Chew toys

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

rocket29

Rocket&Bilbo
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
48
Hi, I've noticed my chinchilla isn't interested in chewing his bend-a-bridge or his house anymore. He used to enjoy nibbling on lava rocks, but he's lost interest in them. I know some chews have a good smell to get the chinchilla interested in chewing it. Is there anything I can do to get him interested in it again? Maybe rub an apple slice against it?
Thanks
 
Have you checked his teeth to make sure there isn't an issue there? If his teeth have gotten over grown or chipped he might not want to chew. I would not rub anything like apples on the wood chews, that would just encourage mold growth. What else do you have in the cage to chew on besides the house and lava rocks? Chins get bored if they only have the same things in the cage to chew on all the time.

If the teeth check out, I would try some different kinds of wood sticks to chew on, not the prepackaged ones from the pet store though, those most chins don't like. There are a few vendors on here that sell chew sticks if you check out the banner ads and classifieds section. Not only different kind of wood, but also different materials too. Other chew toys include coconut shell, vine, palm leaf, woven grass, cardboard (if he doesn't eat it), cholla, bamboo, pumice, sola, and loofah. I try to mix and match things on hanging toys to keep things interesting. You should also have a variety of types of toys, some toss toys, some horizontal hanging, some vertical hanging, some shredding toys, etc. Also it's best to change out the toys from time to time to reignite interest. Simply moving the toys in the cage can sometimes make them seem new again, or swap out what is in the cage for new toys. If the toys are still good when you remove them just set them aside to put back in next time you swap out toys.
 
He’s eating and drinking fine, so I think his teeth are healthy. He also continues to chew on his sticks a lot. Currently he has his house, the bridge, lava rocks, sticks, and sisal rope to chew on. If I purchased a pack of small toss toys and swapped them out every week, will he be more interested in them? I’m thinking of purchasing another house for him since he’s outgrown his current one. Should I swap the houses every week as well?
Thanks
 
Well still eating and drinking doesn't mean the front teeth are fine. They don't bite water and they chew with their molars not incisors. You can check out the incisors your self, no vet visit needed. However if he is still chewing sticks then I would be less worried about it, he could have simply become bored with the lava chews and bend-a-bridge. I thought you meant he wasn't chewing things at all.

Depending on your chin and what he likes for toss toys, yeah he should be interested in them if they are something he likes. I would try natural materials for toys though, most pet store wood block stuff is over processed (basically a piece of pine chopped into shapes and colored) and most chins don't like it. Also, each chin has it's own preference so you may need to try different things to see what yours likes. My guys will sometimes have toys in their cage they don't touch for months, then one day they decide it's time to destroy it and it's all they want to chew for a bit. If you don't already you can also try different kinds of wood sticks, I rotate through about a dozen different types of wood sticks, as well as chunks of wood. Ronda's Chinchillas has a good assortment for example.

I wouldn't swap out houses weekly, I don't think that is necessary, but if he has outgrown it then yeah get him a new one.

Another thing I was thinking about, has he peed on any of the things he no longer wants to chew? If it's been peed on or otherwise dirty chins wont want to chew on it anymore.
 
I've purchased him a new house that he seems to like, and I've been making him toys out of the apple sticks, lava rock, and sisal rope. I notice he only eats the apple sticks and nibbles on lava rock, leaving the sisal rope out. I've heard chinchillas like the smell and taste of cool aid, is it safe to dip the sisal toys in that?
 
Back
Top