What kind of cage is needed for a chinchilla. How should a chinchilla's cage be equipped? Chinchilla feeder

» Chinchillas

A couple of centuries ago, chinchillas were on the verge of extinction - they were destroyed because of their very valuable fur, but gradually the situation changed for the better for the animal and from the status of a hunting trophy, this rodent migrated into our homes to the status of a pet and everyone's favorite.

But in order for the animal to feel comfortable, healthy and cheerful, it is worth knowing how to properly feed it, what to feed it and is it possible to breed it at home?

It is best to buy a chinchilla at the age of 2 months– an animal will get used to a new environment and owners faster than an already mature and mature one.

When choosing an animal, you should understand that the chinchilla is a nocturnal animal and therefore will be more active in the evening and at night.

If you have purchased a small rodent and wondered whether it is possible to tame it, then, of course, you can. In the first days, just leave the animal alone - it will get used to the new home, smells and you.

Gradually begin to tame him into your hands– go to the cage and on the palm of your hand in front of the open cage door, offer the chinchilla a treat, for example a piece of a sweet apple.

The animal will definitely take it from your hand, even if not immediately, but after a few days - a tamed chinchilla will often sit on your shoulder and joyfully respond to your attention to its person. Believe me, caring for her is not that difficult.

When taking an adult animal into your home, ask the previous owners how long the animal has lived with them. About the pet’s eating habits and preferences, what diseases the animal suffered from and vaccinations given. All this will allow the animal to endure the move as comfortably as possible and not suffer from a sudden change in environment and diet.

There are rules and recommendations regarding the selection and arrangement of a cage. At the very beginning, the size of the cage per animal is 60 by 50 cm, with a height of 60 cm or more. All locks and closures are strong, preferably not wooden, but metal, since the chinchilla is a rodent and soon only the wooden rods may remain just sawdust.

The animal bathes in special sand, but not in water– it is not recommended to place a font with sand in the cage, but it should be kept separately, giving the animal a so-called “bath day” every 2-3 days.

Cage equipment: how to keep it clean?

Regarding the equipment of the cage and what should be in it, it is recommended to put in it a small house where the animal can retire, wooden shelves and ladders for games, a hanging drinking bowl and a feeding trough, which are attached from the outside.

It is recommended to put salt and mineral stones in the cage - they serve as a natural sharpener for the animal’s teeth and a source of salt and vitamins in the body, a hay box with dry hay and grass, and it is recommended to cover the floor of the cage with a special filler made of wood that does not stick to the animal’s paws .

If the dimensions of the cage allow, you can install a running wheel, toys made of wood, preferably birch, but not pine or spruce, rings and a hammock. It is also worth learning the rules regarding what you should not do with chinchillas.

A properly and properly equipped cage will allow you to create the most comfortable living conditions for your chinchilla, and its health depends on this.

What can’t be done to extend the life of an animal?

First of all, it is worth remembering that it is prohibited to bathe chinchillas in water, since there is special sand for this, in which the animal itself splashes with pleasure. You should not keep her in a cramped, small cage - she is an active rodent and a sedentary lifestyle will lead to obesity and death.

Wherein For a chinchilla, upward movement is important, moving from the top to the bottom shelf and vice versa, and therefore it is optimal to choose a tall cage shape rather than an oblong one.

You shouldn’t let this handsome guy wander around the apartment on his own – you’ll end up with damaged furniture, wiring and books.

Also, you should not let your chinchilla eat a lot of nuts and fresh food often - the optimal diet is granulated food and hay. Nuts, fresh fruits, seeds should serve as a delicacy rather than as a daily diet.

If you purchased a pair of chinchillas, then never put a female with a male, especially if the boy is older and the girl is less than 6 months old. At this time, the female is not yet ready to give birth and therefore early pregnancy will only lead to problems with her health.

Try to travel less with chinchillas - for them the slightest noise, squabbles and moving are just another stress that does not have the best effect on your pet.

Chinchilla cannot tolerate cold and therefore keeping it in a room where it is below 14 degrees is fatal., although you should also not overdo it with heat, since these rodents react very painfully to overheating, as well as sunlight, which can lead to heat or sunstroke.

What to feed a chinchilla and how many times a day?

Chinchillas belong to the order of herbivores, they are true representatives of the rodent family - at home this point should be taken into account and the appropriate diet should be selected.

Regarding food, in chinchilla stores today there will be no problem choosing dry, granular food, formulated taking into account the preferences of the rodent and with the composition of macro, microelements, and vitamins it needs.

Many experts do not recommend buying and giving vitamins separately to chinchillas, although during pregnancy and feeding the offspring, the female can be switched to a diet enhanced with vitamins.

A chinchilla's diet should also include hay - you can prepare it yourself by collecting herbs such as clover, dandelions, and alfalfa in the field. If you buy hay at a pet store, it should be dry, clean, without any unnecessary moldy odors.

As an additive, you can add birch or willow twigs, raspberry or apple twigs, currant or linden twigs. Under no circumstances should you give branches of oak and cherry, as well as trees that secrete resins - pine, spruce.

The cage must contain clean, boiled or filtered water - in nature, chinchillas get it from food, but due to the fact that at home the animal receives dry food, it simply needs moisture.

You can feed the animal with flax seeds or corn grains, leaves of fresh and young nettles or dandelions, strawberries, and periodically give it pieces of dried sweet apple and carrots, pears, and a few raisins. But introducing fresh apples, cabbage and nuts into the diet is undesirable and even contraindicated.

Speaking about what should be excluded from a chinchilla’s diet, in addition to everything mentioned above, never give your pet roasted seeds and grains, nuts - they are served fresh, but not fried. You should not give food from your own table. Bread and cookies - it is optimal to give wheat crackers, and even then infrequently.

Proper and nutritious nutrition is always the key to health, an active lifestyle and the normal development of a chinchilla. If the food is not complete or chosen incorrectly, you will end up with health problems for your pet and its death.

Diseases and their prevention: how to care for a sick animal?

Many people wonder what diseases are inherent in chinchillas and what control measures and preventive measures should be used to prevent them? In the list of the most common diseases, veterinarians have identified the following:

1. Gastrointestinal disorder. The root cause is low-quality food with an expired expiration date, incorrect feeding regimen when there is an excess of dry or succulent food, a sudden change in diet and diet. As a result, the animal is diagnosed with constipation or diarrhea, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, when the stool comes with blood in it. Be sure to show your pet to a doctor - he will examine your pet and recommend a course of treatment and diet.
2. The chinchilla chews out its own fur, or if there are several animals in the cage, then from each other. The reasons for this behavior are different - itchy skin or harmful insects, lack of certain vitamins in the diet, especially protein. Show the animal to a doctor who will conduct an examination and take tests, or change the diet by introducing vitamin supplements into it, and also clean the cage more often.
3. Dystrophy of liver cells due to obesity– here liver cells are replaced by adipose tissue. The reason is rancid, low-quality food, when the chinchilla’s body does not absorb carotene, excessively fatty food, and a large amount of nuts and seeds. The animal is simply fed - review the diet, minimizing fatty foods, choosing only high-quality, fresh food, and also put a wheel in the cage for your pet’s sports activities.
4. Formation of stones in the genitourinary system– the cause may be an incorrect diet. Stones can be identified through ultrasound - if they are small, when it is more like sand, then it will come out of the body on its own, if their size is larger - they are removed surgically.
5. Sunstroke or hypothermia– the reasons are the incorrect temperature conditions for keeping the animal. Accordingly, remove the animal from a room that is too hot for it, from the sun, or transfer it to a warmer room. With such a problem, the animal will constantly lie down, its breathing will become intermittent and labored, it will lose consciousness - if this does not help, then you should show the chinchilla to a veterinarian, who will prescribe medications that increase blood flow and breathing.
6. Conjunctivitis– inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes in a chinchilla. The cause may be injury or chemical irritants, bacteria - show the animal to a doctor, who will prescribe treatment. In addition, clean the cage and treat it with antiseptics, and as a preventive measure and treatment, wash the eyes with a 3% solution of boric acid, or a decoction of chamomile, plus drops that contain antibiotics.
7. Catarrh of the nose– this disease in chinchillas manifests itself when the weather changes, with sudden temperature fluctuations, if there is a strong draft in the room. In this case, mucus will leak from the animal’s nasal passages, the eyes will water, and white or yellow discharge will accumulate in the corners. The chinchilla eats little, frequent breathing and an increase in temperature aggravate its condition. In this case, keep the animal in a dry room, wash the eyes with a solution of boric acid, give food rich in vitamin C, and consult a veterinarian.
8. Wounds that occur as a result of injury to animals among themselves during a fight, or in contact with a sharp edge of a shelf in a cage. If the wounds are superficial, they heal on their own, without outside help, but if it is a deep wound, consult a doctor for washing and treatment to avoid infection and inflammation.
9. Dental problems. As the animal grows, chinchillas may experience problems with their teeth - excessive growth and periodontal disease. The growth of teeth and the animal’s inability to grind them down leads to problems with bite and nutrition, chewing food and, as a result, problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Remember also that chinchillas’ teeth have an open root - so they grow constantly, and if there is a lack of vitamins A and D and calcium in the diet, the teeth will grow too quickly. In this case, it is worth correcting the teeth - simply by cutting them down in a medical facility and constantly giving the animal hard twigs and products for grinding down the teeth.

If you have the slightest suspicion of health problems with your chinchilla, immediately contact a veterinarian and carry out the necessary examination, examination, and course of treatment. You should never hesitate - the sooner a diagnosis is made and treatment is prescribed, the better the treatment outcome will be.

Breeding animals at home in an apartment

How to keep a chinchilla at home? If you want to keep a family of chinchillas and start breeding them, you should take into account several points and rules. First of all - In chinchilla families, matriarchy is clearly expressed, the supremacy of the female and therefore it is recommended to place the female with the male on his territory, but if the placement takes place on her territory, the couple should be given time to get used to each other, so to speak, to get to know each other.

In this case, place the cage with the male next to the cage with the female for a couple of days and only then put them together. If the animals behave aggressively, separate them into cages for a while and so on until they coexist peacefully in pairs. The main thing is to carry out everything under your own control, so that the animals do not injure each other in a fight.

The male reaches sexual maturity at the age of 8-9 months, the female at 7-8, while the duration of the female’s sexual cycle is about 40-50 days, while estrus lasts 3-4 days. The female bears offspring for 105-110 days - during this period it is recommended to give her increased nutrition, especially if the animal is pregnant for the first time.

1-2 cubs are born, less often - 3 or more, and in caring for the offspring the male shows himself to be a rather caring father. But if you do not want the chinchilla to become pregnant again, it is recommended to move the male into another cage while the female is caring for the offspring.

Babies are born already covered with fur, with open eyes and can move on their own - their weight varies from 30 to 70 grams and the weight depends on the number of cubs in the litter.

If the female gave birth to 2, then there is no need to feed them, but if 3 or more, artificial feeding from a pipette with milk formula will allow you to save the babies. For that, so that the female produces more milk - give 1-2 raisins a day, and after 2 months the babies can be separated from their mother.

Breeding chinchillas at home will not be difficult even for a novice zoologist and will bring a lot of pleasure and positivity. Under the right conditions, a pair of chinchillas will regularly delight you with a new addition to your family.

As you can see, caring for a chinchilla at home is not that difficult. Having a chinchilla in the house, caring for it and breeding it is something everyone can do. And you will get a lot of joy from caring for a small, furry animal.

After you have become familiar with all the benefits of having a chinchilla in your home (read more about this), and are almost ready to go to the nearest pet store for this cute and fluffy animal, we would recommend that you take your time. A chinchilla is neither a cat nor a dog, but still a rodent that requires a cage. And we invite you to talk about how to choose a cage for a chinchilla, what it should be, and where it is best to install it. This is the last stage that you must go through before this cute animal appears in your home.

Where should a chinchilla live?

Despite the fact that you plan to tame the animal in the future and make friends with it (read), you must be aware that your chinchilla will be calmer and safer, especially if other pets live in your house, if she has will have its own cage home. Therefore, to the question of where a chinchilla should live, we answer unequivocally - it should live in a cage specially equipped for its residence. Not in a box (this is not a rabbit), not in a large glass jar, not in a plastic basin or in a shoe box...

If you take responsibility by purchasing this animal, you must be prepared for the fact that you will have to purchase a cage for the chinchilla.

Well, here’s what types of cells there are, which are better, and which have a number of significant disadvantages - we will tell you in our next paragraph of the article...

Types of cages for chinchillas

From the moment a chinchilla began to live next to a person, the latter began to think about which cage would be more comfortable and better for the chinchilla to spend the days of his life. The result of such thoughts were different cell options for these creatures. And now we will tell you in more detail about each of these options, their advantages and disadvantages.

Metal cages for chinchillas

But don’t rush to think that you have so quickly found the ideal cage for your pet. These cages are very... noisy, and when the animal runs around the floors of its “house”, it will make a lot of noise. This is unlikely to make you happy if the cage is in the room where you relax or work. Another drawback, since the bottom of the cage is made in the form of a dense metal mesh, debris from the cage and food debris will periodically end up on the floor in your room.
Another disadvantage, which, however, can be easily corrected, is due to the fact that the shelves in such cages are most often made of either plastic or metal - in order for your chinchilla to be comfortable, be sure to replace them with wooden ones.

Display cage for chinchilla

If you decide to immediately get a couple of animals, and in the future you plan to breed them (more about), you will, of course, consider the option of a more spacious cage - the so-called showcase. Such showcase cages look more impressive than metal cages and can be made of various materials. And, this is where the fun begins.

Wooden showcases chinchillas really like it - it’s closer to natural material, it’s pleasant to live in such a wooden house, and if necessary, you can even sharpen your teeth on the walls of such a display cage. They are not expensive, but... the peculiarity of wood as a material for a cage is that wood absorbs odors and moisture well, therefore, over time, your wooden display cage will begin to smell specifically, and the floor and its walls may swell from moisture. All your attempts to remove the smell by disinfecting the rodent’s habitat can end very badly. The tree can absorb disinfectants, and when the chinchilla starts gnawing on it, it can become poisoned. As an option, you can, of course, offer a combined wooden option, where the floor is made of laminate, fiberboard or other material that is not so vulnerable to moisture, but the decision whether this option is worthy of being called the best is up to you.

Another option for a showcase is from a profile. Many chinchilla breeders prefer it. This is much more convenient, reliable and beautiful. Such profile display cases are easy to remove, they last a long time and do not lose their attractive appearance. But, if you buy a ready-made display case, be sure to make sure that the mesh is securely fastened and that the partitions and glass do not “walk around.” This will determine whether your chinchillas will run away and whether they will be injured in such an attempt to escape. As for the cost of such profile display cases, they are, of course, more expensive than wooden display cases.

DIY chinchilla cage

Among those people who own chinchillas there are many jacks of all trades. Therefore, sometimes you come across completely unusual options for cages for chinchillas. For example, with options for display windows - “remodels”. To make such a display cage, craftsmen take bookcases or office cabinets, remove shelves from it, remove doors, insert glass, cut window holes in the side walls, process the edges of all surfaces for safety, insert nets, screw on wooden shelves and original and exclusive housing for chinchillas is ready to welcome its owner.

If you have time, materials and desire, you can make a house for a chinchilla with your own hands; the cost of such a cage is low, it is easy to clean, fits well into the interior and pleases your vanity every time you look at it. The difficulty with this option is that you are such a master and find the right material for such a homemade cage.

Basic requirements for a chinchilla cage

Whatever type of animal cage you choose, you should make sure that it is suitable for your pet. That is,

the cage or display should be cozy, light, warm, dry and well ventilated.

The minimum cage size is the following: 50 centimeters long by 50 centimeters wide by 70 centimeters high. This is a “living” minimum. Ideally, there should be more space for one chinchilla, since these animals are unusually active, and in a cramped space they can simply start to get sick (find out all about). If you get several animals, then these cage sizes should be multiplied by the number of chinchillas living together, and add an area for active games and active pastime for your pets.

For safety reasons, the distance between the bars or mesh cells in a cage or display case should not be more than 2 centimeters. If this distance is less, small chinchillas will be able to get out and escape.

For your convenience, and for cleanliness in the cage, it is better to replace the floor in it with a retractable metal tray, on which you will pour small shavings and sawdust as soft bedding for the chinchilla. Don’t forget to change this litter at least once a week and wash the tray itself.

Additional accessories for the chinchilla cage

If you think that it’s enough to just buy a cage for a chinchilla, lay bedding in it, let the animal go and it will be happy with its housewarming – you’re wrong. In order to make the life of your little pet comfortable, safe, convenient and happy, you should take care of purchasing additional accessories for the chinchilla cage.

If you have a fairly spacious cage or display case, you should definitely install a house for the animal in it. The size of the house may be slightly larger than the size of the animal itself, because the chinchilla will hide in it when he wants to, or will rest there.

If the size of the cage does not allow you to install such a house, or your chinchilla refuses such an artificial shelter - in fact, this happens quite often, make sure that special shelves or niches are installed in the cage where the animal could hide and where it I could have privacy. The width of such a shelf or niche should be at least 15 centimeters, since chinchillas often rest in such secluded places, stretched out to their full height. However, do not try to place such shelves at a high height - the animal may fall and be injured.

Chinchilla feeder

The feeder can be made of plastic; it should be deep enough and comfortable for the chinchilla itself. Don't forget to wash it regularly. And, so that the chinchilla does not turn it over during its active games, it is better to attach it to the cage door or to the front wall.

Chinchillas can live in the attic, attic, living rooms. In warm weather, the animal can be placed in a specially equipped enclosure. If you keep an animal at home, you should take care of its home in advance.

A cage is a whole world for a chinchilla. It should be comfortable, spacious, hygienic. When buying a “house” for a pet, you should not focus on your taste. It is better to choose a larger structure so that the chinchilla can move freely on it.

Chinchillas are quite active animals; they need a lot of space to run and play. Therefore, zoologists do not recommend limiting yourself to the minimum cell size.

• The design should have a retractable tray: it allows for hygienic cleaning as quickly as possible.
• The most suitable materials are wood and metal. So, the structure itself may be made of wood, but have metal bars on the side walls and doors.
• It is allowed to keep an animal in a metal cage, which costs less than its wooden counterparts. However, such a product has a number of inconveniences. The movement of an active animal inside the structure is accompanied by noise; in addition, sawdust and food get into the room through the bars.
• The distance between the rods should not exceed 20x20 mm so that the animal does not get hurt or harm itself.
• There must be air circulation in the home, otherwise the animal’s fur will deteriorate and it may get sick. Display cases sold in pet stores are usually equipped with a window through which the house is ventilated. Please pay attention to this detail when purchasing.

Chinchillas are clean animals, so you will have to empty the cage of debris every day. The drinking bowl and feeder are washed at least 2 times a week.

Inside the cage you will need to install:

• Wooden shelves located at different levels;
• House with several entrances;
• , feeder, hay barn;
• A sand bath for bathing.

If there is enough space in the cage, it can accommodate play tunnels and for active activities of the pet.

Parameters for two chinchillas

With the “classic” version - male and female - the minimum permissible dimensions of the structure: 90 × 90 × 50 cm.

If you keep several animals at home, then the housing should have the following dimensions: the minimum cage size is multiplied by the number of rodents living in it.

For chinchillas to live freely in the summer, a special enclosure is equipped. It is placed on a personal plot or balcony, if space allows. The dimensions of the enclosure for keeping chinchillas at home are selected arbitrarily, depending on the availability of free space.

For this purpose, frames are made, which are covered with metal mesh on top. The house must be screwed to the floor or wall with screws. Thick boards or ceramic tiles are laid at the bottom of the enclosure, on top of which straw and sawdust are poured. To prevent uninvited guests - rats or mice - from entering your home, the lower part of the house is sheathed with galvanized iron to a height of 50 cm.

If the chinchilla enclosure is located on a personal plot, it is installed on a foundation. This should be a spacious room measuring 3x2x2 m. The front part can be made of metal mesh, and the side walls can be lined with wood. This will help protect the animals from drafts, which are poorly tolerated by rodents. A roof covered with slate or roofing felt will protect chinchillas from rain.

Optimal size for keeping for breeding purposes

A block designed to accommodate a family of rodents is being assembled. It consists of several small cells, along which a 20 cm wide corridor runs. It allows the male to visit several females at once, which are isolated from each other. To prevent females from leaving their home, you will have to purchase an additional accessory - a collar.

The minimum size of a cage for a chinchilla for industrial breeding is 50x40x40 cm. It is important to think in advance about the location of the cages so that they have easy access and do not take up much space.

On farms, cage sizes are selected depending on the size of the rodent family. So, 1 male and several females are placed in one room - from 4 to 8 females.

How to make it yourself

The advantage of such a product is that it can be made from materials available in the house and according to your own sketches. Remnants of old furniture are suitable for the floor and ceiling, and a metal frame is required for the side walls and ceiling.

If you decide to make a chinchilla cage yourself, pay attention to the details:

A homemade design has a number of advantages. Its cost will be cheaper than a purchased analogue, and in addition, you won’t mind throwing away the cage if it’s unusable. You can choose the safest materials for assembling the product. Cheap Chinese cages made from synthetic material will last less time.

However, before making a house you will have to spend money on consumables. Also, the master needs certain skills, otherwise it will take a lot of time to assemble.

Useful video

When the house is ready, its bottom is covered with straw or sawdust, accessories are placed inside and then the animal is released there. The cage itself is installed at some elevation from the floor, preferably near a wall. Placing it in the bedroom is not recommended due to the high activity of the chinchilla at night.

In contact with

Keeping and raising pet chinchillas is a profitable business. It is also popular to breed these animals in industrial enterprises and farms to obtain valuable furs, and also to raise them in the house as pets, because chinchillas are very beautiful and have a friendly character. If you take proper care of your pet, your chinchilla will grow up completely healthy, beautiful and cheerful, and will also quickly produce new offspring.

For comfortable growth and living of chinchillas the special influence comes from the cage in which the pet spends most of its life. How to properly organize a cage for chinchillas so that the animal feels safe and does not need anything?

In order for breeding animals to become as profitable as possible and not cause discomfort to the animals, you need to correctly compose the contents of the rodent cage.

To the choice of cage and its contents must be approached with special care, since its well-being, appetite, motor activity, as well as its ability to further reproduce will depend on the animal’s environment. The choice of cage for chinchillas that grow at home and for rodents that are bred in an industrial enterprise has certain differences.

Arrangement

To get it right choose a cage for the animal, you need to decide on the purpose of growing a chinchilla.

In the house, rodents are usually kept in pairs. The male chinchilla covers the female, and she gives birth to cubs twice a year, from one to six chinchillas. In cases of breeding pets, you should choose large cages with a lot of free space inside. The size of a chinchilla cage should be up to 1 meter, and the area should be at least 0.5 cm2. for one individual. The bottom covering the cage should be in the form of a mesh.

In cages intended for chinchillas, must have:

1. Rods made of zinc.
2. Tray (it will be good if it is removable for more comfortable cleaning processes)
3. Wooden shelves at different heights
4. Houses with several entrances.
5. Metal feeders, as well as drip drinkers and bathing containers.

A cage measuring 100cm*50cm*50cm is enough for one chinchilla. In this case, the house should be equipped with a rotating wheel about 10 centimeters in size and various tunnels for play.

To reproduce offspring of chinchillas in industrial enterprises, you need to purchase a large cage for a family of rodents, consisting of one male and eight females. Such a cage should consist of 5-6 smaller cells, which will be located along a twenty-centimeter corridor. Thus, the male will be able to gain access to any female, which will be isolated from each other. The cage will include a special collar that will prevent the female from leaving her cage.

All cages should be cleaned, dry, sunny, warm and away from drafts.

Drinking bowl

When purchasing a water bottle, it is important to know that the animal loves to drink water, but does not like to be wet, so ball-type drinkers are well suited for chinchillas. At the same time, drinking bowls should not be made of plastic, as the animal will easily chew through the plastic and the drinking bowl will begin to leak. For chinchillas, it is better to choose glass drinkers.

Vacuum types of drinkers equipped with good fastenings are especially popular. Such drinkers can be filled daily without removing them from the cage. Also, the water in such models remains fresh for a long time..

Feeder

Mainly, the feeder should be comfortable and stable, since chinchillas are quite active animals and will easily roll up any container. Particular attention is paid to ceramic and metal models of feeders with durable fastening. You should not buy plastic feeders; chinchillas can chew them along with the food.

Place to sleep

The cage must keep a comfortable home, preferably made of wood, and fastened with nails or special strong glue. During the daytime, the animal sleeps and rests here, and hides at night if necessary. Most houses are based on plywood. The houses last for about five months, since chinchillas can actively gnaw through them. It should be taken into account that the cage must have as many houses as there are individuals living in it.

• Hammock.

Chinchillas love to sleep in a hammock specially created for them. It is created using fleece material, and is also sewn independently from old and unnecessary denim fabric. Typically, these are structures that have several layers of fabric and have well-finished seams. It is known that hammocks last a lot longer for your pet. than a wooden house.

Rodents love to be in hammocks and choose it as a sleeping object more often than a house.

Materials

It is common to grow chinchillas in well-lit, ventilated, but draft-free rooms. Rodents feel good at normal room temperature and moderate indoor humidity. Sawdust serves well as bedding for animals, and the animal can also be on a metal floor. Animals do not tolerate subzero temperatures well, which is why keeping a chinchilla in a room with temperatures below zero is very dangerous for their health.

Animals are not particularly demanding and do not require special additives and feed in their diet. Experts also recommend hanging salt rollers in a chinchilla’s cage to regulate the balance of salts and minerals in the animal’s body. Such videos will also help the animal sharpen its teeth if necessary. Cuttlefish shell can be a good source of calcium for a rodent. It is also common to equip cages with a large number of toys so that the animal does not get bored.

Bathing suit

Also, some bathing suits may look like an unusual house, which will be attached to the metal bars of the cage or to its front door. Such bathing suits cost quite a lot, so some owners create them themselves, using empty large tin cans. The main thing is that the washing house is well reinforced; for this purpose it is equipped with special legs, fastenings and supports.

Chinchilla cages

Cute animals belonging to the class of mammals, the order of rodents, are chinchillas. Under natural conditions, they inhabit the foothills and mountains of Peru, Chile, Mexico, and some areas of South America. They live in flocks of up to thirty-five individuals. Matriarchy is clearly expressed. As a rule, the flock is controlled by one female, who has several successors. The lowest position in the “collective” is occupied by males. In case of a lack of food or in difficult climatic conditions, females can expel them from the flock or kill them.

In nature, chinchillas have thick and long hair. It was because of this fur that over time the hunt for these rodents turned into their barbaric destruction. Today, in many countries in South America, catching these animals is considered poaching.

External signs

The chinchilla resembles a squirrel in body shape. It has a curved spine, the forelimbs are short, and the hind limbs are well developed, and this causes the animal to move by jumping. The animal's head is triangular in shape, set low, and there is almost no neck. The ears are well defined and not covered with hair. Usually the eyes are black, but there are individuals with red eyes.

The animal has twenty teeth (four incisors and sixteen chewing teeth), which continue to grow throughout the animal’s life and require constant grinding. With a lack of roughage, this process occurs very slowly. Regrowths (“hooks”) form on the teeth, which injure the chinchilla’s tongue and cheeks. In nature, such individuals quickly die, and domesticated animals have to undergo long-term treatment from a specialist.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, people began to have a Chinchilla in their house, which was unique at that time, the maintenance and care of which is not very difficult, and it became especially popular in the last century. If you want to purchase these rodents to keep in your apartment, then you need to know what they like and what they absolutely do not accept.

You will need a spacious cage, which must be installed away from drafts and heating devices. Both overheating and hypothermia are equally contraindicated for these small animals. A draft can cause respiratory diseases, and overheating can lead to the death of the animal.

These animals are especially active at night, so it is not recommended to place a cage in the bedroom, as the rodents will move around a lot, make various sounds and interfere with the owner’s quiet rest. The conditions for keeping chinchillas should be as close to natural as possible. It is necessary to create many moves and shelves so that they can easily move and jump as much as they want. In addition, it is necessary to organize a hay feeder, a drinking bowl and several feeders. Despite the fact that in natural conditions chinchillas like to hide in minks, it is not necessary to make special houses and shelters in cages. However, if they are present, your pets will definitely live in them.

What else do you need to keep a chinchilla? Be sure to add dry filler to the bottom of the cage and place a tray.

When kept together, males should be placed in the cage very carefully. There are many known cases of females maiming and even killing them. First, the rodents should be placed in individual cages and placed side by side. Observe the behavior of animals. If they behave calmly, then they can be placed in the same cage.

Chinchilla: care, maintenance, breeding, feeding

The diet of these rodents consists of dry food. 50% of it is hay and dry grass, and the former should always be present in the animal. It should not be scattered throughout the cage. It must be kept in a hay feeder. This is due to the fact that dust, which is present in any hay, can cause allergies in animals. You can use various herbs - most often it is dandelion, clover, plantain, nettle. The most important thing is that they are not poisonous.

The remaining 50% is special food and dried fruits. Any of them can be used, but they must be well dried. In addition, rodents will not refuse to eat the bark of any fruit trees.

This is a very interesting animal - a chinchilla. Keeping and caring for them requires careful cleaning of their long and thick coat. Water procedures are strictly prohibited for them, so they must regularly “take baths” in fine sand. The filler in the cage and tray should be changed as it gets dirty. The food in the feeder and drinking water must be changed daily.

Walks

The chinchilla, the maintenance and care of which is quite simple, requires regular walks around the apartment. These are very active animals, and their constant presence in a cage is extremely undesirable. But you can’t let them out of their cage unattended, because they like to chew on wires and furniture, which can lead to injury. It is best to carry out such walks in special walking balls. In them, the animals easily navigate in space and develop good speed. It is important to choose the most transparent coating for the ball.

When to see a doctor

If your pet is a chinchilla, keeping her at home will require you to pay close attention to her health. Excessive salivation, inactivity, refusal to feed, a characteristic groan, pressing the ears to the head are serious reasons for contacting a veterinarian.

Chinchilla: temperature

Keeping these rodents at home will require owners to maintain temperature conditions. This is achieved by turning the air conditioner on and off, adjusting the ventilation and heating. Chinchillas feel most comfortable at air temperatures from ten to twenty-five degrees. should not be higher than 60%. It must be remembered that the microclimate is influenced by the density of chinchillas in the cage. Due to their crowding, air humidity and temperature increase, and the oxygen content decreases significantly. The main sign of animal discomfort is refusal of food.

Light mode

The physical development of rodents, their vitality, reproduction, and growth are strongly influenced by both sunlight and artificial light. Since their activity begins at dusk, they do not need a very powerful lamp, just a small one that creates “twilight” lighting. You should know that animals cannot be left completely without sunbathing. Chinchillas really need sunlight, so on a cool summer evening, cages with animals should be exposed to the sun.

How to feed rodents

Water is very important for a chinchilla. Their body contains 60% moisture. Having lost 5% of water, the chinchilla experiences unbearable thirst. If an animal loses 10% of its moisture, its metabolism is completely disrupted. Changes in internal organs and tissues that lead to the death of animals occur with a 15-20% loss of moisture. Therefore, regular watering is a necessary condition for the normal functioning of a chinchilla. The optimal temperature of drinking water is 8-15 degrees.

How to choose a healthy animal

In recent years, the list of traditional pets has been supplemented by the South American guest chinchilla. Maintaining and caring for it is not difficult. These are very cute small animals. The length of an adult is no more than 35 centimeters, the length of the tail is approximately 15 centimeters, and the weight is 400-700 grams. At home, the animal lives for about 20 years. The fur of a healthy animal should be tight-fitting and smooth. The pet must be muscular and fairly well-fed. You should not buy emaciated and lethargic animals, as well as those that are too well-fed and inactive. A sign of infection may include discharge from the eyes and nose. It is also better to refuse such an animal.

As you know, in nature this is a pack (family) animal - the chinchilla. Caring for and maintaining (reviews from owners indicate this) the animals will be much easier if you acquire two individuals of different sexes. Alone, an animal can get bored.

Today you got acquainted with the basic rules of caring for a cute chinchilla animal. Now all you have to do is make friends with your pet. Chinchillas don’t really like being forcibly taken out of their cage or being caught around the apartment. But when your pet gets used to you, he will begin to climb into your arms and allow you to pet him and play with him. This is a very cute and funny animal that can become your good friend.