Chinchilla Safety Checklist
Chinproofing
Before letting your chinchilla out of it's cage for playing be sure to do all of the following:

• Unplug all electrical wires and remove or cover them
  
• Pick up everything off the floor and put away anything you do not want chewed
• Remove all sources of water (pick up cups, empty sinks, close toilet lid)
• Make sure there isn't anything sharp (cover register vents)
• Block off under furniture and beds or it may be hard to catch your chin when playtime is over
• Make sure floor is clean (vacuum or sweep)

Safety Checklist
[  ] cage floor if wire no larger than 1/2" x 1/2"
[  ] cage side wire spacing no wider than 1"
[  ] overlap shelves or use full levels in tall cages to avoid dangerous falls
[  ] place hanging toys with rings or washers at bottom high enough so the end is at least 1" above cage floor/shelf
[  ] make sure cage doors lock securely
[  ] If using a hammock, install so that it is fairly taunt (do not let sag)
[  ] If using wire shelves, make sure to provice a solid surface somewhere in the cage for your chinchilla to rest its feet over wire
[  ] Have an air conditioner and make sure temperature NEVER rises above 80 degrees.  Ideally you should keep your chinchilla between 60-70F, over 75 is uncomfortable and dangerous, 80 is fatal.  Fans, tiles, and ice packs or frozen water bottles are not a substitute for air conditioning.

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