Bedding for Chinchillas
The ideal bedding for chinchillas consists of a litter element and a nesting element. Although this may seem similar to bedding for rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and so on, the choice of chinchilla bedding depends largely on the design of your chinchilla’s cage and your preferences for cleaning. The majority of chinchilla cages have a mesh floor with a pull out litter tray below to catch droppings and urine - but in fact this is not absolutely necessary. Here we look at the options for chinchilla cage design, how this affects your chinchilla bedding options and how SmartBedz as bedding for chinchillas can be used to improve your chinchilla’s comfort while maintaining hygiene.
Bedding for Chinchillas click here to buy our universal bedding litter from our online shop
Problems with Some Chinchilla Bedding
Several types of litter sold as suitable bedding for chinchillas have a range of health and other problems associated with them. It is has sometimes been these problems which have encouraged the use of mesh floored cages for chinchillas.
Any type of wood based litter made from cedar or pine should be avoided as bedding for chinchillas, since the naturally occurring phenols in these woods can irritate the lungs and throat causing respiratory problems and also making the chinchilla much more prone to other types of infection. Even if they are used in a pull out litter tray which the chinchillas can’t access, the volatile phenols will rise into the cage and will still be a problem. Other woods, such as aspen, are thought to be safe however.
Any type of clay based kitty litter is far too dusty. If they are used, a separated litter tray is absolutely essential to prevent the chinchilla kicking up the litter and creating dust. Clumping litter is especially hazardous, as it will cause blockage to nasal passages. These types of litter should not be used at all for chinchilla bedding, even with a separate tray arrangement.
Hemp appeals to many pet owners on account of its green credentials - but there is now a lot of evidence that the sharp fragments can be a serious danger to small creatures. Ingestion can cause cuts to the digestive system and, because they do not break down easily, cannot be digested.
SmartBedz litter avoids all these dangers. It is completely chemical free and virtually dust free. And it is made of pulverised, heat treated straw, so it has a completely neutral odour. It comes in pellet form but breaks down quickly when moist and is completely safe to eat by chinchillas and any other type of rodent species. This means that there is no safety reason why SmartBedz cannot be placed within reach of chinchillas.
Chinchilla Behaviour and Preferences
Chinchillas originate from the Andes and are adapted to a cool, dry climate. They have very thick fur and cannot sweat and so find it very hard to cool themselves down in high temperatures. You therefore need to maintain a cool environment for them.
They are also nocturnal so they tend to sleep during the day and be more active and playful in the evening and at night although it is sometimes possible to train them to stay awake during the day.
A chinchilla’s teeth naturally grow 50-75mm per year. In their natural environment they would trim them naturally through chewing, so you should provide a chew stick or block which can be bought from your local pet shop. And chinchillas normally live in groups, so you may consider getting two so they can keep each other company.
All these factors influence the ideal features of a chinchilla cage. The most fundamental decision, which will greatly affect your chinchilla bedding solution, is whether to use a solid or mesh floor.
Mesh Floor or Solid Floor?
Your choice of chinchilla bedding, particularly the litter element, will depend on whether you prefer to give your chinchillas a solid or mesh base to their cage. A solid base is obviously more comfortable and easier to walk on, but a mesh design makes cleaning a lot easier since all droppings and urine will fall through to the litter tray below, much like an aviary cage. This may be especially useful if there are multiple levels and if it is a very large cage housing several chinchillas.
Many chinchilla owners simply go for a mesh floor design because that is the predominant design available commercially. Others actively prefer it because it makes cleaning easier. But if you are a chinchilla owner who feels uncomfortable about seeing your chinchilla trying to walk over mesh floors, there is nothing to prevent you using a solid floor design instead, provided you use a type of bedding for chinchillas which is completely safe in terms of dust, toxicity and digestibility such as SmartBedz. Cleaning will require a little more care, but using SmartBedz can help to minimise this.
Using SmartBedz as Chinchilla Bedding
If you have a mesh floor and litter tray arrangement, SmartBedz can be used as a simple layer in the tray to quickly soak up urine and control odours. This can significantly reduce the number of times you need to change the litter tray compared to using newspaper or similarly absorbent and non-odour controlling materials.
If you have a solid floor, SmartBedz can be used as an underbed layer on the solid level(s), with additional soft nesting material on top if desired. The SmartBedz layer can be spot cleaned of solids and wet areas as needed, typically daily. Regular spot cleaning will make the layer last a long time and increase the time needed between complete changes.
Using SmartBedz is therefore compatible with either a mesh or solid floor design, providing benefits in either case. But it is an especially good solution for owners who would like to give their chinchillas the comfort of a solid floor but wanted to ensure that the litter layer would not create problems if their chinchillas came into contact with it.
Disposing of used SmartBedz is also very easy. It breaks down easily when moist and is fully biodegradable. This makes it excellent for adding to compost or using directly as mulch in the garden. In small quantities (e.g. after spot cleaning) it can even be flushed.
Other Features of Chinchilla Cage Design
The cage should be shaded during the summer with a good supply of cool air as these animals can suffer from heat stroke and temperatures above 24 deg C can be fatal. Using mesh on all sides greatly helps the free flow of air through the cage. Chinchillas like to look out of windows so positioning the cage near a window that does not get direct sunlight may be an idea.
A chinchilla cage should be located in a quiet well ventilated position and one chinchilla will need a cage about 610mm wide x 460mm deep x 900mm high.
There should be a box provided within the cage that can be used to hide and sleep in together with suitable toys. Being mountain creatures they love to climb around and sit on ledges - so a chinchilla cage should ideally be multi-level with plenty of intermediate ledges to sit on. If you have a mesh floor design it is essential to provide at least one solid based ledge which is large enough for your chinchilla to lie down on comfortably.
Chinchillas eat specially formulated pellets and hay and they love apples and carrots as treats. Of course you should provide a water bottle and ensure this is always topped up to avoid dehydration. You may consider buying a chinchilla cooler which is a flat piece of stone which the chinchilla can stretch out on to keep cool. You will also need to provide a dust bath as this is essential to them keeping their fur clean and shiny.
Chinchilla Bedding click here to buy our universal bedding litter from our online shop