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[Lucy]

Hi there, I joined this community because of an issue I've noticed with my 4 year old chinchilla, and was hoping someone could give me some advice. Ive had her in the same large cage since I first got her and have never had an issue with her chewing plastic before, so the plastic flats in the cage have never been a problem. However, the last month or so I can't seem to do anything to stop her from chewing up this plastic, i tried getting her new things to chew on, thinking that she was perhaps bored with what was in her cage -- ive tried everything, different kinds of wood and mineral chews of different shaps and varieties, even flavoured things, but she still choses to chew on the plastic? Does anyone know what could have started this behavioural change? And is there any suggestions of how I could get her to stop chewing on the plastic!? I know it can't be good for her health, not to mention the danger the jagged plastic edges pose to her. Is my only option to get a new, non-plastic, cage?
Any suggestions would be great, thanks!

[jmdebb]

hi, i don't know why she might start this after not being a plastic chewer, but i do know that plastic can cause an obstruction and cause death. so please take it out or cover it with fleece.

since chins are rodents, their teeth constantly grow, so they do need to constantly chew, while we all know some chew more than otherrs, some not on plastic..etc.. if they are plastic chewers it is important to take it out and just keep numerous other safe chewable items in their cage.

j

[dianah]

as jean said, ingesting plastic is dangerous and could potentially cause deadly obstruction.

which bits in the cage are plastic? i had the same problem with my girls, they were never interested in plastic and then pippi started having a go at a plastic shelf one day. we replaced it with a wooden one and she eats that instead which is ok. could you do that?