Poo Retention

[Cheknnudol]

I would really like to have my chinchillas in a main area of my new place, but the boyfriend is concerned about hay and poo being all over the house, particularly when we have company. I have seen that many of you have the backs of your cages completely covered with fleece, as well as posts about doing 6" wraps of fleece around the bottom to aid in poo rentention ( :hmm: ), but the majority of my problems come from the upper shelves. What kinds of options are there?

I saw some photos where many of you had draped fleece over the tops and sides by about a foot, but my boys like to play with dangly things so the only way i'd be able to get away with that is if I had fleece running the whole length of the cage on three sides (all but the front) so they couldn't get an edge to chew. Would this retain too much heat?

 

[CJR]

It wouldn't let air circulate very well, and I know that when my girl gets really bad watery eyes when that happens.

Chins and mess are kind of a package deal though...

 

[Cheknnudol]

I am prepared for mess, and have been since I first got chins. I've dealt with it and until now was lucky enough to be able to minimize it because my cage has been nestled in a nook in my room. They will be against a flat wall, however, in my new place and I'm looking to deal with the same amount of mess after the move as before. Amount of cleaning necessary aside, sideways trajectories will land "presents" either in our dining room or our living room furniture - definitely not ideal during dinner lol

What kinds of shelf guards are there?

 

[CJR]

A good point. I don't know what to say. Search around the links at the top of the page, try Quality Cage, I know they make shelf guards.

You could try the mesh things they use for birds, that would let air circulate and retain the poops.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

Quality Cages makes shelf guards and maybe Bass Equipment. Depending on what type of cage you have they may work. There are ledges and shelves available with edges on them to minimize poo falling from them onto the floor as well. Another trick I have seen is slightly tilting shelves so the poos roll off toward the center of the cage, not a crazy tilt obviously but a slight one...

 

[Cheknnudol]

Awesome. Most of our mess comes from them pooping on the top shelves where they sleep, then skidding on the poos if they're startled awake by something. I'll definitely check out QC and bass...

 

[VolunteerChin22]

You can make your own shelf guards...just put a lip on the sides that touch the bars of the cage thats about 1 in taller than the shelf - my mom's hubby made me some ledges and full shelves with lips and it helps tremendously...

Like this...http://www.simplychintastic.com/shelvesledges.htm

Or you can buy those lol...

 

[Cheknnudol]

VolunteerChin22: How do you think those would stand up to shelf pee-ers? Is it possible urine would seep between the two boards and collect?

 

[CommonYak]

Eh. Tell your guests that chin poo is "clean."