Chinchilla diy play area

[NigelAndPeanut]

Hello I'm new here and was wondering if anybody had any ideas for diy play things for chinchillas the supplies I have are card board hot glue these are only going to be used under strict supervision during playtime I just want to give my boy nigel somethings to entertain him during his play I currently have made a cardboard house with a ledge because my little one loves to jump

 

[Chinchillaville13]

Hello I'm new here and was wondering if anybody had any ideas for diy play things for chinchillas the supplies I have are card board hot glue these are only going to be used under strict supervision during playtime I just want to give my boy nigel somethings to entertain him during his play I currently have made a cardboard house with a ledge because my little one loves to jump

My boy, Pedro, likes to jump in and out of the bathtub. I'd suggest a dust bath as well, regardless of whether or not he needs one. They just really like making messes, evidently.

Also, try some TP roll balls! You cut a TP roll into 5-6 shorter cylinders, and then put them over each other until you have a ball. Pedro goes berserk over these!

And maybe, if you have extra cardboard, try a maze? I'd suggest tape instead of glue, unless said glue is non-toxic.

Also, try just putting some manzanita wood on the ground, with the sharp edges sanded. Manzanita comes in all sorts of funky shapes, so they can climb it and hide in it. They can also chew it as it is safe chinchilla wood.

 

[NigelAndPeanut]

My boy, Pedro, likes to jump in and out of the bathtub. I'd suggest a dust bath as well, regardless of whether or not he needs one. They just really like making messes, evidently.

Also, try some TP roll balls! You cut a TP roll into 5-6 shorter cylinders, and then put them over each other until you have a ball. Pedro goes berserk over these!

And maybe, if you have extra cardboard, try a maze? I'd suggest tape instead of glue, unless said glue is non-toxic.

Also, try just putting some manzanita wood on the ground, with the sharp edges sanded. Manzanita comes in all sorts of funky shapes, so they can climb it and hide in it. They can also chew it as it is safe chinchilla wood.

Thankyou for all the great ideas I am definitely trying those

 

[Chinchillaville13]

Thankyou for all the great ideas I am definitely trying those

I actually forgot to mention this, but if you have freeze dried chinchilla safe fruits or veggies, put them in the TP balls before you put the last 2 loops on. Then put them on and let your chinchillas go wild trying to get the treat! Pedro does this with freeze dried banana

 

[NigelAndPeanut]

I actually forgot to mention this, but if you have freeze dried chinchilla safe fruits or veggies, put them in the TP balls before you put the last 2 loops on. Then put them on and let your chinchillas go wild trying to get the treat! Pedro does this with freeze dried banana

That is genius definitely doing this

 

[Amethyst]

I actually forgot to mention this, but if you have freeze dried chinchilla safe fruits or veggies, put them in the TP balls before you put the last 2 loops on. Then put them on and let your chinchillas go wild trying to get the treat! Pedro does this with freeze dried banana

There is no such thing as chinchilla safe fruit and veggies, unless maybe you are talking rosehips as a "fruit". Fruits, like the banana you mentioned, are way too high in sugars which can lead to digestive upset, liver and kidney failure, diabetes, seizures, and tooth decay to name a few. Veggies also have natural sugars and can cause gas and bloat, since chins can't pass gas easily it can be fatal. Just because your chin hasn't dropped dead doesn't mean it's safe, some of the issues like the organ failure and diabetes can take years to develop, think of it like smoking a cigarette, one is unlikely to kill you but each one is doing damage. I posted a list of safe treats on this thread last year Treats

NigelAndPeanut, one other thing, be very careful with using cardboard, only use it when you can supervise. Most chins just shred it, but some do chew and swallow it which is not safe. If they swallow cardboard it can cause a gut blockage and kill the chin. Also be careful with using the glue as well, although I'm pretty sure hot glue is non toxic it's not digestible, if the chin swallows a glob of it it can also cause a blockage.

 

[NigelAndPeanut]

There is no such thing as chinchilla safe fruit and veggies, unless maybe you are talking rosehips as a "fruit". Fruits, like the banana you mentioned, are way too high in sugars which can lead to digestive upset, liver and kidney failure, diabetes, seizures, and tooth decay to name a few. Veggies also have natural sugars and can cause gas and bloat, since chins can't pass gas easily it can be fatal. Just because your chin hasn't dropped dead doesn't mean it's safe, some of the issues like the organ failure and diabetes can take years to develop, think of it like smoking a cigarette, one is unlikely to kill you but each one is doing damage. I posted a list of safe treats on this thread last year Treats

NigelAndPeanut, one other thing, be very careful with using cardboard, only use it when you can supervise. Most chins just shred it, but some do chew and swallow it which is not safe. If they swallow cardboard it can cause a gut blockage and kill the chin. Also be careful with using the glue as well, although I'm pretty sure hot glue is non toxic it's not digestible, if the chin swallows a glob of it it can also cause a blockage.

I didn't know all this where can I get rose hips and dont worry I would never leave nigel unsupervised with anything that could cause harm

 

[Amethyst]

I didn't know all this where can I get rose hips and dont worry I would never leave nigel unsupervised with anything that could cause harm

Rose hips you can buy online, various vendors sell them Grand master chin supplier list (not all vendors listed may still be active since the list is old) as well as you can get them in health food stores, or organic tea section of stores, same with a lot of other safe treats on that list I linked.

 

[NigelAndPeanut]

Rose hips you can buy online, various vendors sell them Grand master chin supplier list (not all vendors listed may still be active since the list is old) as well as you can get them in health food stores, or organic tea section of stores, same with a lot of other safe treats on that list I linked.

Thankyou I will be sure to get some

 

[Chinchillaville13]

There is no such thing as chinchilla safe fruit and veggies, unless maybe you are talking rosehips as a "fruit". Fruits, like the banana you mentioned, are way too high in sugars which can lead to digestive upset, liver and kidney failure, diabetes, seizures, and tooth decay to name a few. Veggies also have natural sugars and can cause gas and bloat, since chins can't pass gas easily it can be fatal. Just because your chin hasn't dropped dead doesn't mean it's safe, some of the issues like the organ failure and diabetes can take years to develop, think of it like smoking a cigarette, one is unlikely to kill you but each one is doing damage. I posted a list of safe treats on this thread last year Treats

NigelAndPeanut, one other thing, be very careful with using cardboard, only use it when you can supervise. Most chins just shred it, but some do chew and swallow it which is not safe. If they swallow cardboard it can cause a gut blockage and kill the chin. Also be careful with using the glue as well, although I'm pretty sure hot glue is non toxic it's not digestible, if the chin swallows a glob of it it can also cause a blockage.

Wow. Thanks, @Amethyst! I had no idea.

Are oats okay? Pedro likes a couple oats on occasions, and if he shouldn't have banana, then I'd like to make sure he's good with what all else I've been giving him

 

[Amethyst]

Wow. Thanks, @Amethyst! I had no idea.

Are oats okay? Pedro likes a couple oats on occasions, and if he shouldn't have banana, then I'd like to make sure he's good with what all else I've been giving him

Oats are ok in moderation, like few oats a week, and only organic, apparently commerical cereals are testing high for cancer causing chemicals used on the fields. Oats are gassy so you can't give them too often. I'm not sure the link worked so here is the list of all the safe treats and I updated it a bit. Each treat should only be 2-3 times a week (unless otherwise stated) but you can rotate treats so you can give at most one treat a day.

Apple Blossom
Bee Pollen (small pinch per week)
Blessed Thistle
Cactus Flower
Calendula
Carnation
Chamomile
Whole Dandelion (flower, stem, leaves, root)
Goji Berry (max 1x per month)
Hawthorne Berry
Hawthorne Leaf
Hibiscus
Honeysuckle
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Mallow
Marigold
Marshmallow Root
Milk Thistle
Mint
Nasturtiums
Oat Grout
Peony
Peppermint
Plain Cheerios (1-2 and organic only)
Plain Shredded Wheat (1 bite size and organic only)
Poplar Buds
Purple Glove Clover
Raspberry Leaves
River Oats
Rolled Oats (2-3 and organic only)
Rose Buds
Rose Petals
Rose Hips