Chinchilla help

[abmama]

I might be bringing a chin into our home soon so I've been doing research, but I have one big question, I am a rat owner, so I think wood + urine = NO. But with chins I keep reading that all of their shelves and toys should be wooden, doesn't that get gross fast? Do you constantly have to replace these things ?

[HowlsOfAngels]

I have friends with chins and according to them you have to replace their wooden shelves once every month or once every couple of months depending upon the wear and tear.

Chins-n-hedgies.com is a good place to start for research.

[RattiesSix]

Nope. Honestly, it does not get gross fast. Chinchillas do not have the same potent urine that rats do. I replaced my shelves every 6 months or so. What I did (What most owners do) is sand the wood down once a month and flip the shelves over. Chinchillas do not smell like rats do. The reason you sand the shelves is usually because they poop on them. 

Plastic is a HUGE no with chins. They can ingest it and die of impaction. Wood everything is your best bet. My boys were in a cage with a metal pan and all wood shelves, toys, and hides.

[nancycccslp]

My chin has a Quality Cage Chinchilla Mansion with wood shelves.  There is no urine smell at all.  And yes, sometimes he likes to nibble on the shelves, so plastic is a NO. 

[ohhaiimeg]

It really isnt gross, their urine really has no smell, nothing like rat urine that is for sure!!
they are AWESOME pets i you have never had one, you will love them, they are such fun animals.

[planetjenessa]

Have you though of potty training?  I have a 8 month old chinchilla (had him since he was 3 months) who is litter box trained. I use yesterday's news as bedding.