Tips to Potty Train Your Chinchilla
Chinchillas are adorable animals that also happen to be highly intelligent. It is possible to train them to follow basic commands. The following are a few tips to help potty train your Chinchilla.
- Start Training while they are Still Young
Chinchillas should be trained when they are young. This means giving them just a few weeks to adapt to a new surrounding before attempting to potty train. It will be much more difficult once they are adults. Before starting to train, invest in bedding for the cage. Aspen is recommended as material for bedding. Little potty boxes can also be purchased that will fit into the corner of a cage. Make sure to use critter litter for the chinchilla’s litter box. Do not, under any circumstances, use cat litter.
- Watch Your Chinchilla’s Habits
After your pet has adjusted to their living area, begin to look for where the chinchilla normally goes to the bathroom in the cage. It is recommended not to clean the cage for several days in a row so it will be easier to see where the animal is urinating. They will often pick one or two specific places. These are normally in corners.
- Encourage Use of the Litter Box
Place the litter box in the area that they have been using to urinate. Make sure food and water bowls are not near the litter box. Whenever the chinchilla urinates outside of the litter box, scoop up that area of bedding and put it in the litter box. They should eventually be using only the litter box in the cage for urination. Clean out the litter box whenever the bedding in the cage is changed.
- Train during Active Times
Chinchillas are normally most active at dusk and dawn. These are the times an owner will want to spend the most time with their pet if at all possible. Training during these times should enable the owner to remove any bedding that has been urinated on and place it in the litter box as soon as possible. This should help the chinchilla make the connection between urinating and where their proper place to potty is located.
- Use the Right Treats
Whenever they are making progress, giving them a treat will provide encouragement. Try to give treats when you see the chinchilla urinating or soon after. Dried hibiscus, Applewood Sticks, plain cheerios and rose petals can be used for treats when training a chinchilla, though they should be given in moderation.
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I Have the same issue with Swee Swee. She’ll go to the bathroom in every corner of the cage and near or on her food and hay. She poops all over at random and generally urinates in the corners. However, I found her to urinate at random spots in the middle of the cage floor. Can I use black pepper (very sparingly) to deter her from going to the bathroom all over the cage.??? Leaving one or two frequently used spot without black pepper. I’m afraid I might hurt her if she ingests or walks on the black pepper. I just want an unpleasant smell that will guide her to the proper place to go to the bathroom. Any suggestions? 🙋🏻♀️💖🐭
Hi there i have a chinchilla that is today 7 weeks old…had him since he was 6 weeks..How do i bond with him? i give him play time everyday in the bathroom i sit with him aswell he will jump on top of me run over me under me lol…nd i will ait at his cage he will get on my hand nd i will move him up or down his cage… nd how will i know if the little guy is actually happy? is there any other friut i may give him like veggies?
Find the spot where your chinchilla mostly uses the restroom and start there.
My chinchilla uses the bathroom everywhere. How can I train him?
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