#gnawing @ the bars of my enclosure i need ENRICHMENT

[blushedfemme]

in the mood to overwhelm a butch with softness. nothing but the most gentle sensation and loving praise. specifically in the mood to tie them spread-eagle to my bedposts with pretty scarves or soft pink rope. reassure them that they’re safe, even while at my mercy, so exposed. i press kisses all over their body, tell them how lovely they are, how handsome, strong, beautiful, statuesque. tell them how brave they are to offer themselves to me like this, and what an honor it is to hold their trust. lightly trace my nails over their skin. rub them down with sweet-smelling oils. massage them. coo over them. compliment them and delight in the way their blush deepens down their neck. i could happily do this for hours, just lavishing the most tender attention onto a butch who can’t hide from it, can’t cringe away from it, can’t do anything but receive it, then tending to whatever emotions might come up as a result. soothing them, thanking them. and after i untie them, i hold them in my arms and let them fall asleep to the sound of my voice

[soft-spooks]

LAYING on the floor staring at the ceiling etc etc

[aflockofravens]

Hi yes please interact with me if you want to. Send an ask, send a DM, comment on my posts, flail in the tags with me, feel free to interact with me in anyway you want to, I would love to be friends.

[stabbyfoxandrew]

A friend told me that you were whispering about old man yaoi in the tags and I literally FLEW to your blog. I'm so normal about this, and am feeling normal levels of normal feelings about it. I am agreeing to what you said in a moderate and socially acceptable way and definitely NOT Gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.

listen, listen... darling i am always whispering about old man yaoi. if y'all don't hear me get your hearing checked.

also yes i said what i said. rhemann and wymack need to meet up for a drink and bone. it is enrichment. they deserve it for having to put up with their little troublesome guys. :))

jean on the phone with kevin: your dad fucked my coach yesterday kevin: whAT???? what are you talking about- jean: *hangs up*

[millenianthemums]

in my caged zoo animal era. not like a good zoo either i’m talking a flat empty concrete enclosure with bars and a plastic dog bowl. please god i need enrichment and interaction with others or i’ll start gnawing my own leg off

[halcyon-star-belt]

gnawing at the bars of my enclosure (I NEED ENRICHMENT!!!!)

[curlsincriminology]

I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure, I need enrichment

[badmoon1996]

I need enrichment in my enclosure I feel like gnawing on the bars

[reaperkiller]

*gnawing at the bars of my enclosure bc i am in desperate need of enrichment*

[hhawkeye]

the fact that s6 they were like haha funny gay jokes. then they were like wait this is getting too real lets give wilson a female love interest BUT THE LOVE INTEREST IS HIS FIRST EX WIFE????? HELLO?? HELLOOOOOOOO THE WIFE WHO DIVORCED HIM FOR CHEATING WHICH OK LETS DISCUSS, BUT THE FACT THAT THAT DIVORCE IS WHAT LED TO HIM MEETING HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE LIKE help girl i need a cardboard box in my enclosure i need enrichment im gnawing on the bars of my cage

[lovemychinchilla]

What to Give Chinchillas to Chew On

You need to provide chinchilla enrichment for your pet. Especially important is something for it to chew on, as if you don't offer anything, your chinchilla will chew its cage bars.

What can I give my chinchilla to chew on? Chinchillas need something tough but fibrous and natural to chew on so that their teeth stay healthy. Wild wood, untreated wooden toys and dried grape vines are all suitable. Bamboo, cardboard and plastic are not safe things for chinchillas to chew.

Once you've picked your ideal chinchilla chew toy, you can buy it in bulk so you always have some available. You can choose which chew toy to pick from our list below...

Can Chinchillas Have Chew Toys?

Chinchillas are rodents, which means they need to chew. They have special front teeth which continually grow, so teeth grinding is necessary to prevent them getting get too long. Excessively long front teeth cause health problems.

This isn't something you have to do for your chinchilla. Instead, your pet can take care of its own teeth, so long as you give it a chew toy. Natural materials, particularly wood, are the best. If you don't give your chinchilla something specific to chew, it will chew synthetic materials like its metal/plastic bottle.

Here is a table detailing what chinchillas can chew, how cheap it tends to be, and how suitable it is:

What can chinchillas chew on?

Suitability

Price (out of 5)

Wood

7/10. Perfect as long as the wood is rid of parasites/fungus, and is of the right species. Kinds of safe wood for chinchillas include sycamore, ash and elm.

Free (from the wild), $ from pet stores

Pine cones

6/10. Suitable for chewing, but contains sap which gets in your chinchilla's fur (unless thoroughly scrubbed before use).

$

Popsicle sticks

0/10. These splinter into sharp pieces when chewed on, so are unsuitable.

N/A

Bamboo

5/10. Similar to wood but tougher. Have even sharper splinters, so while non-toxic, can still be dangerous.

$

Wooden toys

7/10. Untreated (i.e. unpainted and with no glue) is suitable.

$$$

Grape vines

9/10. Hard-wearing and untreated. The only issue is that it's harder to find than other chew toys. Also doesn't splinter.

$$$

Cardboard

0/10. Causes impaction (blockages) in the chinchilla's digestive tract.

N/A

Plastic

0/10. Entirely indigestible and is of the wrong texture to gnaw on.

N/A

Most owners use wooden chew sticks from pet stores. These are fit for purpose, easy to find and cheap to buy. As for chinchillas, they prefer wood or sandblasted grape vines. Other options are more hit and miss, so your chinchilla may not like them.

1) Can Chinchillas Chew on Wood?

A sycamore.

You can give your chinchilla wood from the wild to chew on. Wood is perfect because it is the right blend of solid and brittle: it is solid enough to wear down a chinchilla's front teeth, but not so solid that it will crack them (like metal might). It's also safe to ingest, either accidentally or on purpose.

However, you can't give your chinchilla any wood that you find. There are two issues to be aware of. First, chinchillas are allergic to several kinds of wood. Second, the wood may contain fungi, bacteria, parasites or dirt.

As such, you have to take precautions when you offer your chinchilla natural wood. As a general rule, chinchillas are allergic to any wood that is oily like cedar and cherry.

Stick to safe woods like sycamore, ash and elm to avoid complications.

If you aren't certain what kind of wood it is, don't offer it to your chinchilla. When harvesting wood, take some that is still living, i.e. attached to the tree. This is less likely to be infested with parasites. Take a branch of a suitable size to fit in your chinchilla's enclosure, or else the right size to break up. Pick a thin branch as these are easier to treat.

You can also buy suitable wood from pet stores in the form of chew sticks. These comes in large packs (e.g. 60 pieces or 100 pieces). They are checked to ensure that they're free of fungus or parasites.

How to Treat Wild Wood for Chinchillas

To get rid of any fungi or bacteria in the wood, you have to treat it. There are two ways of doing that: boiling and heating in the oven. The heat of 'cooking' the wood will kill any parasite or other undesirable in the branch.

Break the wood into a size that will fit into a pot. Scrub it underneath a running faucet and leave it to soak in a bowl, replacing the water every five minutes until it's clear. Then, place it in a boiling pot for 15-20 minutes.

Scrub the wood afterwards to remove the bark, exposing the wood underneath. No soap or other agents are required to clean the wood. Leave the wood to dry for a day before giving it to your chinchilla. If it's easier, place the wood in the oven at a high heat instead of boiling it.

You might like...

2) Can Chinchillas Chew Pine Cones?

Ripe pine cones have open gaps between the individual scales.

Pine can be toxic for rodents, although many owners say that pine is fine for chins. But either way, this reputation doesn't stretch to pine cones. Even in rodents which can't gnaw pine, pine cones are non-toxic.

They make excellent chew toys when prepared correctly. They must be thoroughly scrubbed and boiled/roasted at high heat to get rid of all the sap inside. The sap isn't toxic, but is difficult to get out of chinchilla fur. They also contain pine nuts, which your pet will enjoy.

3) Can Chinchillas Chew Popsicle Sticks?

Popsicle sticks are made of untreated wood. While they may have a small amount of leftover sugar on them, this isn't bad for a chinchilla. So, you may think they're the perfect free chew toy for your pet.

Unfortunately, popsicle sticks are made in such a way that they splinter easily. If you have ever chewed one, you'll know that they form long, sharp splinters when broken from top to bottom.

If your chinchilla got one of these splinters in its mouth, it could hurt it. The splinter could even stick in place. Whether it does or not, it will leave behind a small wound which could become infected. At the least, it will cause your chinchilla discomfort and difficulty eating.

It's better to avoid this eventuality, even if popsicle sticks are a free alternative to wooden chew sticks.

4) Can Chinchillas Chew on Bamboo?

Bamboo is not a kind of wood, although it is similar. Scientifically speaking, it is a kind of grass. Either way, it is non-toxic for chinchillas to chew on provided it doesn't have paint or glue on it.

One issue you may think is relevant is that bamboo is exceedingly tough. However, it is not too tough for chinchillas to chew on. It won't damage your chinchilla's teeth if it chews on it.

What can happen, though, is that the bamboo can splinter. These splinters are exceedingly sharp and can hurt your chinchilla's mouth. Damage to the mouth can dissuade a chinchilla from eating because of the pain. As such, owners avoid bamboo and stick to wood.

5) Can Chinchillas Chew on Wooden Toys?

Rather than being uncertain (e.g. on the species of wood, or whether all the fungus in the wood has been gotten rid of), most owners buy wooden toys instead. There are many available from generalist pet stores made of all kinds of wood.

But not all wooden toys are suitable for chinchillas. You must make sure that the toy is made of a suitable material, which should be specified on the packaging or label. Certain woods which aren't suitable for chinchillas are still suitable for other pets, which is the reason for this issue.

Also, you must buy only untreated wooden toys. Some have paint or glue on them, which is unsuitable for your pet to ingest.

If you do buy a wooden toy, don't expect it to stay in good condition for long. Chinchillas love to gnaw, so anything wooden in their enclosures is quickly 'ruined'.

6) Can Chinchillas Chew on Grape Vines?

Dried fruit vines are similar to wood. Picture grape vines, for example: they are tough and fibrous, like wood is. They are like smaller vines that are still attached to grapes when you buy them, but bigger.

Large grape vines are sandblasted for use in the pet trade, either for caged pets to sit on or chew. Sandblasting removes the outer surface of the vine and dries it out. They look like gnarled old pieces of driftwood and can be found in pet stores.

Another positive is that grape vines don't splinter like wood or bamboo. It's fibrous and gnarled, not straight, which gives less opportunity for splinters to form. This means that a dried grape vine is the best chinchilla chew toy.

You can find these from most pet stores, or online. They are normally intended for other kinds of pet, but are suitable for chinchillas too.

7) Can Chinchillas Chew on Cardboard?

Cardboard is not suitable for chinchillas to chew on. Your chinchilla will happily chew on it, and won't be immediately affected if it does. However, there are good reasons to avoid it.

The first is that the cardboard may be treated with something. It may have ink on it, for example, or glue/tape to hold it together. Your chinchilla can accidentally ingest some of what it gnaws on, so it's best not to give it anything to chew that you wouldn't want it to eat.

Cardboard can also cause impaction. Impaction is where a blockage forms in the chinchilla's digestive tract. Cardboard is digestible, but not easily. As such, it can form a large blockage that the chinchilla can't pass.

It is possible to give chinchillas cardboard so long as you monitor them. If the chinchilla starts to eat the cardboard rather than only gnawing it, then you can take it away. This applies to all card: corrugated cardboard, thin paper-like card, and mail packages.

8) Can Chinchillas Chew Plastic?

Chinchillas can easily chew through plastic, but it's bad for them. Say, for example, you leave a plastic water bottle somewhere accessible in your pet's cage. Your chinchilla could chew through it and break it quite quickly. There are also plastic chew toys you can buy for pets.

But plastic is an awful choice for a chinchilla chew toy. That's because:

Plastic is the wrong texture. It's not fibrous enough, so when your chinchilla chews it, the plastic can misalign your pet's teeth.

Plastic is not suitable for ingestion. It can cause impaction like cardboard, and a variety of other health issues depending on the specific plastic ingested.

For this reason, chinchilla owners should not put anything plastic in their pets cages. Least of all they should put plastic chew toys.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

Chinchillas are tough to care for. Learn more here...

#chinchillas #chinchillacagesetup #body #diet

[wingedbeings]

growling and snarling rn

[lovemychinchilla]

Do Chinchillas Get Bored?

Chinchillas have needs like any pet. As the pet’s owner, it’s your job to provide for these needs. But do chinchillas like to play, and do you need to keep them entertained?

Chinchillas get bored if they don’t have enough to do. You can tell because it will start displaying repetitive behaviors, such as digging, bar chewing, and excessive barbering. Chinchillas get lonely and even more bored if kept alone. You can help a bored chinchilla by getting it a cage mate and some toys.

The guide below first establishes whether and why chinchillas like to play. Then, it covers how to tell if a chinchilla is bored or unhappy, and how to entertain one with fun boredom busters. 

Do Chinchillas Like to Play? 

Chinchillas enjoy playing, like many animals. You can see these behaviors both in the wild and in captivity. When your chinchillas are playing, you may see them:

Exploring. A playing chinchilla will run about sniffing new places. This is especially the case for pet chinchillas, which get excited when you let them out of their cages.

Jumping. Chinchillas jump when they’re excited, and can leap up to four feet in the air. 

Climbing on and jumping off things. Chinchillas are from the mountains, and when they play, they jump up and down off rocks. Pet chinchillas do the same with surfaces.

Play fighting. A chinchilla may kick its cage-mate to get it to chase it.

Your chinchilla may also play with you in these ways. It may clamber onto your shoulders, for example. Or, it might jump onto you and off you again. When you watch your chinchilla doing these things, it seems like it’s having fun.

While you shouldn’t anthropomorphize your pet (think of it like a little person), it’s clear a chinchilla is happier if it can play than if it can’t.

Conversely, if a chinchilla is kept in its cage on its own all the time, it can’t display these behaviors. This is when you notice your chinchilla getting bored.

Why Do Chinchillas Like to Play?

There are several core reasons why they enjoy, and even need, to play. While chinchillas aren’t as intelligent as people, they like to play for the same reasons that we do:

Chinchillas are social animals. Play builds bonds and reinforces social structure. From the time that they’re kits, chinchillas learn to play with their siblings and parents.

Play is a kind of practice. Animals chase each other and use self-defense when playing, which can serve as practice for real situations. 

Play is fun. Animals take pleasure in many things, just like we do, including play. This is something that’s impossible to measure, but which you can see as a pet’s owner.

Play fighting is the best example of how play prepares an animal for dangerous situations. Kits (baby chinchillas) fight each other to develop their strength and self-defense abilities. Fighting strength also establishes dominance and attracts mates, so developing it from an early age is necessary for surviving and establishing breeding rights.

Without play, animals become bored. In the complete absence of stimulation, they can become stressed, depressed, and even ill. That applies to captive animals like pet chinchillas too.

Do Chinchillas Get Lonely?

Chinchillas do get lonely when they can’t interact/play with other chinchillas. In the wild, chinchillas are herd animals. The size of a herd can range from a dozen up to a hundred, which as you can imagine, means that wild chinchillas socialize a lot. Chinchillas don’t like being isolated from this natural group setup.

If a chinchilla is kept alone, it will miss out on this socialization: the play fighting, the collective foraging for food, the alarm calls from other chinchillas that keep the group safe, and the use of a shared burrow. 

When any animal can’t demonstrate natural behaviors and inclinations like these, it becomes unhappy and lonely. Chinchillas are no exception.

How to Tell If a Chinchilla Is Bored

You can easily tell when a chinchilla is bored. You should notice your chinchillas playing frequently. Your pet will also display behaviors which indicate it isn’t happy. You can spot these behaviors and give your chinchilla something to do, and if you do, these negative behaviors should stop. 

So, is my chinchilla happy, or is my chinchilla depressed or bored? Here’s how to find out. 

Your Chinchilla Is Inactive/Lethargic

Lethargy, also known as inactivity, can be a sign of different health issues. But it can also be something you see in a bored chinchilla. When a bored chinchilla doesn’t have enough to do, it will sit still and not do much. This applies even if there are lots of things in your pet’s cage.

This indicates that a chinchilla is bored of its surroundings. It may have previously run on its wheel (for example), but has since become bored and lonely. Over time, it becomes depressed. 

Your chinchilla will remain like this for a while. It will then start showing other symptoms of boredom which are more serious.

Repetitive Chinchilla Behaviors (Stereotypy)

This is an issue that you will see with all kinds of pets, chinchillas included. When a pet is bored, it will perform repetitive actions. These actions may be damaging for the pet’s health.

Because chinchillas and other rodents have been kept in labs and farms, we know lots about these behaviors. An article in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior Clinical Applications and Research looked at this specific issue.

The scientists behind this study looked at chinchillas kept on a farm. They found that rodents kept in barren cages usually develop some form of abnormal repetitive behavior, which can indicate a past or present welfare problem.

  One of these abnormal behaviors is fur chewing. A small amount of barbering is normal. This is where a chinchilla grooms its own fur, or the fur of its cage mates. But in a barren cage, a chinchilla may do this too much, which can cause fur loss.

This is the most common stereotypy behavior. But there are others to look out for. These include:

Bar chewing. A chinchilla may bite or chew the bars of its cage, as if to try and get out. This can cause its teeth to point in the wrong direction. 

Cage scratching. A chinchilla may scratch at the floor of its cage, again, as if to try and dig out.

Backflipping. While this behavior can look cute, it can also be a sign that a chinchilla is bored.

If you spot these behaviors, you should immediately take steps to make your pet happier. These symptoms of boredom won’t go away on their own. 

How to Entertain a Chinchilla

There are lots of ways to keep a chinchilla entertained. Each of the ideas below will make your chinchilla happier, but will also make it more fun to keep one as a pet. So, how do I keep my chinchilla happy?

Don’t Keep Chinchillas Alone 

Keeping a chinchilla on its own is a bad idea. As stated above, these are herd animals. They get bored quickly if kept alone because they can’t socialize. As such, you should introduce your chinchilla to a new friend.

But you can’t dump them in one big cage together if they don’t know each other. If you do, the pair will fight.

Instead, you have to use the split-cage method. This is where you have a big cage with a divider down the middle. You keep one chinchilla in one side of the cage, and the other chinchilla in the other. Occasionally swap the pair from side to side, so that each gets used to the smell of the other. You can also do this with two separate cages rather than a special split cage. 

Over time, the pair become more comfortable with each other and are bonded. You can then keep them in the same cage. You may need to get a bigger cage if you want to keep them together.

Make a Chinchilla Pen/Let Your Pet Out

Animals aren’t supposed to live in cages 24/7. Unless the cage is big and rich in enrichment like a zoo enclosure, your pet will get bored sitting inside all the time. You should let it out regularly.

Your pet will enjoy sniffing around and exploring a larger area. While this may not seem important, it’s vital for your chinchilla’s mental health.

But letting your chinchilla out isn’t as easy as opening the gate every once in a while. You have to make sure that your room is chinchilla-proof. That involves:

Remove all power cords from the room. Your chinchilla will gnaw through them, and if they’re plugged in, they will electrocute your pet.

Keep doors and windows closed. Chinchillas can jump up to four feet high, and are unpredictable when excited. 

Block up any holes in the wall or in/under furniture. Again, chinchillas are quick and unpredictable when playing.

To make life easier, most owners put their chinchillas in pens. Pens are large enclosed areas with walls. You can either buy one or make one. Ensure that the walls of the pen are tall enough (taller than four feet) to prevent your chinchilla escaping. 

Buy Your Chinchilla Toys

Your chinchilla could also be bored because it doesn’t have enough stimulation. While all chinchillas enjoy exploring the areas outside their cages, the ideal cage setup for a chinchilla should be enough to entertain it. That means having enough space, with lots of toys, and several levels. 

Chew toys are a favorite of chinchillas. They have to gnaw frequently on hard objects/materials like wood to keep their teeth trimmed. This keeps a chinchilla busy, giving it something to do throughout the day. There are lots of things chinchillas can safely chew. 

Another toy you could give your pet is an exercise wheel. Wheels like those used by other rodents aren’t recommended because of their shape. As chinchillas are big, running in a wheel can damage their backs.

But you can buy your chinchilla an exercise saucer. These look like large shallow dishes made of metal that rotate like discs. Because these are flat, they let your chinchilla run full pelt, but without having to bend their backs. 

Other Fun Things to Do with Your Chinchilla

  The easiest thing you can do with a bored chinchilla is spend time with it. Chinchillas get bored because of a lack of stimulation. Some owners report that their bored chinchillas are lethargic all day, but get excited when the owner moves towards the pet’s cage. It’s clear that chinchillas, like all pets, crave interaction, stimulation and fun.

You can spend time sitting next to your chinchilla's cage, watching it play. Some chinchillas find this fun, although your pet will still be in its enclosure, so can’t do much.

Alternatively, spend time with your pet when it’s in its pen/outside of its cage. If it trusts you and likes your company, spending time with your chinchilla will make it happy. It’s fun to watch your pet running and jumping around, because chinchillas get so excited when they’re outside their cages.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

You might like...

#chinchillas #chinchillafaqs #bored #playing #toys

[lovemychinchilla]

What to Give Chinchillas to Chew On

You need to provide chinchilla enrichment for your pet. Especially important is something for it to chew on, as if you don't offer anything, your chinchilla will chew its cage bars.

What can I give my chinchilla to chew on? Chinchillas need something tough but fibrous and natural to chew on so that their teeth stay healthy. Wild wood, untreated wooden toys and dried grape vines are all suitable. Bamboo, cardboard and plastic are not safe things for chinchillas to chew.

Once you've picked your ideal chinchilla chew toy, you can buy it in bulk so you always have some available. You can choose which chew toy to pick from our list below...

Can Chinchillas Have Chew Toys?

Chinchillas are rodents, which means they need to chew. They have special front teeth which continually grow, so teeth grinding is necessary to prevent them getting get too long. Excessively long front teeth cause health problems.

This isn't something you have to do for your chinchilla. Instead, your pet can take care of its own teeth, so long as you give it a chew toy. Natural materials, particularly wood, are the best. If you don't give your chinchilla something specific to chew, it will chew synthetic materials like its metal/plastic bottle.

Here is a table detailing what chinchillas can chew, how cheap it tends to be, and how suitable it is:

What can chinchillas chew on?

Suitability

Price (out of 5)

Wood

7/10. Perfect as long as the wood is rid of parasites/fungus, and is of the right species. Kinds of safe wood for chinchillas include sycamore, ash and elm.

Free (from the wild), $ from pet stores

Pine cones

6/10. Suitable for chewing, but contains sap which gets in your chinchilla's fur (unless thoroughly scrubbed before use).

$

Popsicle sticks

0/10. These splinter into sharp pieces when chewed on, so are unsuitable.

N/A

Bamboo

5/10. Similar to wood but tougher. Have even sharper splinters, so while non-toxic, can still be dangerous.

$

Wooden toys

7/10. Untreated (i.e. unpainted and with no glue) is suitable.

$$$

Grape vines

9/10. Hard-wearing and untreated. The only issue is that it's harder to find than other chew toys. Also doesn't splinter.

$$$

Cardboard

0/10. Causes impaction (blockages) in the chinchilla's digestive tract.

N/A

Plastic

0/10. Entirely indigestible and is of the wrong texture to gnaw on.

N/A

Most owners use wooden chew sticks from pet stores. These are fit for purpose, easy to find and cheap to buy. As for chinchillas, they prefer wood or sandblasted grape vines. Other options are more hit and miss, so your chinchilla may not like them.

1) Can Chinchillas Chew on Wood?

A sycamore.

You can give your chinchilla wood from the wild to chew on. Wood is perfect because it is the right blend of solid and brittle: it is solid enough to wear down a chinchilla's front teeth, but not so solid that it will crack them (like metal might). It's also safe to ingest, either accidentally or on purpose.

However, you can't give your chinchilla any wood that you find. There are two issues to be aware of. First, chinchillas are allergic to several kinds of wood. Second, the wood may contain fungi, bacteria, parasites or dirt.

As such, you have to take precautions when you offer your chinchilla natural wood. As a general rule, chinchillas are allergic to any wood that is oily like cedar and cherry.

Stick to safe woods like sycamore, ash and elm to avoid complications.

If you aren't certain what kind of wood it is, don't offer it to your chinchilla. When harvesting wood, take some that is still living, i.e. attached to the tree. This is less likely to be infested with parasites. Take a branch of a suitable size to fit in your chinchilla's enclosure, or else the right size to break up. Pick a thin branch as these are easier to treat.

You can also buy suitable wood from pet stores in the form of chew sticks. These comes in large packs (e.g. 60 pieces or 100 pieces). They are checked to ensure that they're free of fungus or parasites.

How to Treat Wild Wood for Chinchillas

To get rid of any fungi or bacteria in the wood, you have to treat it. There are two ways of doing that: boiling and heating in the oven. The heat of 'cooking' the wood will kill any parasite or other undesirable in the branch.

Break the wood into a size that will fit into a pot. Scrub it underneath a running faucet and leave it to soak in a bowl, replacing the water every five minutes until it's clear. Then, place it in a boiling pot for 15-20 minutes.

Scrub the wood afterwards to remove the bark, exposing the wood underneath. No soap or other agents are required to clean the wood. Leave the wood to dry for a day before giving it to your chinchilla. If it's easier, place the wood in the oven at a high heat instead of boiling it.

You might like...

2) Can Chinchillas Chew Pine Cones?

Ripe pine cones have open gaps between the individual scales.

Pine can be toxic for rodents, although many owners say that pine is fine for chins. But either way, this reputation doesn't stretch to pine cones. Even in rodents which can't gnaw pine, pine cones are non-toxic.

They make excellent chew toys when prepared correctly. They must be thoroughly scrubbed and boiled/roasted at high heat to get rid of all the sap inside. The sap isn't toxic, but is difficult to get out of chinchilla fur. They also contain pine nuts, which your pet will enjoy.

3) Can Chinchillas Chew Popsicle Sticks?

Popsicle sticks are made of untreated wood. While they may have a small amount of leftover sugar on them, this isn't bad for a chinchilla. So, you may think they're the perfect free chew toy for your pet.

Unfortunately, popsicle sticks are made in such a way that they splinter easily. If you have ever chewed one, you'll know that they form long, sharp splinters when broken from top to bottom.

If your chinchilla got one of these splinters in its mouth, it could hurt it. The splinter could even stick in place. Whether it does or not, it will leave behind a small wound which could become infected. At the least, it will cause your chinchilla discomfort and difficulty eating.

It's better to avoid this eventuality, even if popsicle sticks are a free alternative to wooden chew sticks.

4) Can Chinchillas Chew on Bamboo?

Bamboo is not a kind of wood, although it is similar. Scientifically speaking, it is a kind of grass. Either way, it is non-toxic for chinchillas to chew on provided it doesn't have paint or glue on it.

One issue you may think is relevant is that bamboo is exceedingly tough. However, it is not too tough for chinchillas to chew on. It won't damage your chinchilla's teeth if it chews on it.

What can happen, though, is that the bamboo can splinter. These splinters are exceedingly sharp and can hurt your chinchilla's mouth. Damage to the mouth can dissuade a chinchilla from eating because of the pain. As such, owners avoid bamboo and stick to wood.

5) Can Chinchillas Chew on Wooden Toys?

Rather than being uncertain (e.g. on the species of wood, or whether all the fungus in the wood has been gotten rid of), most owners buy wooden toys instead. There are many available from generalist pet stores made of all kinds of wood.

But not all wooden toys are suitable for chinchillas. You must make sure that the toy is made of a suitable material, which should be specified on the packaging or label. Certain woods which aren't suitable for chinchillas are still suitable for other pets, which is the reason for this issue.

Also, you must buy only untreated wooden toys. Some have paint or glue on them, which is unsuitable for your pet to ingest.

If you do buy a wooden toy, don't expect it to stay in good condition for long. Chinchillas love to gnaw, so anything wooden in their enclosures is quickly 'ruined'.

6) Can Chinchillas Chew on Grape Vines?

Dried fruit vines are similar to wood. Picture grape vines, for example: they are tough and fibrous, like wood is. They are like smaller vines that are still attached to grapes when you buy them, but bigger.

Large grape vines are sandblasted for use in the pet trade, either for caged pets to sit on or chew. Sandblasting removes the outer surface of the vine and dries it out. They look like gnarled old pieces of driftwood and can be found in pet stores.

Another positive is that grape vines don't splinter like wood or bamboo. It's fibrous and gnarled, not straight, which gives less opportunity for splinters to form. This means that a dried grape vine is the best chinchilla chew toy.

You can find these from most pet stores, or online. They are normally intended for other kinds of pet, but are suitable for chinchillas too.

7) Can Chinchillas Chew on Cardboard?

Cardboard is not suitable for chinchillas to chew on. Your chinchilla will happily chew on it, and won't be immediately affected if it does. However, there are good reasons to avoid it.

The first is that the cardboard may be treated with something. It may have ink on it, for example, or glue/tape to hold it together. Your chinchilla can accidentally ingest some of what it gnaws on, so it's best not to give it anything to chew that you wouldn't want it to eat.

Cardboard can also cause impaction. Impaction is where a blockage forms in the chinchilla's digestive tract. Cardboard is digestible, but not easily. As such, it can form a large blockage that the chinchilla can't pass.

It is possible to give chinchillas cardboard so long as you monitor them. If the chinchilla starts to eat the cardboard rather than only gnawing it, then you can take it away. This applies to all card: corrugated cardboard, thin paper-like card, and mail packages.

8) Can Chinchillas Chew Plastic?

Chinchillas can easily chew through plastic, but it's bad for them. Say, for example, you leave a plastic water bottle somewhere accessible in your pet's cage. Your chinchilla could chew through it and break it quite quickly. There are also plastic chew toys you can buy for pets.

But plastic is an awful choice for a chinchilla chew toy. That's because:

Plastic is the wrong texture. It's not fibrous enough, so when your chinchilla chews it, the plastic can misalign your pet's teeth.

Plastic is not suitable for ingestion. It can cause impaction like cardboard, and a variety of other health issues depending on the specific plastic ingested.

For this reason, chinchilla owners should not put anything plastic in their pets cages. Least of all they should put plastic chew toys.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

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Do Chinchillas Get Bored?

Chinchillas have needs like any pet. As the pet’s owner, it’s your job to provide for these needs. But do chinchillas like to play, and do you need to keep them entertained?

Chinchillas get bored if they don’t have enough to do. You can tell because it will start displaying repetitive behaviors, such as digging, bar chewing, and excessive barbering. Chinchillas get lonely and even more bored if kept alone. You can help a bored chinchilla by getting it a cage mate and some toys.

The guide below first establishes whether and why chinchillas like to play. Then, it covers how to tell if a chinchilla is bored or unhappy, and how to entertain one with fun boredom busters. 

Do Chinchillas Like to Play? 

Chinchillas enjoy playing, like many animals. You can see these behaviors both in the wild and in captivity. When your chinchillas are playing, you may see them:

Exploring. A playing chinchilla will run about sniffing new places. This is especially the case for pet chinchillas, which get excited when you let them out of their cages.

Jumping. Chinchillas jump when they’re excited, and can leap up to four feet in the air. 

Climbing on and jumping off things. Chinchillas are from the mountains, and when they play, they jump up and down off rocks. Pet chinchillas do the same with surfaces.

Play fighting. A chinchilla may kick its cage-mate to get it to chase it.

Your chinchilla may also play with you in these ways. It may clamber onto your shoulders, for example. Or, it might jump onto you and off you again. When you watch your chinchilla doing these things, it seems like it’s having fun.

While you shouldn’t anthropomorphize your pet (think of it like a little person), it’s clear a chinchilla is happier if it can play than if it can’t.

Conversely, if a chinchilla is kept in its cage on its own all the time, it can’t display these behaviors. This is when you notice your chinchilla getting bored.

Why Do Chinchillas Like to Play?

There are several core reasons why they enjoy, and even need, to play. While chinchillas aren’t as intelligent as people, they like to play for the same reasons that we do:

Chinchillas are social animals. Play builds bonds and reinforces social structure. From the time that they’re kits, chinchillas learn to play with their siblings and parents.

Play is a kind of practice. Animals chase each other and use self-defense when playing, which can serve as practice for real situations. 

Play is fun. Animals take pleasure in many things, just like we do, including play. This is something that’s impossible to measure, but which you can see as a pet’s owner.

Play fighting is the best example of how play prepares an animal for dangerous situations. Kits (baby chinchillas) fight each other to develop their strength and self-defense abilities. Fighting strength also establishes dominance and attracts mates, so developing it from an early age is necessary for surviving and establishing breeding rights.

Without play, animals become bored. In the complete absence of stimulation, they can become stressed, depressed, and even ill. That applies to captive animals like pet chinchillas too.

Do Chinchillas Get Lonely?

[caption id="attachment_3875" align="alignright" width="300"] Chinchillas can get lonely, like other pets do.[/caption]

Chinchillas do get lonely when they can’t interact/play with other chinchillas. In the wild, chinchillas are herd animals. The size of a herd can range from a dozen up to a hundred, which as you can imagine, means that wild chinchillas socialize a lot. Chinchillas don’t like being isolated from this natural group setup.

If a chinchilla is kept alone, it will miss out on this socialization: the play fighting, the collective foraging for food, the alarm calls from other chinchillas that keep the group safe, and the use of a shared burrow. 

When any animal can’t demonstrate natural behaviors and inclinations like these, it becomes unhappy and lonely. Chinchillas are no exception.

How to Tell If a Chinchilla Is Bored

You can easily tell when a chinchilla is bored. You should notice your chinchillas playing frequently. Your pet will also display behaviors which indicate it isn’t happy. You can spot these behaviors and give your chinchilla something to do, and if you do, these negative behaviors should stop. 

So, is my chinchilla happy, or is my chinchilla depressed or bored? Here’s how to find out. 

Your Chinchilla Is Inactive/Lethargic

Lethargy, also known as inactivity, can be a sign of different health issues. But it can also be something you see in a bored chinchilla. When a bored chinchilla doesn’t have enough to do, it will sit still and not do much. This applies even if there are lots of things in your pet’s cage.

This indicates that a chinchilla is bored of its surroundings. It may have previously run on its wheel (for example), but has since become bored and lonely. Over time, it becomes depressed. 

Your chinchilla will remain like this for a while. It will then start showing other symptoms of boredom which are more serious.

Repetitive Chinchilla Behaviors (Stereotypy)

This is an issue that you will see with all kinds of pets, chinchillas included. When a pet is bored, it will perform repetitive actions. These actions may be damaging for the pet’s health.

Because chinchillas and other rodents have been kept in labs and farms, we know lots about these behaviors. An article in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior Clinical Applications and Research looked at this specific issue.

[caption id="attachment_4033" align="alignright" width="300"] Image courtesy Michael Shoenewies, CC by 2.0. A chinchilla's teeth will point the wrong way if it chews its cage bars.[/caption]

The scientists behind this study looked at chinchillas kept on a farm. They found that rodents kept in barren cages usually develop some form of abnormal repetitive behavior, which can indicate a past or present welfare problem.

  One of these abnormal behaviors is fur chewing. A small amount of barbering is normal. This is where a chinchilla grooms its own fur, or the fur of its cage mates. But in a barren cage, a chinchilla may do this too much, which can cause fur loss.

This is the most common stereotypy behavior. But there are others to look out for. These include:

Bar chewing. A chinchilla may bite or chew the bars of its cage, as if to try and get out. This can cause its teeth to point in the wrong direction. 

Cage scratching. A chinchilla may scratch at the floor of its cage, again, as if to try and dig out.

Backflipping. While this behavior can look cute, it can also be a sign that a chinchilla is bored.

If you spot these behaviors, you should immediately take steps to make your pet happier. These symptoms of boredom won’t go away on their own. 

How to Entertain a Chinchilla

There are lots of ways to keep a chinchilla entertained. Each of the ideas below will make your chinchilla happier, but will also make it more fun to keep one as a pet. So, how do I keep my chinchilla happy?

Don’t Keep Chinchillas Alone 

Keeping a chinchilla on its own is a bad idea. As stated above, these are herd animals. They get bored quickly if kept alone because they can’t socialize. As such, you should introduce your chinchilla to a new friend.

But you can’t dump them in one big cage together if they don’t know each other. If you do, the pair will fight.

Instead, you have to use the split-cage method. This is where you have a big cage with a divider down the middle. You keep one chinchilla in one side of the cage, and the other chinchilla in the other. Occasionally swap the pair from side to side, so that each gets used to the smell of the other. You can also do this with two separate cages rather than a special split cage. 

Over time, the pair become more comfortable with each other and are bonded. You can then keep them in the same cage. You may need to get a bigger cage if you want to keep them together.

Make a Chinchilla Pen/Let Your Pet Out

Animals aren’t supposed to live in cages 24/7. Unless the cage is big and rich in enrichment like a zoo enclosure, your pet will get bored sitting inside all the time. You should let it out regularly.

Your pet will enjoy sniffing around and exploring a larger area. While this may not seem important, it’s vital for your chinchilla’s mental health.

But letting your chinchilla out isn’t as easy as opening the gate every once in a while. You have to make sure that your room is chinchilla-proof. That involves:

Remove all power cords from the room. Your chinchilla will gnaw through them, and if they’re plugged in, they will electrocute your pet.

Keep doors and windows closed. Chinchillas can jump up to four feet high, and are unpredictable when excited. 

Block up any holes in the wall or in/under furniture. Again, chinchillas are quick and unpredictable when playing.

To make life easier, most owners put their chinchillas in pens. Pens are large enclosed areas with walls. You can either buy one or make one. Ensure that the walls of the pen are tall enough (taller than four feet) to prevent your chinchilla escaping. 

Buy Your Chinchilla Toys

Your chinchilla could also be bored because it doesn’t have enough stimulation. While all chinchillas enjoy exploring the areas outside their cages, the ideal cage setup for a chinchilla should be enough to entertain it. That means having enough space, with lots of toys, and several levels. 

Chew toys are a favorite of chinchillas. They have to gnaw frequently on hard objects/materials like wood to keep their teeth trimmed. This keeps a chinchilla busy, giving it something to do throughout the day. There are lots of things chinchillas can safely chew. 

Another toy you could give your pet is an exercise wheel. Wheels like those used by other rodents aren’t recommended because of their shape. As chinchillas are big, running in a wheel can damage their backs.

But you can buy your chinchilla an exercise saucer. These look like large shallow dishes made of metal that rotate like discs. Because these are flat, they let your chinchilla run full pelt, but without having to bend their backs. 

Other Fun Things to Do with Your Chinchilla

  [caption id="attachment_3860" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo by Nate Pesce. Handling and spending time with your chinchilla will stop it being too bored.[/caption]

The easiest thing you can do with a bored chinchilla is spend time with it. Chinchillas get bored because of a lack of stimulation. Some owners report that their bored chinchillas are lethargic all day, but get excited when the owner moves towards the pet’s cage. It’s clear that chinchillas, like all pets, crave interaction, stimulation and fun.

You can spend time sitting next to your chinchilla's cage, watching it play. Some chinchillas find this fun, although your pet will still be in its enclosure, so can’t do much.

Alternatively, spend time with your pet when it’s in its pen/outside of its cage. If it trusts you and likes your company, spending time with your chinchilla will make it happy. It’s fun to watch your pet running and jumping around, because chinchillas get so excited when they’re outside their cages.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

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