Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Cages => Topic started by: TomsChins on May 10, 2016, 08:28:49 AM
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I want to design a new cage for my chinchillas, so was just wondering what people thought the best choice is for flooring, keeping both the chinchillas and cleanup in mind
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I think the best floor is a regular wire 1/2" x 1/2" floor with a pan underneath of that so the chinchilla can't get into it. That way you can use whatever kind of absorbent material you want even if it's not safe for chins to ingest. This is how most breeder's cages are built and they usually use pine chips in them.
The second best is a solid metal pan that can be filled with chinchilla safe bedding. The only kinds I can recommend is kiln-dried white pine or aspen. Paper bedding carries risks that pine does not. This is what most pet owners have and it works well.
My chinchilla cage is custom built to include a solid wood floor with a removable wire panel. The urine is caught in a tray underneath and absorbed by a puppy training pad. The upper level has a box with a removable panel and sheet aluminum bottom constructed so the animal cannot come into contact with the edges, staples, or the pad. I really can't imagine a more convenient system than that.
Whatever kind of flooring you should always have solid wood shelving in the cage. The chins will spend most of their time there.
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Although I have not tested it yet, since i will get my chins in august, I opted for a solution found online. I have a critter nation and my wife made covers (much like cushion or duvet covers) from fleece material which the chins apparently don't chew so stop em chew the plastic pans. They also said they find it nice and cosy, I then cut some terry cloth to size which will go between the pan and the fleece to absorb urine. I will then set a daily poop brush off routine and change/wash the fleece covers/terry cloth once a week.
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I know of several owners who use fleece. I'm not saying to not use it but beware of potential problems.
One is that the some chinchillas will chew the fleece and tear it up and ingest it although its apparently unusual. If you see damage on your fleece you probably need to go back to a traditional bedding to prevent fatal bowel obstructions.
A related problem can be damage resulting in tattering and fraying. Chinchillas get their feet caught in fabric easily. I know of devastating injuries that have been caused by this even from intact fabric. You will have to be very careful with their feet and legs when moving them around over fabric.
Another problem seems to be foot irritation from contact with urine. If the feet start drying, callousing, and cracking you might need to switch. Once that starts it is very difficult to cure. To minimize this make sure they have uncovered solid wood shelving in their cage. It seems to be a very common problem with fleece users. Some users resort to adding a small litter box with pine shavings in it to treat or manage the condition.
Again I'm not trying to discourage you for from using fleece. Perhaps you'll find new ways to prevent or solve some of these issues.
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Hopefully the terry will absorb the moisture, I cannot think of any other way with the critter nation cage atm since we can't get the metal pans here in the uk. Besides my wife is not keen on having to empty loose bedding, I have to do that for our dwarf hamsters, but since she's got more regular hours of work than me, she will be the main person to look after the chins. She decided to spot clean the cage every day and change the fleeces every week, we have 3x sets. In case of dry, cracking feet, I have an antiseptic and moisturizing cream for small animals, I have used it on a dwarf hamsters before with no issues.
We will keep an eye, and with their daily time out we can always spot check them. I anything happens, I have a vet which opens only in the evening which is convenient for our work hours, only 5-10 mins away and do specialize in small animals. In case of dire needs, they are also partnered with an animal hospital 20 mins away.
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Sounds like you have a good system worked out. Very nice.