Granite

[chinchillachris]

Hi Everyone,
I recently added fleece bedding to my cage and since the fleece can be a little warm, I wanted to get some granite slabs for the cage to keep my chins cool. So, I wanted to know, since I don't want to buy a "chinchiller" (I've owned two and they were too expensive), is it OK to just buy any old granite tile from Lowe's and place it into the cage? Or does it have to be some sort of chin-safe tile (if that even exists lol). I thought any random slab of granite would be OK, but I just wanted to double check. Also, I have one more question; is a marble tile/slab OK for a chinchilla too, or can they only have granite? Thank you everyone!

 

[mknoblich1]

Either marble or granite pieces from the store are just fine. You can put floor tile in as well. I have granite pieces in my cage and know others that do as well.

 

[Amethyst]

So long as it's just plain granite or marble it's fine, I know several people have been able to get scraps from places that do counter tops for cheap or free. However, I've found ceramic tiles to be better in a lot of ways, they are a lot cheaper (less then a dollar each), they are easier to clean (both marble and granite are porous so they will absorb pee and odors over time), and they seem fairly cool to the touch (not as much as stone though). Also up here you have to custom order in stone tile, I can get it but would have to buy a whole box, where as the ceramic and porcelain tiles are available in store and I can buy just the amount I want. I have 2 chinchillers in the cage and 4 small (8x4 inch) ceramic tiles, they prefer the chinchillers but do spend time on the tiles as well.

 

[javachin]

All that is fine to use. Some people even tile the bottom of their cages and use litter boxes.