A chinchilla is one the most upwardly mobile pets you can ever hope to own, and whilst their gymnastics can be very entertaining, they are particularly demanding pets. Therefore, a chinchilla cage will be markedly different to other kinds of cage or animal housing, and should be optimized to accommodate maximum activity.

On a simple level, a chinchilla cage to needs to be as big as possible, and even a whole room dedicated to your pet would not be a bad idea as in order to satisfy their instinct for activity adequately they need plenty of room to do it. Therefore you should never cram a poor chinchilla into an unsuitable cage, such as a hamster cage, and instead a chinchilla cage needs to be perfectly engineered for purpose.

Next, you should consider the cage materials, and as chinchillas love to rear up against the front of their chinchilla cage you could opt for a metal “meshed” type material. Be warned, however, that metal mesh if the not the right size can trap your little chinchilla’s feet.

Finally, whilst your chinchilla will spend a lot of time in their chinchilla cage, you should also give them plenty of time to run around freely. With this in mind, you could even construct a mini obstacle course or your pet.

While the chinchilla cage itself will obviously have a huge impact on the level of comfort your pet has, the accessories can really make all the difference. A house for them to make their bed in can be ideal, as it gives them the chance to sleep in peace. You wouldn’t like to sleep on display so why would your pet? Give them something to snuggle up in and they’ll be much more at ease.

It’s also essential to keep them occupied if you want them to be happy, and the right accessories can be used to great effect. You could include, for example, gnawing sticks, balls, ropes to climb on and various other chinchilla toys, all of which will be able to keep them amused when they can’t be out of the cage with you.

Accessories really can make any chinchilla cage the perfect home, and if you want the best you’re going to need a good selection to choose from. That’s where we come in here at ideas-4-pets. We have a great range of accessories to make any chinchilla cage the ultimate home, so make sure to have a browse to see what we’ve got to offer.

•    Enough space. Chinchillas may be small, but they need plenty of space to move around in if they’re going to be happy in their home. They need enough room to have different areas, such as a sleeping area and an eating area, so always make sure to choose a chinchilla cage that’s big enough.

•    A place to sleep. It’s a good idea to give your pet somewhere that they can use as their sleeping area, like a small wooden house with plenty of bedding so they can make it to their liking.

•    Climbing ropes. Chinchillas are active creatures and they like to be kept amused, and giving them ropes to climb in their cage allows them to be active whilst keeping them entertained at the same time.

•    Toys/treats. Much like us, chinchillas like to be treated. That means that any chinchilla cage should always have plenty of toys for them to play with, and make sure to give them regular treats to show them just how much they mean to you.

These are just a few things that all chinchilla cages need to have, and if you bear them in mind you’ll be able to give your pet a comfortable and enjoyable home.

ideas-4-pets stock a wide range of pet products. From dog kennels to parrot cages, we specialise in you pet’s care.

The height of the cage isn’t necessarily as important measurement wise, as long as there is a top on the cage to prevent your chinchilla from escaping. Having a taller, narrow cage is probably not the best idea as you may find your chinchilla bouncing around in its cage needing to run off some steam. You should also think about the long-run of having chinchillas as to whether or not you intend to breed; if you do you should take this into consideration when purchasing your chinchilla cage. This is because you will obviously need to be able to accommodate for the extra chinchillas but also to ensure the baby chinchillas safety with the height of the cage as they are good climbers but could be at risk of falling out of the cage!

Overall, when choosing a chinchilla cage its important to be confident that they are going to have enough space to run around in, with enough private area for them to sleep in and not feel threatened by the surrounding environment.

At Ideas-4-Pets our area of expertise is animal care. We provide a vast range of dog kennels, parrot cages and rabbit hutches as well as chinchilla cages for different requirements.

First, place your hand gently into his chinchilla cage and see if he allows you to tickle his chin or the back of his ears. This may require some patience on your part as your pet may wait until he has decided if you are a theat or not.

Chinchillas can smell a person and once your pet is happy with your body odour, he may come forward. However, when he decides to come forward to the front of his chinchilla cage for his ears tickling, you could be there for a while!

Once you have an established routine with your chinchilla, including his feeding and healthcare, you could decide to allow him to come completely out of his cage.

It may take a little time for him to realise that his chinchilla cage door is open or you may have to gently lift him out. Lifting him out of his cage may make him nervous again and if that happens, pop him gently back in his cage. Try again another day, until he catches on that you mean him no harm.

Once he is happy, your chinchilla is liable to jump on you, look you straight in the eye and then set off exploring. However, if you make the mistake of grabbing him he will become frightened and lose some of his fur.

Ideas-4-Pets supply everything in the way of pet care products for a variety of animals, including dog beds and rabbit hutches.

In their chinchilla cage they sometimes hide in their sleeping box, peeping out at you. When you are not looking, they will move around some of their toys, just as we would move round our living room or bedroom furniture.

Chinchillas love to have a dust bath and enjoy bathing in sand (not water), as it cleans the dirt off their fur. Bath time for a chinchilla may be once a day, but do not leave any remaining sand in a chinchilla cage.

While chinchillas are cute and adorable, they can be timid until they get used to being held. Hold them gently and tickle them under the chin. Once they feel safe being handled they will come back for more.

Chinchillas hate too much noise, so talking to them in a quiet voice or playing quiet music helps them to feel safe and secure.

At Ideas-4-Pets we have a range of chinchilla cages that give easy access to allow chinchilla owners plenty of room to have contact with their pet. We also have a range of pet care products for other household pets, such as dog cages, parrot cages and rabbit hutches.

A home for a chinchilla should be the largest one you can afford. They can live up the ripe old age of 20, so think about purchasing a high quality chinchilla cage that will last for many years.

Chinchillas have an advantage over some pets as they do not smell, and you can clean out their cage on a weekly basis. However, shelves and boxes in a chinchilla’s cage should be cleaned once a day.

Chinchillas require a high fibre diet as their digestive system can be upset if they are not fed the correct pet food. Cleanliness and good hygiene is important as any stale food and stale water can cause bacteria to form. Bacteria can make a chinchilla ill.

In a chinchilla cage there should be a wooden box for sleeping in through the day before he emerges in the evenings, or in the middle of the night.

A natural activity for a chinchilla is to gnaw at his chinchilla cage to keep his teeth a certain length and in good order. When you allow your pet out in to your living room, keep an eye on him as he may head for any cable or wire in sight.

At Ideas-4-Pets we have a range of chinchilla cages made with high quality materials, and safety doors to help keep a chinchilla safe. There are also a variety of pet products for other pets available, including dog kennels and parrot cages.

Chinchillas love to be handled, however at first, they may be a little wary of you. When handled they enjoy being lightly scratched under their chin or at the back of their ears.

They are a rodent that is easily pleased, and take great pleasure in being clean and having soft, beautiful fur. The thickness of their fur is quite dense which helps in avoiding any infestations of fleas.

Chinchillas as a pet are remarkably easy to look after once you have done your homework and established a feeding and healthcare routine.

Keeping a pet chinchilla’s cage full of fresh hay is important as large quantities of stale hay are not good for them. It is essential that you remove any bits of leftover food and always change their water every day.

When chinchillas come out to play they love running around their cage through a maze of tubes, and burrowing themselves in their hay or gnawing at their cage.

Chinchillas have a sensitive palate and special food pellets, with occasional bits of fruit or seeds as a treat. Chinchillas that are fed too many fatty treats will have a build up of too much fat, making them unhealthy.

We at Ideas-4-Pets have a range of high quality chinchilla cages, bedding and food treats to ensure your pet chinchilla has everything he needs. We also supply pet care products for other household pets, such as dog beds and rabbit hutches.

Chinchillas are approximately the same size as a small rabbit, although some appear to be larger due to having more fur than others.

Chinchillas require a chinchilla cage that is large enough for them to scurry around in, hide away to sleep and play with their toys. Ideally a chinchilla cage should be kept indoors, away from a draughty or noisy environment.

A pet chinchilla should be allowed out of his chinchilla cage for an hour or so on a daily basis for exercise.

If you choose a chinchilla, he will quite happily gnaw away at his chinchilla cage, and if left on his own would make himself a meal out of a telephone cable. Any house materials made of plastic or painted wood are dangerous and toxic to a chinchilla.

A chinchilla will require special pet food in the form of pellets, plenty of hay and fresh water. They have a digestive system that can become overloaded if their pet food is swapped around too much.

Like all animals, chinchillas have a sweet tooth and will eat sweet treats. Treats that are good for them in small quantities are bits of apple, a couple of raisins or half a peanut. Treats should be given once a week, or every couple of weeks.

At Ideas-4-Pets we have a range of pet products for new and established pet owners which include outdoor dog kennels, dog beds and dog cages, parrot cages, rabbit hutches and cages for chinchillas.

The exercise of chewing helps to wear down his teeth in a correct manner, so if you see your pet munching away in the corner of his chinchilla cage you know he is happy.

At ideas-4-pets not only do we provide quality chinchilla cages, but we also have in stock chinchilla supplies and pellets which are the staple diet for your pet.

If at any time you wish to change a chinchilla’s diet it has to be introduced over a 10 day period by gradually phasing out the old food.

If you want to give your pet an occasional treat try placing a few bits of fruit and breakfast cereal in the corner of his chinchilla cage.

We advise feeding bowls should be secured to the side of a chinchilla cage to avoid being tipped over. Uneaten food should be removed from the chinchilla cage and bottles and bowls cleaned and refreshed daily.

Chinchillas love to play and be entertained. Providing them with a few toys will stimulate their feeding behaviour. Hiding a few treats in their chinchilla cage and a few natural branches to form a little tree will keep them amused.

Taking time to let your pet out of his cage is good, but you need to make sure you have made it safe as he will happily gnaw his way through your television cable. At ideas-4-pets we also stock othe accessories such as parrot cages and dog beds.