Chin proofing

[cberg]

I just moved to my new house the other day. I used to have my chins in a basement room with drywall and no baseboards.. And could really care less if they nicked up some things. When I had them out, they would attempt to nibble at the bottom edge of the drywall when I wasn't looking... But only the bottom edge, not the flat surface of the wall.

So this is my dilemma. They are going in a bedroom in the new house... Brand new... And I want to protect my baseboards/drywall at all costs. I'm planning on leaning molding/pieces of wainscoting around the walls of the room. At the hardware store I found some boards that are about 8in high, which will cover up the baseboards. But in your experience do you think the chins will go for the wall above it and should I find a solution that goes up higher?

 

[jess32247]

You could always take some unfolded cardboard boxes and lean them against the wall.

But if they realize they can chew above the paneled boards, they probably will. Once my chin is interested in something, she is very relentless about doing it. The trick is getting them to not to realize they can chew on something.

 

[Mystic]

I agree with the carboard box trick. Line your wall with them so they can't get to the base boards and make sure that they can't squeeze behind the cardboard boxes panels either.

 

[GinChin]

... make sure that they can't squeeze behind the cardboard boxes panels either.

Don't bet on that. I had the cardboard box from my 20g aquarium, empty of course, but still a big box sitting tight against my closet so that they couldn't get in through the crack between the doors. My female got the corner in her teeth, pulled it out a good 2 inches, wiggled behind it, and pushed the entire box a good 6 inches before I shoo'd her away and put it back.

 

[landrk11]

I feel your pain.....We just remodeled and our chin was in our spare bedroom. Lola chewed on woodwork, furniture legs and even learned how to push open the sliding closet door. Anything she could get her teeth on was fair game.

Her cage is loaded with wood chew toys, pumice ledges, twigs and she chews her shelves in the cage. I bought a wooden hay rack and she ate it in 2 days... what was I thinking!!!!!

Her nickname is now "Lola the Termite"....LOL

We have moved her to the den and now have our old pet playpen against the wall behind the couch and lining the wall from our file cabinets to behind the desk to keep her away from wires and the woodwork that is behind furniture she can get at. Needless to say she has taken a bite or two out of areas that are not protected. She is always chewing on the legs of the couch now and we joke that some day we are going to end up on the floor. I'm going to get some metal to rings to put the legs into so she can't get at them.

All in all, unless you have every inch covered or blocked off, any item they can chew is fair game they will find it.

 

[Godofgods]

This is what my chins did to my wall. And they would do the same to cardboard. Extra trouble is mine would try to eat what ever they ripped off.

This was my solution. A fleece covering that went completely around the room. I did want to take off the base bored and put the fleece at the bottom of the wall, then reattach the base boards. That way it would help hold the fleece up, and the chins couldn't nibble at the bottom. But i was unable to with this building. But if you had safe/cheap base bored, i imagine it would work nicely.

One thing worth noteing that i found interesting. After i did that and i let my girls out, even tho they couldn't see it cause of the cover, the ran right over to where that whole they were making was. They remembered exactly where it was.

 

[mgonya]

Last night my chin was determined to eat everything in sight. My fleece housecoat, my bf's leather belt, the corner of the wall. She ripped a decal (stuck on tight!) off the plastic food bin and ate a big chunk before I got it away. After each attempt she would sit on our shoulder and give kisses!! She wore 2 adults completely out.:hair:

 

[cberg]

Thanks for the advice!
I went the way of the fleece (but not before one already got a chunk out of the baseboard lol.. Nothing a little paint won't hide). All in all, it seems to be working well. All in all it seems to be working well. I used 3m hooks as to not damage the wall, which was the most expensive part. Ended up costing a little under $40 for the entire room.. Not too bad price to pay to save the room

(I know, I know.. It's messy, but my vacuum is still at the other house :/)