Naughty chinchillas

Sometimes, it's sad to see my chinchillas in the cage. Being nocturnal, they are active (hyperactive, really) during the night. I had tried letting them out for a run at around 1, 2 am, oh man, there's not a moment when I could just leave my eyes off them! They just couldn't stop chewing anything that will harm them, the corners of walls mostly and cables! When I shooed them away, they would just dart to another part of the room to chew sometime else.

I had tried to put them in a exercise ball, (the clear plastic type where the chins is being enclosed inside so they can roll about in the room), but I think that they felt trapped and got nervous and start to poo a lot, and worst of all, they didn't move more than a few inches, which defeats the whole purpose. Another thing about the exercise ball is given their luxurious coat of fur and the weather(oh, I live in Singapore, and the fan is on for them almost 24 hours a day), that they may feel hot inside, and get heat stroke. Maybe I will get them a exercise wheel sometime, or maybe not, after all they are not hamsters.

And recently, they have taken to chewing the metal cover of the fan, I thought. But on a closer look, they are actually licking off their fur that got stuck on the grilles(time to wash the fan again) Argh, and I think they actually eat the fur, eeeeh, anyone knows why they do that? I know that they sometimes 'recycle their poo'. I had a shock when I first saw them doing that and thought it was some really bad habits but a friend later explain to me it's normal as there maybe still nutrients and her pet rabbit does that too. Guess its some survival instinct thingy that they'll always have, which it is not a bad thing after all.

Treats I give my chinchillas

Apples!I will give them small slices of apple either everyday or every other day. Oreo, my more sensitive chin, will jump about in his cage(oh so very noisy, making sure that I can hear him) every time i open the fridge at night. Then he will stick his nose out, his whiskers twitching away expectantly while I walk pass. I am really amazed by his senses as he's in the living room and can't see the fridge in the kitchen.

The other thing is fresh sweet corn. Without my knowledge, my mum(she loves to feed them 'new' things to see their reaction)gave them some while she was cooking lunch. I didn't expect them to like it as they will leave the dried version in their pet food, untouched(yes, I admit, they are spoiled). But they absolutely love the fresh corn.

But due to fresh food high moisture content(which can cause bloat in chinchilla),I only give them small slices of these 'treats' and at most once a day.