Written By Lauren von Lehe
Owner of Winston chinchilla
Wood Choices, What Works?
At some point in chinchilla ownership you will be faced with choices involving wood. It’s a popular choice for bedding, used to make leaping ledges, and part of almost any chew toy’s construction. However, not all wood can safely be a part of your pet’s environment.
There are a number of safe woods to use, but most important is that none have come into contact with pesticides or chemicals. Because of this, use caution when collecting your own pieces from outdoors. Some good wood choices are apple, hazelnut, pine (with no phenol oils), pear, and manzanita (a favorite for many chinchillas). These do not contain harmful oils or carry an aroma that may be harmful to the repertory system. Even though cedar or citrus wood may smell good to us, the odor is overpowering to a chin that has to live in the midst of it.
Other potentially dangerous woods are orange, cherry, grapefruit, plum, lemon, and fresh pine. Steer away from products containing these, as they can be potentially fatal.
One last precaution is to look into proper treatment of the wood pieces you bring in from outside. Depending on the type of wood, it may need to be dried or fired before you offer it to your pet.
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