Dangerous Items for Chinchillas
Unfortunately there are so many items out there marketed for chinchillas that are actually very unsafe for them, it warrants a whole section on cages, toys, accessories, food and so on, to avoid.
One of the main things to remember is that pet shops often know very little about chinchilla care and sadly the focus is on pushing attractive toys and treats for profit, not the animal’s welfare. Animals do not have anywhere near the same rights as humans, in fact sadly in some countries it’s legal to slaughter chinchillas just for their fur, therefore researching and testing to see if something is safe for them just isn’t required like it is for people. |
Please never give your chinchilla any of the dangerous items on the list below - you want them to live a long and happy life, free from harm.
The good news is there are plenty of toys and treats suitable for chinchillas, check out the where to buy chinchilla accessories page to treat your chinchilla.
The good news is there are plenty of toys and treats suitable for chinchillas, check out the where to buy chinchilla accessories page to treat your chinchilla.
Harmful to Chinchillas:
Exercise balls known as death balls as they’re so dangerous for chinchillas. The enclosed environment leaves the chinchilla susceptible to overheating, their toes can be easily trapped in the gaps, it forces their spine into an unnatural position, makes the chinchilla run when their natural movement is to hop, and they end up covered in their own poo and urine. Never put your chinchilla in an exercise ball, instead supervise playtime in a safe area.
Harnesses are extremely dangerous, chinchillas have very delicate rib cages and spines - all it takes is one wrong move for them to be fatally injured. Instead allow your chinchilla to have playtime in a fully chinchilla proofed area.
Outdoors chinchillas must never be kept outside or let outside to play. They are extremely susceptible to heatstroke, cannot handle high levels of humidity and should not get wet. Aside from this, chinchillas must never have playtime outside as this will expose them to lots of dangerous germs and bacteria. Remember pet chinchillas are very far removed from their wild ancestors and their level of immunity is less. Plus your back garden and the germs present are very different to their natural environment high up in the Andes Mountains.
Wheels less than 14" or made out of mesh/plastic any wheel less than 14" wide (16" is preferable) is too small and can seriously damage the chinchilla’s spine. Wheels made out of plastic are dangerous as when chewed it can cause fatal internal blockages. Mesh wheels are not suitable as the chinchilla can easily catch their paws. Also wheels must not have a spoke sticking out as the chinchilla can easily rip their tail on this. Unfortunately almost all pet shop wheels are unsafe, you can buy safe wheels online here.
In the meantime, it’s far better to have no wheel at all than one which is dangerous. |
Plastic anything made of plastic is a massive NO for chinchillas. When chewed, the chinchilla is unable to digest this and it can cause fatal internal blockages. Plastic should be replaced by safe wood or completely covered in non pill fleece. Even if your chinchilla has not chewed plastic before you must still remove it immediately, there have been many cases of chinchillas suddenly deciding to chew a plastic toy overnight after never showing any interest before. Unfortunately then it is too late and the damage has been done.
Carefresh bedding similar to plastic, when ingested this causes potentially fatal blockages. There have been many cases of chinchillas who have died or nearly died and huge internal blockages of carefresh have been found in their stomach. Carefresh should never be used for chinchillas. Even if you haven’t seen your chinchilla chewing this you have no way of knowing what they are doing whilst you are asleep, out, or not watching. As mentioned above, a chinchilla can go months or years without chewing something and then without warning, suddenly decide to do so. Cat litter is also unsuitable bedding for the same reasons. Instead non pill fleece, aspen or other safe wood shavings such as kiln dried pine, are suitable alternatives.
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, yoghurt drops or raisins - these are all totally unsuitable for chinchillas and should never be given. They are too high in sugar, fats and can cause bloat which can quickly become fatal. Other long term complications include the onset of seizures and fatty liver disease, which usually only become apparent years down the line when the damage has already been done.
Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation claiming these unsafe treats can be fed in "moderation", likening it to eating junk food in moderation. This is a totally false and a misleading comparison - fruits/vegetables, nuts, seeds, raisins, yoghurt drops are not suitable, regardless of quantity. |
A more accurate comparison would be feeding treats off the approved safe list in moderation - like fast food these can cause health problems if fed too regularly, but if you choose to, feeding in moderation shouldn’t cause any harm.
Treats that are totally unsuitable and harmful to chinchillas are not ok, even in moderation, and suggesting otherwise is very irresponsible. You would not feed a child something that was unfit for human consumption, so please treat your chinchilla with the same level of care and respect. You can read more about this dangers in this article here.
Treats that are totally unsuitable and harmful to chinchillas are not ok, even in moderation, and suggesting otherwise is very irresponsible. You would not feed a child something that was unfit for human consumption, so please treat your chinchilla with the same level of care and respect. You can read more about this dangers in this article here.
Hanging hay balls/wire hay racks many chinchillas have accidentally hung themselves in these, or had to have a limb amputated after getting caught. Instead, you can use a ceramic bowl for your chinchilla’s hay or just place it on a shelf in their cage.
Aquarium/vivarium style cages chinchillas require a cage with good ventilation, the airflow in these types of cages is not suitable for them and they will also overheat.
Other pets chinchilla should not come into contact with any other pets, this does not only include cats and dogs but other rodents, reptiles or any other species.
Aside from the risk of a cat, dog or other pet accidentally hurting your chinchilla, other species carry bacteria which whilst may be natural and harmless to them, can be very dangerous to chinchillas.
Rabbits, rats, dogs, cats and reptiles are just a handful that carry some of the most harmful types. To prevent your chinchilla becoming sick, wash your hands thoroughly after handling other pets and never allow them to interact with one another.
Aside from the risk of a cat, dog or other pet accidentally hurting your chinchilla, other species carry bacteria which whilst may be natural and harmless to them, can be very dangerous to chinchillas.
Rabbits, rats, dogs, cats and reptiles are just a handful that carry some of the most harmful types. To prevent your chinchilla becoming sick, wash your hands thoroughly after handling other pets and never allow them to interact with one another.
Electrical cords and other household items that mustn’t be chewed ensure there are no unsafe items within reach of your chinchilla’s cage, you will be surprised how far they’re able to squeeze their nose through the bars to chew something!
Equally with playtime, only include items that are safe for the chinchilla to chew. Electrical wires are particularly dangerous as they appear to the chinchilla as a nice chew stick - unfortunately many chinchillas electrocute themselves through this. |
Therefore a chinchilla must never be placed in an environment where there are electrical cords, or indeed any other unsafe items to chew!
Cuddly toys only those made and stuffed with non pill fleece are safe, you can buy these here. Standard soft toys are made from unsafe fabrics and often have dangerous items such as plastic eyes which can easily be chewed or chocked on.
Hammocks not made from non pill fleece Hammocks, or any accessory made from any fabric other than non pill fleece, are dangerous. Only non pill fleece is safe because it does not frey or break off in strands when chewed, like other fabrics do. Not only is this dangerous as it provides a choking hazard and can cause fatal internal blockages, chewed hammocks can lead to the chinchilla getting trapped and accidentally hanging themselves on the loose strands.
Remember your chinchilla is most active at night, so even if your chinchilla has never chewed an unsafe hammock before, today could be the day they start. With their sharp teeth, they can easily consume enough to cause irreparable harm or hang themselves before you even have chance to reach them.
Remember your chinchilla is most active at night, so even if your chinchilla has never chewed an unsafe hammock before, today could be the day they start. With their sharp teeth, they can easily consume enough to cause irreparable harm or hang themselves before you even have chance to reach them.
Cardboard never leave your chinchilla unattended with this, again when chewed it can cause internal impaction and blockages.
Temperatures over 21C/70F chinchillas are very susceptible to heatstroke which can quickly become fatal. Temperatures must never exceed 21C/70F, in warm weather you must use air conditioning to ensure that the temperatures remains lower than this. Humidity is also bad for chinchillas and should be kept under 60%.
These are some of the most common hazards, however unfortunately there are so many it’s impossible to cover them all.
If in doubt whether something is safe for your chinchilla, please check if the product is listed on the where to buy page or mentioned on the what to include in your chinchilla’s cage section.
If in doubt whether something is safe for your chinchilla, please check if the product is listed on the where to buy page or mentioned on the what to include in your chinchilla’s cage section.
Vector Graphics with thanks to Freepik