How to Clean My Chinchillas Cage

Question
I was wondering what would be the best way to clean my Chinchillas cage.  I guess I could describe it as a metal grated cage with a pullout bedding tray.  I wanted to know of any cleaning products that would be best to use and how long I should wait after cleaning it to put my chins back into it.

I need to clean it soon since one of my chins has diareha this morning and a few of her droppings are stuck to the shelves and the wood platforms.  I'm leaving work early to take her to the vet.  I have 2 chins in the same cage and I thought it would be best to seperate them since I have 2 cages from when we were getting them used to each other just so that the other doesn't get sick somehow and so I can better watch their droppings.

Answer
Hi there,
If your cage has a wire floor, you would be best to cover it with something solid. This is because chinchillas are very prone to bumblefoot which is an infected cut that happens from being on wire floor over a period of time. Its sore for them and very hard to heal up. You will be able to get disinfectants from your petstore or vets, they must be animal friendly otherwise they can cause damage to animals. Once rinsed, the animal friendly disinfectants should be safe and it should be ok for your chins to go straight back in the cage.

What have you been feeding the chins? The best thing for them is hay and plenty of it, they can also have veg and fruits in limited amounts. Too many pellets or treats can cause an upset stomach. Chins not a really high fibre diet. Take your vets advice about seperating them but if they are bonded, seperating them could cause stree which is the last thing you want for a sick chinchilla. Good luck