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[frisky860]

Hey guys, so I am getting my first chinchilla tomorrow night. It's a standard 8 week old. But I was looking into febreeze or any other air freshener. The febreeze brand has a pet odor eliminator type that is safe to use around cats and dogs. It says it is not safe around birds, but doesn't list any other pets. Do you think this would be safe to use around the chinchilla. Just occasionally when the room gets a little stinky or "pet" smelling from the poop and stuff? I obviously wouldnt spray it right on the chin but i dont know if the fumes from it would affect them. I'm guessing that it will be fine since its ok around the cats and dogs. Does anyone have any experience with this or using anything else for smell?

[Deeliteful]

You will find that if You clean your cage really good once a week and clean your shelves off once a day or once every other day that there will be little to no smell from your chins cage. They are not smelly like other small pets can be. I am always battling the "stinky" with my rats but I dont have to with the chins . Best little guys ever.

[britny330]

yeah my chin is in my room and all i smell is wood chips and his vanilla scented dust bath :] they really dont smell if cared for right. 

[Jenova]

I try not to spray anything near them just because they only have tiny little lungs. But like the others said, chinchillas really don't smell if you give them a good clean each week. And if you have a cage with a removable tray you can change the wood shavings regularly too.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I don't like sprays as they are airborne and can get into the respiratory system.
I have 30 + in a small room and I don't find a smell either.
You could lay out , or hang some potpourri away from the cages. Nothing with too much of a smell, or hang a bounce/laundry sheet . They say they work pretty good for odors, I put them in my dresser draws.
I like to wipe off the shelves most evenings with a vinegar wet rag.I pick out the pee spot and move the dry shavings around. Once a week they get a complete cleaning with vinegar and water. I do store a garden size garbage bin there for cleaning out the cages. I do spray a disinfectant around the top when I'm finished for the evening.
I have not used the febreeze but I think it's one of the lighter scents.

[sashasmommy]

i go to pet world and buy "cage clean". wash the cage very well, spray on the cage clean, wipe VERY well...and voila! (just remember not to spray it around them obviously...they are tiny little critters!)

[Jo Ann]

   If you clean the cages properly once a week, you will have no bad smells.  You will have only one chinchilla in your room ... I have about 100 divided between two rooms and have no problem with odor.  Chinchillas do not give off an odor ... and ... if you ever get a 'bad' smell from the poop ... that is a sign you chin is probably sick.  (Girdia in a chinchilla can kill ... one of the first signs of giardia is a smelly poop ... I do mean it stinks!    )

A urine odor can mean the chin might have an infection in the urinal trac or you just forgot to do the last regular cage cleaning.   

Man-made odor controllers have chemicals that can give a chin pneumonia ... chins usually die from pneumonia in less than 24 to 48 hours.
Never use bedding that has cedar in it for the same reason ... cedar can kill a chin.

   Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

I honestly don't feel you'll have a problem...When we was at the breeders he had 40 or so chins in a room. And other than smelling the bedding you wouldn't know he had them in there...Which impressed me...

Here's an article about : Do Chinchillas Smell? It's a good read I thought...
http://www.petshub.com/chinchilla/chinchillas-smell.php