House for chinchilla: types and manufacturing methods

It's no secret that before purchasing a pet, you should first take care of where it will live. No, of course, he will live with you, in your house. But everyone should have their own little corner, no matter whether it is a dog or a cat, or maybe even a chinchilla.

It is especially important to choose a house for small and active cubs. Chinchilla is just one of these animals.

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

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

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

A house for any creature - a place where you can rest, sleep and relax, there will not be another disturbance or disturbance.

Housing is also needed if you later decide to breed animals. For a female chinchilla, the house will be the very place where it will be comfortable for her to breed and care for them, without trying to find a secluded corner.

From the above, it is clear that the animal loves solitude, therefore the house itself - it does not matter whether it is equipped in a cage or in a showcase - should be placed in the darkest and most unlit corner.

Often the bottom of the cage becomes the best place for a home, so as not to worry about the pet once again. But if, in a design impulse, you decide to install a bed for the animal on a shelf, you should securely attach the walls of the structure to the rods and the shelf.

Wood is a common material for making animal houses. Budgetary and affordable material from which you can even build a house yourself.

The next most popular is plastic, even ceramics are less common. You can find wicker houses or made of twine on the Internet. But they are not very practical, since the rodent will simply gnaw at its house.

Wood 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 cage, then rectangular, round, oval, less often triangular houses are most often found in shape. You can, of course, find more intricate houses - castles or Indian wigwams. Everything here depends, if not on fantasy, then on the price moment.

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

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

Any material has certain advantages, but it 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 one-story or two-three-story. It all depends on the wishes of the owner. The house can be equipped with a fence or a small veranda, a ladder or even a jogging wheel can be attached to the side. This compactness saves space, which is important if the cell itself is small.

The positive aspects of wood as a material for a house.

• The most common plus is accessibility. There are a large number of such wooden houses on the shelves of pet stores. 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, unless you order a house from a designer.
• Convenient to clean: just clean the house with a brush, wipe it with a damp cloth and you're done.
• Eco-friendly and safe material.

The negative aspects of using such material.

• Chinchillas love to chew on 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 feasted on them. It turns out that the house will need to be replaced after some time.
• Odor absorption. If the pet does not have its own "agreed" toilet space, then, most likely, in the house where the smell of urine accumulates, the animal simply will not want to live anymore.
• Before buying any wood products, you should check if it is varnished., because the chinchilla will definitely taste the tree by the tooth, and if it is varnished, then the rodent can simply be poisoned. The same is the case with glue.
• The presence of an industrial odor. Perhaps, if the animal does not want to move into a new house, it is worth ventilating the product, as traces of the smell from the factory could remain in it.

Ceramics as a material is not as much 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;
• the houses are baked, they do not have chipping, so if the entrance is large, then the animal will comfortably run into the house and run out;
• very weighty products are obtained from ceramics, so the house will stand securely under its weight, and the animal will not be able to drag it;
• a clay structure will last longer, a rodent is unlikely to be able to sharpen its teeth on it;
• easy to clean, washable and does not absorb odor;
• due to its composition, the temperature inside the clay house is always cool, which will have a very favorable effect on the animal in hot hot weather.

The negative aspects of such a dwelling for a chinchilla:

• ceramic houses in simple and small pet stores are rare, so inaccessibility can be considered a disadvantage;
• there is an alternative - to make to order, but then the price will "jump";
• in some models, poor-quality paint processing is found, namely, chemical glaze that can release toxins, which is very harmful for the animal.

Often, many thought about how to build a house for their pet on their own. We watched various master classes on the Internet, tried to understand something in the drawings. We even bought plywood. But something always didn't work out. Below are simple examples of self-building a wooden chinchilla house.

Materials you will need:

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

The amount of plywood is based on calculations, dimensions and the number of floors in the house. If there are a lot of floors in the house, then you should first draw up a layout or drawing, where the most important points in the measurement will be entered.

On the drawing, it is better to mark where the entrance, window, staircase, wheel will be located. All this is necessary in order not to keep too much information in your head. Don't be distracted by the fact that you might miss or forget something.

The drawing can be multi-level, that is, for each floor there is a separate sheet, or, if you are a more experienced craftsman, you can sketch everything in the layout.

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

It turns out that these dimensions must be applied to the plywood, the roof and walls of the house must be cut out. Draw a door and windows on the resulting walls.

All holes are cut with a hacksaw.

All edges are sanded before bonding. Then, in order not to use bolts, glue or screws, holes are made in the plywood joints with a drill for dowels. It is with dowels that it is safest to fasten plywood together.

Before putting the house in the cage, wipe it with a damp cloth to wipe off all dust and small debris. And also ventilate.

Chinchilla is a very active animal, movement is life for him. And that only means one thing: the larger the running area, the better. It is not worth saving on the spot.

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

What exactly should be inside the cell or showcase.

• Shelves. There should be at least two of them, but it's better if you can do more. Some cages have shelves that come with the kit.
• Drinker and feeder. The sippy cup should not be fixed in the walls of the cage, as there is a risk that the chinchilla might taste it. And the 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 is better if some of them are still there. Since the animal is an active creature, 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 next video.