After providing food and water, it is your most important job as a chinchilla parent.
And a good vacuum cleaner makes this so much easier.
But vacuums are loud and scare many animals as a result.
Is that the case with these tiny rodents? Are chinchillas scared of vacuum cleaners, too?
Keep reading for the answer, plus everything else you need to know about cleaning a chinchilla’s cage with a vacuum cleaner.
Contents
Do Chinchillas Like Vacuums?
Chinchillas neither like nor dislike vacuums. If you use a vacuum daily to clean the cage or the room around the cage, your chinchilla will get used to it and be fine with it.
A shop vac is my secret weapon. It makes the whole cleaning process so much easier.
But regular use is the key. Chinchillas adapt to routines quickly. If you make the use of a vacuum a regular thing, you will get your chin will become accustomed to hearing it and pay it no special attention.
When I say to use it regularly, I should say daily. It is best to vacuum the cage daily.
You should be cleaning the cage daily anyway, but it’s hard to keep up with that. A good vacuum makes this process 1000 times easier to handle.
And doing it daily also makes it easier. If you go much more than a few days without a tidy up, the task usually ends up taking twice as long. Stay on top of it and make your life easier.
On thing to be aware of is the noise coming from the vacuum cleaner. Some models are quite loud. So loud, in fact, that they can cause hearing loss in humans.
Chinchilla hearing is as good as ours, so that means it could cause hearing loss in them, too. If you have a loud vacuum, it would be best to put your pet in a different room while vacuuming out the cage.
Daily Cleanings Are Essential
Cleaning the chinchilla cage daily isn’t only important because it smells better and looks better. It’s also imperative to your chinchilla’s health.
Think of it like this.
Chinchillas can poop more than 200 times per day. That’s a lot of poop. Would you want to be sleeping and living in your own poop?
What if your chinchilla is not potty trained and keeps peeing on the bedding shavings?
Maybe you use fleece liners, which I 100% recommend, and your chinchilla has urinated on these as well.
This could lead to bacterial growth and infections and cause your chinchilla to become ill if you get behind on your cleanings too far, or just don’t clean the cage often enough in general.
In addition to the daily cleanings, you should also do a weekly deep clean. I have a step-by-step guide on how to clean a chinchilla cage.
Cleaning is chore, but you can make this job as easy as possible, by using a vacuum and other tools that make it more convenient.
It’s completely worth it when you purchase a vacuum that’s up for the task. Luckily, that’s what I plan on touching on next: recommendations for vacuums that can take the beating of daily chinchilla cage cleanings like a champion.
Best Vacuums For Cleaning A Chinchilla Cage
The vacuum you use on your chinchilla cage will make a world of difference for your upcoming cleanings for several reasons.
First and foremost, hay, poop, and shavings can cause considerable strain on a vacuum. Especially one that’s not built to take that beating.
Secondly, the items mentioned above can easily clog the tubes and filters of a typical vacuum.
There are plenty of cheap vacuums out there, but those won’t get the job done. Getting a good vacuum is essential.
Spending a bit more today will make your life much easier down the road. And you don’t have to break the bank either.
The vacuum I use and recommend works great, but still sells for a very reasonable price.
Shop-Vac Stainless Steel Wet Dry Vacuum
I use the Shop-Vac 5-Gallon 4.5 HP Wet/Dry Vacuum.
I’ve been using this vacuum for 2 of the 3 years I’ve owned my chinchilla.
Before this vacuum, I used several upright vacuums, and they quickly became useless after about 2 to 3 cleanings.
I also used several cheaper shop vacuum options which also ended up not being capable of performing the daily cleanings.
The cheaper filters and cheaper hoses just aren’t cut out for this task.
Typically I found the vacuums in the $25 to $50 range almost suffice, but they not quite sturdy enough. I finally made the switch and have been in great shape since.
This vacuum has an incredible suction, a wide enough hose opening for all cage debris, and continues running at full power regardless of the beating it takes.
Occasionally, the tube does still get clogged after sucking too much hay into the hose, but this is easily fixed by hitting the hose with your hand while holding the hose towards the ground.
This lets gravity help you get the debris out of the hose, and the vacuum resumes working with no issues.
Other Pro Tips
I have a few other tips to share that will make this process even more streamlined for you. First, make sure to sweep what you can with a handheld brush and a dustpan.
Use something like the combo I use:
Don’t spend too much time on this task but do a quick sweep, toss the poop and discarded hay into a garbage can, and bust out that new shop vacuum to finish the job.
Secondly, I highly recommend using fleece liners as opposed to the combination of bedding and wire bottom chinchilla cages, which are not good for chinchillas.
The liners are easier to clean and make it effortless to do a quick sweep and then vacuum. Once a week, simply remove the liners and wash them in cold water.
That’s currently the routine and methods I use, and the cleaning process is about as easy as it can be, and doesn’t take much time out of my day.
I currently use the Piggy Bed Spread fleece liners.
- Designed specifically for Critter Nation Cage
- Includes: Two large pan liners (one with a notch/cut-out for the ramp opening, Two small shelf liners and three ramp covers
- Available in various designs
You can get them for several different chinchilla cages. I currently use them on the Critter Nation 2 Dual Level Cage. This cage is the best that is currently available on the market and is featured in this article.
Chinchillas And Vacuum Cleaners: Final Thoughts
To wrap things up, chinchillas absolutely have no issues with you using a vacuum. Especially when you do it regularly.
Chinchillas adapt to their environment quickly, and it won’t take long for them to realize this is just part of the day.
Cleaning the chinchilla cage and caring for your chinchilla is not an overly complicated task with some routine.
Chili and I wish you the best of luck with your cage cleanings and your new chinchilla.
Share your opinions.
As always, Chili and I appreciate you stopping by and reading. We also encourage you to share feedback on this topic with other readers.
Do you use a shop vacuum to clean your chinchilla cage?
Do you have any further recommendations to share with everyone?
Be sure to share those thoughts, concerns, and stories by dropping a comment below. Thanks again, and we will see you next time.
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