Litter training chins - HELP!

[lizcschwab]

Hey Everyone,
I have 3 male chinchillas that are about 12 weeks old now. I have been trying to litter train them in a glass dish with kiln-dried pine bedding, but they always just try to bathe in it and knock all of it out. Does anyone have any suggestions on preventing this?
Thanks!!

 

[Smidgeyy]

Make sure you are putting dirty bedding in it.

My first chin knew what to so as soon as I put the dish there. My second one wasn't so quick. I had him in his quarantine cage and I kept his dirty bedding on one corner. Once I moved him to fleece(and to his CN cage), I put the litter pan in the same corner he was using before. He had accidents but he made an effort to use it. Recently he has had less accidents, as he's learning that that's the only place to go.

 

[seachin]

Agreed. You must seed it with some urine-soaked shavings mixed in with the new. Also, you may want to increase the frequency of the dust baths so they don't feel the need to roll around in the shavings.

 

[lizcschwab]

Thanks! So if I have them on fleece right now I should just put down shavings over top of the fleece in order to get the dirty shavings to put in the pan?

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

You could also try using bedding in the bottom of the cage for a week or so, so you can find the corner your chin prefers to pee in. Then when you clean the cage, take some of the peed in bedding and place in the litter pan. Then put the liner down and put your litter pan in the corner where your chin prefers to pee.

Some take longer than others. Some never get and always use the litter pan for a play dish.