Chinchilla eating hair

[starrynight0621]

I have long hair that goes down past my shoulders. Sometimes when I clean the cage, Orville promptly runs over, grabs a clump near the end, holds it in his hand like a pellet or a strand of hay, and starts to consume it from the bottom up.

He isn't grooming me. He is literally trying to consume my hair. Is this normal or healthy?

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

It's normal but eating a bunch of hair isn't healthy.

 

[Godofgods]

my chins do it to when they climb on my head, or i have to stick it into their cage to clean something. I don't think its that unusual, but then again, mine try to eat every/anything. However I don't believe id call it healthy. I cant think of anything that that would be healthy for. Id Say do what you can to avoid letting them eat your hair.

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would not let him do it. He could end up with some pretty bad issues from it.

 

[Lilune]

Starry this gave me quite a giggle, Amp does the same thing, especially if I'm fresh out of the shower and still smell like conditioner. If you come up with a magical solution to getting Orville to stop, I'd love to know what it is, it seems the more I pull my hair away from her the more fun she has trying to grab a pawfull. Everything is a game to her xD