How to make a cage for a chinchilla with your own hands?

Finding a ready-made chinchilla cage is extremely difficult. This acquisition will have too much impact on the family budget. Therefore, the ideal option is to make a cage with your own hands. And with the help of step-by-step instructions, the necessary product can be made without even having experience in carpentry work.

It doesn't matter which cell option is chosen. In any case, she is obliged to meet all the requirements:

• be dry;
• comfortable;
• not too cold;
• with good lighting;
• with ventilation.

You need to understand that the chinchilla is an incredibly mobile animal, therefore, it needs as much free space as possible. Therefore, you should start from the minimum cage size per pet:

• length and width not less than 50 cm;
• height - 75 cm.

However, loneliness is not for these rodents. This means that if there are more than one of them, the larger the house must be. And we must not forget about the play area. After all, movement for them is life, and it is extremely difficult to sit in one place. Otherwise, the animals can get sick.

There are many different types of products.

Wood is taken as a basis, it is considered the cleanest environmentally friendly material, attractive in appearance, which is well suited for breeding chinchillas. However, there is one big drawback - rodents can easily gnaw through the cage.Therefore, it must be sheathed with a harder material. And this is an extra waste. And so that no sounds can be heard from the inside, the sides must be closed with glass.

As a rule, this type of cage is in great demand, because you can use a wide variety of materials that are easy to find at home at any time, you don't even have to go shopping. For example, an old, useless wooden bedside table or wardrobe will do. Only the very minimum of additional materials is required:

1. metal mesh or glass to close the free space;
2. plywood for cladding.

This construction, consisting of a ready-made house, is very affordable and convenient during transportation. You just need to disassemble it in parts and put it in your bag. Also, the cage can be easily cleaned and disinfected. However, there are several drawbacks here - the sounds and noises coming from the cage, when the animals intensively run and climb stairs, are not suppressed by anything. Everything else can be easily corrected.

To build a chinchilla cage at home, you should purchase the safest materials made only from natural wood: birch or pine. They are the ones that lend themselves well to processing, and they are not too expensive. For a strong frame, edged boards, bars or lining are suitable. Ordinary boards may be suitable for future shelves.

And in order to tighten all available holes, you will need a mesh of strong metal, but with small cells, no more than 3 cm, which should be placed on one side or on two opposite sides. This is necessary for good ventilation. Moreover, it can be made from ready-made sections, or welded from wire yourself, preferably from high-quality material. It is recommended to place the net above the bottom. This way you can easily reduce the amount of waste that falls on the floor. And do not forget to purchase a special anti-corrosion agent to extend the life of the cage.

But if there is no extra money, then you should pay attention to the old, already useless wardrobe, whatnot or bedside table. In this case, it is enough to simply drag all the existing doors with a regular mesh, and cut holes in the shelves for future ladders.

Of the tools you need only:

1. hacksaw;
2. hammer;
3. scissors for metal;
4. electric jigsaw;
5. marker;
6. drill and drills for wood;
7. knife;
8. ruler.

Accessories are also needed:

1. ready-made locks so that the doors can close well;
2. hinges for doors;
3. wheels for fastening.

When there is nothing in the house that is suitable for alteration under a showcase, then the most budgetary option would be to make a shelter from chipboard. The main thing is not to forget to purchase the necessary tools, building materials and accessories.

For work you will need:

1. chipboard plates as the main material;
2. galvanized metal mesh with small cells;
3. plexiglass for doors;
4. wood slabs for shelves;
5. adhesive tape for processing the edges of the cage, especially in the cut areas;
6. tie screws and drills;
7. nuts, screws, screws;
8. fittings for glass doors;
9. welding machine;
10. Bulgarian;
11. self-tapping screws.

Before you start designing, it is imperative to draw up a drawing that you can find ready-made or come up with something of your own. Then you should cut out all the necessary details. Moreover, this can be done both independently and by contacting the workshop. And only then start work. Do not forget to allocate free space for this.

During manufacturing, you should adhere to a certain scheme.

• Prepare a drawing according to previously taken measurements. It is advisable to scrupulously double-check everything several times before starting to cut out any important detail.

• From the bars, relying on the measurements indicated in the drawing, make a rectangular base, and then sheathe it with a sheet of strong plywood in one layer.

• If the removable pallet will not be installed, then the base must be carefully treated with silicone sealant, which will help save the tree from the appearance of various odors, as well as the absorption of liquid.

• Then you need to build up a frame of vertical bars, which should be fixed at the corners of the base using long nails or self-tapping screws.

• For greater stability, it is worth making a pair of crossbars along the height of the walls. In the future, it will be possible to fix the necessary shelves on them.

• The roof and walls should be tightened with a strong mesh using self-tapping screws with huge caps. And so that the animal cannot get hurt by biting sharp edges, install metal profiles.

• To make it easy and simple to clean up in the cage in the future, it is advisable to make a couple of doors from different sides, as well as a removable cover. The frames are made of lining, and the door fasteners should be placed on metal hinges.

• For future shelves, it is better to choose solid boards, on which you need to make small holes so that you can move freely along them, getting to any floor.

• It is advisable to close the back wall, as well as one side of the cage, with one large sheet of plywood to protect it from drafts.

Finally, it is recommended to treat the entire cage with a special impregnation. Outside, paint with varnish, and inside the wall, treat with a moisture-proof, odorless antibacterial solution that is safe for animals, which is sold in any hardware store.

Making a cage is not difficult if you follow the step-by-step instructions, which are very easy to use. You just need to take into account some of the nuances in the work.

1. The cage frame must be placed only in an upright position. The animal is too active and therefore a wide and low house does not fit, it will be inconvenient to live in it.
2. The materials that will be needed to make the cage must be safe. It is best to take wooden shelves. However, over time, they must be replaced, as the rodent loves to sharpen its teeth.
3. To ventilate the cage, you will need a galvanized mesh with small cells, which is located on one or both sides.
4. Glass used in the arrangement of doors or walls will help maintain order. In this case, it is imperative to take only high-quality fittings in order to avoid the loss of any elements that can easily injure the animal.
5. It is advisable to install locks on the doors - magnetic or with a key. The chinchilla is very curious and loves to crawl through the crack. And if he accidentally hits the door while jumping, he can easily open it and quickly escape.
6. Be sure to buy a special hanging hammock or sew it yourself. It is intended not only for entertainment but also for relaxation. You can swing on it with pleasure.
7. The main thing is that the animals live comfortably in the cage, and the owners find it convenient to clean.

Chinchillas bring incredible joy to all family members. In addition, they live a very long time, of course, if they eat right and spend a lot of time in motion. And this requires a lot of space. Consequently, store-bought cages are small and inconvenient in this case. As a result, preference is given to showcases made by ourselves.

For information on how to make a cage for a chinchilla with your own hands, see the next video.