Pine cones always seem to be everywhere. At least if you have conifer plants around your property or the neighbourhood. But what about your chinchilla? Can they eat them? Is it something you can even give to your chinchilla? Here is all you need to know.
So, can chinchillas eat pine cones? While chinchillas can technically eat pine cones, if you decide to give your chinchilla a pine cone, it’s essential to clean wild fallen cones first to remove any dirt, sap, pests, or other diseases that may be on the pine cone.
Even though you can give your chinchilla a pine cone, it’s generally not recommended because of the mess.
Are Pine Cones Dangerous For Chinchillas?
Pine cones can be toxic to chinchillas if they’ve been painted or treated with a wood preserver. It’s important to remember that generally, any pine cone you buy for decorative purposes is likely going to be toxic to your chinchilla.
It’s for this reason, you should only buy pine cones that are labelled as safe for small animals, such as chinchillas. Often, these pine cones are natural and have already been inspected and cleaned.
Pine cones that are collected in the wild could be carrying bacteria (if the tree was diseased), or the pine cone may be carrying harmful chemicals like pesticides.
Why Some Owners Give Their Chinchillas Pine Cones
So long as they’ve been prepared and free from any harmful substances, pine cones can be cost-effective and mentally stimulating for chinchillas.
How Do You Give Chinchillas Pine Cones?
You can simply give your chinchilla an entire pine cone. For pine cones that are sold specifically for small animals, it may be as simple as taking them out of the packet and giving one to your chinchilla.
First and foremost, if you’re considering offering a pine one that has fallen in the wild, you should try to inspect the tree in which it could have fallen.
When picking pine cones in the wild, you should have an understanding of the health of trees. For example, you need to know whether the tree could have been sprayed or treated with any chemicals – such as insecticides.
If you find out that the tree has been treated, then chances are that the pine cones could carry toxins, therefore it shouldn’t be given to your chinchilla.
Assuming that the tree is safe, you should prepare the pine cones ahead of time.
How To Sterilise Pine Cones For Your Chinchilla
Step One
Fill a container with lukewarm water and add a cup of distilled white vinegar. Be sure to immerse all the pine cones while using your hands to remove any dirt, debris or anything else you find on the pine cones.
Step Two
You should now leave your pine cones to dry, and use a warm place, like a sunny window, or radiator. It can take anywhere from 2 to 5 days for them to dry depending on where you leave them.
Step Three
You can bake the pine cones in the oven at a high temperature (260 degrees for an hour and a half). Doing this will destroy any lingering bacteria or insects and help to solidify any sap that may that’s still in them.
Step Four
Let the pine cones cool in a safe place. They need to cool down to room temperature before giving them to your chinchilla.
Conclusion
While chinchillas can chew on a pine cone every so often, they can be messy because of the sap.
With that being said, while it’s very tempting to just give your chinchilla a pine cone that has naturally dropped to the ground – it’s not recommended.
Although this doesn’t mean that pine cones are entirely forbidden, it means that you need to inspect and clean them first. You’ll need to prepare them before giving them to your chinchilla.
