Is plastic really "THE EVIL"?

[Megan]

Does anyone have any data that says how many chins(or, even other small animals) that are killed directly to the use of plastic? Blockage, poisoning, etc?


I was doing cages last night, and in the pet cages they have those fleece covered tubes. Just noticed the boys chewed a ton of holes in their fleece, exposed the tube and started working on that already. (I thought fleece wasn't supposed to be able to be destroyed??).

 

[kaykay]

I guess I have alot of hard chewers? I had two chins in a cage with a platic bottom and they chewed a hole in the bottom on the cage (they were only in the cage for 3 days)

In this case, I would definitely go with all safe wood in the cage.

 

[jmdebb]

Personally i do not put plastic items in my cages cuz i have always read that it is compromising to them, so I don't take the chance. Mine are chewers so I know they will chew it.

Jean

 

[arf2184]

I avoid plastic because wood lasts longer. Mine will chew through plastic very quickly and its simply a waste of money to give them anything plastic. Wood is cheaper for me and lasts longer (though they still destroy it eventually).

 

[Midwest Exotics]

I dont use plastic with any of my cages other than my growing cage. They cant really even get to that plastic anyways. I just stay away from plastic things as i just rather not chance it. I have in the past with some of my firsts & as said, if the chinchilla is offered other things to do & chew on they are less likely to start in on the plastic. I use some plastic dust huts & some do & some dont chew on them during dust time, it depends on the chinchilla.

I no longer use plastic in any of my cages, not so much because i feel they are going to swallow it & die, but i dont really see a reason to. Also getting untreated wood & making my own ledges & or huts is far cheaper. I can make far more things from a few sheets of wood than the money i will spend on one or two igloos, etc. I feel encouraging them to chew by providing more than one safe place to chew is best; a wooden hut, a wooden ledge, wood chews, a wooden hay box, etc. More the chewing stations the better i feel.

I dont think its a big deal if the animals at hand arent big chewers & enough other chews & stimulation is given. Pay attention to your animals behavior & all should be well, plastic or not. Its all about good judgment.

 

[Essentia]

The only thing plastic I have is a plastic hay rack that sits outside of the cage. Other than that everything is wood or metal (or pyrex glass for the litter boxes). When I first put the hay rack on, Chula did try to chew it. The second I put the hay in it though he completely left it alone and now only goes after the hay. I think it completely depends on the chin. With Buttons he's barely a chewer at all, so he leaves all plastic alone (though I don't have any in the cage).

 

[Stackie]

(I thought fleece wasn't supposed to be able to be destroyed??).

Fleece can easily be destroyed no problem. It just doesn't fray and the threads don't pull apart like most other fabrics.

I stray away from plastics. One of my chins had an impaction from chewing the coating off on an electrical cord (I assume that's some sort of plastic?), to go along with the other problem of him having been electrocuted. I also do not find plastic very sanitary. I'd rather my chins chew on something and possibly face ingestion of something more natural, like wood for example, rather than something man made and consisting of chemicals like plastic.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I don't think it is "evil" per se, but it can cause problems. I had a girl chew out of a regular cat carrier, and die the next day from a rectal prolapse. I should have got a necropsy to confirm for sure she died from the plastic, but in my mind, she 100% did. I don't use it now, just better safe than sorry. I have to add I used igloos in 30 cages of chins for 4 years and never had a problem there, so I think it was just a freak accident.

 

[alli713]

I also don't think it's evil, but I don't see it as a necessary accessory for their cages.

If you have a plastic bottom, who's to say that they won't one day decide to chew it? Then you have an escaped chin on your hands.

Why use plastic igloos when you can use wood? Same with shelves.

Plastic water bottles are just dumb in my opinion. I had one when I first got Chibi and it didn't last a day.

With so many other alternatives, I don't see the point of putting plastic in the cage. I'd rather have wood which is natural and I would think easier to break down than plastic which is made from chemicals.

As far as fleece, yes it can easily be destroyed if your chin wants to. But most don't try and after an initial taste test they leave it alone. But there are plenty of chins that can't have fleece because they destroy it.

If your chin leaves plastic alone, then I don't see the problem with plastic shelves or waterbottles (still disagree with plastic bottoms) because they aren't trying to chew it.

 

[Cuddlebug]

I have had chins tear up a plastic igloo in just a few days. I never found pieces of plastic in the bottom of the cage so i guess they must have ingested it. I also had a pair that chewed a hole through a plastic bottomed cage while I was cleaning their regular cage. It took them all of about 20 minutes to do this. I would just rather ber same than sorry so I tell people "no plastic".

 

[Jenn]

I have a plastic hay ball (for rabbits, I believe) and it has never been chewed on.

I had a plastic litter box. After months of her ignoring it, she began to chew on it so I took it out.

I have a 4 foot pvc pipe that she does not chew on. I covered it in cloth, not fleece, and the most she has done is try to move the pipe by grabbing onto the extra length of cloth that covers the pipe.

Basically, anything that is in her cage I keep an eye on. If it becomes an issue, it goes. Tink is not a heavy chewer, compared to other chins. But I don't think plastic is an automatic evil. It just depends on the chin.

 

[ABBY W.]

I would say yes. Most plastics are potentially dangerous. Some chins are more inclined to chew it than others. If your chin doesn't seem to want to chew the plastic then it's safe to use. PVC is the only plastic I ever use with my chins. It's tough enough that they really can't chew anything substantial off of it, so there's no danger of a bowel obstruction. I would say though it's mostly a matter of the individual chin's personality, how likely they are to chew and eat plastic, and what you are comfortable with as an owner.

 

[Anne-Lise]

I think the risk is just not worth it. I've had chins that never chewed plastic, and in one night, they just decided to chew the corner of a cage and get out. So even if monitored, you don't know when they'll start. That was my experience with plastic. Si even if they don't touch NOW they might when you're gone. So far nothing bad happened, but I won't take anymore chance.

 

[Burgess Chinchillas]

Yes

I voted yes. Here's why:

Most chinchillas (and most other animals) won't swallow enough plastic to actually cause blockages in their digestive system. All of our pens, shelves house, etc are wood and each pen has toys and other chewing objects, but we have found that some chins still will nibble on plastic where they find it. So if they don't eat enough to cause blockages, why is it bad?

Well, in 1998 DINP (di-isononyl phthalate), a chemical used to soften plastics began to be removed in children's toys from many countries, because lab animals that had been chewing on plastic containing it sustained liver and kidney damage as a long term effect and had significantly higher cancer rates. The U.S. CPSC stated "Animal studies show that DINP causes chronic toxic effects to the liver and other organs...the maganitude of the risk is directly related to the amuont of DINP released from mouthing and the amount of time children mouth the products." Unfortunately, the ban on the use of DINP did not extend to animal products. DINP is not found in all plastics, just soft plastics.

What about hard plastics? Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) has done extensive studies on Bisphenol A, found in hard plastics, that the government has thus far ignored. Their conclusive findings are that the long-term effects of ingestion of Bisphenol A significantly damages the reproduction system, and they have been trying to ban the substance for years.

So, to be on the safe side, we do not allow our chins the oppotunity to chew on plastic. But it is an individual choice. I just believe it is important to make a thoroughly informed decision.

 

[starleomach]

I wouldn't leave it in if they were chewing it up like crazy beasts, but I am not anti plastic. The biggest danger with plastic pans is they can chew their way out.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I agree with Megan - I have some plastic in some of my cages - The ones that don't chew it - including some plastic shelves (only 3 cages) and have never had a pooblem. Been doing this since 1994 and yes I have had some chins chew the plastic (I then take the plastic out)

 

[bad.kelpie]

Yes.

But not for the reasons pertaining to chewing/blockages.

Plastic is not biodegradable, it doesn't ever go away once it is made. It leeches toxic chemicals into the air and water. And it is made of petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

I won't use it for my own stuff (99% plastic-free house), why would I subject my chinchilla to it?

 

[shouts]

I've always said that PVC will be the new asbestos - toxic in its manufacture, toxic when it burns, no way to recycle it so it will all end up in a dump. It's already been banned from many toys and medical supplies.

It's worse than plastic.

 

[signalpie]

I try not to use it but I do have a plastic bowl for treats and for extra food if I am going to be gone for the weekend, my boys have never bothered it but put a plastic water bottle in the same room and I think they would chew a hole in it.

 

[Melissa]

Im not trying to cause havock or anything like that but Ive seen a lot of you use fleece..

Did you guys know that fleece was made of plastic?