Sleeping or lying on a soft bed is incomparable. As a nocturnal animal, this is doubly so for chinchillas that like to cuddle up for a deep sleep all day and burrow and explore all night.
That’s why before you even bring your new chilly home, you need to purchase a water bottle, food bowl, toys, and a house so that your pet has a safe place. The cage should be big enough that your chilly can run around, burrow, and rest with ease. And if it has multiple levels, even better!
In the following article, we’ll explore the best chinchilla beddings that will take your chilly’s home to the next level, as well as break down important factors to consider when choosing, like material, allergens, and price.
Contents
Do Chinchillas Need Bedding?
Absolutely!
Chinchillas are small animals with even smaller, sensitive feet. Bedding is essential to maintain their health while they run around and explore their habitat. And not only that but as burrowers, bedding is required for them to engage in their natural instincts and get the sleep they deserve.
So the real question is, what bedding is best for chinchillas.
As we mentioned, their feet are small and sensitive, and they like to burrow, so extra soft bedding is your best bet. However, chinchillas also urinate a lot, so you might find that a mix of beddings is what your chinchilla really needs.
Chinchillas tend to urinate in one specific area of their cage, so having chinchilla bedding that’s absorbent and disguises odors in that area is a good idea while using alternate soft beddings in other areas.
Bedding to Avoid for Chinchillas
Cedar Shreds
Cedar must be avoided as bedding since it affects respiratory functions and causes allergic reactions to your pet.
Pine Shreds
Pine does not absorb water and the containing pine oil is harmful to chinchillas when ingested.
Corn Cob Quilts
Corn cob does well absorbing liquid, however, it doesn’t manage the habitat’s odor. Additionally, this kind of bedding isn’t soft.
Things to Consider Before Buying Chinchilla Bedding
Degree of absorbency
Maintaining the habitat’s humidity is essential since chinchillas are sensitive to temperatures. Highly absorbent beddings help you achieve this while also cleaning up spillages.
Material composition
Make sure the material is compatible with your chilly. Choose beddings with ingestible ingredients (although we recommend this food instead), soft texture, and that are dust-free.
The Best Bedding For Chinchillas
Carefresh Complete Pet Bedding
Carefresh Complete Pet Bedding has a primary focus on keeping your chinchilla’s cage free from unpleasant odors and damp spots.
It’s twice as absorbent as wood shavings and decreases the chance of bacteria and fungus forming while controlling the odor for up to ten days. This keeps your cage smelling fresh and free of any daily occurring wet spots.
Made from all-natural materials, this bedding offers your chinchilla a comfortable, cozy material to snuggle up in. While it may not be quite as soft as alternative beddings, it still provides your chinchilla with a soft, dry place to sleep throughout the day. It is also 99% free from dust, so your chinchilla’s lungs and eyes will not get damaged through irritation.
If you enjoy customizing your chinchilla’s cage, then getting to choose from the variety of colors this bedding comes in will keep you busy. You should aim to clean your chinchilla’s cage out at least once a week, so this gives you plenty of opportunities to switch up the color you’ve been using.
While Carefresh Complete Pet Bedding does not expand as much as other beddings, it comes in a variety of different sizes so you can choose the most cost-effective option for you.
What We Like
- Easy to clean up
- Twice as absorbent as wood shavings
- Consists of all-natural paper materials and is 100% safe for your chinchilla
- Consistently eliminates odors with ten-day odor control
- Comes in a variety of colors and package sizes
What We Dislike
- Not very expansive
- Not as soft as other options
Clean & Cozy Scented Small Animal Bedding by Kaytee
If softer bedding is what you’re looking for, then Kaytee’s Clean & Cozy bedding will meet all of your chinchilla’s super-soft bedding demands.
Made entirely of natural material, this chinchilla bedding is made from paper and is perfect for digging, burrowing, and nest-making. This makes it extremely versatile and able to suit more than one need of your cage.
It’s highly absorbent – capable of absorbing up to six times its own weight – and is effective at masking odors, especially when coupled with one of the scented options.
It’s available in different sizes, colors, and scents, however, for a 100% chemical-free option, go with the original. Rest assured though, the scents will not affect your pet’s health and are only there for odor control and a little extra pampering.
It’s also 99.9% dust-free and will not irritate your chinchilla’s eyes or lungs, and make it easier to clean your chinchilla’s blankets and toys.
What We Like
- Ultra absorbent – absorbs up to six times its own weight
- Made from all-natural materials that can be used anywhere in the cage
- Compressed packaging means it will expand up to three times in size
- Extremely soft and comfortable
- Affordable yet maintains the quality
What We Dislike
- Pets may be sensitive to scented and colored beddings
Small Pet Select Premium Soft Paper Bedding
All-natural beddings usually come with that all-natural high price tag, but Small Pet Select has gone above and beyond to bring us soft, healthy bedding at an affordable price.
This bedding gives your chinchilla an ultra-soft, snuggly environment to sleep and play in while being ultra-absorbent and preventing urine and odors from building up, helping you maintain a fresh, dry cage.
The all-natural material contains 99% dust-free fibers with no added ingredients, like dyes or additives. This means your chinchilla can enjoy getting cozy without irritating its eyes or lungs
Small Pet Select Paper Bedding is extremely convenient when it comes to storage too. The bedding itself is available in highly-compressed 178-liter bags and expands up to three times its size, giving you cost-effective and long-lasting supplies
What We Like
- Made with natural materials and 100% safe for your chinchilla
- Extremely soft and absorbent for maximum comfort
- Highly cost-effective and conveniently packaged
- Free of added dyes, additives, and 99% dust-free
What We Dislike
- Not the best odor control
Vitakraft Fresh World Bedding for Small Animals
If you have a chinchilla that absolutely loves to burrow, then Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Bedding is ideal.
This chinchilla bedding is made from recycled paper, making it completely natural, and is free from additives and toxic chemicals, providing a safe, irritation-free environment for your chinchilla to live in.
In addition, it doesn’t contain any baking soda and is 99.5% dust-free, helping to protect your chinchilla’s lungs and eyes.
While this bedding doesn’t expand as much as some others, it still absorbs up to three times its own weight and has fantastic odor control. The bedding locks-in moisture in quickly, resulting in your chinchilla having a cozy, damp-free space to play and sleep in.
You can feel good about buying this bedding as well since with every purchase the manufacturer collects materials that support students to have a better future.
What We Like
- Doesn’t contain any baking soda
- Crumbly and super soft makes it great for burrowing
- Free from toxic chemicals and 99.5% dust-free to help avoid irritation
- Absorbs up to three times its own weight in moisture100% toxic-free pet beddings
What We Dislike
- Not as absorbent as other options
Healthy Pet HPCC Natural Bedding
While this chinchilla bedding is not as attractive as some of the other alternate options, it makes up for it with plenty of environmentally-friendly features.
Completely biodegradable, this compostable bedding has the unique ability to suppress the odor of ammonia that’s produced by your chinchilla’s urine. This will help to keep your cage smelling fresh between clean-outs and protect your chilly from inhaling any toxins.
Healthy Pet HPCC Natural Bedding provides a warm, soft and comfortable place for your chinchilla to live in. Coming in 60-liter packages, this bedding expands to twice its normal size which makes this bedding cost-effective as well as comfortable for your chinchilla.
As well as suppressing the smell of ammonia, you’ll find that this bedding is extremely absorbent. It’s actually capable of absorbing up to three times its own weight, making sure that your chinchilla’s cage stays dry.
The material used for this bedding is completely natural, making it safe for your chinchilla to use and free from any toxic chemicals. It’s created from reclaimed wood pulp materials, providing your chinchilla with a soft, comfortable material to use as bedding.
And when it’s done, it naturally crumbles on the surface.
What We Like
- Biodegradable and compostable after use
- Extra absorbent, capable of absorbing up to three times its weight
- Expands to twice its original size
- Created from reclaimed wood pulp materials
What We Dislike
- Not as soft as other options.
Soft Fabric beddings
There are available fabric beddings online if you decide to go this route. You’ll have the option of choosing a preferred cloth color that will fit your pet’s habitat.
Fabrics are great for absorbing water and are reusable. It may not be enough to use as bedding on its own, but it’s a fantastic tool to have alongside other bedding.
How Often Do I Need to Change My Chinchillas Bedding?
Maintaining your chinchilla’s habitat unfortunately means getting your hands dirty.
We recommend cleaning and replacing your chinchilla’s bedding once a week, and ridding any wet spots daily.
As well as cleaning bedding, you need to give your chinchilla a dust bath twice a week. You can remove the materials once they’ve bathed and even give them a brush afterward. This will help them keep their fur in good condition and generally make them feel great.
They’ll love it! Chinchillas are not solitary animals and crave company, and it’s recommended that chinchillas are bought in pairs to help avoid loneliness.
Your chinchilla’s cage needs to be as large as possible as they love to run around. Place it in a good location, away from direct sunlight and any potential drafty areas.
Remember that you’re also your chinchilla’s friend and need to socialize with it as well. Chinchillas are nocturnal, so make time to spend with your chinchilla when it’s awake.
What to Do Next
After understanding your pet’s skin sensitivities, attitudes, and activeness, choosing the best chinchilla bedding is easy. Take a look through our variety of choices, and even take the time to try a few out. You may find it takes more than one type to satisfy your little chilly!
As long as it has the softness to burrow, but the absorbency to stay dry, your chilly will have a happy, healthy home.
