Chew Toys

You should have safe chew toys for your chin to prevent boredom and help to keep his teeth worn down to a healthy length You want all wood and toys to be organic and untreated. This means no pesticides, commercial glues, painted, stained or chemicals. There should be no sap oozing from the wood which would mean it was not properly dried. All wood/vines MUST be properly cleaned and dried before they can be given to your chinchilla. Do not ever give your chin fresh cut wood! Colored toys should be food-grade coloring only. Do not use fabrics or rope which consists of thread fibers such as cotton that can break apart and become entangled in the intestinal tract and cause a blockage or death. Cotton strings can also tangle around a chins leg or paw and cause severe injury. Sisal is a safe and good choice as is Sea Grass rope. Please be careful with sisal that is sold at hardware stores as those very often are treated with oils which are harmful to your chin. They will actually smell like fuel. A reputable source will have untreated products.

As far as wood/vines that are safe and woods that are toxic to your chin I'd like to say the list is long, but in all honesty most people only have easy access to a chosen few. Therefore, I have listed those that I believe you would encounter most often. If you ever have a doubt about a toy, don't give it to your chin.

Safe woods for your chinchilla:

  • Apple sticks
  • Balsa
  • Cholla (dried cactus wood)
  • Cottonwood
  • Critter Cave
  • Critter Crunchies
  • Grapevine
  • Grassball
  • Hawthorn
  • Hay Cakes
  • Hazelnut
  • Willow vine peeled or unpeeled
  • Manzanita
  • Mulberry
  • Ocotillo Cactus
  • Pear
  • Pecan
  • Pumice Stone
  • Pine - Kiln dried
  • Red Willow
  • Shredders (palm)
  • Sisal rope
  • Straw/Seagrass/Coconut

Toys and Wood you should NOT give your chinchilla:

  • Almond
  • Apricot
  • Cherry
  • Commercial Cardboard (including paper towel/toilet paper rolls)
  • Cotton or synthetic fiber rope
  • Cypress
  • Edlerberry
  • Eucalyptus
  • Hemlock
  • Mahogany
  • Maple
  • Oak
  • Particle Board
  • Peach
  • Plastic toys including Igloos
  • Plum
  • Plywood
  • Pressure Treated Wood
  • Rawhide/Leather
  • Redwood
  • Run-about Balls (Super Pet)
  • Salt/Mineral Spools
  • Sandalwood
  • Spruce
  • Teak
  • Walnut
  • Yew