And the winner is . . .

Simply Chintastic's Kiln-Dried Pine Shelves

Photo From Simply Chintastic

Why?  These custom made shelves are made from kiln-dried pine, no hazardous grating or bars that could catch feet as with metal wire shelving, and are more comfortable to walk on.  They come sanded with kiln-dried pine rim guards on the outer edges to reduce droppings and food from littering the floor around the cage.  The rims are assembled with non-toxic glue, rather than with screws or nails which could cause injury if the surrounding wood were chewed.  Also see their Hidey-House selection and wood toys.

You can design the shelving to fit your chin's cage.  For a sample arrangement, see Tango's cage at the Chinchilla Pictures link at the top of the page.  You want to make sure you arrange the shelves such that, if your chin were to accidentally fall, he or she wouldn't fall more than 18 inches.  Contact the retailers with your cage plan - they are experienced chinchilla owners who can help design shelving to fit your needs.

Where can I buy it?   http://www.freewebs.com/simplychintastic/

How much do they cost?  Price varies by shelf size starting at $7.50. 

Is there a close 2nd place finisher?  This is the only retailer of safe wood shelving that I'm currently aware of, but I'd be happy to update this listing if anyone has a recommendation!

Photo from Simply Chintastic