Is It Worth It?

[Zahrii]

I'm contemplating if litter training my two boys is really worth it. They have a level with ceramic tile and a level with a fleece liner. They don't really pee in one place, although on the fleece liner level they pee all around the pan but not directly in it. On the tile it's pretty much random, some around the pan like on the fleece. The spots they pee in doesn't seem to be in areas where it wouldn't seep through the cracks between the tiles. I also plan to take the tiles out weekly to check them for any urine and clean them with a vinegar and water solution. They're cheap tiles, so I will replace them if they get stained too much. They also have about 10 ledges, so they might pee on those as they've already peed on top of their hidey house a couple times. Should I keep trying? If so, does anyone have any recommended methods? Or should I give up?

 

[Amethyst]

Potty training can make cleaning easier, but not all chins want to be potty trained, so do keep that in mind you may only get one to pee in the pan. It's much easier if they already pick a spot to pee, then you just put the pan there. It can also take at least a couple weeks for them to get the idea of potty training, just keep cleaning up any "accidents" but soak up some of the pee if you can with some shavings and put it in the litter pan. One trick I've seen mentioned lately is putting a smooth river rock in the litter pan, big enough for the chin to sit on, they apparently like to sit on rocks to pee.

Oddly enough I've had a litter pan in my boys' cage for years, I put it where they pee the most but they still peed everywhere. Ever since a chunk of lava rock fell in the pan recently they seem to sit on it to pee (I'll be replacing it with a river rock as soon as I get one) and peeing less around the cage.

 

[Zahrii]

Potty training can make cleaning easier, but not all chins want to be potty trained, so do keep that in mind you may only get one to pee in the pan. It's much easier if they already pick a spot to pee, then you just put the pan there. It can also take at least a couple weeks for them to get the idea of potty training, just keep cleaning up any "accidents" but soak up some of the pee if you can with some shavings and put it in the litter pan. One trick I've seen mentioned lately is putting a smooth river rock in the litter pan, big enough for the chin to sit on, they apparently like to sit on rocks to pee.

Oddly enough I've had a litter pan in my boys' cage for years, I put it where they pee the most but they still peed everywhere. Ever since a chunk of lava rock fell in the pan recently they seem to sit on it to pee (I'll be replacing it with a river rock as soon as I get one) and peeing less around the cage.

I'm not sure if I have river rocks around, but I do have a TON of rocks in my backyard so I'm sure there will be a smooth one somewhere. How would I sterilize it?

 

[Amethyst]

I'm not sure if I have river rocks around, but I do have a TON of rocks in my backyard so I'm sure there will be a smooth one somewhere. How would I sterilize it?

Yeah it doesn't have to be a river rock, they just tend to be nice and smooth, you just need a smooth nonporous rock. Scrub and wash it in hot water, you can even boil water take it off the stove and soak the rock in the boiling hot water, but do not boil the rock in the water it could explode. If you really want to make sure it's fully clean, before putting it in the cage for the first time, since it came from outside, you can put some bleach in the water. After that just wash it like you would the litter pan, with some water and vinegar.

 

[Zahrii]

Yeah it doesn't have to be a river rock, they just tend to be nice and smooth, you just need a smooth nonporous rock. Scrub and wash it in hot water, you can even boil water take it off the stove and soak the rock in the boiling hot water, but do not boil the rock in the water it could explode. If you really want to make sure it's fully clean, before putting it in the cage for the first time, since it came from outside, you can put some bleach in the water. After that just wash it like you would the litter pan, with some water and vinegar.

How long do I let the rock soak for?

 

[Amethyst]

How long do I let the rock soak for?

If just in boiling water, then until cool enough to remove from the water. If soaking in bleached water I would give it at least half an hour or so, then rinse well.

 

[Zahrii]

If just in boiling water, then until cool enough to remove from the water. If soaking in bleached water I would give it at least half an hour or so, then rinse well.

Do I boil the water and then add bleach?

 

[Amethyst]

Do I boil the water and then add bleach?

Yes.
Ok hopefully this is clearer... scrub and rinse all the dirt off the rock in hot/warm water with a rag or scrub brush, when it looks clean boil water and set rock in and add bleach, let cool enough to remove from water (at least half an hour), set aside to cool completely, then rinse off in clean water to remove any leftover bleach.

 

[BlastingFonda]

This is what I use to litter / potty train and it's worked out great, and my chin instantly took to peeing in his litter pans - he now has two, one on each level of his cage.

1. Buy a small rectangular glass Pyrex dish that your chin can easily sit in - mine is this size:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GHF7GK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. Buy a bag of kiln-dried pelleted pine bedding - this is the kind I buy:

https://shop.smallpetselect.com/pro...BZL5mlr6OvsgZpX_EJbLFAeQrqUsJsTRoCyrgQAvD_BwE
3. Put it in the corner that your chin pees in, or better yet, if your chin has peed on some sort of bedding, put the potty-stained bedding in the dish with about an inch of the fresh pine pellets covering the bottom of the dish.

Eventually, your chin will always pee in the litter pans. They will also chew on the pine pellets and turn them to dust, which is fine. Every week, when I clean out his litter pans, I remove most of the litter but leave a little in the pan with the fresh pellets so he can smell that area and still remember it's where he pees. It's my experience that scent is a huge, huge thing here for Chinchillas - they are territorial peers - and if they are peeing on a rock and you are cleaning / scrubbing it constantly, they may not want to keep peeing there! You always want a little pre-stained litter that retains that odor even if it's just a few tablespoons of litter sprinkled on top of the clean pellets.

Results: 100% peeing in the litter pan and he started doing it from day one. I heard of this method via a YouTuber and it's been fantastic and I never expected him to adopt it so quickly and faithfully. He will go there every time, sniff around the dish for a second, scootch his butt completely onto the pellets, and pee! Hope this is helpful for someone!

 

[Amethyst]

This is what I use to litter / potty train and it's worked out great, and my chin instantly took to peeing in his litter pans - he now has two, one on each level of his cage.

1. Buy a small rectangular glass Pyrex dish that your chin can easily sit in - mine is this size:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GHF7GK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. Buy a bag of kiln-dried pelleted pine bedding - this is the kind I buy:

https://shop.smallpetselect.com/pro...BZL5mlr6OvsgZpX_EJbLFAeQrqUsJsTRoCyrgQAvD_BwE
3. Put it in the corner that your chin pees in, or better yet, if your chin has peed on some sort of bedding, put the potty-stained bedding in the dish with about an inch of the fresh pine pellets covering the bottom of the dish.

Eventually, your chin will always pee in the litter pans. They will also chew on the pine pellets and turn them to dust, which is fine. Every week, when I clean out his litter pans, I remove most of the litter but leave a little in the pan with the fresh pellets so he can smell that area and still remember it's where he pees. It's my experience that scent is a huge, huge thing here for Chinchillas - they are territorial peers - and if they are peeing on a rock and you are cleaning / scrubbing it constantly, they may not want to keep peeing there! You always want a little pre-stained litter that retains that odor even if it's just a few tablespoons of litter sprinkled on top of the clean pellets.

Results: 100% peeing in the litter pan and he started doing it from day one. I heard of this method via a YouTuber and it's been fantastic and I never expected him to adopt it so quickly and faithfully. He will go there every time, sniff around the dish for a second, scootch his butt completely onto the pellets, and pee! Hope this is helpful for someone!

Pellet bedding is really not considered safe, it's designed to absorb and expand when wet. If the chin decides to swallow it, not just chew on it, it can expand in their gut causing a blockage. Aspen or kiln dried pine shavings are really the only safe litter for chins.

 

[JamaisVu]

What I did was put some pine shavings in places I knew they pee on, then I collected those and put them along with fresh shavings in the litter box. It took about a day for them to start using the box, so I'd say it's worth it since it's almost no effort.

As a previous comment said, though, they don't always use the litter box. My girl, in particular, designates the "peeing places" in the cage, the litter box is just one of them. My boy is much better at mostly using the box.

 

[BlastingFonda]

Pellet bedding is really not considered safe, it's designed to absorb and expand when wet. If the chin decides to swallow it, not just chew on it, it can expand in their gut causing a blockage. Aspen or kiln dried pine shavings are really the only safe litter for chins.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I'll switch to shavings the next time I re-up my order. Any preference between aspen or pine as far as absorbency, smell, etc?

 

[Amethyst]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I'll switch to shavings the next time I re-up my order. Any preference between aspen or pine as far as absorbency, smell, etc?

Personally I prefer the aspen, it doesn't have any real smell. Kiln dried pine masks pee odor better, probably because it has a pine scent, and is generally softer.

 

[Ashleye233]

I have my girl litter trained and it was the best thing I ever did she sometimes poops outside of the pan, but Always pees in it and majority of the time poops in it as well. No major scrubbing of the cage is needed anymore and or regular cleaning just consists of emptying and rinsing out the litter pan and sweeping up a few random droppings ....Definitely worth it! I began with a litter box in the corner she used the majority of the time and used Kaytee Critter Litter (basically clay) for the first week and after that switched to pine shavings. It’s fantastic because I no longer having to worry about her soiling fleece items or having to line the whole cage with messy pine shavings

 

[Zahrii]

I have my girl litter trained and it was the best thing I ever did she sometimes poops outside of the pan, but Always pees in it and majority of the time poops in it as well. No major scrubbing of the cage is needed anymore and or regular cleaning just consists of emptying and rinsing out the litter pan and sweeping up a few random droppings ....Definitely worth it! I began with a litter box in the corner she used the majority of the time and used Kaytee Critter Litter (basically clay) for the first week and after that switched to pine shavings. It’s fantastic because I no longer having to worry about her soiling fleece items or having to line the whole cage with messy pine shavings

How in the world did you train her to poop mainly in the pan?? Chinchillas naturally poop everywhere, they can't exactly stop it and learn to poop only in one place, as far as I know.

 

[Ashleye233]

I trained her to pee in it and she basically taught herself to In there too lol we usually only get about 10 pieces or so daily scattered around the cage-usually in her sleeping box. But I also started with the litter box the first day I got her and took her droppings and moved them into the pan and some peed on pine shavings as well and she picked it up fairly quick I got her at about 10weeks and started with the litter pan. My previous chin, Onyx, never took to it and peed a pooped EVERYWHERE lol they say they can poop up to 250 times a day and I swear, he did that an more lol I tried training him when he was around 6 years old. So it depends on the chinchilla themselves and when you start training and so many other factors. It’s really just luck lol