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[Lsfb1989]

Hi,

I have 2 * 9 month old grey girls that ive have for 2 months. I have been using newspaper covered in hay on the bottom of the cage. I am paranoid that this is wrong, or unhealthy. Please can someone help me? Its a different hay from the timothy hay they eat, although they do nibble the hay!

We have a [F12 Sky Double Storey Ferret Chinchilla]
(http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B001T9BOIS) which we have removed all the plastic from, and replaced with wooden shelving. I have now ordered some fleece liners, but i obviously need some advice atm, as they wont be ready for a week or so

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Newspaper is very dangerous. They no doubt ingest it, whether on purpose or not, and it is bad for them. Please switch to CareFresh bedding!

[GrayRodent]

Congrats on your new chins.

Please keep in mind that a chinchilla can chew an opening through the plastic and escape in a matter of hours if it figures out it can so it might be a good idea to find an all-metal cage.

If you are using a fleece liner you may want to use a separate pan with pine chips in it for a litter box. Chinchillas will usually urinate in one area of the cage and this will minimize their exposure to urine which can cause skin problems on the feet. I know of others that do this and it works well. You might find it's not a problem for you but if it becomes one this is a good way to fix it.

Newspaper is not good as an absorbing material and tends to mold quickly because it traps moisture. Anything that is moldy can be extremely dangerous to a chinchilla's health. Carefresh is okay if your chinchilla does not eat it otherwise there is a slight risk of fatal bowel obstructions. Kiln-dried pine chips pose no threat if ingested. Some chinchillas will chew and eat fleece so it does not work for all chins. Fleece can cause bowel impaction if ingested so be careful.

I hope everything works well for you. How do you like your chinchillas? Two months is a about the time you'll notice them bonding to you.

[Lsfb1989]

Thanks for your reply my chins have a fleece house from fuzzbutts.co.uk, which they dont chew, so ive ordered some fleece cage liners. I am just a bit worried what to do in the meantime- what should i buy? I really dont want carefresh, ive heard too many bad reviews. Thankszx

[GrayRodent]

You can't go wrong with kiln-dried white pine chips. They're messy but they're safe and effective.