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pigchinhamcat

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Apr 25, 2011
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38
I'll probably be heading to the pet store today. I wanted some opinions on whats good and and not so good. Like a hammock, is it a good idea? I know chins chew anything. I know plastic items aren't good. I took out the silent spinner wheel that came in the cage. It has plenty of chew marks. I don't think the previous owners attatched it to the cage. Instead of an igloo i bought a ferret ball that tubes can attatch to but no tubes. Some privacy but still well ventilated. Thats what the chins sleep in at petco. Thanks for any input.
 
Hammocks bought at Petsmart or Petco are usually not good. They have nylon straps that connect them to the cage and I have heard of chinnies getting feet stuck that resulted in broken legs and etc. Plus they are usually not made of fleece, which is the only safe fabric for chinchillas.

They have loofah and pumice "triangles" at Petsmart and Petco and those are usually okay. They also have wicker sticks and tunnels and I buy those for my chins. If you look in the "chin supplies for sale section" here on the board, you will find all kinds of safe supplies for your chin, including wood, houses, shelves and toys.
 
Unfortunately there's not going to be much that you can use for a chin at the petstore. Any hammocks from there aren't fleece so the chin will chew it apart and it's not safe, because it could cause impaction.

For cage things the only real safe thing would be a wooden house or one of the cardboard tubes (take the cotton stuffing out if you buy one of those) Sometimes they have lava landings or ledges. If you check out the bird section they may have manzanita or grapevine perches as well.
 
the hammocks sold in pet stores are not safe for chins, since they have the nylon straps and are usually not made of fleece. you'd be much better off ordering fleece items from one of our members here. I'm very impatiently waiting for a fleece order from AnnieO on here, and her items look top notch!

could you please post a photo of this 'ferret ball', so that we can confirm it is safe or not for your chin?

most treats at stores are not good for chins - way too much sugar and improper ingredients (seeds, nuts, etc). just like the fleece items, there are many members here that sell safe treats too!

there are a few items at petsmart (if that is where you are headed) that are ok for our fuzzbutts. the coloured wood pieces (they come in a bag, and say 'fruit flavoured') are safe, and a few toys in the bird section are good too, like the yucca kabob and the grapewood hanging toy. here's a couple links to show you those items:
yucca kabob: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750670
grapewood: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11147252

the palm leaf shredders are also great, and you get a lot in one package. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753428

not sure if petco would carry those same items, but they are safe.
 
get rid of that ball, it's made of plastic and not safe, especially since you saw chew marks on the plastic wheel that came with your chin.

a wood house would be much better, but don't get one from a store, since they usually don't tell you what kind of wood it is made from and a lot of the houses are held together with screws or unknown glues. i know there are at least a couple members on here that make wood houses. i know Twilight Chinchillas makes custom wood items, i'm sure she could do up a cute lil house, and you could even have your chin's name on it.
 
I wouldn't use the ferret ball just because it's chewable, a good ol' glass cracker jar works great and can be easily cleaned and sanitized, plastic can't.
I'd get some fleece supplies online, or if you're handy with a sewing machine you can make some yourself.

Chins need to chew, the lava bites are different than the lava ledges because they're not as thick and they like this, they also need a good variety of wood items to chew on to help wear down their teeth ( I also recommend getting these online but you can get a few sticks at the store, they're much, much cheaper online )
 
He/she does have a wood chew already.

I'll pick up some of this lava bites i've seen.
 
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In a pinch i have used Capri Sun cardboard boxes for hidey houses until i can build a wood one.
you know the ones that 10 pouches of juice come in. All my sons friends save them for me.
unfortunately as many have mentioned there are not too many things at the pet store that are safe. i know not everyone has the ability to order online. if you are unable to order stuff from vendors that sell here you can also prepare some things at home.
if you get a piece of kiln dried pine wood from the hardware store like home depot you can cut it into little square for them to chew. if you know of anyone that has untreated, unsprayed apple or mulberry or willow (check the safe wood list), you could cut down and prepare you own branches.
maybe get a bag of hay cubes?
you could also make an attempt to make your own fleece hammocks, tubes or liners if you want to save money. there are directions on here and links to videos as well.
 
Vine balls & Snak Shak (?)

Barnaby loves the vine balls they sell at PetSmart. The big ones sometimes have peanuts in them which aren't the best snack for chins because they have a lot of fat. Its not to dificult to snag the peanuts out though b4 handing the ball over to the chin. One time, I got a big vine ball with a walnut in it. That worked fine because B wasn't remotely interested in the walnut.

He also likes the little applewood broom things. He shreds the broom part right away and then gnaws on the handle. He and Hugo also enjoy the wooden alphabet blocks, both the large and mini versions. Of course, they also loves the lava bits and I get salt/mineral lick things from PetSmart too.

Hugo has a wooden, um, thing that he likes. It came from a PetSmart. http://www.westcoastpetsupply.com/2/Super-Pet-Big-Nut-Knot-Nibbler.html

QUESTION: Barnaby came with a Snak Shak log. I no longer have it in his cage as there really isn't room. Are these okay for chins?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753529

I'm a newish chin slave, so I'm not an expert on what is safe. If anyone here with more experience sees any danger in the things I've listed, please let me know. :)

Lu
 
Toss the Snak Shak it is way to high in sugar and not safe for chins. The ball thing should be ok, is there nut in the middle of it? I have seen them with things that the animal has to chew through the sticks to get it out. If there is I wouldnt use it.
 
Nut?

Oh dear. I don't know if the wood knot thing has a nut inside it. If there is, Hugo isn't tearing at it crazily to get the nut out, he just chomps on the wood at his leisure. I will inspect it tonight, see if it houses an inaprop treat. :)

Lu
 
I bought a big willow ball once that had 2 walnuts inside. We gave the ball to the boys when they were out for playtime & they LOVED it. Since it was only given at playtime, we were able to take it away when it got loose enough & we were able to get the nuts out. I wouldn't put those ( or any other toy w/ nuts inside) in their cage.
 
with the 'nut knot nibblers' you can remove the nut from inside, but it is no easy task! lol. i bought the small one for Rhino and proceeded to remove a couple of the sticks to get to the nut....... yeah...... 6 sticks later, and i was scratching my head on how to get the dang thing back together! lol. finally figured it out, and now the nibbler is perfectly safe for Rhino.

i've also gotten those willow balls with the peanuts inside. super easy to get them out, and then i sometimes stuff the ball with hay, or put a rosehip or two inside. within a day, there is a completely torn apart ball in Rhino's cage, lol.

Lulilac, i'd not give the salt/mineral blocks - chins don't need them as long as you are feeding a good quality pellet. plus, too much salt is not a good thing for any critter.
 
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