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[cadillactaste]

Goodness...all I do is vacuum! My son's room is always messy they can toss that bedding quite a distance with their antics. Even with the Bass Equipment deeper trays [2 1/2 inches deep] I keep seeing fleece liners and such on the ferret form.

I'm going to look into a feasible way of attaching it. And see what happens. The boys love their fleece hammock...Poor Fluffy is always on bottom being squished though...

I'm looking into how the ferret owners make theirs...They've got a system down evidently. I took a sewing class to make a quilt. I feel daring enough to make something like this.

[VenusTheChin]

You can put grommets in the corner and attach it with clips to the side of the cage so they cannot drag it around... My girls are pretty well behaved and they don't turn it up unless they want to play really bad. Then they will go up to the front of the cage and roll it up looking for the door LOL. You can also make loops in the fabric (I will get a picture up of the hammock I made) and attach clips to them.
If you make fleece liners you might want to go to Target or somewhere else and get some cheap towels to put in the center. This will help with absorbency, because fleece isn't all that absorbent.

[cadillactaste]

I take it it's not hard to add grommets...I seen a long time ago ones using a kit on a DIY program. I'm attempting to litter train them...My Nibbles is all the way litter trained for urinating. Fluffy he's younger...and will pee in the litter box. But also forgets himself occassionally and pees in another corner. So your sewing the towel to the liner then?

As for the trays...having the deeper trays...may cause more of an issue when making a liner. I may just stick them under the tray and metal cage underneith the pan...to see if it keeps the noise level down. And work with litter training that little one. If I remove the bedding...Possibly I can just spot clean accidents. And hope he'll use the litter pan more frequently...Just unsure...as yet what I'm doing.

I would love to see pictures though...

[VenusTheChin]

You can sew it inside the liner, so there is fleece on both sides.

The family computer has all the pics on it, so I will get those up when I get on that computer...

[cadillactaste]

  Got it...sew the towel inside the fleece...

Looking forward to seeing the pictures once you get a chance at that computer.

[Jo Ann]

 

If you make fleece liners you might want to go to Target or somewhere else and get some cheap towels to put in the center. This will help with absorbency, because fleece isn't all that absorbent.

   Unless you are planning on removing them and washing them daily, you need to think about the bacteria growth you will be exposing your little ones to by doing this.

If I remove the bedding...Possibly I can just spot clean accidents. And hope he'll use the litter pan more frequently...Just unsure...as yet what I'm doing.

Spot cleaning the accidents with vinegar water is a good idea, but you would have to keep an eye on them constantly ... otherwise you will soon find your little one has a wet bottom from sitting/laying in the puddle.  This can cause a bacterial infection and/or stain the fur.  I would not want to be constantly washing my little one's bottom.  Not to mention the poo-pellets sticking to the fur instead of falling down between the bedding away from your little one's feet and fur.

Why not add a second potty?     Maybe the little one wants his own potty.   

I take it it's not hard to add grommets...I seen a long time ago ones using a kit on a DIY program.

Double check to see what the grommets are made of ... rubber and plastic ones can be eaten by your chin.    
  ... if they are made of aluminum or brass, they will not rust ... but ... aluminum and brass a soft metals and they could be eaten/chewed on by your chin.  If the metal is not aluminum or brass, it can and probably will eventually rust.  Brass will tarnish and stain your chin's fur.

   Think of all the possible problems that can be caused, by using things that may end-up not safe for your chin.

   Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

Maybe I could have my husband add on the outside of the cage...something that will keep the bedding in...so far up. But Plexiglass they'll chew...A fine screen...they would chew that as well wouldn't they? Any ideas? We've got to do something as far as keeping that bedding in the cage.

[Jo Ann]

   How about a tray outside of the cage tray?  It could be metal, wood or Plexiglass, or a combination of any two ... just don't put it up against the side of the cage ... keep at least a 3" distance from the side of the cage to the barrier wall.  Plexiglass can be glued together with super glue ... you could make a box from Plexiglass that is 6" wider and 6" longer than the cage itself and maybe 4 to 6 inches tall ... center the cage ... that should give you a space of 3" all the way around it ... the "box" will catch the bedding and you will be able to see your chin through the Plexiglas box.  *No more than 6" tall ... you still want there to be a good natural air flow for the cage.  If you are afraid he will move the cage around inside the Plexiglas tray, just make 8 - 3" x 3" x 1" blocks and place two on each side of the cage between the cage and the Plexiglass  ... this should help keep the cage centered and stable.

   Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

Well...that's a good idea...but with the upper tray...They really toss the bedding to the middle of the floor...I just don't see a box that size working since the cage is 5 foot tall. About 3 foot up is the second tray level. Hm-mm

[Debbie.nl.ca]

You could use news print instead of shavings. Even get end rolls with unprinted paper left on from any news paper printing plant. It's very cheap,very safe & very clean. I just roll it all up every night and put down new.

I also have a chin in a type of cage that lets the shavings get flicked everywhere.

[cadillactaste]

That's an idea THANKS Debbie!

Today I purchased 35 lbs of pine bedding at Ace Hardware...they said it was the same as the smaller batch they had that I was buying for the chins. Well...My eyes were tearing up by the time I got to the mall...And I came home with the windows down. My allergies! Goodness...so my husband said...PITCH IT! Which I was thinking of just returning...due to it's unopened and it bothers me. But to drive with it back to the store...is NUTS! And he won't return anything... He wanted to toss it in the dumpster...I told him I would give it to the neighbor guy who has a rabbit.  It is sitting outside in our yard...his daughter didn't ride the bus home for me to tell him to grab it.

[Jo Ann]

... Today I purchased 35 lbs of pine bedding ...they said it was the same as the smaller batch they had that I was buying for the chins. Well...My eyes were tearing up by the time I got to the mall...And I came home with the windows down. My allergies! Goodness...so my husband said...PITCH IT! Which I was thinking of just returning...due to it's unopened and it bothers me. But to drive with it back to the store...is NUTS! And he won't return anything... He wanted to toss it in the dumpster...I told him I would give it to the neighbor guy who has a rabbit.    It is sitting outside in our yard...his daughter didn't ride the bus home for me to tell him to grab it.

I would definitely get rid of it ... either by returning it, giving it away and/or dumping it.   I would probably tie it to the top of the car and return it to the store ... if the trip back to the store is worth it (that usually depends on the cost of the item and the cost of gasoline).  Regardless, I would notify the store manager and ask him if the old one and the new one are actually the same, if not, I would either return it and/or ask the manager to inform his employees that there is a difference.  Why call the manager?  If a manager is not aware of a problem, how can he/she correct it?  If that is not the reason, do it to prevent another chinchilla owner of doing the same thing and possibly injure/kill themselves or it's chinchilla.  When you use one and then replace it with the "same thing", it should have not affected you that way.  You might ask the manager to compare the two for ingredients and have the employees aware of a possible problem.     Allergies affect people in different ways ... the next person could have an even worse allergic reaction and it could cause them to have a wreck.

   Jo Ann

[cadillactaste]

Well my husband ended up returning it...IN MY JEEP!  I am going to have to clean it out for getting in it to go to church my eyes are still watering up.

He explained to them that we've boughten the smaller bag. And was told that this bulk 35# bag was the same stuff just in bulk. And how it effected me...They told him..."Guess your wife should have thought of her allergies BEFORE getting chinchillas"... Um-mm the smaller bag of bedding DOES NOT effect me that way...Jerks!

[Jo Ann]

    How rude!  I hope you have reported the person to the manager ... that's a good way to loose a good paying customer.   Of course, consider the source ... most pet store employees have a tendency to act like know-it-alls ...       And this one one didn't even listen to the reason for it being brought back ... you are allergic to the bedding, not the chinchilla! 
 I would not want an employee that 
#1 did not bother to listen to the actual reason and
#2 was hateful enough to make such a rude remark to a customer.
I was in management for over 35 years ...    this rude employee would be looking for a new job today if he/she worked for me.

Was the small containers of the bedding made by the same company as the 35 pound bag?

I like Debbie's suggestion ... Shredding news paper that has not been printed on can be the best thing around for those allergic to pine or the other bedding.

   Jo Ann

PS

Well my husband ended up returning it...IN MY JEEP!       I am going to have to clean it out for getting in it to go to church my eyes are still watering up.

Men often do before they think, but he tried ...    it was thoughtful for him to be the one that took it back.   

[cadillactaste]

JoAnn...no I don't believe it was the same company...I really am not sure though...the woman said it was the same bedding...so I just assumed it was. The other pine bedding did NOT bother me! 

Men often do before they think, but he tried ...    it was thoughtful for him to be the one that took it back.   

More than you'll ever know...he has a phobia of returning things...I guess his mother made it a nightmare of returning things...for strange reasons...that he would rather toss it out then return something. He wanted to let them know that it WAS NOT the same bedding as the smaller bags...is why he returned it.