When selecting living quarters for your chinchilla, keep in mind the dry, cool climate from where your friend originated. Ideal environmental temperature for chinchillas is between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures can drop to as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit for short periods of time without ill effects as long as the humidity is kept low and the room is draft-free. Environmental humidity should be kept at 40 percent or lower. A humidity gauge attached to your pet’s enclosure can help ensure that this requirement is being met. Select a relatively remote, peaceful location within the home in which to place the cage. Since chinchillas are nocturnal creatures, distance the cage far enough from your family’s sleeping quarters so as not to be disturbed by your chinchilla’s nighttime activities.
Chinchillas need lots of room to move and roam in, so select a spacious enclosure. To prevent destruction due to chewing, your pet’s cage should be constructed of metal instead of wood. Chinchillas love to climb. Providing multilevel cages or shelving within a single cage would make your chinchilla extremely happy. The smooth flooring of the cage can be lined with aspen shavings or commercial rodent bedding. Cedar chips should not be used, as these can irritate the respiratory tract of rodents. Change this bedding at least twice per week to maintain proper sanitation. If you nplan on owning more than one chinchilla, they need to be housed separately, as chinchillas housed together within a confined space (especially two males) can become quite bellicose to one another.
Provide your chinchilla with plenty of places in which to hide and burrow. Wooden hide boxes, ceramic enclosures, or a 4- to 6-inch portion of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe works great. Even better, an actual arrangement of smooth-edged rocks can be configured within the cage to create crevices and hiding places that simulate your chinchilla’s natural habitat. Obviously, make sure that the rocks are firmly seated and secured to prevent accidental injury to your pet from falling rocks.
Another important accessory you’ll want to provide your unique friend on occasion is a dust bath. In the wild, chinchillas clean their coats by rolling or dusting in volcanic ash found along the mountain slopes. The purpose of such behavior is to rid their special coat of excess oils. Captive chinchillas also need to roll in dust for the same reason. An 8x10-inch pan or dust bin with edges high enough to prevent dust from flying out yet low enough to allow the chinchilla to easily enter is ideal. Fill the pan with 2 to 3 inches of sanitized chinchilla dust purchased from a pet store. This finely granulated dust is the closest you will come to mimicking volcanic ash. Some experts use a home mixture consisting of 9 parts silver sand and 1 part fuller’s earth. Just know that regular sand or dirt won’t do the trick.
Offer your chinchilla its dust bath three times per week. Leave the bath in the cage for 1 to 2 hours, then remove it. Dust baths should never be left as permanent fixtures within cages not only for sanitary purposes but also because over bathing can lead to eye irritation. Dust can be reused if it is free from fecal or urine contamination when removed from the cage. Because chinchillas are creatures of habit, offer their dust baths on set schedules each week.
Both hay racks and water delivery systems should be mounted on the sides of the cage and kept off the floor. Be sure to verify the patency of such devices on a daily basis. The entire cage should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized weekly.
Chinchillas need lots of room to move and roam in, so select a spacious enclosure. To prevent destruction due to chewing, your pet’s cage should be constructed of metal instead of wood. Chinchillas love to climb. Providing multilevel cages or shelving within a single cage would make your chinchilla extremely happy. The smooth flooring of the cage can be lined with aspen shavings or commercial rodent bedding. Cedar chips should not be used, as these can irritate the respiratory tract of rodents. Change this bedding at least twice per week to maintain proper sanitation. If you nplan on owning more than one chinchilla, they need to be housed separately, as chinchillas housed together within a confined space (especially two males) can become quite bellicose to one another.
Provide your chinchilla with plenty of places in which to hide and burrow. Wooden hide boxes, ceramic enclosures, or a 4- to 6-inch portion of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe works great. Even better, an actual arrangement of smooth-edged rocks can be configured within the cage to create crevices and hiding places that simulate your chinchilla’s natural habitat. Obviously, make sure that the rocks are firmly seated and secured to prevent accidental injury to your pet from falling rocks.
Another important accessory you’ll want to provide your unique friend on occasion is a dust bath. In the wild, chinchillas clean their coats by rolling or dusting in volcanic ash found along the mountain slopes. The purpose of such behavior is to rid their special coat of excess oils. Captive chinchillas also need to roll in dust for the same reason. An 8x10-inch pan or dust bin with edges high enough to prevent dust from flying out yet low enough to allow the chinchilla to easily enter is ideal. Fill the pan with 2 to 3 inches of sanitized chinchilla dust purchased from a pet store. This finely granulated dust is the closest you will come to mimicking volcanic ash. Some experts use a home mixture consisting of 9 parts silver sand and 1 part fuller’s earth. Just know that regular sand or dirt won’t do the trick.
Offer your chinchilla its dust bath three times per week. Leave the bath in the cage for 1 to 2 hours, then remove it. Dust baths should never be left as permanent fixtures within cages not only for sanitary purposes but also because over bathing can lead to eye irritation. Dust can be reused if it is free from fecal or urine contamination when removed from the cage. Because chinchillas are creatures of habit, offer their dust baths on set schedules each week.
Both hay racks and water delivery systems should be mounted on the sides of the cage and kept off the floor. Be sure to verify the patency of such devices on a daily basis. The entire cage should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized weekly.
Comments :
Post a Comment