House for chinchilla: types and methods of manufacturing

It is not a secret for anyone that before acquiring a pet, it is worthwhile to start taking care of where he will live. No, of course, he will live with you in your home. But everyone should have their own little corner, no matter if it is a dog or a cat, and maybe even a chinchilla.

It is especially important to choose a house for small and active youngsters. Chinchilla is one of such animals.

Now in any pet store you can find a variety of houses, cages or windows for rodents, meeting all standards or dimensions: from small and small to medium, and even large.

Below we will consider which house will be better for chinchillas, how to choose the material and content.

Chinchillas are animals that love secluded places. There were cases when the young one did not have its own secluded corner, and he fell into depression, and then fell ill.

House for any creature - a place where you can relax, sleep and relax, there will not be once again disturbed and disturbed.

The dwelling is necessary also in the event that you subsequently decide to breed animals. For the chinchilla female, the house will be the place where it will be comfortable for her to breed and care for her, without trying to find a secluded corner.

From the above it is clear that the animal loves solitude, so the house itself - it does not matter if it is equipped in a cage or in a shop window - you need to put it in the darkest and most dimly lit corner.

Often the best place for home is the bottom of the cage, in order to once again not worry about the pet. But if you decide to set the night for the animal on the shelf in a design rush, you should securely attach the walls of the structure to the bars and the shelf.

A common material for making houses for animals is a tree. Budget and affordable material from which you can even build a house yourself.

Plastic is next in popularity, even ceramics are less common. Can be found on the Internet wicker houses or made of twine. But they are not very practical, as the rodent simply gnaws his house.

The tree is the best option, common, and easy to work with. You can give it a variety of shapes, relief and appearance.

If we consider a small-sized cell, then the forms most often are rectangular, round, oval, less often triangular houses. You can, of course, find more intricate houses - castles or Indian wigwams. Here everything rests, if not in fantasy, then in the price moment.

In order not to be mistaken with the shape of the house is worth remembering the following points.

• The size of the house is selected based on the size of the rodent, its growth, density. The passage must be free, not impede movement, and the inner area of ​​the house itself must also be free.
• No small or narrow holes. In such holes, the chinchilla's foot can get stuck, which can lead to injury, and if the chinchilla seems to have a “window” large enough, then it will definitely try to get out of it and get stuck.
• The more doors or windows, the better. Air circulation is very important for a pet.
• If the house will be at the bottom of the cage or shop window, then it is worth choosing a home without a bottom, as it will be easier and more convenient to clean.
• Sharp tips at the castles or domes will impress your guests, but for the young one this can be dangerous. If the house is located at the bottom of the cage, there is a great chance that the pet from the upper shelves may break and, falling on the tip of the dome, become injured.
• You should not save on the number of houses if you put several chinchillas in one cage. For them, it is vital to have your own home, and if the house is one, then there will be a fight for the place of residence between the pets.

Any material has its own advantages, but also has disadvantages. Before choosing, you should always consider the material from different angles.

The tree does not have any restrictions, the houses can be either single-storey or two-storeyed. It all depends on the desire of the owner. The house can be equipped with a fence or a small veranda, on the side you can attach a ladder or even a running wheel. Because of this compactness, space is saved, which is important if the cell itself is small.

The positive side of the tree as a material for the house.

• The most common plus is accessibility. In the pet stores on the shelves of such wooden houses a large number. So the choice for your pet will not be so difficult.
• Price. Due to the use of inexpensive material, the price of the house will be low. Of course, if you do not order a house from the designer.
• Convenient to clean: just brush the house with a brush, wipe it with a damp cloth and everything is ready.
• Eco-friendly and safe material.

Negative aspects of the use of such material.

• Chinchillas love to gnaw everything, and their own houses are no exception.. If the tree from which the dwelling was made was too thin or had small details, there is no doubt that the rodent would eat them. It turns out that the house will need to be replaced after some time.
• Absorb the smell. If the pet does not have its “stipulated” toilet seat, then, most likely, in the house where the smell of urine accumulates, the animal simply does not want to live anymore.
• Before buying any wood products, it should be clarified whether it is varnished., because the chinchilla will definitely try the wood for a tooth, and if it is varnished, then the rodent may simply poison itself. The same is the case with glue.
• The presence of industrial smell. Perhaps, if the animal does not want to settle in a new house, it is worth ventilating the product, as there could be traces of the smell from the factory.

Ceramics as a material is not as in demand as wood products.

But still this material is not deprived of positive qualities:

• clay objects are very beautiful and look like real ones, and such accessories will be an interesting addition to the cage;
• otpekaemye houses, they have no chipping, so if the entrance is large, the animal will comfortably run into the house and run out;
• ceramics make very weighty products, so the house will stand securely under its weight, and the animal will not be able to drag it;
• a clay building will last longer; a rodent is unlikely to be able to sharpen its teeth against it;
• easily cleaned, washes and does not absorb odor;
• due to its composition inside the house of clay is always a cool temperature, which is very favorable effect on the animal in hot hot weather.

Negative sides of such a dwelling for chinchilla:

• ceramic houses in simple and small pet stores are rare, so the disadvantage is inaccessibility;
• there is an alternative - to make to order, but then the price “jumps”;
• In some models, there is poor-quality paint treatment, namely, chemical glaze, capable of releasing toxins, which is very harmful for the animal.

Often, many thought about how to build a house for their pet. We watched various workshops on the Internet, tried to understand something in the drawings. Even bought plywood. But always something did not work. Below are simple examples of self-built houses for chinchillas made of wood.

Materials you will need:

• plywood about 1.5–2 cm thick;
• sandpaper or sander;
• hacksaw;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• drill;
• furniture dowels.

The amount of plywood is calculated from the calculations, dimensions and number of floors in the house. If there are a lot of floors in the house, then it is worthwhile to first prepare a layout or a drawing, where the most important points in the measurement will be entered.

In the drawing, it is better to note where the entrance, window, staircase, wheel will be. All this is necessary in order not to keep too much information in your head. Do not be distracted by the fact that you can miss something or forget.

You can create a multilevel drawing, that is, a sheet for each floor, or, if you are a more experienced master, you can sketch everything in the layout.

A simple house for chinchilla will not be difficult in execution. The average small house for one small chinchilla is approximately 280 * 185 * 160 mm.

Turns out that these dimensions must be applied to plywood, cut the roof and walls of the house. On the resulting walls draw a door, windows.

Using a hacksaw, all the holes are cut.

All edges are ground before sanding. Then, in order not to use bolts, glue or screws, holes are made for the dowels in the plywood joints by the drill. It is safest to fasten plywood between each other.

Before you put the house in a cage, it should be wiped with a damp cloth to erase all the dust and small mote. And also air out.

Chinchilla is a very active animal, movement for it is life. And this means only one thing: the larger the area for running, the better. Do not save on the spot.

The optimal size of the cell is about 70 * 50 * 100 cm (in the ratio of length / width / height).

What exactly should be inside the cell or shop window.

• Shelves. There should be at least two of them, but it’s better if you can do more. In some cells there are shelves that are included.
• Water bowl and feeder. Water tank should not be fixed in the walls of the cage, as there is a risk that chinchilla can taste it. A feeder should be made of ceramic or stainless steel.
• Attributes for the game: wheel, hammock, tunnel. These are optional elements in the cage, but it’s better if any of this happens anyway. Since the animal is an active creature, then it needs to put its activity somewhere. These auxiliary elements are just aimed at this.

For information on what types of houses exist and how to make them, see the following video.