Holes in water bottles

[JohhnyBishop]

Hi All,
I hope you are doing well.
I have a problem with chins making holes in the plastic water bottles.
They were on some frenzy because I lost 7 bottles in a month while it was OK before.
I reckon when the ball gets stuck then chins tend to nip the edge of the bottle making a hole.
Would you recommend any other brand or something more durable?
Thanks

 

[Amethyst]

Glass water bottles are what is recommended for chins. I have had luck with the Living World bottles https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-J-llfOdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg but other brands like Kaytee (the bottles seem to be hit or miss), Oxbow, and Lixit are a few name brands I can think of off hand.

 

[ChinsForLife]

I have used Kaytee and Full Cheeks (PetSmart brand) glass water bottles. They both work great! However I actually prefer my Kaytee one (Even though I really hate the brand overall) because it doesn't leak any and is quieter at night than the Full Cheeks brand is. That being said, I've heard some do leak so its really dependent on whether or not you pick up a good one.(Like amethyst said) I just got the ones sold at the pet store to avoid shipping costs, lol. Glass is recommended because plastic isn't a safe material for chins to ingest; even if it is nontoxic, the pieces can cause blockages and can even cut up the intestines. About it being a sudden problem, that's the thing about chinchillas...they will randomly start chewing something one night and pick up the habit even if they had no interest before. They do the same thing with toys, they wont chew it at all for weeks and then randomly, you wake up one morning and the whole thing is gone. For that reason, even if your chinchilla doesn't seem to be initially interested in plastic, you don't need to take a chance because all it takes is the flip of a light switch in their brain and it creates an immediate and ongoing problem.

 

[JohhnyBishop]

Yes, it is the young female who nips the bottles. I ordered the glass bottles.