Digging for Gold

[cindyv3737]

Shelly has a blue igloo that she almost never goes in. She will usually sit on it and eat. Today she decided to go digging for gold in it. I always leave bedding in it when I clean out her cage and today she decided to relocate it. Why does she do this?? It was very funny to see her big butt sticking out because she could not get through the tunnel with all of the bedding stuck in it.

I've also noticed she will eat her bedding sometimes. Is that normal??

 

[Sandi]

What type of bedding do you use? If it's kd pine or aspen, mine will take a few nibbles after I add fresh bedding to their cages. I believe that igloo is too small to use as a hidey house for adult chinnies and it's plastic as well, if you see her nibbling on that, I'd suggest you take it out. But alot of chins love to redecorate!

 

[shubbles]

Well chins are weird! mine pulls up the fleece and (I keep one layer of newspaper under it just incase pee soaked through) he'll shred the paper in one spot. and chinchillas like to eat stuff. They're like babies, they put everything in their mouths and its not like the bedding is hurting them since its just very thin pine or aspen.

 

[cindyv3737]

When I picked her up for the pet store she would sleep in an igloo with two other chins. Since I brought her home about a month a ago she rarely goes into it. She prefers to sleep on her top shelf.

I'm not too sure what her bedding is. I bought it at Persmart. It's in a green bag that says Carefresh. Do I need to get her new bedding?? She really does not eat it often.

 

[Rebecca]

If she doesn't eat it often, and everything is normal with her food and poops, I wouldn't worry too much. I pulled the Carefresh because my boys were eating quite a bit and it has been said to cause blockage. As I said, if her digestion stays normal, it's probably fine. I know a few other posters here use it.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

The Carefresh could cause impaction, if too much if too much is eaten, because it is recycled paper. But as for the redecoration, mine does the same thing, so what I do now, after changing and cleaning out cages, is just put the houses and tubes, etc in the cage and let Herby decorate it as she likes it. It really is funny watching her try and drag her house up onto her ledges..

 

[cindyv3737]

She eats mostly her hay and pellets. I will keep an eye on her and if anything changes I will pull out the bedding. Her digestion seems normal. She poops A LOT. :dance3:

I am pulling out her igloo. My bf and I are building her a new cage. I want chompy to be safe and healthy. I thought I had done my homework before I picked her up. I was wrong. Thanks for all of your help.

 

[cindyv3737]

I love the redecorating too. Before I go to bed I place all of her toys on her top two shelves. I love watching her drop them and then try to drag them back up.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I thought I had done my homework before I picked her up

You did the right thing by asking though! And are willing to keep asking and take the advice given!

 

[cindyv3737]

I love all the advice I get here. I really want her to be happy and healthy. I'm going to head to the feed store tomorrow and get her new bedding. I'm also going to get her rosehips. She is really warming up fast. I've had her for about a month and I swear I'm her jumping post. Today she jumped on my head for the first time.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I was quite amazed the first time my chin, Herby did that! I was new to the whole chin experience and did not know they could jump that high. Wait until she jumps on your head and sits there for a few seconds!

 

[cindyv3737]

Shelly has new bedding!!!! I picked up pine for her Friday night. The smell of the pine is so much better than the carefresh I was using. I also made her a liner. Half her cage has a liner and the other half has pine (which she has not eaten).

 

[aashly23]

When I had Harley he would move his hidey house around and move his shavings to the corner he wanted them in. He also had a little wooden ladder that hung from the side of the cage and he would take it down and move it everyday.

 

[MelodyR]

Of my seven chins, I have only one that's a real digger. I have two 3-level FNs with Aspen on the bottom bass pan only (fleece on upper 2 levels).

Mocha will go to town digging halfway to China -- he digs up with the front paws, then kicks it out with the back feet, like a meerkat. I end up with craters and mountains, and of course a mess on the floor. He'll stop mid-dig if he finds a tasty hay morsel, though, even though their hay rack is just inches away. It is so funny to watch. He likes to tunnel under or hide behind the Chin Spin, which is fine until someone else gets on it.

Speaking of the Chin Spin, mine have a wooden house next to theirs. They get on the house then jump onto the TOP of the CS and ride it out over the top and down to the bottom, like a slide. Unique approach! They are so much fun to watch!

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I have some diggers also - they can totally destroy a cage setup over night. Some of my males do it just before the females are going to deliver. I also have chins that like to sleep on top of the sleeping box instead of in it. Sometimes I have one on top and the other in the box Chins are the really silly - that what makes them so much fun

 

[jessers]

I`ve also heard that some chins don`t like to sleep on bedding like my chins, they`d just go in their hiding place and dig out all the bedding then go inside. That could be the case. And I`ve seen one of my chins take their bath house top off then flip it around and hop in it.

 

[caiti]

I've had her for about a month and I swear I'm her jumping post. Today she jumped on my head for the first time.

Whenever I lie down when my Chloe's out for play, she eventually always jumps on of my face. Her foot will be on my nose and her paw in my eye, jeez...She once ricocheted off my face, that was fun and slightly painful.