If this is your first time cleaning a chin cage, or are just clueless
on how to do it, here is a simple, easy to comprehend, guide JUST FOR YOU!
Step 1: gather materials
- Large trash bag
- Mix of 50% vinegar(organic apple is preferred) and 50% water
- Broom
- Truckload of paper towels
- Towel
Step 2: Put your chin in a chinproofed bathroom, one that you would be comfortable leaving him in for an hour or so. Breakup and scatter pellets all over the floor for food and entertainment (Pepper loves hunting for food)
Step 3: Take off the top metal frame of the cage, and place it on newspaper.
Step 4: Take off all toys from the bottom pan
Step 5: Either fit the trash bag around the pan and empty it(if you use litter, or shake the poop off of your fleece/liner into the bag, and toss it into the wash
Step 6: Spray the pan with the cleaning mixture and wipe thoroughly
Step 7: Refill about one inch of litter, or put the fleece back on to the pan
Step 8: Check on your chinchilla, and give them a little hug and a treat for being good
Step 9: Remove all ramps, ledges, food + water holders, etc from the top frame, now is a good time to put the food bowl and water bottle in to the dish washer
Step 10: Spray it and wipe the frame THOROUGHLY(your chin will get sick if he/she/however they identify chews on the bars and there are still droplets!
Step 11: spray and wipe all toys, ramps, ledges,etc... especially wood items, since they will get yucky fast. Do not use those rainbow wood toys since the dye leaks
Step 12: Reattach everything and put the frame back on to the pan, and put the cage back in place
Step 13: Refill hay, pellets, and water(only use filtered water for your chin!)
Step 14: Sweep clean the hay and poop that has fallen on the floor
Step 15: Vacuum the area
Step 16: Go get your chin form the play room, and give them a treat for
being so adorable like omg being so good during the clean up
Step 17: Put your chin back in their cage, and observe them for 5-10 minutes to
see how cute and fluffy yass make sure they're happy
Step 18: Pat yourself on the back
Step 19: Cry as you watch your chin poop everywhere and spill hay and pellets everywhere
Step 20: Cry yourself to sleep as you softly whisper "neexxt weeeeeek"
Tips + Warnings
- Change it up! Chins are happy to explore new toys and setups, they will get bored if it's the same cage every single time
- This is more spot cleaning, if you have a messy chin(like me) you might have to do this every week, but if your chin is neat, only 1-2 times a month
- It helps if you put something on Netflix to watch while cleaning
- Don't handle your chin until you've thoroughly washed your hands!
- Don't give your chin a bath before putting them in their new cage or they will track dust EVERYWHERE
- Clean up all traces of cleaner
- Replace wood toys twice a year
- Don't half do it, remember, your chin lives in that cage, and too much poop and pee and crushed pellets everywhere are not healthy for them
This is a guide for new chinchilla owners, so don't tell me I'm stating the obvious. I put this up because the person who made the wikihow guide does not understand what a chinchilla is, and their only source is wikipedia. Their steps are: 1. give your chinchilla to someone to hold or put them in a box without the lid on 2. wash the cage 3 dry the cage 4 put everything back 5 put your chinchilla back and close the door 6 let your chinchilla get used to the clean cage. They suggested one use windex, and I feared for the reader's chin's lives. Their intro was directly from wikipedia, so I felt the need to put up an easy, informative guide. Please let me know if I missed anything(I'm not writing about dustbaths, so don't pester me about that)