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geraldinemoo

Active member
Joined
Oct 23, 2009
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31
Location
San Francisco
is it safe to give my chin cardboard to play with?
she seems to like chewing on cardboard a lot...

also...which is better?
loose hay or hay cubes?
can i just give her hay cubes and not loose hay?
 
As for cardboard... Personally I wouldn't. You don't know whats on it and dyes can be hazardous. But I don't know.

For the Hay. Yes you can simply feed hay cubes. I do. I fed both for almost three years untill the loose hay started to attack my allergies. Now I feed amix of timothy and alfalfa cubes.
 
It can always be argued that you don't know how good the hay quality is in the cubes, moldy, weeds, bugs/rodents, chaff etc. And that chins enjoy "shopping" for the perfect strand of hay. But, yeah it's a personal choice.
 
yea...because my chin is always choosing the hay...and she makes a mess and the entire cage is full of hay that she doesnt want, thats why im considering getting hay cubes to reduce the mess...
 
I use paperboard food boxes for my chins like cereal boxes.

I actually feed both cubes and loose hay. Both have their benefits to the chins. Mostly it means that I can just give out hay once a day because they have their cubes all the time.
 
I wouldn't give any other cardboard than the ones called "critter crunchies" that are made specifically for pets to chew on. They are colorful little rings/tubes that many people sell in their chin stores.
 
I would think that the stuff cardboard is made of wouldn't be good for a chin, but some people say it's ok to give chins the tubes of tp rolls or papertowel rolls, are those safe for the chins? I read that as long as the paper wasn't on it any longer that it would be fine, but still these things have some sort of glue or adhesive right? Even the crunchies aren't the also cardboard?
... =[, I don't give my chins cardboard because I don't know what's in it.
 
brittiny said:
I would think that the stuff cardboard is made of wouldn't be good for a chin, but some people say it's ok to give chins the tubes of tp rolls or papertowel rolls, are those safe for the chins? I read that as long as the paper wasn't on it any longer that it would be fine, but still these things have some sort of glue or adhesive right?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't give those types of tubes to my chin for the adhesive reason. I do use clean cardboard boxes to make her forts to jump and play in during playtime. During playtime, I have the Bunny Maze/Castle, which is also made out of cardboard as well. My chin just like the rip the paper off really. If your chin really enjoys eating the cardboard paper layers, then perhaps you might want to stay away from putting any cardboard-like items in the cage.

I do give her those Critter Cave Tunnels and the small bitty bagels, since these seem to be pet safe. She enjoys shredding the colorful paper coverings on these tubes and rings.

My chin won't touch hay cubes for some reason. I've gotten them from different members, tried to give them to her in different ways (hanging toys, loose, on foot toys) and she just ignores them. She prefers the loose hay to cubes. If you choose to switch over, hopefully your chin will not snub the hay cubes.
 
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Personally, I'd still give loose every once in a while if possible for the benefits of wearing down their teeth. It's been said that the loose helps wear down their back teeth better than cubed. For that reason I'd be inclined to offer loose some of the time if all of the time isn't possible. Better to be safe I say.
 
I give cardboard, corrugated and non. I gave a weanling group an oatmeal canister last week and it was like throwing food to a bunch of starving, rabid dogs. I think it survived maybe 30 minutes... lots of dancing and lots of demolition. :D

I found a nice bale of hay last month and am giving both loose and cubed - they still devour both. I was on cubes only for awhile, and neither for awhile. It's a personal preference.
 
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What kind of oatmeal canister? I have one that is almost empty, it's the quaker brand. Is that bad?
 
my chins rather loos hay, but every now and then they'll nibble a cube.

we have some of the large tubes for play time, and that's the only time the really come in contact with any sort of cardboard. sometimes Morgan Freeman will rip the inside
 
Well what about the color in the label? Sorry, I just don't want to do anything to risk my chins health.
 
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