Chin-Proofing
Chinchillas are rodents and have a natural need to chew in order to grind down their constantly growing incisors.
Sometimes when they are out on a run they may try chewing things that you don't want them to touch!
Exercise runs should be supervised because of this and to stop your chinchilla from getting into trouble. Close the door and the windows.
Try to block gaps under furniture and protect any cables (like the tv cable or extension leads). Dangerous situations can be avoided if chinchillas are prevented from chewing on wiring. Where possible, turn off sockets to prevent your chinchilla giving itself or you a nasty shock!
On an average evening out your chinchilla may try testing the edibility of any of the following:
- Skirting boards
- Wallpaper (in small strips)
- Vertical blinds and curtains
- Furniture
- Remote control buttons
- Phone sockets and electrical flex
- Carpets and rugs
- Books, newspapers and magazines
Where as some chinchilla owners are quite flexible as to where they can let there chinchilla out for some exercise, some are more limited to rooms that they can use. It is best not to let your chinchilla run in the kitchen as there are lots of places where it can squeeze under and hide e.g. fridges, freezers, washing machines, dish washers and tumble dryers, as well as under the cabinets themselves depending on their design.
The Bathroom
If you are limited to where you can let your chinchilla exercise and wish to let it run free in the bathroom for a while, close the door and make sure the area is not wet and that there are no harmful cleaners or other materials around. Close the toilet seat. If the chinchilla should get wet for any reason, dry it promptly and thoroughly with a fluffy towel and a hairdryer set on a low setting.
Try to remove or protect anything from the room you chinchilla runs in that you either wouldn't mind too much being damaged or anything that may cause injury.
E.R.