When thinking of purchasing a chinchilla, you need to be sure of how to set a chinchilla cage up. The best thing to do is to duplicate the environment chinchillas are use to, this will help make your chinchilla happy and comfortable. In the wild chinchillas live in higher altitudes, and the climate is usually dry and cool. Chinchillas do better if they are kept in a 55 to 70 degree temperature.

Chinchillas are quite susceptible to heat strokes, this can occur when temperature are higher than the lower eighties. You need to make sure to keep them in low humidity. You will want to be sure they are not in a damp room and that the room has good ventilation. Keep the chinchilla cage in a good bit of light but never put it in direct sunlight.

It is nice to have your chinchilla where you can see it and be near it, but if you have a very active household you may want to put the cage somewhere a little quieter. If the chinchilla becomes stressed because of all the activity they will be very unhappy. If you do not have another room to move the cage to, you could simply cover the cage with a thin sheet.

When purchasing a cage remember that bigger is better. Chinchillas need lots of room to climb and run, they are quite active. Condo cages are best for a chinchilla because there is plenty of space for climbing and running and just having a great time.

You want to get a cage that is made of wire mesh. Do not use an aquarium or plastic container because they have poor ventilation. Over time a chinchilla will chew through a wooden cage, so they are not recommended. A wooden house however would be great for your chinchilla to sleep in. Chinchillas like to sleep in a hide box so they feel safe. PVC pipe is great for chinchillas to crawl through and sleep in.

To avoid odor you need to keep the cage clean. Chinchillas are actually quite odorless when they have a clean cage. How often you need to clean the cage depends on how large it is and how many pets you have in it. If cleaned often enough the cage should not smell.

These animals are quite active and need several toys to stay busy. Wheels are preferable because they enjoy running on them and they keep them occupied. Chew toys are a must in order to keep the teeth of your chinchilla short and straight. These are great pets when you put in the time with them.

To learn more about chinchillas, check out Dirk’s site about what to look for when building a chinchilla cage if you have chinchilla cage plans.