Bedding or no bedding?

[frisky860]

Hey guys, so I was wondering how many of you use bedding in your cages? I have the ware brand medium living cage, with a pull out drawer for easy clean up of poop. The holes in the bottom of the cage aren't that big, but my chin is only 2 months old, so I lined the bottom with newspaper then but bedding on top. It was nice because it was soft for him to lie on, but when it came to cleaning, it was horrible because nothing fell through the holes to the pull out drawer. So next time, I used the bedding again, but did not line the cage first with news paper and now all the bedding fell through the holes after the first night. :banghead: I'm not sure what to do now. I dont want to keep adding bedding everyday because that will just be too expensive to keep up with, and I dont want to line it with newspaper anymore because the smell of urine stays in it and makes it smell too much. :hair: Should I just not use bedding at all? Or is it better for my chin if I have the bedding? But then I need someway to keep it all from falling through the holes. Please help with your suggestions and what you guys find works well. Thanx!

Ps. Here is the link to the cage I have so you can see the holes on the floor! http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751762

 

[whiskers387]

What about lining the the wire part with a fleece lining, then just take that out to wash it, and give her a litter pan, like a cake pan

 

[tunes]

When you have a pull out tray with wire on top, it's usual just to put the bedding down in the tray and provide resting spots for the chin on top. You could try using a fleece liner on top of the grate, then put bedding underneath the grate to capture urine that leaks through the liner.

I just want to point out, the spacing on that grate is not recommended as safe for chinchillas feet. They should not be on anything larger than 1/2 x 1/2 inch to stand. 1/2 x 1 for the outside of the cage is fine, but not for the bottom. I would be especially concerned with him getting a leg caught because he's so young.

 

[menagerie]

That cage is not safe for your baby. The spacing on the floor is dangerous and it's too small for a chin. Return it to PetSmart and get your money back and invest in a good cage.

 

[frisky860]

I just want to point out, the spacing on that grate is not recommended as safe for chinchillas feet. They should not be on anything larger than 1/2 x 1/2 inch to stand. 1/2 x 1 for the outside of the cage is fine, but not for the bottom. I would be especially concerned with him getting a leg caught because he's so young.

I agree with that. That's why I dont want to leave it without anybedding because he is so small still. The fleece liner sounds like a good idea, but wont the poop and urine just stick to it and make it smell pretty fast?

 

[tunes]

You would want to have a couple liners available so you could switch them out and wash them in between uses. The liner will get wet, but there's no way to avoid that. I would imagine if you just left the bedding out and he peed and pooped on that grate, it's going to be a PIA to clean. You'd have to take it out and scrub it several times a week.

When I made liners, I lined them with cloth baby diapers. It made them a lot more absorbant and they lasted a couple days that way. If you can figure out where he prefers to pee, then you can line that area of the liner more heavily, as well as putting a litter pan on top of it.

ETA: If you do use the cloth diapers, be sure to quilt the liner so the diaper doesn't bunch up and turn into a wad of material in between the liners.

 

[frisky860]

Can you find washable liners at the pet store? Or can I just buy fleece material from a craft store and use that?

 

[tunes]

There are a few people here that make them out of fleece (check the classifieds), or you could make your own. You'll just need to make sure of a way to anchor it so it doesn't slip all over the place.

 

[stampinchick]

I would definitely use the fleece liners in that cage so that you could cover those grates on the bottom. They are a hazard for your little guy for sure. I would hate to see his leg slip through and get broken or worse. Also, the wire bottoms are not a great idea to have your chin walking on. So if you are going to keep that cage until you can upgrade to something much larger, I would use the fleece for now.

 

[alli713]

Is the grate removable? Then you could just put shavings in the pan and not have to worry about his little feet getting caught.

 

[frisky860]

The bottom of the cage is not wire, its a hard plastic, but I will get the fleece for it, and yes I will be upgrading the cage soon, once I move and have the space for it.

The grates are removable, but in 2 parts so there is a divider in the middle of it and the pan is far down so it would be weird and uncomfortable for him.

 

[Euphoric]

I got a rabbit cage new for 10 and it had the removable wire bottom, so its kind of akward but I figure its better than wire.
I am using is as a temp cage for a chinchilla I am getting as a present (Will be getting him tommorow)
I will only be using a small amount of aspen in a container as a litter box.
I have to say, they can jump so the little akwardness of it I think really shouldn't be a problem.

 

[alli713]

Oh okay, thought maybe if they were removable it'd be an easy fix. Another thing you can put down on top of the grate is some marble tile. They come in normally 12" x 12" sizes and it gives him something to sit on