Is this the hay ball that is unsafe?

[e.murphy518]

I just found the plastic exercise wheel and the hay ball that my chinchillas had when I got them and I am throwing out the exercise wheel for obvious reasons, but I have been trying to find a way to hold hay that is more contained but I avoided using the hay ball because of what I read on here. When I looked at it again, however I realized it doesn't look like it could be very dangerous because the slots between the bars are so tiny. Is this the hay ball that I have heard horror stories about? and if not is this one safe? Luckily Buddah was posing in the picture so you can see the scale of the slots.

If this is safe, any idea where to get another one? The ones I keep seeing online are hanging with much larger spaces.

Thanks!

 

[Amethyst]

I personally wouldn't use that hay ball, the spacing may be small but so are a chin's feet. There is a risk with that and the larger hanging hay ball of the chin getting a foot caught in there. Smaller spaces between the bars might actually be worse since the odds that if the chin gets a foot stuck that chin can get unstuck are slimmer. I use wooden boxes with a hole cut in the front that hang on the side of the cage as hay holders. Another option off the top of my head I've seen people do is make fleece bags with a hole to hold hay, assuming Buddah doesn't eat fleece.

 

[mrsmitchell]

I had that one and was told by a chin breeder to remove it, they can get their toes caught and injure themselves, so I took it out right away

 

[ljiayi]

Not only about their toes getting caught, they might chew on the plastic and ingest it.

 

[Basket_of_Chinchillas]

You can use fleece bags or terracotta flower pots as alternative hay holders. I have some larger coop bowls that I use paired with flower pots...not that this prevents them from dragging their hay all around the cage anyways lol

 

[e.murphy518]

Its actually metal but I didn't even think about them getting their feet caught, I took it out right away. I have terra cotta flower pots but they just immediately tip them over and drag the hay a lllllll over and then pee on it so It turns out being a huge waste of hay. so I am looking for an alternative. I might get one of the bass equipment hay racks that attach to the outside of the cage. Thanks

 

[becky12883]

I have a large coffee mug in one cage that I stuff hay into. I think it would be pretty easy to wire it to the side to hold it in place, but my boys like to roll it around and sit on it. In my other cage I have a hay holder that Christine at Twilight Chinchillas made, it's wood and shaped/painted like Bmo from Adventure Time. It's really sturdy and attaches to the side of the cage, I love it.

 

[e.murphy518]

I have a hay holder that Christine at Twilight Chinchillas made, it's wood and shaped/painted like Bmo from Adventure Time. It's really sturdy and attaches to the side of the cage, I love it.

You have a hay holder that looks like Bmo?! Thats awesome! Do you remember how much it was by chance??

 

[becky12883]

I'm not sure how much it was. I got it in a set with a two story house (with Finn and Jake and the treehouse painted on it) and a Dale Earnhardt racecar bed. Here's the website http://twilightchinchillastoysandmore.weebly.com/ or you can search for Twilight Chinchillas on facebook. You can message/email Christine and see what she can do in your budget. She's very flexible and an overall great lady.

 

[javachin]

That's one of the hay balls. There's another one that hangs by a wire and the wire spacing is a bit larger. I had one when I was very new to chins and haven't used one ever since. Chins will perch on anything and it wasn't worth the risk.

 

[e.murphy518]

Yeah, I didn't think about them trying to perch on it, I was just thinking about their heads getting stuck. I took it right out and I actually ended up getting two wooden hay holders from the guy I posted about in the Craigslist section so problem solved!

 

[my3esses]

I've tried a few different things for hay so far and am happiest with using one of these bird dish things...

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Sca...114283&sr=8-6&keywords=ceramic+bird+food+dish

I have a covered one for food and one like this that is more open for hay.