Best chinchilla hides and houses

Why chinchillas need hides and houses

Because they are prey animals, and hiding is how they feel safe. The RSPCA says chinchillas need hiding places so they can be alone or escape when scared, and that in the wild they freeze, cower or dart for cover when they sense danger. They also sleep through the day and, the RSPCA says, need to sleep undisturbed for long periods. A dark, snug house is where that happens.

Hides matter in a pair or group too. The RSPCA notes that chinchillas can be bullied and need places to get away from each other. A cage with too few houses means one chinchilla always loses out. You can read more about what hiding, freezing and other signals mean in our guide to chinchilla behaviour.

What size house does a chinchilla need?

About 25 × 25 × 25 cm (10 × 10 × 10 in) for a nest box, PDSA says. That gives an adult room to turn round, curl up and sit tall. Many houses sold for "small pets" are made for hamsters and rats, so check the inside size, not the label.

The RSPCA asks for at least one nest box and one hiding place per chinchilla, plus one large box where all of them can rest together. PDSA says one each, one large shared box, and a spare. For a pair, that means four or more places to hide, which is another reason to choose a big cage: see our guide to the best chinchilla cages.

What should a chinchilla house be made of?

Untreated solid wood, for most houses. Chinchillas chew everything, and the RSPCA says to avoid plastic toys. A wooden house can be chewed safely and wears down their teeth, which never stop growing.

• Good woods: apple, pear and willow, which Woodgreen recommends for chewing. The Chewy care sheet also lists white pine as safe, and most wooden houses sold for small pets are kiln-dried pine or fir.
• Woods to avoid: cedar, cherry and redwood (Chewy), and anything painted, varnished, stained or pressure-treated.
• Hay houses: fine as extras. They are made to be eaten and give hiding and food in one.
• Willow and seagrass: good to chew, but they get eaten fast, so treat them as toys.
• Ceramic: Woodgreen suggests ceramic tunnels, which are heavy, cool and chew-proof. Check for chips or sharp edges.
• Cardboard and fabric: only if your chinchillas don't eat them. Woodgreen warns chewed card, paper or fleece can block the gut, and says only anti-pill fleece is safe.
• Plastic: skip it. It gets chewed, and swallowed pieces can cause blockages.

The best chinchilla houses and hides to look at

Chinchilla hutches and budget wooden cages

A hutch is not a good home for a chinchilla. The RSPCA says to keep chinchillas indoors, at 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F), in dry, draught-free housing. Outdoor hutches get too hot in summer, too damp in winter and swing in temperature through the day, and chinchillas cope badly with heat. Our chinchilla temperature guide explains why.

Indoor wooden hutches and budget wooden "chinchilla cages", including those sold under brands such as PawHut, have two other problems. Most are low and wide, built for rabbits or guinea pigs, when chinchillas need height. And bare wood soaks up urine and gets chewed through. VCA prefers wire mesh over wood for chinchilla homes for this reason. If you like the wooden look, put wooden houses inside a tall metal cage instead.

How to set up hides in the cage

1. Count them. One house per chinchilla, one big shared house and a spare, as PDSA advises. Add a tunnel or two on top.
2. Spread them out. Put houses on different levels and at opposite ends, so a chinchilla that wants space can get away from the others.
3. Use solid ground. Stand houses on the cage floor or a wide, solid shelf. Make sure no house sits where a chinchilla would land from a jump.
4. Line with hay. The RSPCA suggests hay-filled nest boxes. PDSA asks for clean, dry, dust-free bedding. Hay also gives them something to nibble when they wake.
5. Keep it dark and quiet. Turn openings away from the busiest part of the room and away from sunny windows and heaters.
6. Check daily, clean weekly. Remove wet bedding and droppings each day. Wipe wooden houses weekly and let them dry fully before they go back.

Our guide to chinchilla cage setup shows how houses fit around shelves, the wheel and the hay rack, and how to clean a chinchilla cage covers the cleaning routine.

When to replace a chinchilla house

Replace a house when it is chewed so thin it could collapse, has sharp splinters, has stayed damp or smells of urine even after cleaning, or shows fungus or damp growth. Chewing is a good sign: it means your chinchillas are using it and wearing down their teeth. For chews and toys that take the pressure off the houses, see our best chinchilla toys page, and for everything else a chinchilla needs, our complete chinchilla care guide.