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[jmdebb]

i'm glad he is okay.

[obiwan]

I have one of these in Obi-Wan's cage but it's up high where he can only get to the bottom of it to pull down the hay and ring his bell. Should I remove it from the cage?

[Jo Ann]

   Some chins can get into places we think they can not ... but ... that has to be your decision ...
Sorry, but there are some things that you have to decide on your own.  Making an informed decision is the best decision.  Just keep in mind what could happen if you are wrong.   

   Jo Ann

[obiwan]

I'll get him another hay rack this weekend. Better to be safe then sorry, even if it does tick him off (he seems to really like it, although it might just be the bell as he is always ringing it.)    Probably just take the bell off and hang if from the cage as he doesn't chew on it, just uses his paws to push it back and forth. It's cute. 

[Jo Ann]

   Chinchillas do seem to like the sound of bells (soft, not loud).  The first year I put up Christmas decorations in the chin room, it consisted of bells with lights that rang out softly the different Christmas songs ... the different lights would blink off and on to the music as each bell would ring.  It seemed to calm the chins and the lights really kept their attionion.  After Christmas, when I was taking them down ... the chins were about to riot.  I was getting fussed at and sprayed.  Bill, my husband, said maybe they were mad because I took the bells down ... so ... I put them back up and everyone was happy ... needless to say it was Christmas year round in the chin room for four years solid.  But, that's OK ... it was the least I could do for all the love they gave me.   

   Jo Ann

[Pheobe_nz]

Im so pleased your chin is ok
And lucky you were around

Its amazing what chinchillas can get up to
Years ago I had a chin who must have jumped funny and got stuck between mesh and house 1 toe she was 12 weeks old and was hanging in a rather stange way but her food dish saved her I reackon
She had to have the toe amputated but made a full recovery but if the food dish wasnt there she made have broken her leg trying to free herself.
Accidents seem to happen no matter how careful you are chinchillas just do crazy things!

I also had a baby get its head stuck in a toilet roll came in to see it running round the cage in a panic was a real sight now I cut all toilet rolls so noone gets stuck

[Blondy40]

wow..I am taking my "hay ball" out asap! You reminded me though of a case I read not long after my first boy, Roo, came to share his life with us....I read about a case where a chinchilla had gotten his foot caught in a small space and after feverishly struggling to get free...chewed his own foot off!! I was devastated. At the time, I had a "chinchilla starter cage" and the shelves have like small grates...(for lack of a better decription) ..I went by his room to find him swinging from the shelf upside down and trying to get free...I FREAKED and within a day...went and spent $300.00 on a super pet cage with many levels and shelves that are solid!!!  Now, when I brought the girls home...they have a huge cage with the same thing and I have bought them granite, grass rugs etc...wonder if the girls may be more coordinated than the boys???  I still worry but thankfully have had no problems...My fiancee is home all day and I am home all night...so we have the basis covered! But, to be homest, I HAVE been looking for solid shelves to fit their cage but it is BIG and I have been unsuccessful at finding ones that fit the width...darn it!!!   

[Courtney]

Thanks for posting this, we all need to know about this. Im just so happy you got there in time, poor baby. I had one of those but they just pulled all the hay out of it anyway.

[chingirls]

Here's contact information to inform them of anyone's experiances with this that might have harmed their beloved chins. Please make this toll free call.

Ware Manufacturing:
Hay Ball  item #00713
Toll Free # 1 800 295 CAGE

I've  called...they seemed rather nice...she wasn't aware of anyone having issues with this product. But planned on checking into it further...I also told her that I went to post my incident on the forum. Where I seen another person had their chin actually stuck in the same product. And was told to contact the manufacturer. My comment was...my chin could have strangled in the darn product had he not got the thing loose from the cage itself.

The person was concerned for the chin...asked how he was...he seems fine I stated...just was scared and hungry and attempting to eat from his pellets he couldn't reach with the cage ball over his head. Luckily it's wire that gives and I was able to get it off his head without harming him. But...it's tossed under his cage at the moment. I refuse to use it again.

Considering buying a bird suet cage holder and lock it with a small dog clasp from a leash. To hold their hay...I need something in there to hold it...But nothing that will put my fellas in danger.

have you considered a hay feeder from dr foster smith
they hang on the inside of your cage and are known to be safer

[Gabbsomatic]

My one chin died because he got caught under his food dish bar that attached to the cage.

[andiceni]

glad your baby was ok!

the owner i got my chin from also had a mishap with that. she was at work, the chin found himself dangling from his hay holder but by one of his hind feet. she came home to find he had broken his leg off in order to escape, hes fine now, walking and jumping again, but lost his leg. she reported it to the manufacturer but i dont believe they have done anything to fit it. I have been boycotting those since. my chin eats out of a glass doggy bowl made for chihuahuas and its been working just as well
.
NOBODY NEEDS THOSE DEATHTRAPS! anything simpler for a chin is always better. they also will feel more comfortable knowing he has space to run and jump and play without feeling so cluttered

so for new owners, please be aware of shape and size of anything u get for your chins.

- Andi

[animalluver]

Oh no! Are you sure it can't be more than an inch wide? I was just looking into a child gate for my hallway so my chins have a larger running space. It's actually extra tall (42"), but it has 2 1/4 inch of space between the bars. Also, even if they couldn't squeeze through it could they jump over it? My older chinnie can jump onto the counter in my bathroom which is maybe 3 1/2 feet tall.

[vcchinchilla]

my last chinchilla had a hay wire rack sort of thing... i never really like it but it works

but seeing the replies of other people my last chinchilla i believe mine died most likely getting his foot caught in the shelves (was wire flooring) most likely fell down struggling and broke a rib... i came home from school in time to say good bye.... anything with wires especially bendable wires.. are super dangerous

..8 yrs later i bought one with wooden shelves~!

this time around i've been searching and found this cute little number
http://www.chincessories.com/cageaccessories.htm

if you scroll down mid way you'll see a nice and pretty hay box

provided if your chin doesn't like eating cage furniture (mine doesn't seem to have interest in his own stuff) could last you for sometime ^_^!

[maulam]

I had this exact hay ball in my bird cage and even my poor zebra finch got caught in it once. For sure I wouldn't never use it for any of my babies.

[kageri]

I have seen several guinea pigs die in both the hanging balls and those hay wheels.  There's a pet store near us that likes to use those hay wheels on a stand.  We've pulled out 2 live stuck guinea pigs and pointed out 2 dead ones to the staff over about 6 months.  They took them out for awhile but with a new manager I see the hay wheels are back in the cages just with the door open for the pigs to eat out of now making it less likely they will bend the wires to shove in for hay.  I still wouldn't call them safe.

We have one of these
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12282678&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo

It is plastic but very hard plastic and we are inspecting it daily to see if any chewing has happened.

I can't find where we got them but we have several wooden hay racks that are solid bottom, solid back, and wooden dowels across the front.  They don't hold a lot of hay and the dowels get chewed on but they are working well enough.  If you search for chinchilla wooden hay rack you can find lots of variations.