Chinchilla cages need to be kept clean if their owners want to ensure that not only are their pets happy but also healthy. If bacteria are allowed in the right environment to develop then this can lead to a number of different health problems for these beautiful creatures.
When it comes to cleaning a cage in which a chinchilla is kept, it's not enough to just have the littered changed occasionally. The cage should actually be inspected each and every day. And once a month remove your pet from inside the cage and spend some time scrubbing it out. This will help to ensure that the health of your pet chinchilla remains at its best.
When inspecting chinchilla cages each day, there are a number of other tasks that you will need to complete. Below we take a look at just what these daily tasks are.
Task 1 - Every day you will find that your chinchilla chooses one particular place within their cage to urinate in. Although you won't need to clean the area immediately every time they have been to the toilet, you should remove it at least once each day. It may be a good idea to do it twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening. However when it comes to feces they will drop these just about anywhere in the cage. So you will need to search through the cage to remove them.
Task 2 - Every day you will need to check their food bowl and sometimes feces can end up in this especially if it is kept on a lower level. In addition to checking the bowl, remove and clean it prior to refilling. Again this will help to prevent the growth of bacteria within the cage.
Task 3 - Each day you will be required to refill their water bottle. During this time, you should remove the tube through which the chinchilla draws the water and clean the tube and the bottle thoroughly. As you remove the bottle and before cleaning it, inspect to make sure that no mildew or mold is growing in the base. If you do notice mildew or mold then immediately wash the bottle thoroughly in hot soapy water. Then rinse it out thoroughly to remove any detergent residue. If you don't then the chemicals in the detergent could cause health problems. Should you feel that you need to don't be afraid to purchase a new water bottle.
Task 4 - When it comes to the bedding in chinchilla cages, it needs to be removed and replaced once a week. Don't just take out some of the bedding but remove it entirely and replace with completely fresh bedding. If you don't, you will soon begin to notice a buildup in odors emanating from the cage. That is the result of the feces and urine soaking into the bedding. After removing the bedding from the pan, it is a good idea to take some hot soapy water and clean the area thoroughly. Again this will help to prevent bacteria growing in the bedding area.