chinchilla terracotta

Question
QUESTION: i have a terracotta pot that i bought from big lots that hasn't been used, so no plants or dirt in it. would it be okay to give to my chinchilla as a hiding spot in his cage? if he starts chewing on it, and starts producing "dust" will it hurt his respiratory functions? Also, if I can give him the pot, how should i clean and disinfect everyone once in a while, since it is porous I can't imagine vinegar, the substance i usually use for disinfecting, to work well on the terracotta pot

ANSWER: Well being that it is all natural it should be safe for your pet Chin to play/hide in. If he chews on it it should not effect his digestive tract that much if at all. As long as you dont use anything with cedar or pine and keep the cage clean of ammonia (urine) then you should have no problems with him breathing just fine.

As for cleaning the pot here are some tips:

1)Cleaning the pot using your oven is a great way to kill all germs. You have to be careful in this method so your dont break your pot. Heat the over to 220 degrees and bake the pot for one hour. Allow the pot to naturally cool in the oven until they reach room tempature. It make take your oven over but it does work :)

2)Using 1tbsp to gallon of water and allow to soak for 30 minutes.

3)Run them in the dishwasher with a white vinegar in the cleaning dispenser.

4)Baking soda paste with water and scrub using a scrub pad until clean will rid it of any residue that forms.

I hope that this helps you and thank you using all experts.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, thank you so much. Did you say pine is not okay? I always heard that kiln dried, untreated pine wood is okay for chinchillas to chew on?

Answer
There are many bedding options out there, but not all are appropriate for chinchillas. For example, pine shavings are generally considered safe for animals, but not so for chinchillas. Some pine shavings can contain a resin that when ingested will harm a chinchilla.

The best option we've found are aspen shavings. These shavings provide the same benefit as pine, come in bulk so the price is low, and are not harmful to chinchillas in any form. We've also tried a recycled paper bedding. This product appealed to us because it was recycled material and very absorbent. However, on too many occasions we saw our chins eating the paper which raised concerns that there may be digestive issues down the road.