosion-resistant coating.
With the hands of the manufacture of cell showcases for chinchillas with their own hands can be found in the following video.
