i have an idea on a homemade toy, let me know your thoughts!

[ChinnyMom]

hey all,

i'm just a temporary chin mommy (babysitting for about a week), but i'm always thinking up ideas on how to make things at home that are safe/fun/effective for the pets in my care. in addition to being a chin babysitter i'm also an avid fishkeeper and 'do it yourself' is lots of fun and saves money when it comes to tanks, so i had an idea for an inexpensive chin toy:

coconut shell, whole, with a hole drilled on either end. put a small handful of chin pellets in there. give your chin the coconut 'ball' during free time and watch it roll it around and get rewarded with food?

what do y'all think?

my apologies if this has been done and discussed before, i haven't had a chance to scour the whole forum yet.

 

[fanofdmb84]

I don't know about other chins out there, but mine could care less about toys during free time. Pellets too for that matter. In the cage it might work, but I don't imagine them "working" to get the pellets, like the dogs do with similar toys. My fuzzies are not that food motivated, lol. They would rather beg for treats or munch on hay.
Interesting idea, though. Wonder if anyone has tried something like that.

 

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

It does sound interesting...I know that stores put things inside wicker balls, which means they have to chew to get at it, but I'm not sure about the rolling. I think with my boy's they'd decide it was too much work! :hilarious:
With the coconut, you'd want to be able to get all the meat out first, though and then boil and bake it-which would be difficult with just a tiny hole unless you cut it in half first and then I guess wood glue it back together.:hmm:

I've been considering doing something fun with coconuts when they come into season...maybe a new hay holder or toy of some kind.

 

[ABBY W.]

It might work with a grain supplement...something they really consider a treat, but that they can have a fair amount of. Mine wouldn't work to get just their regular old pellets, but they might work to get their supplement.

 

[SmileX3]

I agree with Abby on using something other than the pellets. With kong's and such for dog's you put treats in them, not their dog food. I think if you can get it to be 100% safe then it sounds like a wonderful idea! Maybe you can put little bits of apple wood and loofas to fall out also??? Just a thought for a healthy alternative!