Chinchillas are characterized by being active animals with an infinite curiosity that makes them immerse themselves in all kinds of corners. But, in addition, these small mammals have a very friendly and playful character, which has fallen in love with all kinds of people who have the fortune to live with one of these rodents.
However, when we consider adopting a chinchilla, it is very important to know its needs so that your friend is happy and he althy. It is for this reason that, in this article on our site, we want to advise you on the best toys for chinchillas, so you can ensure that your pet is entertained and satisfied living with you.
Accessories for chinchillas
One way to entertain and make our chinchilla happy is through various accessories, such as:
Nests for chinchillas
Chinchillas need a place to shelter and feel safe inside their cage. For this reason, it will be grateful if you offer it a good hut or nest-shaped bed where it can hide and rest comfortably.
Tunnel for chinchillas
As you have seen, hiding and exploring are two activities that chinchillas love, and it is for this reason that tunnels are a good option for them to carry out this activity. Your chinchilla will love hiding inside to rest, as well as running through them when they feel like running around.
Chinchilla wheel
Chinchillas are very active animals, moving up and down non-stop. But while they're in their cage, they also need to be able to stretch out their legs at will. Using the chinchilla wheel, your pet will be able to run nonstopwhen she is more active and spend all this energy
Chinchilla Climbing Toys
Within this group, we include those accessories such as ladders, bridges and ramps, whose purpose is that your chinchilla has the possibility of climbing and go down to different levels, strengthening your muscles and staying active.
Swing and see-saw for chinchillas
This kind of accessories are usually hung from the ceiling of the cage and give your chinchilla the possibility to jump on them, as well as of balancing, strengthening your muscles and sense of balance.
Chinchilla litter box
Chinchillas are very clean animals, which cannot bathe in waterdue to its fine and thick fur. Its fur is not prepared to live in humid environments, so it easily accumulates moisture if it gets wet, making it difficult to dry and there is a risk that the chinchilla will get sick.
It is for this reason that chinchillas take sand baths to wash themselves thoroughly. Therefore, it is essential that your pet has access to a large container with specific sand for chinchillas (not just any type of sand will do), and you will see how much she will enjoy wallowing in the sand.
In this other article we explain more about the sand bath of chinchillas.
Chinchilla teethers
Chinchillas love to gnaw But this activity, apart from being so idle, is really necessary for their he alth, specifically so that they do not develop dental problems, since by nibbling the chinchillas manage to strengthen and maintain the correct shape of their teeth. Therefore, it is strictly necessary to give your chinchilla objects that it can chew on. Otherwise, it will end up destroying other unsuitable objects.
In your trusted pet store, you will find all kinds of teethers. Typically, these will be made of wood or other materials that are harmless to your pet.
Now that you know that chinchillas need to gnaw to maintain good dental he alth, you may be interested in reading this other article on Basic care of a domestic chinchilla.
Interactive toys for chinchillas
This type of toy is intended to encourage your chinchilla's curiosity, proposing challenges or stimulating its senses with the general purpose of get a prize. They mainly stand out:
Treat holder toy
This class of toys, also known as treat dispensers, contain, as you may have already deduced, food inside. Therefore, they invite the chinchilla to play and get the prize as it interacts with the toy, ensuring great moments of entertainment so that your pet is distracted and satisfied.
Rug of Smell
This toy is characterized by being a mat inside which prizes can be hidden. In this way, it encourages the sense of smell to find food. Plus, it gives you the mental stimulation you need.
Intelligence toy
There are several kinds of intelligence toys. Typically, you'll see these geared toward rabbits or guinea pigs, but you can also offer them to your chinchilla. This toy often poses challenges for your pet, which he must solve to obtain the prize, such as using his paws to remove an obstacle that prevents him from reaching the long-awaited treat.
Chinchilla Playground
There are many types of playgrounds or gyms for chinchillas, which are characterized by being very complete toys in which your chinchilla you can entertain yourself doing all kinds of exercises.
These structures are usually made up of a base on which there are different kinds of toys and accessories, such as ladders, ramps, seesaws and teethers In this way, you give your chinchilla the possibility of carrying out several activities in a single toy, such as climbing, swinging, gnawing, etc.
Homemade toys for chinchillas
As you may have verified, there are multiple options available on the market for your chinchilla to spend great moments of entertainment. However, if you are looking for cheaper alternatives, here are some ideas for homemade toys, made with homemade materials, that you can offer your pet:
Prepare wood at home for chinchillas
An inexpensive option for giving your chinchilla objects to chew is to collect sticks and branches yourself. In the same way, you can choose large and differently shaped branches to place in your chinchilla's cage to serve as climbing toys
But for this, it won't do if you give it to him directly once collected, but you must prepare it properly so that there is no risk of your pet getting hurt or sick, in case the wood is not you will find 100% free of substances and pathogens.
First of all, you should know that not just any type of wood will do for your chinchilla, as many of these can be toxic. You should avoid the branches of:
- Cherry.
- Citrus.
- Redwood.
- Cedar.
- Other Evergreens.
It is also not advisable to give branches showing lichens, or treated wood strips or boardsor other similar materials, as they can be harmful to your chinchilla.
Next, once you have chosen a suitable wood for your pet, you must:
- In case you want to offer them to bite, cut the branches into small pieces, so that your chinchilla can easily pick them up and manipulate them with its little paws.
- Boil the wood for 15-20 minutes to sterilize it, that is, eliminate pathogens that could make your chinchilla sick.
- Rub the wood with a brush to remove all dirt and rinse with water. Repeat the process until the water runs clear.
- Finally, once they are completely clean, put the sticks on a dry towel outdoors and let them dry in the sun.
Decorating your chinchilla's cage with collected branches is always a good option. And if you're a handyman, you can try c build more complex structures, like stairs or swings. However, carrying out these previous steps is essential to ensure that they will not be harmful to your pet.
Hanging wooden toy for chinchillas
If you want to try to make a simple toy, made with the sterilized wood from the previous section, you can try hanging the wood using a rope for your chinchilla to entertain themselves trying to reach it.
The options available to you are various. For example, if you tie a branch with two ropes at both ends attached from the roof of their cage, you can make a swing so your chinchilla can climb on it and jump on it.
Similarly, you can offer him a mobile teether by tying one or more sticks to a single end. This way, your chinchilla will be distracted by reaching, biting and maybe even climbing on it (depending on the thickness and stability of the wood).
Hay Tube
Your chinchilla's diet should consist mostly of hay. That's why you can try to provide it to him interactively using the toy you'll see below, for which you'll only need a paper tube and two strings.
- First of all, you will need to make two small holes on each side of the roll, into which a string can pass.
- Next, insert each string into one of the holes and tie a knot so they cannot come loose.
- Fill the roll with hay and hang the toy up, so your chinchilla can access the hay.
This toy can be simplified, since you don't necessarily have to hang the tube with the strings. As this toy is not very durable, as the chinchilla will also gnaw the cardboard, you can try offering tubes filled in different ways, which will have more or less difficulty. For example, folding and closing the ends of the roll to make it a more difficult challenge or using scissors to make holes in the tube so that it has several outlets.
Vegetables hung with clothespins
Vegetables and fruits should make up a small percentage of your chinchilla's diet (specifically, by 5%). This small portion should be eaten in moderation and, for this reason, you can try to give your pet vegetables in an entertaining way and getting them to eat them slowly (without gorging themselves all at once), simply with the help of a string and some tweezers. For this toy, you will follow a few simple steps:
- Wash and cut vegetables.
- Hang the vegetables using clothespins along a string.
- Tie both ends of the string in a place where your chinchilla has access, so that it can see them and reach them to eat them.
For more information, see Chinchilla feeding.
