Prevue Hendryx 495 Earthtone Chinchilla Cage Review

This review is part of our 2020 review series to help you select the best chinchilla cage for your little pet.

When searching for a new cage for your chinchilla, it is important to consider how much space they will have once you have set them up with all of their favorite toys and furniture.

The Prevue Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage is a sturdy metal cage with a lovely Earthtone Dusted Rose finish, that fits the needs of most chins, including ample perches to climb and jump from and a wide opening to safely and easily enter and exit their cage.

Although this cage lacks a little in size, it is a good cage for those looking for easy set-up and use.

 

 Made for Chinchilla ( 7 / 10 )

 The Prevue Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage is a medium-to-large sized cage that works well for one chinchilla to live happily and comfortably.

The almost all metal design measures 31” long, 20.5” wide and 40” tall. The cage sits on a base with four caster wheels for easy moving and a shelf that is great for storing food, treats and supplies.

The cage comes with two metal shelves and a metal ramp that attaches both levels and has room left over to include other chinchilla accessories, beds and toys.

This cage includes a plastic pan for bedding that can be easily removed to quickly dispose of litter and facilitate clean up. A centrally placed front door gives you easy access to the interior of the cage for easy cleaning and rearranging.

Design

• The Prevue Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage comes equipped with two chinchilla-safe, chew proof, metal shelves attached by a metal ramp. You can purchase shelf and ramp covers to make your chinchilla more comfortable and give them more traction when running and jumping, but the solid metal does a good job at protecting your chin’s feet from injuries.

• If you have a chin who prefers to jump and climb their cages, you can remove the metal ramp allowing your chin to jump from one platform to the other.

• The powder-coated, vertical, steel bars are spaced only 3/8” apart, creating a secure surface for your chinchilla to climb and jump from. The bars are vertical, which is not as easy for a chinchilla to climb, so if you have a chin that loves to jump around, this cage may make that more difficult.

• This enclosure has a centrally placed front door that makes accessing your chinchilla and the inside of your cage easier. The front door measures 13”x13” and gives you sufficient space to insert and arrange your accessories. However, the design of the door may make it difficult to get into back corners while cleaning. The door design also makes it possible for your chinchilla to make a quick escape when you open it.

• This enclosure comes with a removable plastic pan for easy cleaning and waste disposal. The pan can be slid in and out of the cage and sits just below a wire grille which should be removed for your chinchilla’s safety.

Safety

• The bottom of this cage contains a wire grille which sits above the removable plastic pan. Wire grilles can be very dangerous for your chinchilla’s feet so it is recommended that you remove this wire grille and allow your chin to walk directly on the plastic pan.

• This cage is an all metal design which ensures that your chinchilla won’t chew through any parts or ingest any unsafe materials.

• The metal shelves and ramps protect your chinchilla’s feet from serious injuries that wire flooring can cause such as getting stuck, broken feet and developing sores.

• The 3/8”, small spaced bars make this cage escape-proof even for the youngest chinchillas.

Accommodation

• Although this case measures 40” tall, the cage itself, from the bottom where it sits on the base to the top, only measures 27”. For this reason, you only want to house one chinchilla in this enclosure. Compared to larger cages, like the Chinchilla Mansion and the Deluxe Critter Nation, this cage is on the smaller side and can be uncomfortable for more than one chin. If you have a larger chinchilla or a bonded pair, you may want to consider a larger design.

• The large front door, placed directly in the middle of the front panel of the cage, gives your chinchilla wide access to enter and exit the cage during play time.

 

Ease of cleaning ( 8 / 10 )

The Prevue Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage makes emptying your litter and bedding pan quick and easy and its powder-coated steel frame can be easily cleaned with a rag and some mild soap. The plastic pan is leak-proof and holds the litter or bedding of your preference.

Cleaning the cage

• The 13”x13” front door gives you access to the inside of the cage which can be wiped down with a rag and some mild soap and water. You can also use your pet-safe cleaner of choice, such as Arm & Hammer or Nature’s Miracle.

• The metal shelves and ramp can be removed for deep cleaning with a pet-safe cleaner or mild soap and water, or can be wiped down from inside of the cage.

• Because of the limited space in the front door opening, you may have some trouble reaching the back corners of the enclosure for proper cleaning.

• If you choose to remove the wire grille above the removable plastic pan, which is recommended to avoid injuries to your chinchilla’s feet, you may have to remove your chinchilla from the cage when removing the plastic pan to prevent your chin from escaping through the bottom of the cage.

Bedding

• As with most other cages on the market, the removable plastic pan makes clean up very quick and convenient, however the pan itself is lacking in the appropriate depth. As with the Deluxe Critter Nation, the Black Feisty Ferret Cage and the Chinchilla Mansion, the plastic pan does very little to contain the litter or bedding, which can create a huge mess under and around the cage.

• Due to its limited space it is not recommended to replace the pan with a deeper one, but you can purchase scatter guards. Prevue does not currently sell any scatter guards specific to this cage, but you can purchase any number of brands and adapt it to your needs.

• You can also create your own scatter guard using scrap wood. Make sure to cut the wood to a height that will best contain the litter, bedding and waste inside of the pan.

 

Versatility ( 4 / 10 )

The Prevue Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage isn’t best known for its versatility and adaptability. This cage works best for someone who is not looking to personalize their cage extensively or is looking for a cage that comes to ready for chinchillas with few, or no, adjustments needed.

Adaptability

• This cage comes with two metal shelves that are attached by a metal ramp. Because of the specific distance between the shelves needed for the ramp you are very limited in the placement of the shelves. You should be able to place the shelved lower or higher, or even switch sides, but for your chinchilla’s safety, the ramp must fit between the two shelves properly.

• The manufacturer does not make an add-on unit for this cage so you should not home more than one chinchilla per cage.

• This cage does give you enough space to attach more fixtures, shelves, perches or ramps if you would like to. Prevue does not carry a large selection of accessories, but you can find several brands online.

Accessories

• With this cage, you will have just enough space to put in some of your chinchilla’s favorite toys, tubes, tunnels or hammocks. You do not want to overcrowd your chinchilla, so make sure you leave enough so they are able to run, jump and climb freely and comfortably.

• The sturdy structure of this cage allows you to attach necessary accessories like water bottles, litter boxes, exercise wheels and additional shelves directly onto the wire bars.

Value for money ( 7 / 10 )

The Hendryx Earthtone Chinchilla Cage is available for a very reasonable price and great for those look for budget-friendly options.

Its design and safety features are great for your chinchilla and will ensure their happiness.

Although bigger than some cages like the Dreamhome heavy duty chinchilla cage, its limited space can only comfortably fit one chinchilla.

The price is comparable to the Hendryx Feisty Ferret Cage, also made by Prevue, however the Feisty Ferret Cage gives you a significantly larger living area.

This cage is appropriate for a chinchilla. More space would be desirable, but the all metal design, including the all metal ramps and shelves, are an added safety feature that can protect your chinchilla from dangers and injuries to their feet. 

The removable pan makes cleaning up after your chin a simple task and the attached base with caster wheels makes this cage easy to move and clean.

This cage does not require tools to be assembled and can easily be put together by one person. To ensure easy assembly it would be helpful to have a screwdriver around in case it is needed. This cage comes with a 90-day warranty covering manufacturing defects.