The cages for a chinchilla should be kept clean. The cage should be provided with wire bottom or a tray. A flat piece of pine wood should be kept in the cage so that the front teeth of the Chinchilla do not grow excessively. However, you should not introduce any kind of wood into the cage. Woods made of cedar, eucalyptus, cherry, fir and plum should be avoided. The woods tend to get stained due to regular waste and food leftovers.

The cage should be spacious with good air circulation. The inside temperature should be at comfort level. Humidity in the air is not at all comfortable for the chinchillas. So you need to prepare a dust bath with the help special ground lava rocks. Ideally you should give the dust bath every day but if it is not possible, give the dust bath at least thrice a week. A dust bath is essential as it helps to remove the dead loose furs and also helps to prevent matting.

The chinchilla cage should have access to clean drinking water throughout the day. Water bottle and the tube should be properly cleaned and hot water should be used to clean these. So ideally you should have two water bottles. If you are not comfortable washing these, then I suggest that you use a dishwasher to clean the water bottles. Take help of a small brush with a long handle to clean the edges and the inside of the water bottle.

The feeders should be mounted on the side of the cages so that it does not get soiled easily. If it gets dirty, then change the feeders at the first instance. Any item in the cage which can get contaminated easily needs a proper cleaning every week. Chinchillas’ are very sensitive animals and therefore should be given a proper, clean and hygienic environment.