Treats

[jessd]

What treats are safe for Chins, especially for bonding?

I see a lot of people suggesting Cheerios and oats (not quick oats), but can I get the "oats" at a grocery store? What is the difference between oats and quick oats, will the packaging say?

I am seeing different opinions on raisins and even giving any treats all together.

What are rosehips and can I get them at a petco or petsmart?

Are there any herbs I can grow myself that are safe to use as treats for a chin?

FYI I do not have a chin yet. Would like to be fully prepared and set up first.

 

[e.murphy518]

Definitely a good idea to be prepared before getting a chin! I was all over this forum before I got my two (just reading though, not posting) and it helped me SO much! I saved a lot of money because I knew what I needed to get and did not use my money on the unsafe stuff the major pet stores recommend.

I personally like giving treats specifically for bonding purposes. My chinnies all love them, but you have to be sure you use them sparingly. As far as oats go, If you just buy the cylinder of oats that says something along the lines of old fashioned oats, you should be fine. Nothing that says instant, and you can buy it at the grocery store. Also completely plain cheerios are fine.

I never give raisins (or any other dried fruit) because of the high sugar content and I would rather err on the side of caution than treat them with raisins only to find out later it caused an issue.

I ordered rosehips online, I forgot where but if you look on the supplier master list in the classifieds section, there are tons of online shops and I am sure some of those suppliers will have rosehips. They don't have them at petco or petsmart, at least not in the ones near me. Most of the treats petsmart and petco sell are unsafe, and you can save money on almost everything you need by ordering it online.

I don't know about growing herbs yourself, but if there are you would probably have to dry them also, hopefully someone can chime in on that.

Another good treat is shredded wheat squares. I bought mine (organic) at whole foods. I just break them up into quarters so they seem like more treats and I give each chin one maybe twice a week.

The key is moderation! it is so fun giving them treats and making them happy but you need to use treats very sparingly.

My chins also LOVE getting new apple wood twigs. They treat that like treats as well and you can give them those as often as you would like!

Good luck with your research and future chin! If you are doing all the research up front I am sure you will make a great chin mommy, it shows you are concerned about what is best for them!

 

[jessd]

Thank you! I am a former sugar glider owner so I understand how important it is to be informed. Bummed out about the raisins though, my sugar glider passed away a few weeks ago and I have a ton left. Going to toss them in the trash to avoid the temptation of giving them to the new fur baby. I am one of "those people" that would rather have a fully stocked SAFE cage ready and sitting empty for months than getting one and buying stuff that I find out later I have to throw away.

I haven't figured out the wheel situation yet though. I learned plastic in a cage is a big no no but haven't found a safe metal wheel online. Is it ok to allow the chin to play with a plastic wheel during supervised outside cage time? or what about wrapping the edges of a plastic saucer style wheel with fleece and putting it in the cage? I saw DIY making your own metal wheel out of a metal bowl, but to be honest, I am not confident in my skills.

Also, is it safe to say that using bird toys that are not made of plastic or stringy material is ok?

 

[e.murphy518]

I totally agree with that philosophy! It is much better to be fully prepared in advance. That way when you get your new baby you can put them right into their safe new home, no last minute running around and you will feel totally secure about his/her safety!

As for wheels, plastic is definitely a no no, if you were only using it during supervised play time, it might be okay because you can prevent chewing but I know that most plastic wheels have that bar (for lack of a better word) that sticks all the way through the middle and I have read that that bends a chins spine in an unnatural way, which is not good for them. Also, the plastic flying saucers are not safe not only because of the plastic itself but also because they are so light and can bounce or fall over easily while in use. I would honestly just invest in a totally safe wheel. I have a metal flying saucer which I ordered online, and a silver surfer and a chin spin which I got off of craigslist. Those are all totally safe metal wheels. They are pretty expensive but totally worth the money for peace of mind and your chins safety. I asked for the saucer for xmas from my dad and it took my chins a while to get used to it but once they caught on they became OBSESSED. Also, the guy I got the other two wheels from still has some left and he will ship them. He sells them for much cheaper than the online stores do.

I would not trust my skills at making a wheel either. Shelves and fleece items I make myself for the most part, but something with moving pieces that could hurt my chins, I will leave up to the experts

 

[ashleynicol3]

I replied to another post, but I got my rose hips from rhondaschins.com and they were reasonably priced. My chin gets about one a day. Another thing my chin LOVES are the Mrs. Pasture's Horse Cookies from chinchillacity.com - I use a hammer to break the cookies into small pieces and he goes nuts for them! I've asked here before if they were safe and they are!


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[e.murphy518]

I have bought a few bird toys before, but you have to make sure they are made only of chin safe woods with no rope or plastic. coconut husks on toys are also apparently chin safe (which I just recently learned) but I have yet to give mine any so I don't know how much they like them. in that same suppliers list I told you about though, there are SO many suppliers who make really awesome toys that are probably cheaper and made with more care than the toys at the pet stores. you do have to pay for shipping but most of the time it is still less expensive than store bought. I have bought two toys from chinchilla city and they came so quickly and my chins loved them.

 

[ashleynicol3]

Also, I got a Silver Surfer wheel for my chin and it's perfect. I have a two level Ferret Nation cage and the wheel is on the bottom level and it's quiet and it allows him to expend some energy while he's in his cage. I think the Chin Spin is also recommended here or the "flying saucer" wheel.

As for toys and things, I get them from Whimsy's Menagerie, chinchillacity.com, or users here, like javachin. I got all my ledges for my cage and a bridge and everything from Whimsy. I discovered all these people through this forum and I've been very pleased with everything I've gotten!!!

I don't buy anything for my chin from the pet store except Oxbow alfalfa pellets for his food and Oxbow Timothy hay. Also dust if I need it and don't want to wait to have it shipped.

One more thing! I use fleece in my cage instead of shavings cuz the shavings were a MAJOR P.I.T.A. Lol


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[javachin]

Stay away from dried fruit/vegetables. Rose hips can be purchased from health food stores or herbal supply companies online. I give rose hips, plain shredded wheat, apple/pear sticks, and herbs from Fuzzies Kingdom as treats to my chins.

As for wheels, check out the Silver Surfer and Chin Spin. Don't waste your money on a plastic wheel; they're garbage and not safe. Chins don't need wheels, but are more of a luxury. I would focus on the necessities for now.

 

[Delaina920]

My chin loves rose hips and papaya! I buy all my chinchilla treats from my local pet store. Raisins are also very popular among chinchillas. I've noticed my chin isn't a fan of the Timothy hay yogurt chips they sell at Petsmart. But he does love the tropical fruit
Mixes for chinchillas that they sell at pet smart.