Chinchillas are very much creatures of habit. Chinchillas like routines and tend to be a little more happy and relaxed in an environment where a routine has been established. Routines also help chin owners to ensure that all of their duties have been performed in regards to chinnie care. We have set up a list of our daily, weekly, and monthly schedules in regards to our chinchillas. The chinchillas are given dust baths during play time on various days of the week with no more than three dust baths given to one chinchilla in one week. Many evenings, treats are not given, but they are included on the schedule anyway.


DAILY

Monday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Fresh timothy hay in every cage (9:00)
Play time for Kent and Kalli (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Koontz and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Avra and Clyde (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Harold and Henna (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Tuesday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Fresh timothy hay in every cage (9:00)
Play time for Kuma and Delilah (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Clyde and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Nougat and Gwyn (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Flower and Lenga (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Wednesday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Fresh timothy hay in every cage (9:00)
Play time for Kent and Kalli (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Koontz and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Avra and Clyde (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Harold and Henna (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Thursday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Play time for Kuma and Delilah (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Clyde and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Nougat and Gwyn (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Flower and Lenga (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Friday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Play time for Kent and Kalli (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Koontz and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Avra and Clyde (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Harold and Henna (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Saturday
Thoroughly clean water bottles and food bowls (Done during the day)
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Clean all cages
Fresh timothy hay in every cage (9:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

Sunday
Check water levels (Morning and evening)
Check weights (Done in the early evening)
Fresh timothy hay in every cage (9:00)
Play time for Kuma and Delilah (9:00-9:30)
Play time for Clyde and Bonnie (9:30-10:00)
Change out pellets (10:00)
Play time for Nougat and Gwyn (10:00-10:30)
Play time for Flower and Lenga (10:30-11:00)
One treat per chin (11:00)

WEEKLY
We throw out alfalfa cubes and replace them with fresh cubes a few times a week, depending on temperature and humidity. Cages are cleaned at least once a week. Chew blocks are given as needed. Cuttlebone and Nutri-Cal are given as necessary. Pine shavings are cleaned from around the cages often. Any urine on the shelves and ledges are cleaned as needed.

MONTHLY
Once a month, we take the cages outside and give them a thorough scrub down. (Without the chins being inside them, of course!) Once a month, fleece hammocks are washed. Obviously, these hammocks are washed more often if they have become soiled.