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[Snickerdoodle]

My girlfriend recently adopted a chinchilla (now named Totoro) after doing a lot of research on them. They're very different from the other rodents she's owned, but she loves him.

Anyway, I'm a hobbyist. I'd like to make Totoro some chews. Whenever I finally come across some wood that they can chew without being detrimental to their health (my backyard is full of oak so that's a no go), what can I use to color the chew, if possible? I've seen some recommendation for food coloring for making colored rodent chews, but I was curious of your take on this.

[GrayRodent]

A lot of people recommend vegetable based dye. Personally I have nothing against regular food dye that is safe for people. The only thing you have to watch for is if the wood gets urine or water on it because it can stain anything and everything. Personally I don't use dye but sometimes the toys I buy might have dye in them. Some owners even boil their chews in fruit or vegetable formulations but I think that is bad idea because spoilage can be extremely dangerous. My chins certainy don't need any coaxing to chew on wood.

White pine board or firring strips can be easily obtained from a hardware store. Of course avoid cedar. Make sure it's solid wood and never use particle board of any kind. Aspen is good too. When I make shelves I usually have a bit of scrap from my table saw and make things out of that too.

[GrayRodent]

Also I really like your animated gif. Is that your Totoro?

[Snickerdoodle]

Nah, that's not our Totoro. We have a charcoal colored chin.

This is the full sized GIF, found on Tumblr.


Thank you for the advice with the dyes. I'll look into vegetable dyes and as a last resort, regular food coloring (used lightly). And I will make sure the wood is solid.

Also this is Totoro

[GrayRodent]

I'm pretty sure you have a standard there. Vegetable dye is perfectly safe. Boiling it in vegetable juice I'm not so sure about.
Anyway congrats on your new chinchilla. I really enjoy having mine around. Be sure to handle him every day. They are a little more difficult to adjust to a new place and new place than gerbils or rats and are a bit more behaviorally complex so don't overdo the handling. Always with chinchillas don't let them run wild for more than 15 minutes at a time especially when it is warm. Heat is a big hazard for them, so are electrical cords and open toilets.
Their diet should be high quality pellets plus loose hay such as timothy hay or hay cubes. Mixed diets that have fruits and nuts marketed towards chinchillas have repeatedly proven to be deadly. Their teeth must be properly maintained by diet. Fruits and fresh vegetables should never be part of your pet's diet. Treats should be given sparingly if at all and should only be given if they are proven to be safe. They should only be given if your pet is healthy and has no abnormalities. My pets do just fine without them. Some owners give their pets treats when they are not eating because they are sick from something. This can kill your pet. A chinchilla that is not eating needs to see a vet and be given a veterinarian prescribed formula by hand.

It is important to keep track of their water bottles. Vacuum type water bottles which are the most common type can fail to dispense. I've seen two failures in three weeks on our board. Weather changes can cause them to stop up. Just make it part of your routine to check them once a day.
I also advise chinchilla owners to weigh their pets on a gram scale at least once a week. Once you have a baseline weight for a known healthy chinchilla it's easier to determine if something is wrong. A sick chinchilla almost always loses a great deal of weight and will generally act just fine until it's too late to save it. They are good at hiding illnesses. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

Have a blessed day.