Chinchillas are fairly clean animals in terms of their own personal hygiene. These animals spend a good deal of time grooming themselves and they need a regular dust bath to keep themselves clean and healthy. That being said, chinchillas can get a little messy when they feel frustrated. For the most part, however, their cages don’t tend to smell – especially if you use fresh shavings and clean it frequently. A weekly chinchilla dust bath will also help keep your pet clean.