The list below contains the fruits that chinchillas can eat in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. Wet foods are usually made up of milk and water. A few hamster owners were concerned that their buddies would have trouble eating it because of its size and shape . Collect. Chinchillas are herbivores and their diet consists mostly of hay, vegetables, and a small amount of fruit. Unlike cat food or dog food, this will contain many of the nutrients that a chinchilla needs to stay fit and healthy. They need to have variety in the boring food they eat while also getting all the nutritional requirements met. Fat is another nutrient that chinchillas need in very small amounts to be considered healthy. So what should you do? As for what kind of water chinchillas solid drink, you cant just give them any old water from the tap. Fresh greens, such as dark green lettuces, should also be given to provide additional water and fiber. The short answer is no. Can Chinchillas Eat Hamster Food? No, they can't as they're herbivorous, meaning they eat plenty of grasses or plants. Chinchilla Sleeping Habits: Are Chinchillas Nocturnal? Fresh vegetables and fruits can occasionally be fed to your chinchillas, but only some of the fruit and vegetables your chinchillas digestive system can bear. , they get most if not all of the nutrition they need from this basic diet. kathson 35oz Hanging Automatic Food Water Dispenser Gravity Pet Auto Feeder Waterer Set for Rabbit Cat Dog Chinchilla Guinea Pig Hedgehog Ferret Rating Required Select Rating 1 star (worst) 2 stars 3 stars (average) 4 stars 5 stars (best) The chinchilla will be stressed out by calm cats too. Chinchillas dont need a whole lot of greens in their diet but they are still important in the right quantities. Whether you're looking for tips, tools, activities or advice, you've arrived at the consummate guide for everything related to caring for dogs. If you dont have at least a basic understanding of chinchillas dietary needs, then there is the potential they could become seriously ill as they have extremely strict dietary requirements. Yes, chinchillas can eat C heerios, . Chinchillas also dont like eating cat food. Instead, they prefer to nibble at their hay or grass. There is, however, no harm in using this type of water providing they get enough minerals from elsewhere. Never change your chinchillas' diet suddenly, as this could upset their digestive system and make them very ill. 1.1 Understanding The Chinchilla Diet. In this post, we will share the foods your chinchilla should be eating on a daily basis, how much they should be eating as well as what foods they need to stay away from. 1.1 Rabbit Food; 1.2 Hamster And Gerbil Food; 1.3 Sugary Foods; 1.4 Certain Vegetables; 1.5 Certain Fruits; 1.6 Processed Human Foods; 1.7 Chocolate; 2 What Foods Are Toxic To Chinchillas: Final Thoughts You can find out exactly which variety of Cheerios is safe to feed to your chinchilla right here, then check our easy to follow guide here. Most importantly, you need to know what they can and cant eat! so from these numbers alone its clear to see that good quality hay is undoubtedly the most vital part of your chinchillas diet. However, in this list are food items that you should absolutely not feed your chinchilla and if you do, then going to a vet is the best course of action. All greens and veggies should be offered in limited quantities and in moderation. Fruits and Veggies - Fresh fruits, fresh greens, and other veggies are a healthy part of your chinchilla's diet as well. What Nutrients Are Unhealthy If Overfed to Your Chinchilla? Just because a green on the list below is labelled safe doesnt mean that you can feed your chinchilla unlimited amounts of that green or vegetable. Furthermore, chinchillas might suffer from stress caused by your cat, which might trigger a sickness, thereby leading to its untimely demise. These exotic animals need chinchilla food pellets every day, a well but in a much more controlled quantity. Read More The Best Chinchilla Toys (Review) in 2023Continue, This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. . Doing this is vital because your cats natural hunting instinct might kick in at any moment. Similarly, pet chinchillas should be offered food twice a day but may consume food throughout the day, as they tend to eat more slowly than other small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. What Greens & Vegetables Can Chinchillas Eat? Chinchillas are also known to love flowers. List Of Safe Greens & Vegetables For Chinchillas: Fruits should only ever be offered as a treat to your chinchilla. First, rabbit food is not a complete diet for a chinchilla. Although fruits and nuts are something that can be fed to chinchillas, it is best to avoid them. As rodents, their standard diet tends to follow a more opportunistic model, with chinchillas eating plants, seeds, fruits, and insects that it can get its paws on. The amount of food your chinchilla needs to eat depends on their age, lifestyle and state of health. Even though this might sound really confusing, if you follow the feeding guide later in the post then you should have no issues with over or underfeeding greens to your chinchilla. Even though greens are considered healthy or even vital for the majority of the animal kingdom, they are actually less important to the health of a chinchilla so they should only be offered in smaller quantities. Can Chinchillas Eat Cucumbers And Is It Safe? Second, not all rabbit foods are created equal. The worry is that the chinchilla will refuse to eat unless being served the ingredient (even if a health condition requires them not to eat it anymore.) Every formula uses industry-leading volume of protein, glucosamine, and chondroitin. Yucca. By doing this, you can be confident that your chinchilla doesnt suffer any physical harm plus is safe from any stress. Its advisable to have a big enough cage for your chinchilla to jump around should they ever feel threatened by your cat. For example, if you have horses then you know they're prone to overeating. Chinchillas in the wild tend to consume most of their food early in the morning and late at night. An overweight chinchilla is susceptible to many illnesses like diabetes, diarrhea, and liver damage. They have very different nutritional needs. Thankfully, nowadays, there is a variety of hay available so that you can choose the hay type that your chinchilla loves the most. Protein: should be between 16% and 20%. There are so many different hay varieties to choose from and sometimes it can be hard to know which ones will serve your chinchillas nutritional needs the best. (Benefits/Risks), Can Chinchillas Eat Nuts? If you want to get a pet chinchilla, you should take into consideration some important things before buying them. Chinchillas have a rounded ears, plump furry bodies, short legs, and long tails. You can preset the desired amount of food amount for your cat to eat and keep it healthier. Like most rodents, chinchillas love to chew things. In addition to this, the chinchilla may choose to hide, seeking safety from the cat, thereby making it hard to locate. C hoosing a pet is not a decision to be taken lightly. Coprophagy helps to maintain the correct balance of intestinal flora within the gut, and also enables the chinchilla to absorb B Vitamins that are produced in the caecum (part of the gut). There is very little difference in the nutrition provided between timothy hay and orchard grass hay. No, they cant as theyre herbivorous, meaning they eat plenty of grasses or plants. Dont make sudden changes in their diets as it can upset their stomach. The diet of chinchillas should ideally be high in protein and fiber while containing low moisture and fat content. cute cat; Cat cartoon; cat eat; 1. With all things considered, the best 2 hay choices for your chinchilla are. Always offer small amounts of sugar to your chinchillas and seek advice from your vet if you still arent sure. The quality of the ingredients used by manufacturers to make cat food varies enormously. All you need to hope for is that your cat ignores the chinchilla. Chinchillas are rodents and behave in pretty much the same way as a squirrel would. To try to mimic this rough vegetation, the mainstay of pet chinchillas diets should be hay offered in unlimited quantities. Hay which is sweeter and has more nutrients, should be mostly given to young chinchillas and only occasionally to adult chinchillas. What is the reason why Chinchillas are not allowed to consume blueberries? Fruit can cause problems to chinchillas such as. This can lead to blockages and other health issues. (Benefits/Risks), Can Chinchillas Eat Pecans? Because chinchillas teeth grow throughout their lives, when they are not offered enough hay (and consume mainly pellets), the surfaces of their top and bottom teeth collide inside their mouths with such force as they chew that the roots of their teeth become impacted, like a persons impacted wisdom teeth. You can give them raisins, carrots, sultanas, and basically all the things that were mentioned above in the list. Feeding greens and vegetables in large quantities can upset the nutritional balance of the hay and pellets you are providing to your chinchilla. Because of the sensitive nature of a chinchillas digestive tract, sugar can be extremely harmful even if its fed in moderate quantities. One of the questions we were asked recently was whether Chinchillas were territorial and we felt compelled to delve into this subject a bit deeper and provide you with some more useful information How Often Should Chinchillas Have Dust Baths? Dont give food that is meant for guinea pigs as they have different digestive systems. Make sure to read the product form to know what you are getting when buying treats. If your cat does this, theres a high likelihood of it ignoring the chinchilla, which in turn doesnt get so stressed by the cats presence.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'smallpetshq_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_3',181,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetshq_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); However, if you have an overly active cat, it might not be a good idea to have these two pets live in the same house. Are Chinchillas Territorial? Poison Ivy. While it depends on your cat's personality, many will seek out to hunt chinchillas. Hay and specially . In fact, when given the choice between dry cat food and fresh grass, chinchillas choose the latter every time!