Chinchilla Community Forums

Chinchillas => Cages => Topic started by: Misskitz on March 19, 2007, 03:15:33 PM

Title: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Misskitz on March 19, 2007, 03:15:33 PM
Daisy seems bored. I have no idea what to do, she has Wood-chews, 2 huts and 1 wheel along with her food and water. I don't see a topic around her, but whats in your cage? My ferrets cage is full of stuff like blankets, e.t.c. and when I saw Daisy's cage it was like Blah... So I'm pretty much open to anything! Let me know!
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Joyce on March 19, 2007, 05:06:13 PM
Hi there,

Several of my chins have these cubes (link below) in their cages hanging from the cage top wire.  Like I said only a few of mine have it!  Some do very well with these and the comfy cube stays intact forever and some chins like to chew them up.  You do not want them to chew these because as we all know this is not good for them to swallow!  If they start to chew remove the cube right away!

http://www.superpetusa.com/index.html

Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Joyce on March 19, 2007, 05:12:10 PM
 Product Name: Super Sleepers- Comf-E-Cube
Item Number: 62264 
Size: 10"L x 10"W x 10"H



Here is the info on it from SuperPet's site...........
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Misskitz on March 19, 2007, 07:32:56 PM
I loved the idea of putting a bed in her cage but it was just the pooping/peeing matter. Daisy old owner had her in a hut with a bed under it. I liked it but it smelled so much of Urine. I'll check it out! Thanks!
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Jenova on March 20, 2007, 07:33:48 AM
A few things Cheech loves:
A wooden parrot ladder put in horizontally so he can climb on it. This lasts less than two weeks as he will chew through the rungs. :)
A dangly wooden parrot toy with lots of different shapes of wood. He didn't touch this until about two weeks ago when we bought him a new cage, then he suddenly realised he had it. This one is good because as he tries to chew it it spins round and it's more of a challenge. Just have to watch he doesn't start to eat the string holding it together.
Cardboard tubes. For a large portion of the day all you can see is a wobbling tube with a tail. Again just have to make sure he doesn't eat the cardboard. I've found that he will eat some makes but not others. And he loves cardboard boxes, like the the large ones you buy cans of coke-a-cola in, but he's started to eat the cardboard so I had to stop giving them to him.
And his favourite toy is a new one which is two mineral blocks tied to three slices of branch. He will even sleep with this one. :)
I tried to find a picture but they don't have one on their website.
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Jo Ann on March 20, 2007, 07:47:19 AM
::silly::
I loved the idea of putting a bed in her cage but it was just the pooping/peeing matter. Daisy old owner had her in a hut with a bed under it. I liked it but it smelled so much of Urine. I'll check it out! Thanks!
The "peeing matter" could get you a bed of fungus and bacteria for the chin to sleep in and get sick.
 ::scaredspeachless::  Nix on a cloth bed if they urinate in/on it or chew on it.

If you want to decorate it, there are lots of "toys" on the internet and in the stores.
OR, better yet, ones that you can make.
 
Regardless of where you get them or if you make them ... what they are made of is the most important.  Most will chew/eat any thing they can get their little teeth into.

Empty paper towel/toilet tissue rolls, empty egg crates, and paper boxes (not plastic coated and no tape or staples left in the box) are great fun for a chin to play with.  If you have a friend or family member that works in the public where they have the huge rolls of toilet papper in enclosed dispensers, they have the 4" paper rolls and chins love to play on and sleep inside them.  

Blocks, balls, and many other shaped pieces of wood can be given to them to play with individually.  OR drill a hole in the center and thread them on to a wire to be securely wired to the top of the cage and hang for them to play with.  Always make sure you are using untreated pine for the wood chew toys.

A ceramic feeding bowl with a large base and straight sides is good for the chin's pellets OR as a supplement feeder, if you have a "J" feeder attached to the side of the cage, can add color to the dwelling.

A "Y" or "T" shaped piece of PVC pipe (the only safe plastic for a chin) can be placed inside the cage for them to play on and/or sleep inside.  4" is usually a good size so that they do not get stuck in the pipe.  These are easy to wash, and provide a place to hide for the young kits.  Use only on the bottom level.

A solid metal shoot or a hay ball, to put hay in, can also be used to decorate the cage.   :)

Anything having soft metals (like aluminum) or plastic as part of the "toy" can cause major problems ... remember ... they will chew/eat anything they can get their little teeth into or around.   :-\

Huts made of pine wood can be very creative in their shapes ... but don't put allot of money into it ... the chins will decorate it to their own "tastes".   ::)

 ::wave::
Jo Ann

A hay shoot or holder is pictured below.
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Jo Ann on March 20, 2007, 11:07:26 AM
::silly::Here's one of the play/chew toys I found on EBay ... of course it is chewable cord that holds it together ... you might want to replace it rope.

And ...
A really cute Chinchilla cut out

And ...
Cute hut.   :)

 ::howdythere::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on March 20, 2007, 06:41:39 PM
Yes I'm always changing cage furnishings.
I love putting stairs in my cages.
I hang large tubes instead of hammocks, even cut windows in them.
If they like a blanket, save all your old fleeces and cut them up, use them and throw them out.
I run out of old fleeces and sometimes have too buy a meter with every new litter. I launder each cage fleeces and when the kits start trowing them around the cage I throw them out.
Ramps and slides are fun, staggered small shelves up one side of the cage.
Guess a lot depends on the size and shape or your cages.
Oh balls of rope or string are fun. Or tie big knots in a good fiber rope and hang them up.
Plain old cardboard boxes a blast, all sizes and shapes, cut door and windows, the only thing is they don't last long.
But that's the fun it it changing it around.
I try not to block up their cages, just give them things to play with.
Title: Re: Cage Ideas?
Post by: Jenova on March 22, 2007, 08:26:28 PM
Another thing I forgot to add - We recently bought Cheech a thick rope that hangs from one side of his cage to the other. It's made out of some sort of cactus but I can't remember the name of it. It's quite commonly used for ropes though, and it's safe unlike stringy rope. It has PVC ends but after the first week he stopped chewing them. He doesn't play with it much but I occasionally find him perched on it. I'd like to use it as a walkway from one part of his cage to another but we have a tall cage rather than an long one and the floor separations stop me from doing that. But maybe another chin would like it more. :)