There are a lot of treats these little pets absolutely love, but not all of them are healthy.
Flowers are a treat that is usually low in calories and thus fine to feed in small amounts.
However, not all flowers are good for chinchillas.
In fact, some are toxic and potentially even deadly.
How do you know what flowers chinchillas can eat?
You keep reading. Below, we have a list of 18 delicious flowers chinchillas can eat without any worries.
What Flowers Can Chinchillas Eat
Chinchillas can eat any of the flowers below, as long as you only feed them in small amounts. And in many cases, the leaves of the plants are actually better to feed than the flowers, though you can safely feed both.
Basil
The whitish-pinkish colored Basil flowers are safe to eat for small animals like chinchillas. Their pungent, spicy aromatic taste and flavor are interesting for chinchillas and make a yummy occasional snack.
You can feed different varieties of basil flowers such as holy basil, Thai basil, etc. to your chinchilla. Do practice moderation when feeding basil flowers to chinchillas.
Basil flowers contain high levels of calcium and phosphorus and can be acidic. Therefore, you should not feed any more than 1 to 2 small basil flowers and basil leaves occasionally.
Carnations
Even humans eat carnations, and many chefs add these pretty flowers to various dishes to enhance their taste.
Carnations have a peppery flavor which your little chinchilla will love. As always, practice moderation and only feed tiny quantities of fresh or dried carnations to your pet.
Chamomile
Chamomile flowers have many health benefits for humans. They help fight inflammation and calm and relax the body and mind.
In chinchillas, chamomile can aid digestion, reduce inflammation, and even boost the brain’s neurotransmitter activity.
You can feed 1 to 2 chamomile flowers and leaves a couple of times a week to your chinchilla, along with its regular food.
Chrysanthemums
Many people ask whether they can feed chrysanthemums to their chinchillas. The answer is yes, you can feed ‘mums’ to your chin. But only in moderation.
In small amounts, these flowers have many medicinal properties and are edible for small animals like chinchillas. Here is a cute video of a chinchilla eating chrysanthemums.
Cornflowers
Dried cornflowers are excellent boredom breakers and delicious treats for chinchillas. These days, you can buy different varieties of dried or fresh blue cornflowers from pet stores or online stores.
Cornflowers have a tangy and sweet taste which your pet will love. Do practice moderation when feeding cornflowers to your small pet.
Dandelion Flowers
Your pet can eat almost every part of the dandelion plant. You can feed your chinchilla dandelion flowers, roots, stems, and leaves, in moderation. However, the leaves are better than the flowers.
Make sure you only offer pesticide-free dandelion parts to your chinchilla. Avoid picking roadside dandelions, because they could be full of toxins.
Daisies
Daisy does not contain much nutrition, but they still make a delicious occasional treat for your chinchilla. In fact, your chinchilla can eat almost all the parts of a daisy plant, including the stem, twigs, and leaves.
Daisies are easy to grow in the garden and do not need much maintenance and care. You can easily plant some daisies, if you wish to feed them as treats to your chinchilla from time to time.
Hibiscus
Dried hibiscus petals make an excellent treat for chinchillas, because they are packed with antioxidants and anthocyanins such as vitamin C and beta carotene. You can safely feed 1 to 2 dried or fresh petals of hibiscus to your pet a couple of times a week.
Honeysuckle
Birds love honeysuckle and so do chinchillas. The sweet flowers of the honeysuckle, or Lonicera japonica, plant make a delicious treat for chins. Feed no more than 1 teaspoon of dried or fresh honeysuckle flowers to your pet about once a week.
Jasmine
The fragrant jasmine flowers and buds make a delicious treat for chinchillas. They simply love chewing on them! You can also feed your pet jasmine stems, twigs, and leaves from time to time.
Note that certain varieties of jasmine such as Carolina and yellow jasmine look remarkably like the regular, edible jasmine. They are not safe for chinchillas and could cause symptoms of food poisoning in your tiny pet.
Lavender
Chins love the aromatic flowers and leaves of lavender, so you can feed them to your pet as a tasty treat from time to time.
Remember to always practice moderation while feeding any aromatic herbs or flowers like lavender to chinchillas. Limit the quantity to ¼ – ⅛ teaspoon, about once or twice a week.
Marigold
You can feed your chinchilla dried or fresh marigold flowers in small quantities about once or twice a week.
Marigolds, or calendula officinalis, flowers, stems, and petals make excellent treats for chins. They are even fun to stuff inside wooden tubes or toys so your chin can fish them out to get some mental stimulation.
Remember to always introduce new treats gradually to avoid stomach upsets. Also, note that there are a couple of varieties of marigolds that can be toxic to chinchillas.
These include Marsh marigolds and African marigolds. It is important that you learn to identify them and avoid feeding them to your pet.
Mint
Mint is a perennial herb that develops tiny purple-green-whitish flowers. These are safe for your chinchilla to eat along with the leaves and stems.
Spearmint is also a mint variant that you can feed your chinchilla as an occasional treat. However, it is important to note that certain varieties of mint, especially Japanese basil or beefsteak mint, could be toxic to chinchillas.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium flowers are available in a variety of colors like orange, scarlet, etc. These flowers are safe to feed your chinchilla. Moreover, they are easy to grow, so you can add them to your garden, if you want to feed them to your pet as a snack from time to time.
Rose Hips
Rose hips, leaves, twigs, and petals make healthy treats for chinchillas, since they are packed with vitamin C and are also low in sugar. Dried rose hips and rose petals are safe to feed chinchillas a couple of times a week.
You can even make a fun game of hiding the rose hips or petals around your chinchilla’s cage, so it can forage and search for food as it does in the wild.
Sunflower Petals
While sunflower seeds are too fatty for chinchillas, fresh or dried sunflower petals are okay for them to eat, albeit in small quantities.
You can feed your chinchilla fresh or dried sunflower petals and leaves once or twice a week, along with its regular hay.
Thyme
Thyme flowers are OK to feed chinchillas in small quantities. The flowers of this herb have a weaker flavor than the leaves, but are still tasty and flavorful. They make a delicious treat for chinchillas, in small quantities.
Violets
Violets are generally safe to eat for small animals like chinchillas. The plant produces blue-purple flowers that you can feed (fresh or dried) to your pet.
Do note that there are several varieties of violets and not all of them are safe. For example, African violets can be harmful to chinchillas. So please research the flower well before feeding.
Flowers Chinchillas Can Eat: Final Thoughts
Knowing what to feed chinchillas and (perhaps more importantly) what not to feed is vital in raising a happy and healthy pet.
If you want to give your chinchilla a flowery treat, any of the 18 blossoms listed above are a good choice. They are all safe for chinchillas to eat, although the leaves of the plants are usually the better treat choice.
Of course, as with any treat, you should only feed these flowers to your pet in moderation. Limit it to a blossom or two at a time and once or twice a week.
If you want to feed your chinchilla a flower not listed here, make sure you research it fully first. Even better, ask your vet if that flower is safe for your pet.
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