DIY chinchilla hammock

Any animal needs care, care and a comfortable existence. Chinchillas require special care. In appearance it may seem that they are sedentary and lazy animals, but in fact this is a wrong judgment. Although they spend most of their lives in a cage, these animals are very active.

And in order for the animal not only to be happy, but also to feel great, it is necessary to provide her with a place for rest and sleep, as well as for active games. All these qualities are collected in a hammock. This is both a toy and a place to sleep. Rodents are very finicky animals and therefore, if the hammock that you bought in the store does not suit you, you can make it yourself another one or several at once.

What can you make a hammock for chinchillas from?

Hammocks vary in complexity and fastening mechanism. They can be made from different materials. This is a hanging mechanism made of thick fabric, which is attached to the corners of the cage using laces or suspended on metal clips.

IMPORTANT. The choice of material should be approached very carefully. You should not choose thin or slippery fabric (silk, chiffon, taffeta). Synthetic materials are electrified by the animal's fur and hit it with a static charge. Thin ones will not last long. The rodent also constantly clings to it with its claws and tears.

They are:

• Single-tier - the easiest to manufacture.
• Bunk – a more complex system consists of two sections.

The two-tier one is considered the most convenient for small animals. During the cold season, he can hide there so as not to freeze. And lie in the open top when it’s warm outside and in the house.

However, to make such a design requires much more time and, of course, desire. To make a hammock, you need to prepare a sewing machine, scissors for working on fabric, and high-quality tape for finishing the edges.

ATTENTION. The edges must be processed, because these animals are very active animals and can disassemble the product by threads and eat it, or accidentally get caught on hanging threads while playing. This can lead to stomach problems and even death if not noticed early.

It will be more convenient and of higher quality if it is made using a machine rather than a needle, and sewn by hand. This system will last you much longer.

How to sew a two-tier hammock for a chinchilla with your own hands.

To make a two-tier hammock, you should prepare the following materials:

• Fleece of good quality and density, size 1.5m*0.6m.
• A piece of thin filler 1.5m*0.3cm.
• Edge tape for finishing products.
• Thick thread and needle.
• Fabric scissors.

Let's get to work.
Fold the fabric into 2 parts and cut it lengthwise. Then fold the resulting parts in half, but do not cut them. Use all the parts as you need to make 2 floors. The piece of fabric on top should be reduced by 10-13 cm.

1. Attach the resulting 2 blanks to the padding polyester and cut to size.
2. Now insert the padding polyester into the fabric and sew it with a machine or by hand.
3. Use edging tape to trim the edges.
4. Mark the fastener locations with a pencil and sew them in.
5. You can decorate it at your discretion and imagination.
6. Hang the hammock from the roof of the cage.

The hammock for relaxing and playing is ready.

How to sew a cylindrical denim hammock for a chinchilla yourself.

To work you should take:

• Thick denim measuring 1.5 m * 0.3 cm, or any worn jeans, cutting off a piece of one pant leg 0.3 cm high.
• Bias tape for finishing edges.
• Sewing machine or needle and thread.
• Well sharpened scissors.
• Clips to strengthen the structure.

Let's get to work.

If you are using ready-made fabric, then follow all the same steps as when sewing a two-tier hammock. However, you should not stitch 3*3 because the fabric is already quite dense.

If you use old jeans when sewing, you should:

1. Cut a 30 cm cylindrical piece from the jeans.
2. Treat the resulting cylinder top and bottom with tape to avoid shedding.
3. Position the fastening points so that when fastening the base is slightly higher than the top part (for convenience, it is better to place fasteners at a distance of 5–8 cm).
4. Using embroidery, applique, large buttons, decorate the hammock as you like.
5. Attach the hammock securely to the top of the cage using metal clips, which can be purchased in the hardware department of a fabric store. But you can also use thick metal chains, hooks, thick elastic bands or laces as fasteners. However, it is worth considering that chinchillas have strong teeth and claws, with which they can chew off and damage fabric fasteners, so it is better to choose metal fasteners. The height at which the structure should be suspended depends on the size of the cage. The main condition is that the rodent can easily climb there.

So old jeans got a second life. Let the animal always be happy in the hammock.

How to care for a chinchilla hammock.

All things, house, furniture, and other things, and even a place for an animal to sleep, need care so that they last a long time and do not cause unnecessary problems. Every 2 months it is necessary to do laundry. You also need to periodically clean it with an artificial brush with hard bristles to remove wool. These furry animals shed a lot.

Wash only by hand and only with laundry soap without odor or additives. Otherwise, it may affect both the quality of the item and the condition of the pet, causing an allergic reaction.

In order not to deprive your pet of the pleasure of frolicking, make several of them at a time while drying and washing the product. This way you will extend the life of the item, and the animal will always have a new toy.

The higher quality the canvas was chosen, the longer the toy will last for your pet. And also the durability is affected by proper washing and well-finished edges of the product. A high-quality hammock can last from 3 to 6 years, and if there are several of them, then much longer. It should be changed as soon as the previous one has deteriorated.

One cage for a chinchilla will not be enough; it is imperative to make a place for rest. Approach the manufacturing process with imagination and love, so that the product is saturated with positive energy and brings only joy and pleasure to your pet. The flight of imagination is unlimited, use new forms of design, combine materials, textures, use all kinds of decorations. The finished product should please not only you, but also the animal.