My new chinchilla box

Untreated pine shelf from Homebase - £9.99
Wooden doweling - £1.99
Nails - £1.99
Working for hours while ill and in pain for four happy chinchillas - Priceless.

I used nails to hold it together and then doweling for where I think they will chew. I'm not too happy about that as it could be dangerous depending on where they chew. In future I will use nails and then doweling and pull the nails out. But I hammered them in too far to get out now... :?

You can always hammer the ends of the nail to go the other way around. Hope that makes sense.

Gorgeous chinnies.

Actually meant to ask tonight, what do you feed them.

Other than pellets and hay, I feed them huge cherries but saw today, not the best. Also blueberries and monkey nuts, but not monkey nuts for ages.

So many changes to make.

and hay and excel pellets.

Not much else other than pellets and hay.
You shouldn't really feed nuts. When we got Cheech, our eldest, from a pet shop we were told they can have monkey nuts and she used to have loads. But I was told it can cause liver damage as nuts are so fatty, so cut them out.
I don't feed any fresh veg/fruit. There's a bit of a split in the community here. In the US it's a no no, but in England more people do feed fresh food. But I joined an American forum first.
They get raisins every few days and some dried apple stuff from the pet shop. Sometimes I get a dried mix with rose hips and berries etc, but it also has sugary treats. I know a few people on here feed dried herbs and I want to try that. I'm lucky my lot go mad for hay and pellets.

I don't know if I have been very fortunate with my chins and bunnies. I seem to have feed them all the wrong foods. Nothing unnatural. Just the wrong amounts. With my 3 chins I used to give them huge amounts of monkey nuts at one time. Kat is my only chinny who has always hated moist food such as blueberries and cherries.

Tonight for the first time gave them a slice of kiwi fruit. They loved it but not Kat. Also a small amount of pine nuts.

They have got addicted to dandelion salad.

mine get hay and pellets, and dried dandelion or dried plantain a couple of times a week :wave: nothing fresh

n'awwwwwwwwwwww they are so gorgeous hope they appreciate you efforts :lol:

Dowels - you're a flipping genius I want to make more things for my chins but was worried about screws/nails etc - never thought of dowels :roll:


I feed mine pellets, hay and a generous sprinkle of the same kind of dried plants that I give the buns.

They're not good hay eaters, especially Marnie who was quite old before she was introduced to hay, so never got a taste for it. So I figure the dried plants up their fibre intake a little bit


For an occasional treat they get a flaked green pea, a raisin or a shred of apple peel.

I don't know anything about chinnies. I just wanted to say how cute they are

Our boy wont eat pellets, only mix, and barely touches hay :roll: any suggestions?

Pfffffttttttt - a bad days work?!?!? Its beaut! :wave:

chul said:

Our boy wont eat pellets, only mix, and barely touches hay :roll: any suggestions?

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Have you tried him on different brands of pellets? And had his teeth checked?

Marnie used to only eat mix food and after a bit I realised it's cos it has small pieces in that she could eat with minimum pain from her horrid molar spurs. Got them burred and now she stuffs herself with pellets She's not so good with the hay but she likes dried herbs and readigrass, and posh timothy hay.