Chins not fond of wood??

[Crys12065]

So Delilah has never been a wood chewer, she will nibble here and there but basically does not destroy anything. She does destroy vine balls though and loofa so I assume that takes care of her teeth? They are not overgrown or anything.

So the new chins are beavers!! I mean they will desimate wood twigs in no time and even the hardwood toys are taking a beating! They are chewing on the ledges and Delilah has never touched hers. It is amazing how different they are. I love that they enjoy the wood and toys so much!

Anyone have a chin who does not chew wood?

 

[momenteller]

Yes, it took me quite awhile to figure out what Cleo would chew. She does not like hanging toys or most sticks. She will only chew the tiniest of twigs, and even then, she pushes them off of her shelves the first few times they are given to her. I have to stay by her cage and keep offering it to her until she eats it. She had a wooden toy bowl that I placed different wood chunks in, and she would dump the chunks into the shavings (no matter how many times I put them back in her bowl) until she finally peed on her toy bowl and I gave up. She does like lava bites though, and has a favorite ledge she chews on. Its the ledge behind her fleece house-- I swear she's trying to secretly chew her way to freedom.

I have signs of hope: she recently started chewing hay cubes, and she's taken particular interest in a hanging toy from Sumiko, but continues to ignore the other 6 hanging toys in her cage. I'm not sure how old Cleo is, she's my CL chin, but I think she hadn't had toys in her previous home and didn't know what to do with them. Just keep trying, maybe Delilah will come around!

 

[Crys12065]

Thanks! Delilah is also a CL chin but they got her from a breeder so know her age is 3. She only had one toy in her cage so maybe that is why she is shy about the wood. If she doesn't like wood that is ok with me I just want to make sure her teeth are ok with what she does chew.
She also likes the hay cubes, Brittany makes a toy she went nuts for but only the hay cubes, not the cholla, lol

 

[partygirlha]

Bugs is not a heavy chewer and when he was less than a year we had to have his teeth filed because he wasn't keeping up with chewing. Not I keep a WIDE variety of twigs in stock. He's picky and changes his mind all the time. One day only crab apple will do... the next only willow... try buying a bunch of different kinds of twigs and changing it up to keep him interested. Ronda has vairty packs that could be a good way to get started

 

[Riven]

Be sure to offer hay, it will help wear down teeth. Also try different kinds of wood, all wood is not created equally. Cottonwood is soft, apple if more of a hard wood, pear and apple has a sweet flavor, etc.

 

[Crys12065]

I had ordered a sample pack of wood from Ronda for her and she was not really interested in any of them. But I keep putting them in her cage just in case she changes her mind, lol

I actually ordered another sample pack from Ronda today because the newbies are beavers and I want to see which wood they prefer before buying it in bulk. Maybe Delilah will like some of this new wood.

Oh and she gets unlimited hay

 

[javachin]

Trying a sampler of wood is a good idea. I have some chins who will barely touch pecan, but go nuts for pear, apple, and kiwi. They're just as picky as people sometimes!

 

[jbcstratton]

Sometimes a chin that hasn't had wood available before doesn't know what it is for. You can get some bigger sticks and put them on a chain or wire and hang it in the cage. eventually they get the idea and being hung up they don't just get peed on so you have to throw them away. Variety helps as well. Some like different kinds and some like thin or thick sticks. Good luck.

 

[Sesame]

Definitely trying a variety of woods, cuts of woods (like chunks, twigs, sticks, rounds), and also getting wood from a variety of people helps. After a long time, I've finally found what would interest my chin. Also I learned that while she will chew on hanging toys, she much prefers to hold the wood in her paws instead.

They can be pretty picky little furballs.

Have you tried the lava bites? They seem to be a pretty good hit.