There are several things to consider when selecting your pet chinchilla’s cage. Remember, although they are small animals, chinchillas are very active creatures. In fact, they can jump as high as five feet above their own heads. While you probably do not want to give them that much space, any cage you house them in will need to be roomy enough so they can exercise and play in it. This is very important in helping to keep your pet physically and psychologically healthy. Adding several small shelves for them to jump on is also a good idea. They will also need a separate corner to go to the bathroom away from where they eat and sleep.

A sturdy frame made of wood with wire mesh walls is best. However, the chinchilla cage should not have a wire floor. Not only is this uncomfortable for small animals, but can actually cause sores to develop on their tender paws. Ideally, cages should be made so you can provide your pet with comfortable beds of sand, wood chips, sawdust shavings or straw and come with removable trays for the bedding and litter to allow for easy cleaning without having to take the animal out of the cage.

The doors should be placed in such a way that you can open them to feed your chinchilla, but at the same time prevent them from escaping when you do. If building your own cage you might even consider making two separate doorways, a small one for feeding and a larger one so you can have easy access to your pet whenever you want to take it out for any reason. This can save you from headaches down the road. While cages need to be narrow enough to fit through doorways, larger ones can be placed on rollers so they can be moved easily.