Cleaning cage for new chins

[hobbit721]

While I'm letting my new chins adjust to me, their new surroundings and new home, etc... do I need to try to get them out of the cage in order to vacuum up poop each day? Or can I let them stay in the cage (quite likely in their tunnels/hidey house) and vacuum the fleece liners while they are there? I wasn't planning on taking them out for at least a week or two, and just watching their behavior toward me when I come near the cage to see how they're adjusting.
Thoughts? How do you clean your cage during the weeks of adjustment?

 

[Amethyst]

I vacuum with my guys in the cage, just move slowly so you don't accidentally vacuum a chin, lol. They generally just hop out of the way as I go around the cage. Also depending on how you do the dust bath, if it's out of the cage, then you can give them a bath while you clean (not everyday of course). I have a small cage with the dust bath inside so I don't have to keep a constant eye on them when I change the fleece liners.

 

[hobbit721]

Thanks, yeah that was my next question: how to change the liners if I don't want to possibly upset them by handling them before they are ready for me to do so.
It wouldn't be any trouble for me to get a smaller cage to just use for dust baths (I was just going to do those in the bathroom where clean-up is easiest) and to contain them for a few minutes while I swap liners.

 

[Godofgods]

i dont use a vacuum. Now and then my chins get in the mood to be curious. I could see that leading to some problems...

 

[Smidgeyy]

I also vacuum with the chins still in the cage. They usually chill out in their tube or go to whichever level I'm not cleaning.

I change the liners with them in there as well. I just block off the part that separates the two halves of the cage and I clean one at a time. I just shush the chin to the level that I'm not cleaning.

 

[hobbit721]

I have a narrow nozzle attachment for my vacuum, so I'm not too worried about vacuuming up a chin!

Thanks friends

 

[Marson2]

I started using a vacuum as the day after I got my kits. I was worried about the noise scaring them so I started it outside of the room and slowly moved closer to them. When I placed the nozzle inside the cage the 1st time they just sat and watched me then hid in their tunnel as I vacuumed the cage.

The 2nd day they stayed out of the tunnel and just hopped around while I vacuumed. Now that I've done it everyday for a few weeks they hop on my arm and act like it is absolutely no different from me just saying hello. If they are chewing on a stick or a toy they won't even move out of the way. lol Last night as I was cleaning, Isabel who is a very small 12 weeks, was popcorning all over the cage. She even popped on to the tube. She obviously isn't bothered by it at all. lol

I do however have to watch since they don't move out of they way of the nozzle to make sure I don't get the suction part of the tube too close to them. I use the narrow upholstery attachment as well. I'm not worried about sucking them in just scaring them.

I will say using the vacuum is the easiest fastest way to get up all that poop!