Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
What do chinchillas need in their cages?
Places to jump, places to hide, food and water, something to chew and somewhere soft and solid to sit. This list comes from PDSA, the RSPCA, VCA and Burgess.
- A tall metal cage, at least 91 × 61 × 152 cm (3 × 2 × 5 ft) for a pair. See our chinchilla cage size guide.
- Untreated wooden shelves at several heights.
- A nest box for each chinchilla, one large shared box and a spare, about 25 × 25 × 25 cm (10 × 10 × 10 in), lined with soft hay or shredded paper (PDSA).
- A hay rack, topped up so hay is there 24 hours a day (RSPCA).
- A heavy ceramic or metal bowl for pellets.
- A glass water bottle or a heavy bowl.
- Safe chews: untreated apple, pear or willow branches, wooden blocks and pumice.
- Tubes or tunnels, 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) across, in cardboard or wood (VCA).
- A solid floor with dust-free bedding, or solid sections over any wire floor.
- A dust bath to put in for short sessions.
- Optional: a solid wheel at least 38 cm (15 in) across (VCA).
Our best chinchilla hides and best chinchilla toys pages have picks for the boxes and chews.
How to set up a chinchilla cage, step by step
- Choose the spot first. Pick the coolest, quietest room: 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F), away from windows, radiators, direct sun, TVs and speakers (RSPCA, PDSA).
- Strip out the plastic. Take out any plastic shelves, ramps and dishes the cage came with. Chinchillas chew plastic, and PDSA warns it splinters and is harmful if swallowed.
- Make the floor solid. Fit a solid tray or cover any wire floor with untreated wood, then add 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) of dust-free paper bedding, or a fleece liner over an absorbent layer.
- Fit the shelves in a zigzag. Screw untreated wooden shelves to alternate sides, each 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) above the last, so every jump lands on something. No open drop over 60 cm (2 ft).
- Place the nest boxes. Put one box low down and one higher up, plus the big shared box on a wide shelf. Line them with soft hay.
- Add food and water. Fix the hay rack near a shelf they sit on, put the pellet bowl on a solid shelf rather than the floor, and hang the water bottle where they can reach it from a shelf.
- Add chews and tunnels. Spread branches, blocks, pumice and a tunnel around the levels so every level has something to do.
- Check every gap. Run your hand around the cage looking for gaps where a foot or leg could slip, such as between shelves and bars or around doors. VCA warns about these in multi-level cages.
- Put a thermometer on the wall. A thermometer and hygrometer let you see the temperature and keep humidity under 40 to 50 percent (VCA).
The ideal chinchilla cage layout
Think of the cage in three zones, top to bottom. This is how we would lay out a tall double-unit cage for a pair, based on the needs in our sources.
| Zone | What goes there | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Top | A wide wooden shelf with one nest box, a lookout ledge | Chinchillas like to rest high up and watch the room. |
| Middle | Hay rack, pellet bowl, water bottle, chews, the shared nest box | The busiest area, easy for you to reach and refill. |
| Bottom | Bedding, tunnel, second nest box, wheel if you use one | A soft, solid landing area and space to run. |
| Running through | Staggered shelves 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 ft) apart | Safe jumping routes with no long drops. |
Leave a clear jumping line through the middle of the cage. A cage stuffed with things looks lovely but leaves no room to leap, which is what chinchillas most want to do.
What not to put in a chinchilla cage
Several common cage extras are a poor fit for chinchillas.
- Plastic anything. Shelves, houses, tubes and toys get chewed (PDSA, RSPCA).
- Ladders, hanging ropes and swings. Burgess warns against these, and against any toy a leg could get trapped in.
- Ordinary fabric they can shred. The RSPCA warns against fluffy, thread-like materials like cotton wool. Woodgreen says anti-pill fleece is the only safe fabric, for liners and hammocks alike, and anything chewed should come out.
- Cedar or untreated pine shavings. Their aromatic oils irritate the airways (VCA, MSD Veterinary Manual).
- Wheels with rungs or holes. Feet and tails get caught.
- Exercise balls. The MSD Veterinary Manual says never use them: too small and can cause injuries.
- A dust bath left in all day. It becomes a toilet, and long baths can irritate the eyes (PDSA).
DIY chinchilla cage ideas
A DIY cage or a converted cabinet can give you far more space than most shop cages, which is the main reason to build. It has to be chew-proof and easy to clean, though.
Materials that are safe
- Mesh: powder-coated or stainless steel, with gaps no bigger than 2.5 × 5 cm (1 × 2 in) on the sides and 1.5 × 1.5 cm (0.5 × 0.5 in) on any wire floor (MSD Veterinary Manual).
- Wood for shelves and branches: apple, ash, birch, elm, hazel, maple, pear and kiln-dried pine are safe, says the MSD Veterinary Manual.
- Fixings: metal screws and brackets on the outside where they can't be chewed.
Materials to avoid
- Galvanised mesh, which contains zinc (VCA), and plastic-coated mesh, which gets stripped (MSD Veterinary Manual).
- Pressure-treated wood, cedar, cherry, citrus woods, oleander, fresh pine, plum and redwood (MSD Veterinary Manual).
- Any paint, varnish, stain, glue or chipboard within chewing reach.
DIY build tips
- Plan for cleaning first. Make the front open fully or come off, so you can reach every shelf and corner.
- Build a deep, solid base. A tray or lip at least 10 cm (4 in) deep keeps bedding in when they kick it about.
- Line chewable edges. Fit metal strips or mesh over any wooden edge you don't want chewed through.
- Keep the 60 cm rule. Fit shelves so no fall is longer than 60 cm (2 ft).
- Air it well. Chinchillas overheat, so at least one full side should be mesh for airflow.
The 10 cm base depth and the airflow tip are our own reasoning from the bedding and temperature advice in our sources, not figures from them.
What do chinchillas need in their diet?
Mostly hay. The RSPCA says food should be available 24 hours a day and that they need plenty of hay to wear down their constantly growing teeth. PetMD suggests unlimited low-calcium grass hay such as timothy, 1 to 2 tablespoons of plain pellets a day, fresh water at all times and treats under 10 percent of the diet, with no nuts, seeds or dried fruit. PDSA warns against muesli-style mixes, because chinchillas pick out the sugary bits and get dental disease.
In the cage, that means the hay rack is the most important item. Keep it full, morning and evening. Our chinchilla diet guide and our food list, what chinchillas can eat, cover the rest.
Keeping the setup working
A good setup is easy to keep clean. Spot-clean daily, change bedding weekly and strip the cage monthly, says PDSA. Rotate chews and toys so there is always something new, which Burgess suggests too. Our chinchilla cage cleaning routine covers every job, our chinchilla bedding guide helps you choose what goes on the floor, and the complete chinchilla care guide pulls it all together.
Chinchilla cage setup questions
What do chinchillas need in their cages?
A tall metal cage with solid wooden shelves, a nest box for each chinchilla plus a shared one, a hay rack kept full, a heavy bowl for pellets, a water bottle, safe wood and pumice chews, a solid floor with dust-free bedding, and a dust bath offered for short sessions. A wheel of 38 cm (15 in) or more is optional.
What do chinchillas need in their diet?
Unlimited grass hay such as timothy or meadow hay, fresh water at all times, and a small daily measure of plain chinchilla pellets, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Treats should be under 10 percent of the diet, with no sugar, nuts, seeds or dried fruit. Our chinchilla diet guide gives the details.
Can I build a DIY chinchilla cage?
Yes, if every part is chinchilla-safe. Use powder-coated or stainless metal mesh with gaps of 2.5 cm (1 in) or less, untreated safe wood such as apple, birch, maple or pear for shelves, and no galvanised wire, pressure-treated wood, paint, varnish or glue they can reach. Make sure it is easy to clean.
Should a chinchilla cage have a wire floor?
Not as the only surface. Standing on wire for long periods causes sore feet, say the RSPCA and PDSA. A solid tray base with bedding or a liner, plus solid wooden shelves, is better. If your cage has a wire floor, cover at least most of it with untreated wood or another solid, easy-clean surface.
Should I leave the dust bath in the cage?
No. Put it in for about 10 to 15 minutes, then take it out. Left in, chinchillas use it as a toilet and bathe too much, which PDSA says can irritate their eyes and PetMD links to eye infections (conjunctivitis). Burgess suggests at most 24 hours at a time if you can't supervise.
Where should a chinchilla cage go in the house?
In a cool, quiet, dry room kept at 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F), away from windows, radiators, direct sun and draughts, and away from TVs and speakers. Bedrooms are often too noisy at night for people, because chinchillas are busiest then.
