Chewey Fur

[Fergggie]

What can I do to keep my chinchilla occupied/from chewing on and pulling out his fur?

 

[Newt]

You can get him a wheel, more chew toys or a greater variety of chew toys. Maybe take him out for play time more often. Some chins chew because they're stressed and/or bored, but often, once a chin starts chewing, they will never stop.

My Rosey chews, not from stress or boredom, but because it's a bad habit. I've tried all sorts to get her to stop, but to no avail. She looks a bit odd, with her uneven fur, but she's still happy and healthy

 

[ticklechin]

And some chins chew for whatever reason, they start and stop and there is nothing you can do to stop the issue, just love them and all their scruffyness.

 

[AZChins]

Chinchillas will chew their fur because they aren't getting what they need in their diet, not getting enough hay (or any hay at all), or they are in pain...along with the reasons already stated.

I've seen many chins that stop chewing when they are taken off of stale, nutritionally incomplete diets and put onto a decent diet of fresh pellets and hay. Along with the addition of toys and fun things to do do, you may want to look at your chin's diet and see if there's anything that needs changing.

Some chins are just fur chewers and won't stop for any reason. However, most cases of fur chewing have a cause and will stop once the chin is given the right diet or is in the right environment or the cage is kept clean enough, etc.