A Friendly Cage For Your Chinchilla

By Jessie Collins

Chinchillas are active creatures that love climbing and jumping a lot. This attribute gives us an idea that a higher cage is better than a wider cage. Since we want our pets to be secured while we are away then we have to choose a safe cage for them. Remember that chinchillas need a larger cage compared to guinea pigs or hamsters.

It is preferable to use a wire cage for chinchillas. Wire cages are secured from their chewing habit which do not allow them to totally damage the cage and have their way out. Do not buy a cage with paint since this can harm them as they try to chew the wires. Get a cage that is friendly considering the activities of your chinchilla.

After you have already chosen a cage for your chinchilla, then you should be ready to think where you should place the cage. First is that you need to check if the temperature is within the normal range of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Similar with other creatures, they need to live in a well ventilated area. Therefore your cage should not be placed in a corner of a closed room. You cannot relieve them from the warm temperature by using a fan. You can help them by placing a pan of ice in their cage where they can lie to be relaxed and be refreshed just make sure that the ice are still intact or they may end up swimming into the water.

The best cage that you can have is a cage that has a pull out tray. A pull out tray is advantageous for cleaning purposes. If you have a solid floor then you can just use newspaper at the bottom of the cage for your pets' dirt. You should have a good maintenance when it comes to a clean cage. A pull out tray should be cleaned once a week and solid floor cages need to be maintained more frequent. You should regularly disinfect the cage to avoid unnecessary and odd moisture and odors.

Given that chinchilla is very active in running and jumping, they still need exercise. The form of exercise that you can give them is by freeing them on their cage. Always clear out chinchillas' playground from harmful things such as poisonous plants, chemicals, exposed wires and anything that you do not want them to chew. Let your chinchilla enjoy his playtime because in the end after all the jumps and the climbs, you will definitely be happier than your adorable chinchilla.

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Know More About a Chinchilla Dust Bath

By Lindsey Perkins

Many of the pet owners know that keeping a pet takes a lot of efforts and hard work because animals cannot speak out what they want. Hence, it is the duty of the owner to understand and to provide all the requirements of the pet in order to keep them happy and live longer.

Chinchillas are exotic rodents that many of the people like to keep as pets, but it is really important for these owners to understand the body structure of their pets and to give them what they really need. Chinchilla dust baths are very important to the health and happiness of the chinchilla, something that chinchilla owners should remember.

Though it might sound very weird to us, but a chinchilla dust bath is very essential for a better life of a chinchilla. You might feel that chinchillas are very dirty rodents but you are mistaken. In fact, it's the other way around that chinchillas prefer cleanliness and therefore they prefer dust baths to keep their bodies clean. A chinchilla bath does not require much of hard work because you do not really have to be after them to take a bath. These rodents love dust baths and all you need to do is spread a specially formulated dust available in the market in their cage.

You might be wondering why they prefer dust over water, but the answer to that lies in the body structure. Chinchillas have a different hair structure and therefore if you bathe them with normal water chances are that they might suffer from pneumonia and other problems because their body retains the water moisture while you are bathing your chinchilla. Dust bath helps them to stick dirt to their fur and remove all the excessive oil and grease that is stuck to their furry body. In the wild you will see that these chinchillas love to take baths on the volcanic ash found in Andes.

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What You Should Know About Chinchilla Cages

By Lindsey Perkins

Cages are really important for our pets because it is their home and as pet owners it is our responsibility to ensure that all the facilities and basic needs of the pet are provided in the cage. Many of the cages are designed especially for the pet because they have their own demands and needs.

Chinchilla cages are also custom made as per the requirements of the pet. Cage makers and pet owners both need to know more about the behavior and the body structure of the pets so that they can build a cage accordingly.

While you are looking for different chinchilla cages you need to know that they natives of South America and found in Andes. Now that is really a big place and therefore their cage should be big as well. These rodents are expert jumpers and they never stay in one place. Hence, when you build a cage for chinchillas make sure that you provide your pet enough space to move around freely inside the cage. Many chinchilla owners are not aware of this and they confine their pets in limited areas which is something that should be avoided.

Chinchillas are nocturnal rodents and therefore you need to understand that they are active when we are asleep. Similarly, we work when they are asleep during the day time. If you have a chinchilla as your pet make sure that the cage is kept in a quiet place because these rodents don't like noises and too much of heat. Remember that they get overheated very easily and therefore if you keep them near the sunlight than they might not be able to live a healthy life. You can give them their food in nice heavy bowl so that they don't tip the bowl and make a mess on the cage floor.

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Chinchilla Care Information That Everyone Should Know

By Lindsey Perkins

Do you have a chinchilla as your pet and would like to know more about how to take good care of him? Handling a pet can be a very painful job at times because we really do not know more about their needs and since they cannot speak like us it is all up to us to decide how we want to take care of our pets.

Chinchillas are found in Southern America and they are exotic pets which are often hunted down for their excellent fur quality. If you are looking for chinchilla care information than you will find many other forums and websites where you can get detailed chinchilla care information.

Unlike other rodents, chinchillas prefer to remain clean and therefore they like dust baths. In the wild they often have their dust baths on the volcanic rocks but since that is not available you can go to the market and get a specially formulated dust which your chinchilla will like. Try not to bathe them with water because their body structure will suck in all the moisture from the water and that will give them a fever.

Many of us have a habit of overfeeding our pets. Please remember that overfeeding your chinchilla will only harm him. Hence, it is a better idea to give them limited amount of food and keep them active in their cage.

If you are building a cage for them try not to use wire mesh bottom cage as their feet are really tiny and would get trapped in the mesh often that would lead to foot sores and can irritate your pet all the time. Try to make a cage little bigger because they do not like to be in one place as they are agile by nature and expert jumpers. If you confine them in smaller cages they will not be happy with it.

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Suitable Houses For Guinea Pigs

Cedric James

Building an appropriate house is a step to creating a home for your guinea pigs. Always remember, your pets should not only be caged and displayed, they should be cared for and made comfortable.

Living in a house that emulates the natural niche of a cavy not only looks splendid but is essential if you want to keep your pet healthy and bursting with energy. Choosing the best house for your cavy should therefore be done with care, preempting any danger and considering the animal's behavior as it grows.

Contrary to what most people believe, there are no wild guinea pigs out there. Guinea pigs are rather denatured considering the time they are being kept by humans. Nevertheless, they still show signs of wanting to forage and hunt.

A large enough area will be suitable for your cavy. The cage's base should be somewhere between four and six square feet for a single guinea pig. You can increase this by two square feet for each of the next three animals. They are social and they like company. If you are planning to adopt a guinea pig, consider buying three.

For the height of the cage, pick a cage tall enough to discourage the cavy from climbing. You should also be able to reach the bottom of the cage easily for cleaning. A height of two feet is favored by most.

Cages usually come with plain wire mesh floor. This will injure your guinea pig's feet and may cause bumblefoot. To avoid this, you should line the floor, preferably with hay. You can also use hypoallergenic wood shavings or even unprinted paper shreds.

Next, you should then put ornaments and toys inside the cage. Placing a pot inside will give your pet something to climb and hide in. Putting a plastic tube will give your pet a hiding place when threatened. Put logs, sticks and small blocks of wood to satisfy your pet's need to chew. Add some exercise paraphernalia to the cage, like the wheel. Try some rocks to give the cage some terrain for your pet to tackle.

Then place utensils for eating and drinking. For the food, pick a heavy dish, preferably made of ceramic or clay. Your pets can be quite playful even when eating. Sometimes, they may tip the feeding dish and spill the contents wasting the food and spoiling the cage. Also, pick a feeding dish that you can easily transfer from one spot in the cage to another. Guinea pigs like to forage. Give him this challenge to keep him from getting bored.

For drinking, get a drinking dish that is also heavy and not too high. It should be easily accessed by your cavy. You should also be able to remove it easily as you will need to wash the dish and replace the water every day.

Better yet, buy a guinea pig feeder and waterer that fits your cage. This will ensure freshness of the water and the food.

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