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[crazy4pets88]

My boyfriend is keeping my chinchillas at his house in his room and he said he was thinking about putting them in the basement due to the noise and smell and so we can add the second level to the ferret nation cage. My concerns is bugs and possibly mice down in the basement since its connected to the garage. Should i not put them down there the pros are bigger cage and cooler down there. Cons are bugs and possibly mice. They are smelling up his room. I can't keep them at my house untill i move. What Should I Do?

[chinclub]

First, the chinchilla cage shouldn't smell if you are cleaning it well every week.  That being said, your concern for mice is a good one.  Do you see signs of mice or are you just assuming?  The biggest problem with mice is illness.  Be sure you keep the chinchilla food bag in a tight container so that mice can't get in and you should be fine.

[GrayRodent]

Mice can be a problem if they get into the food and may carry disease but if there is no sign of infestation I wouldn't worry too much about it. Keeping bugs and moisture out of the food can be done by using an airtight resealable container and only having one or two day's worth of pellets and hay in the cage at a time. If bugs do get into the feeder they can't take up residence in there. I'll usually fill my feeders at night and in the morning with a scoop of pellets.

I store my food in a rigid container with a rubber seal in the lid and I am very pleased with it. These can be found at places that sell kitchen stuff.

I have one chinchilla in my room and I don't notice any smell at all from his cage. I empty the cage pan about once every 10 days, scrub it once a month, and sweep out the cage about twice a day. With two chins you'll have to do it more frequently like Jamie said, at least once a week. Urine on wooden shelves can add to the problem but that is solvable if you add a small pan of bedding or clay cat litter that will make a different spot more attractive for the animals to urinate on. Once they get used to using that spot they'll usually continue to use it even after the pan is removed. Chances are if your cage stinks it is not a healthy place for your pets. Compared to other animals I've kept chins are odor free.

If the problem is noise there's not much you can do there. I leave in one hanging toy and remove all the loose toys and things at night and it helps. It probably isn't too great for the chinchilla to do this but I don't have much of a choice. He still has his shelves and a small toy to chew on to keep his teeth trimmed. Also I have made sure everything in the cage that rattles is either bolted or wired in place. I use a 1" c-clamp on the door at night since it rattles without it. His squeaking sounds don't bother me too much but the thumping and banging sometimes do. By taking these steps I can sleep well most nights. If I had a basement I'd be tempted to keep him there because of the noise but it would be harder to interact with him. Putting a second level on the cage is a big plus though. I don't think it's a good idea to keep two chins on a single level.

Those are my thoughts.

[crazy4pets88]

Ok first off i just cleaned cage sat its the fleece i have to wash again thats what smells i just got home from ohio so i haven't done it yet ordering more fleece but will clean fleece today

[glafond]

I have 4 chins in one cage and 2 chins in another cage in my room and the only things I can smell are pine bedding and hay.

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

@glafond, what cages do you use? Where do you get them? A cage that houses four chins must be pretty sturdy.

[PrincessRisu]

My boyfriend and I actually live in the basement of a house and our Chilla does just fine. The bugs aren't an issue for us. (kinda gross but) We have HUGE centipedes, spiders and other common basement dwelling insects and I actually have never found them in her cage. There have been a few spider webs but when she walks in the cage it wiggles and I guess it scares them away. I would be very weary if there are mice. I wouldn't want one sneaking into her cage and hurting her. My boyfriend also gives her vitamin D drops or something because there is no sunlight whatsoever idk if that is necessary but it doesn't hurt to make sure they are healthy.

[GrayRodent]

As long as you don't have mice you're probably okay. It wouldn't be a bad idea to spray around the baseboards with bug spray when the chinchilla is not present. (As long as your chin doesn't make a habit of chewing those boards) Bugs can contaminate food with mold so I hope that is being stored is well sealed. I would advise against using vitamins because there is a potential for overdose. Pelleted diets are usually vitamin fortified. Since chinchillas are creatures that sleep under rocks during the day and come out when the sun is down in the wild I don't think vitamin D deficiency is a problem.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I don't know how folks using fleece keep up. I guess one or two cages is not too bad, but I have 17 cages, can't imagine having to keep that much fleece clean. I use pine shavings with the chins. Unlike many small critters mine only pee on it they don't sleep on it, and prefer up high in the cage as opposed to low or on the floor.
My hamster buries in his so he gets boxo.