Mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, or rabbits – all small animals live more or less in their little home: the cage. But here, the animals can not only relieve themselves, but also eat, play, and sleep. That is exactly why it is important that the cage is thoroughly cleaned from time to time. With small animal cages, one usually has the problem that brown, stubborn residues (urine deposits, etc.) are very difficult to remove. Here we have many practical tips so that the cage really becomes nice and clean:
The proper cleaning of small animal cages
What should one pay special attention to during cleaning?
Guinea pigs in particular need a large amount of fresh food. Therefore, make sure that old food scraps are replaced daily with fresh fruit and vegetables. If the food sometimes gets into the “toilet corner”, numerous bacteria have the chance to be ingested by the animal. For the sake of health, one should check the enclosures and cages of all small animals more often, keep feeding areas far away from excrement, and check the animals' favorite hiding places. Here it can happen that droppings and food share a common spot.
What is the best way to clean the “toilet corner”?
Most rodents have the habit of choosing a specific spot as their “quiet place.” They leave behind not only number one but also number two. Guinea pigs, hamsters, etc., simply cannot be trained to be “clean.” They are constantly dropping things and do not care about it further.
In the cage, the rodents choose a specific spot. If other animals have already left “droppings” in one place, newcomers will also relieve themselves in these areas.
Toilets for rodents are highly recommended. We bought 2 corner toilets for our guinea pigs and the little animals love them, often even lying in them for hours. These can then be exchanged super easily without having to clean out the whole cage right away. Especially these corners should be provided with highly absorbent litter. For example, we first use litter pellets and only then the litter over it so that the corners really stay dry for a long time.
If you have a spare cage, or if the animals are in an enclosure in the garden during the day, for example, then you can treat the tray with citric acid: rinse the plastic tray thoroughly with clear water and rub it with pure Citric acid , it is best to let this soak in over a longer period, such as overnight.
What should be considered during a thorough cleaning of the cage?
A thorough cleaning should be scheduled depending on the number of animals. The basic rule applies: the more animals you house, the more often you have to clean the small animal cage. Basically, the entire litter should be changed once or twice a week. Also check the individual levels, boards, shelters, caves, and exercise wheels for excrement and food scraps so that the cage is always clean.
For a more thorough cleaning – especially if the animals have made a bit more of a mess – a more intensive cleaning may be necessary in addition to changing the litter. For this, the use of pH-neutral soap is advisable.
First, remove the grid and empty the entire cage tray. A scoop for animals is recommended for this. Buy a larger one right away; we had a small one at the beginning with which you would be scooping for quite a long time. For us, these slots in the scoops don't do much either, because the droppings are quite narrow and small and can fall through.
Once the tray is scooped out, you can spray the entire tray with hot water and let it dry well. Important: only spray out the completely emptied cage, otherwise too much litter could get into the tray and thus into the pipes, which of course leads to blockages.
But not only the cage tray should be considered for a thorough cleaning, the grids also require regular cleaning. Wipe the bars with a damp cloth to remove food scraps, urine traces, and also hair. Everything that belongs to the furnishings (this means, for example, houses, caves, water bottles, etc.) is to be cleaned with boiling hot water every two weeks. To do this, place the items in a designated container and pour boiling hot water over them.
Once the cleaning is finished, the cage floor can be refilled with newspaper and litter. You will see how comfortable your small animals feel in the freshly cleaned enclosure.
Reduce odors
To reduce the odors from the cage of the pet, you can mix a little baking soda under the litter. This reduces the odor.
Anyone still looking for a cage or who needs to replace theirs will also find what they are looking for on Amazon: Small animal cage on Amazon
Read also:Â Which pets are suitable for children?
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
