Chinchillas > Cages

Wire bottom cages

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Leslie:
A few years ago, I bought a wire bottom cage because it seemed so much easier than the drop in type.  Ever since then, I have had nothing but problems with my chinchillas peeing all over the place.  It's like they don't understand the difference between the bottom of the cage and the levels.   I have done absolutely everything I can to make them understand.  I have covered almost every inch of the levels with wooden boards or tiles.  They will find any little space to pee through.  They pee through the ramps.  They especially love when a wooden board gets hay or a bunch of chewed wood on it....THEN they pee right there on the board. 

A friend of mine recently bought a new cage and I cautioned him about the wire bottom, but he was won over by the "easy" cleaning aspect.  His chins have started peeing from the upper levels now as well.

When I put a pile of shavings on top of the wire bottom, they go nuts for it.  Chins love the "digging" thing and chewing on the shavings!I feel bad for taking that joy away from them! 

I blame wire bottomed cages.  I think it's a bad idea.  Does anyone else have the same problem?  Unfortunately I'm stuck with mine...but maybe this will help someone else?

ChinchillAZ:
I don't see how anything would be different if there wasn't wire bottoms in the cages?   ???

Abby W.:
Yeah, I agree with chinchillAZ.  I have used both wire and solid bottom cages and have not found a difference in their peeing habits.  Most of mine either go in a corner on the lowest level they can get to (in both types of cages) and the ones who don't do that seem to just go wherever they happen to be standing.

I have also found that it is easier to keep solid bottom cages cleaner and drier because I can just scoop out the soiled shavings daily and replace with fresh ones, whereas the wire requires scrubbing and drying, which also means having to remove the chins from the cage for a period of time.  I also found that with the wire bottom cages my chins all got dirty feet and butts, no matter how often I cleaned.  Since I put them in solid bottom cages this problem has all but disappeared. 

Sweetnessheart:
I have had wire bottom cages from the beginning.  My chinchillas don't seem to pee outside of the cages at all.  They just pick a corner and that is where they mainly go.  They haven't ever had a problem on their wood shelves.  They might get messed if they have a touch of upset stomach, but I just wipe it off with a damp cloth.

I also have the breeding cages with the solid pans and my chinchillas like to kick the shavings out of the way and sit on the bare metal.  I guess they are used to being on metal (wire). I have noticed in this type of cage they do pee at the edge and sometimes do wet outside of the pan.

Leslie:
I don't see how anything would be different if there wasn't wire bottoms in the cages?   

Makes sense to me....they relate the smell and feel of the shavings with peeing.  If they don't have that, all the levels seem the same.

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