Chinchilla As Pet

I have a chinchilla and i need a schedule for when to care for him. I need to change his cage bedding weekly Feed him and water him daily give him hay and dust. I need you to make me a schedule of when and how many times a day i should do this. Please answer only if you know about chinchillas.
Ps ifyou need to know i get up areound 6 45ish and get home from school at 4 and go to bed at 9

Monday-
6:45am- check water bottle, feed
When you get home-clean cage, play time, sand bath

Tuesday-Sunday- check water bottle, feed in morning

playtime at least every other day for as long as you can without stressing your chinchilla out

If you can i would recommend getting a little corner litter box filled with bedding ins ted of having the whole cage bedded it makes for really easy cleaning. You will be able to change the litter box whenever it is dirty and just the whole cage maybe a little over each week.

Good Luck, Chinchillas are great Ive had mine for 5 years and never had a problem. Just play with him/ her much as you can to keep them social

This is the cage: http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_1183554_petco_rat_manor_habitat_reviews
I am assuming that the levels can come out. It has small bar spacing. Large. 4" pan. whole cage can come out of pan for easy cleaning.
—–

The reason I am asking is because it is a pricey purchase for just rats. If I buy this for rats, I want to know if I could reuse it for other animals in the future. Particularly the ones mentioned… chinchillas, ferrets, hedgehogs, and sun conures.

it should be fine for Chins and ferrets, but I would not put my hedgie in there as their little feet could get stuck and break a leg. They are also not very good climbers and have almost no traction going down, so I think that it would be a little dangerous for them

Hello I have three chinchilla’s two beautiful females and a handsome male. Anyway I was wanting to know if anyone has any advice on how to keep the smell of their cage down. Dont get me wrong they dont smell horrible or anything and so far the best thing for keeping the smell down has been to use fresh step kitty litter in their litter pan. But I do live in an apartment and sometimes they smell a little before its time to clean the cages again. So I was wondering if anyone has any advice on what I can put in the litter to keep the smell down. Other that pine bedding which I already know.
Ok after reviewing some of the answer’s I just wanted to say thank you to the people who answered nicely and not ignorantly. Anyway. My chins have a slide in litter pan that they cannot get too, so they cannot eat the kitty litter (just wanted to clear that up for anyone who might be worried). Also it’s pretty obvious that I know how and when to clean my chins cage, I never said that it smelled horrible but thanks for the advice to Clean It! ! ! ! (note my sarcasm). My pets are happy healthy and very well cared for. So again thank you to the people who take the time to read my whole question and answer nicely and have advice that is actually useful =O ).

Please don’t use the kitty litter. If they eat it it can block their digestive system. The thing I have found is if you use a dehumidifier in the area they are in it helps with the smell. I stopped using ours since it not as humid and hubby had a hissy about how the cages smelled more than usual. Turned it back on and the smell was gone. That or use a air purifier.

Cedar is toxic to Chinchilla’s (in res ponce to the following post)

One other thing since they can’t get to the tray is use corncob litter. I get mine at walmart, it is very absorbant and holds the smell. I also use a liner for rabbit cages, it makes clean up a breeze. Thank you for clarifying the type of cage setup you have.

im trying to convince my dad to let me get one and i need a good case.

Pros:
They are cute as heck.
They are highly entertaining to watch.
They have a much longer lifespan than other rodents (rats, hammies, gerbils). They can live even in excess of 25 years.
If you keep their cage clean, they have little to no odor.
Once you get all their stuff (cage, toys, food, etc.) they are fairly low maintenance, but the initial outlay can be quite a chunk.
Food wise, they are pretty cheap monthly if you only have one.

Cons (which to me aren’t cons, but points to think on):
They require specific temperature guidelines to survive.
Their vet bills can be very hefty as they are considered an exotic.
They have to dust. No matter how hard you try, that dust goes everywhere. Even when people dust in the bathtub, it still flies everywhere.
They poop - a LOT. It’s not gross or squishy, but it does get throw everywhere.
They are not able to be litter trained. So, when you let them out to play, expect to sweep up after them and that they will poop. If they are breathing, they are pooping.
They are not cuddly, clutchy, kitty type of animals. They easily over heat and that can cause a heat stroke and death.
Their live span can be 25 years. That means while you’re in school, dating, shopping, going to college, getting married maybe even having kids. You don’t get to dump them because your life gets busy.

So - There is more, but you get the general picture. I’m not sure there is much there to convince your dad with. Most people get chinchillas because they have done a lot of research and they love them. Other than that, see above.

Safely and accurately measure your pet’s temperature in just one second with Pet-Temp Instant Ear Thermometer.Easy to use thermometer is used daily by thousands of veterinarians worldwide to accurately determine the temperature of dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and chinchillas.Pet-Temp is the only ear thermometer designed specifically for animals. The unique design of the sensor arm and probe tip allows for measurement of the animal’s deep (horizontal) ear canal. The Pet-Temp measures infrared waves naturally emitted from the ear drum region, converting them in only one second to an accurate core temperature.Pet-Temp is safe to use in the ear of all companion animals.To use, simply turn on the Pet-Temp, install the lens cover, insert in the ear, and push the button. In just one second, the Pet-Temp beeps signaling temperature measurement is complete and the temperature appears on the easy-to-read display.Excellent diagnostic tool monitor’s your pet’s health at home, and can be used in warm weather to help you prevent heat stroke in your pet. Measure your pet’s temperature:When your pet is sick for better pet healthWhen your pet is recovering from surgery to prevent potential complicationsWhen illness is suspected to know when to seek medical careDuring breeding for predicting ovulation and laborWhen exercising or hiking with your pet to monitor temperature before heat strokeWhen your dog is competing or working to avoid heat exhaustion in competitive and working dogsWhen traveling with your pet to be prepared for any situationRelated Search - 101098 LEN - Pet-Temp Ear Thermometer Replacement Lens Covers

Read the rest of this entry »