Chins trying to eat/rip off carpet?

[JamaisVu]

So I've had my chins for for about 2 years now, always in carpeted apartments, and they've never tried this before. But now, my girl discovered a tiny bit of the carpet that was coming off, and by the time I noticed why she was so obsessed with that particular corner, she had already lifted about an inches' worth of carpet and torn it off (that'll take a chip off my security deposit :wacko: )

I've watched her for two days now, and she seems to be completely fine (eating, drinking, pooping normally) so I don't think she actually ate any of it. But, of course, now that she knows the floor can be destroyed, she's absolutely fixated on it. I have to watch her like a hawk during play time (I have the spot covered with heavy things she can't lift, but she knows it's there and keeps trying to get to it).

Seeing as there are so many chin people here, I figured some of you may have dealt with this situation before. Any advice?

I was thinking of covering up the floors to discourage this behavior, but I'm not sure with what, because plastic/foam covers aren't safe for their stomach.

 

[AZChins]

I try to distract the chins from chewing on things during playtime by putting out things that are more fun to chew on than carpet, walls, baseboards, everything else, etc. The chins have boxes and a little play center to climb up on...that seems to help a lot.

I hope that your girl forgets about the corner of the carpet. They do get obsessed with certain things, but they usually will completely forget in a few days if they can't get to them. You could get cardboard sheets to cover the floor, that could work...

 

[turtlemoon]

our chin, Jackie, did this same thing and even though we tried to distract her from it- we used toys, dust bath, treats, food, shooing her away, putting things on top of it, etc., she always went back to that same spot on the carpet- in front of a doorway. needless to say, the carpet is now missing a 24 in. by 5 in. piece. she eventually got bored of it and now we just have an ugly reminder of where our security deposit is going. i know for a fact that she didn't eat any of the little shreds, as i once tried gluing them back on- they were all accounted for- (heh xD), but it's now gone again because of wearing it down every time we passed by.

hopefully you have better luck than we did!

 

[Godofgods]

Tried and failed. They have an incredible memory.

My girls discovered a section of wall that they could chew layers of paint off (and then tried to eat it). They got a lot of it before i decided not to let them out for a while, until i figured something out.

It took 6 months (maybe more or less i don't rly remember. I just remember it was a LONG time.) before i was able to get fleece to cover the walls. They had not been out at all during that long time. When i was finally ready to try again, i let the girls out and they immediately ran straight to where they were chewing that wall, even tho they couldn't see it since it was covered by fleece. - Very very good memory.

 

[CrazyForChinchillas]

Mine do this also. There's no stopping them except for blocking it off with cardboard or something else they can't chew.

 

[Newt]

My chin's playroom is covered wall to wall in cardboard, propped and supported by wooden tunnels. Rosey did start to bite an area where the wooden floorboards were warped and not fitting together well, and yeah, just like you describe, she would obsessively go for this spot. In the end I had to get a heavy section of untreated kiln dried pine planking and lay it over the top!