Mesh floors

If there is such an issue with mesh floors then why are they the most popular cages to have in the UK? That is a genuine question not a disagreement. I'm not saying that because they're the most popular they must be ok.

Obviously being on here I see the vast majority have liners for the FNs or suggest covering mesh over a certain size. There are going to be differences in the way things are done here compared to the US/CAN, for instance it was pointed out to me that the most popular brand of dust in the US is very fine compared to what we have in the UK therefore a bath isn't needed as often. But obviously the mesh bottom issue is very different so just wondering.

I don't know about in the UK, but in the US I believe the biggest issue we have isn't with wire bottoms, but rather, wire bottoms that have too large of spacing. As long as the spacing is small enough I don't think it's a big issue. It might not be as comfortable as a solid bottom cage, but I know that many people will put matts on part of the floor, and ledges, so the chin has the option to get off the wire if he/she wants to.

I've used both solid and wire bottom cages, and I think wire is a P.I.T.A. to scrub clean, that's the reason I switched.

Some breeders use 1/2 x 1/2 inch wire openings on the bottoms of their cages, then they line up newspaper underneath (with a gap between them), so they can easily just throw away the papers and put clean in. I know of one breeder who uses huge rolls of paper at the end of each row and he just pulls the old paper out, then unrolls new paper to put in its place.

I think it's more what Brittany said - that some people aren't careful with the size of their openings, leading to chins getting their feet caught. I personally won't use wire bottoms because I think they are uncomfortable for their feet, and I also won't use them from a health standpoint. I won't use them for rats and I won't use them for chins. They pee on the wire which is very hard to keep clean, the paint chips or rusts, their feet get a small cut, the filth gets in it, and bumblefoot results. I just think it's easier to avoid all that and have them on solid bottoms with shavings.

I don't think wire bottoms are the issue. Things like ramps and other mesh surfaces need to be covered because of how chinchillas bounce off of surfaces and get themselves in trouble. Mesh shelves have the same problem and I have a friend who had a bunch in her cages until she got four broken legs in one week. I lost a female to a mesh shelf...she broke her leg and died from the shock.

For wire bottoms on cages, the dangers are not as serious. I still don't like them because of the reasons Tunes mentioned. My chins also really enjoy rolling in their shavings and munching on them and with kits tucked under mom, I'd rather have them on a cushy shavings surface than hard wire. So wire is not as widely used in the US for many reasons, but I don't think safety is one of them. While I and many other breeders choose not to use wire bottoms, I know several breeders that do and swear by them. My chins dislike being on the wire for the few moments I take away their pans to clean and that just confirms for me that they shouldn't be on wire.

The most common size of wire spacing here is 3/4" x 3/4". Some cages have floors made from 1/2" x 1/2". I also know some people who use 1" x 1".

To many people, mesh cages are the epitome of fur farming - the idea being that the animal's fur does not get soiled since urine & droppings fall through the mesh rather than sitting in the bottom of the cage. The theory is that if there is no excrement on the floor then the chinchilla can't roll in it or get it stuck to their fur.


Personally I prefer the mesh floored cages but then I use bumble pads (fleece) plus ledges & pieces of shelving on the floors of all my cages. No chin is left with a cage of complete mesh - Like Peggy, I can't see that would be comfortable but I have seen it in some breeder's units & it makes me feel sorry for the chins.


I disagree with you slightly Peggy in that bumblefoot can be caused just as easily by soggy shavings/bedding than by cage mesh - it is all about pressure loads, breaches in skin integrity (cuts & scrapes), & bacterial infection - this can happen on any surface TBH. I'd say, more than the type of flooring/bedding used, hygiene is the key - if the floor is dirty (mesh or shavings) then there's a risk of infection.


Chins are intelligent creatures & if nothing else, cage floor furnishings should be provided so that they don't get terminally bored - it's one issue which leads to fur chewing, for a start. Personally, I've never understood the need for an empty cage, especially here in the UK where there's no fur farming. I'm not going to bore my chins to death just so their fur stays pristine - I'd rather they were comfy & had things to chew on/play with.

I have wire bottoms. I have actually never had a case of bumblefoot once in all these years. Most of the chins are on the wire all the time. The wire spacing is so small that it doesn't really form any type of stress concentration any more than being on a solid surface - that is, the foot has enough places that are evenly supported without causing any uneven wear to them. The chins can lay across the floors and stay cooler...the cages have great air circulation, as well.

The problem that I have with cages are when they are unsafe. They will have shelves and ledges that are too high up and the chins can fall...it's the same with any type of cage. Wire spacing of 1"x1/2" is just dangerous for shelves because when a chin gets caught it may try to jump up and fall off the shelf and hurt the chin. I haven't had this happen with the smaller spacing.

The wire cages are easier to completely disinfect, at least they are for me. I can take them outside and scrub them...I can scrub them inside, as well if I need to. The slide out pans are great because I can pull them to clean them and the chins do not escape with a floor in place!

The chins are not in any wet shavings ever, which is great for the older chins and babies. I've seen chins with foot infections come in and it's always from sitting in the filthy shavings. (That's easily solved if people keep their cages clean.)

I'd never want to have to keep the floors clean with cages that just have shavings in them or cages that have liners. I have 130 or more cages at any given time and I like to be able to keep the chins and the room as clean as possible. The emails that I get from people, who think that the wire bottoms are wrong, really irritate me. If I make someone a cage, it is safe and is made very well. They are going to have that cage for long time. It's not fair for people, who have little experience, to judge me for the cages I use and sell to customers.

I have used both wire bottom with newspaper and solid pans with shavings. I am currently on all wire bottom cages. I definitely prefer the wire bottoms for both my breeders and weaned growers and show animals. I find a lot of breeding plugs being on wire and also can monitor animals droppings better on the newspaper under the wire bottom for earlier detection of any problems with diet or water supply. I prefer wire bottoms for growers and show animals because I've found it's much easier to keep them cleaner and less urine stained then they get on shavings. I do prefer solid bottoms with shavings for females littering on and for babies in their first month as it is warmer and easier for them to get around. I use a small square piece of carpet on the wire bottom cages for expecting mothers to litter on and nurse their babies and most use it for the first 3-4 weeks till the babies feet grow enough to get around good on the wire. I do have to change the carpet pieces often and I do take my cages down once a year and wire brush clean them and paint them. They are a little more work to maintain, but are worth it to me for all the benefits I've listed.

Carpet in a cage with a chinchilla?

The females really enjoy it and the babies do as well. I usually put a 6x6 inch cut square piece of tweed carpet (no foam backing) into the wire cage about a week before female is due to litter. They will lay on it, sprawl out and relax on it, almost always litter on it, and will allow the babies to lay on it and nurse. I usually have to change the piece after they litter and again usually after a week or two or whenever it becomes soiled or stained. I use the carpet squares for usually about a month and then the kits don't use it to nurse on anymore so I remove it. It is something my father started doing years ago when a female would litter on wire bottoms and the animals really enjoy it and use it.

ticklechin said:

Carpet in a cage with a chinchilla?

Click to expand...

I know a few people who use(d) carpet here in the UK, especially with little kits. 100% natural carpet with hessian backing is considered ok on the whole as long as the chins don't decide to chew it all. Care needs to be taken that the carpet is checked daily for nibbling & is removed/changed if threads are loose.
Samples of carpet squares work well, are usually free, & can be changed regularly.

Years ago, Monty had a shelf 1/2 covered in carpet which he loved - it was one of his favourite spots for snoozing the day away. He shared his cage with a beautiful, saggy old black velvet female called Kiera who had chronic, non-healing bumblefoot (she came to my friend with it) & she seemed to find the carpet very comfy for her poor, sore feet. She'd use the carpet area in preference to thick towels.

Now-a-days I use fleece pads since fleece is softer, doesn't have threads to come loose, & is easy to wash.
For people with lots of chins or who do not want to wash fleece then woolen, hessian backed carpet is an alternative option. Thick newspaper is another but most chins make a heck of a mess with that - confetti anyone?

In the winter I will put a towel in the cage for the mama chins to snuggle their babies and keep warmer. Luckily it doesn't get cold until December and I only have to worry about that with newborns getting cold.

Do they chew on the carpet or leave it alone? The leave the towels alone and I can wash them and reuse them later.

I guess since the carpet listed has no pile some chins would leave it alone.