We all do.
And a stuffed animal seems like a great way to bring some fun and entertainment into your little pet’s life.
But a lot of stuffed animals can be dangerous.
And it’s often impossible to tell which ones are safe and which ones are not. Most are made in China and Chinese brands tend to bend the truth a lot in their product descriptions.
So what can you do?
Keep reading to learn whether it is a good idea to give your chinchilla a stuffed animal, along with some recommendations for other things you can give it instead.
Contents
Can I Give My Chinchilla A Stuffed Animal?
No, you should not give your chinchilla, a stuffed animal. Chinchillas are frequent chewers. Stuffed animals can present a danger to your chinchilla when they get chewed.
Your pet can easily end up ingesting cotton or some other dangerous material. Chinchillas need safe items to chew, such as chew sticks made from safe wood.
Stuffed animals are a no go, unfortunately.
You might think you can simply teach your pet not to chew the stuffed animal, or perhaps it won’t chew it on its own if you provide other chew toys.
But that won’t work. Chinchillas will chew on just about anything.
This means that we, as the owners, need to be careful as to which items we provide them inside the cage.
In most situations, a stuffed animal is not a good idea primarily because of the dangers it can pose to your chinchilla, once it shreds through the outer material.
As mentioned, cotton and other fillings inside of the stuffed animal could be dangerous if your chinchilla ingests them.
This could potentially cause digestion blockages and other digestive tract issues for your chinchilla.
It’s also possible that cotton could cause your chinchilla difficulty swallowing or lead to choking and possibly even death.
Overall, while some manufactures may advertise their toys as “chinchilla safe,” I’d highly recommend sticking with alternatives that are proven to be safe for your chinchilla.
It’s 100% possible to still provide plenty of entertainment and comfort for your chinchilla without needing to get toys like stuffed animals.
The alternatives and safer options are what I plan to cover next.
Better Alternatives To Entertain Your Chinchilla
Instead of going with a stuffed animal, you have much better options for entertaining your chinchilla. There are plenty of safe alternatives.
First and foremost, it’s essential to realize that chinchillas are social creatures.
They love the interaction with you as the owner, and they also love the interaction with other chinchillas in most situations.
If you are worried that your chinchilla may be bored, a quick and safe alternative is to ensure you are providing your chinchilla time outside of the cage.
This can also help prevent other issues that may come along, such as your chinchilla becoming depressed.
If you do not have the free time to spend time with your chinchilla outside its cage, you can also consider adopting another chinchilla.
The companionship can help your chinchilla thrive and remain social and happy.
Overall, you want to make your chinchilla’s cage as interactive and fun as possible. Of course, this starts with ensuring that you have an awesome chinchilla cage, to begin with.
I always recommend the Critter Nation 2 dual-level cage above all other cages.
- Solid and durable construction
- Great size with four levels
- Great platform fit for accessories like fleece liners
- Sits on wheels making cleaning easy
- Under cage storage
- Total of four doors, making access very easy
- Large cage making it unsuitable for tiny spaces
- One of the higher costing cages but for good reason; it is easily the best value for money
But there are a number of good cages that will get the job done. If you need more information on this specific cage, you can read my review of the Critter Nation here.
Once you have the proper sized cage ready, you can begin putting items inside of the cage that can help keep your chinchilla physically and mentally engaged.
Always Provide Plenty Of Chew Toys And Chew Sticks
Chew sticks go a long way towards helping your chinchilla. In several different ways.
First, they promote healthy chewing, which can help to file down your chinchilla’s teeth. This is important, because they never stop growing.
Overgrown or misaligned teeth can cause severe pain and health concerns for chinchillas, so you need to give your pet a way to keep its teeth filed down.
You can use your own wood if you prefer, but I highly recommend reading my post about which woods are safe for a chinchilla to chew on.
You can also make life easy and purchase your chew sticks.
We recommend the Apple Orchard chew sticks.
They are one of the most budget-friendly and safe options you have, and your chinchilla will absolutely love them.
In addition to these items to chew on, ensure you are providing other accessories that make your chinchilla comfortable, safe, and entertained.
This can include other items such as the following:
- Tunnels
- Ledges
- Nesting Boxes
- Hammocks
- Hanging Toys
- Bridges
These items, in addition to something to always chew, is about all your chinchilla needs to remain happy and healthy for years to come. Apart from your care and love, of course.
Always Double Check If You Are Unsure
My last piece of advice before sending you on your way is to simply double-check if something is safe for your chinchilla before taking any risk.
A lot of items are sold in pet stores and online these days that advertise as safe for chinchillas, but that’s not always necessarily true.
Many owners also wonder if you can use toys meant for other animals, most commonly birds. Read “Are Bird Toys Safe For Chinchillas?” for everything you need to know about that.
The important thing is that if you aren’t 100% confident that you are offering something safe for your chinchilla, ask around or do your research in advance, relying on blogs such as Planet Chinchilla for further advice.
You can even call your vet if you aren’t entirely sure if something can be offered or not.
At the end of the day, chinchillas are very easy to care for, but it’s still always better to be safe than sorry.
Chinchillas And Stuffed Animals: Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this post shed some light on the potential dangers offering your chinchilla a stuffed animal can pose.
Sure, some stuffed animals may be perfectly safe, but it’s generally hard to know for sure. And given a chinchilla’s chewing nature, that’s just too much of a risk.
You have much better options for keeping your chinchilla happy and engaged.
Chinchillas make for excellent family pets.
With some simple care, due diligence, and love, I have no doubts that you will have a family pet to enjoy for years to come.
Chili and I wish you the best of luck with your new chinchilla and appreciate you stopping by.
Share your thoughts.
I always encourage readers to share as much feedback with the community as possible to help us all provide better care to our chinchillas.
Do you ever use something like stuffed animals or offer them to your chinchilla?
Do you have any further recommendations that you can share with the community on this topic?
Be sure to share those thoughts, comments, and concerns by dropping a comment below. Chili and I appreciate you stopping by and reading, and we will see you next time.
Leave a Reply