Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[kaitlyncoaten]

So i'm not sure if my chinchilla is not eating, i've been watching and im not quite sure yet. But he keeps flipping his bowl over and bringing it across the cage and i'm just wondering if this is normal at all or if i should be worried at all? I'm watching to see if he is still eating after flipping the bowl. Anyone have any ideas of how to get him to stop? Because its a huge mess and a waste of food. Also should i be worried?

[GrayRodent]

I'm glad you found a chin. I really want one but I don't have a suitable place to keep one until we move.

This is actually quite actually common. Make sure your chin has constant access to fresh green hay. They can live without pellets, however, it's best to have both. If you are concerned about your chin not eating you might consider weighing using a gram scale once a day or at least once a month so you have a baseline in case you suspect a problem. It might take some training and preparation to do this but it's a good way to monitor your pet's health. You probably know that relocation puts a lot of stress on a chin and you'll probably see weight fluctuations for the next week or so. In this case the best thing to do is watch its droppings for signs of constipation or looseness. Basically if there is noticeable decrease in output that's when you could be in trouble.

We have a parrot who does this with his seed and water cups in his cages and we use various mechanism to fasten them down. The easiest one to make was attaching a 1" c-clamp to the bars. If you decide to do this make sure to clean it with soap and get the oil off of it. Keep in mind that some chins (like our parrot) still like to dig in their food and some waste is something you just have to deal with.

What kind of pellets are you using? If they are not good pellets your chin might not eat them regardless.

[AnnieHank]

"Throw the bowl" is the favourite game amongst all my chinchillas. Solution: I bought a bowl that came with a metal frame that attaches to the cage and I have provided an empty bowl and lots of wooden toys for them to play with and this has stopped them throwing their food bowl around with lots of food in it. If I go away for a day or two and they don't get their regular play time, they'll still make a good bash at getting the food bowl out of the holder and throwing their pellets all over the cage and floor!

This is perfectly normal behaviour and the trick to avoiding it is to give lots of toys to keep boredom at bay. They're like bold children acting out when they get bored!

As for whether he's eating enough or not, I'd go with what GrayRodent has said and I don't really have much to add to that.

Goodluck!

[Squirrel_Butt]

Mine do htat all the time. One of my kits used to carry his bowl up to the upper balcony, spilling his food in the process.   I since got him a bigger bowl that he can push but not pick up.

[mb30]

They do make bowls that come with metal rings that screw onto the side of the cage and yoo put the bowl in the ring. It prevents flipping.

[GrayRodent]

Parrot dishes are often constructed with a metal ring the dish (usually stainless steel) seats into. It makes it harder to flip it but not impossible. Our parrot was bad for dumping his water dish over so we built a small bracket attached the access door on the cage that pins it down from the top and makes it immovable. One thing we did experience recently was that our parrot decided he liked to sit on that metal dish more that he liked his perch.

Though he has had the same configuration for years this recent change in behavior caused pressure spots to develop on his feet. This went away when we replaced the dishes with plastic ones, which unfortunately, is not an option for chins. Anyway, on the remote chance you run into a chin spending long hours perching on a metal dish or irregular shaped object watch for problems.

[Squirrel_Butt]

Are the bowls with the metal rings able to connect to Martin's Cages?

[GrayRodent]

Yes. We use them in a homemade parrot cage that uses 1/2" x 1" wire mesh which is the same as a Martin's chinchilla cage. Make sure you get the kind that uses wing nuts and washers to fasten it.

[Deeliteful]

I use a parrot bowl that attaches to the side of the cage however there is a bowl in the cage for them to play roll the bowl with lol

[Squirrel_Butt]

Where is the best place to find these metal bowls?

[GrayRodent]

You could try Walmart or Petsmart.

[Starina]

I have a very heavy bowel, so she's unable to flip it. Which is good. She makes enough mess lols.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Screw or bolt a tuna fish can to the cage, works in most mine 
And only put a couple of table spoons of pellets in it. They thinks money grows on trees ya know.

[Squirrel_Butt]

WEll Bonnie and Clyde turned 1 year on August 27th. Clyde has a bigger blowl now so he cant tip it over. Bonnie still has her smaller one but has not tipped it over.