At first glance, chinchilla can be assessed as a sedentary and calm pet. But in fact, the animal loves games, and he himself is friendly and active. Chinchillas like different entertainments, they want to try new toys. When buying a similar animal home, you must take this into account.
Features and requirements
The hind legs of the chinchilla are very strong, for this reason jumping is the main mode of movement. The rodent must constantly do exercises: jump and flex its paws. The best simulators are shelves. It is recommended to purchase wooden shelves so that the animal can sharpen its teeth.
But shelves that are made of coniferous trees, oak and cherry should not be bought. The fact is that these trees contain resin, and if the animal suddenly wants to try it, then its digestion will be disturbed.
Also, you do not need to purchase shelves that are painted, varnished or impregnated with any chemical means.
If you want to make shelves with your own hands, then the tree needs to be washed well, treated with boiled water and dried.
Shelves for chinchilla can be placed at various levels. Place them at a height of no more than 82 centimeters, such a parameter is safe for the animal.
The animal can appreciate the running wheel. But you need to carefully select this accessory. There are four types of wheels: plastic, metal, aluminum and wood.
Metal wheels are considered the most dangerous because they can be made with crossbars in a mesh. Paws or chinchilla fingers can accidentally get into this net.In addition, the metal stand on which the wheel is attached is also unsafe for the beast if there are several animals in the cage. If one pet performs exercises in a wheel, then another may stick its head between the wheel and the stand. And this will entail injury.
You can use an aluminum wheel. The structure is usually attached to the wall, so you do not need to purchase an additional stand.
Plastic wheels also attach to the cell wall and do not have a stand. The disadvantage of a plastic wheel is its diameter, which is a maximum of 34 centimeters. This diameter will be too small for the animal.
A wheel made of wood is a very good and environmentally friendly option. The pluses are that the design does not have sharp corners and mesh cells. There are also disadvantages: the tree absorbs moisture and various odors, it will not work to wash a dirty surface, it will be impossible to get rid of bad smells.
You can also put a branch inside the cage. This option will be pleasant and useful, since the chinchilla will climb and bite along the branch, grinding its teeth. You can independently make different steps and ladders for the pet from the branches.
remember, that in the cage you need to have different but safe toys that can improve the life of a chinchilla. All accessories must be put in a cage in order, so that they do not bother the pet.
In addition, do not clutter up the space with too many toys, since the chinchilla needs free movement within its territory.
A great option is walking your pet around the apartment. For this you need a walking ball if he is gone, the chinchilla may run away or damage himself. A walking ball is a transparent or colored toy of small sizes, in which a chinchilla moves around the apartment. Each owner of a hamster, rat or chinchilla should have a similar element of walks.
It’s not necessary to walk the pet, but such “boardwalks” enhance the animal’s health.
Before releasing a pet, you need to prepare the territory and put things in order. There should be little furniture in the apartment, the animal should not be allowed to nibble on wires and cables. The animal is released from the cage, but the cage itself does not need to be closed so that the pet can hide in it whenever it wants. Then you need to sit on the floor and not make sudden movements so that the pet can get comfortable.
Allow the pet to climb on its shoulder, this will help the chinchilla to relax.
Kinds
There are many chinchilla toys in any pet store. Each pet has its own preferences, so the owner needs to know what his pet likes. The animal must choose a toy for himself. For example, if you push a ball in his direction, then the animal can bring it by itself. But there are also those pets who do not want to react to the ball at all, if this happens, sort through the options until the pet chooses something.
If a new toy appears in the animal’s cage, then one must observe his reaction and understand whether the pet liked the toy or not. You also need to know that there are objects that pose a threat to the health of the pet.
It is necessary to protect the chinchilla from unsafe toys.
There are two categories of chinchilla toys:
- static: slides, tunnels and others;
- movable: balls, wheelchairs, twigs.
Static accessories can not only be entertainment for the chinchilla, but also become a decoration in the house. The pet can be played by itself, without the participation of the owner. And moving accessories are usually designed for games and for a good pastime of the animal outside the cage, where the presence of the owner is already required.
One of the most favorite chinchilla toys are tunnels. In the tunnels, pets can hide, make their way and have fun running after each other.
The main thing is that the diameter is about 32-42 centimeters. Thanks to this diameter, the pet will not be able to get stuck.
To make this accessory, you need to use plastic or wood. Wooden tunnels should have a metal edging so that the pet could not gnaw at the edges.
Plastic tunnels can be produced in various forms. Plastic tunnels can be disassembled and assembled, giving them various shapes. If the tunnels are made of translucent plastic, then the beast will feel comfort and safety in them, and the owner will always find his pet.
Consider what else you can think of for a chinchilla.
- Hammocks usually put inside the cell. On a hammock you can not only relax, but also swing in different directions, using it as a swing. To create a hammock, materials such as wood, strong fabric, ropes, bending, but strong plastic are used. Hammocks can be single-tier and two-tier (in the form of a pipe).
At the same time, bunk hammocks have more features. When danger arises or it becomes cold, the pet may hide inside the hammock.
- Active pets may like different stairs. Thanks to them, the paws will always be strong, and the animal will be more resilient. If the ladder near the animal’s dwelling is installed vertically, then the pet will be able to clean its fur on it, scratch its back and sharpen its teeth. As a ladder, you can use wooden shelves.
- With the help of dynamic toys and accessories, the pet will develop well. Animals love hanging accessories that shake, stagger, rattle and ring. Animals like to push objects or swing them in different directions. There were also cases when the animal grinded his teeth on toys.
However, it should be borne in mind that interest in such toys awakens in chinchillas closer to the night. Too loud sounds will not please everyone, so in the evening you need to remove the ringing accessories away from the pet. This will help the animal and you to relax at night.
Selection rules
Before you give any chinchillas accessories, you need to know the rules and regulations on the use of these toys. First you need to understand what material the accessory is made of. Chinchillas are forbidden to give toys made from:
- rubber;
- low-quality plastic;
- cement;
- lime;
- paper;
- cardboard;
- glass.
Also, some of the types of wood are contraindicated for these pets.
There are some other selection rules that you will have to consider when buying.
- Chinchilla will be able to bite and swallow small objects.
- You can not buy toys that have been painted, because the skin of the beast can rub on the paint, which can lead to poisoning. It is better to purchase accessories that have neutral tones or are generally colorless.
- It is forbidden to buy toys with sharp corners and notches, because the chinchilla can get hurt.
How to do it yourself?
Various toys for the beast can be made with your own hands, so you will definitely be sure of the environmental friendliness and benefits of the resulting product.
A shelf
To make a shelf, you must follow these rules:
- choose a not very large wooden board;
- rinse the workpiece thoroughly so that parasites do not appear in the product;
- the board should dry completely;
- Sand the board so that there are no chipping marks, sharp edges, or roughness on it;
- set the shelf at the required level;
- Arrange overhangs at different levels throughout the house so that the pet can jump in different directions.
Hammock
You can also design your own hammock. To do this, you will need:
- 2 cuts of strong denim or fleece fabric 47x47 cm;
- threads
- edge tape;
- needles;
- scissors.
Making a hammock is as follows.
- Make a pattern. You can print a photo and use it to cut out the pattern along the contour.
- Attach the pattern to the fabric and cut 2 identical elements.
- Mark the seams at the edges, then turn over these edges with the edge tape. There should also be loops at the edges. They will help to hang a hammock.
- Use a regular seam to fasten the edge tape.
- Pass the small carbines through the loops. With the help of carabiners, you need to hang a hammock on the roof of the cage so that the chinchilla can climb it.
Some materials at hand may also be chinchilla toys. Moreover, it often turns out that you don’t even need to go to the store, because chinchillas can happily play with improvised things. Give your pet things that can be nibbled, rolled, pushed.
- Chinchillas can constantly roll walnuts inside the cage. In addition, they will really like a wooden or plastic ball.
- A spool of thread made of wood will become not only an interesting toy, but also a good sharpener for the teeth of an animal.
- A small piece of tight rope, tied in a knot at the ends, can also become a toy for chinchillas. But this item must be given with caution. It must be ensured that the pet does not swallow threads that can harm the stomach.
You can watch how to make a DIY toy for chinchillas in the next video.
