Emma Jones
Chipmunks are nimble and always curious rodents. So that there is no boredom in the squirrel home, you should come up with some employment opportunities.
An important principle is a well-furnished and structured enclosure. Large but sterile enclosures lead to boredom and movement stereotypes such as somersaults and constant jumping up onto the enclosure ceiling, as do enclosures that are too small. In addition to the species-appropriate furnishing of the enclosure, various employment opportunities can also prevent this.
Chipmunks love digging boxes
A good opportunity for employment is a digging box. For this, you need a box (e.g. an unused litter box) and the appropriate filling. The peat available in hardware stores, which is suitable for small animals, is well suited. But always pay attention to the instructions on the packaging. A peat-sand mixture is also suitable as a digging soil, as are the coconut bricks for terrariums that are available in specialist shops. It is important that you keep the soil mixture slightly moist to avoid excessive dust formation. Filled like this, you can place the box in the enclosure and your chipmunk can dig to its heart’s content.
A homemade hammock also helps keep your Burunduk busy. To do this, you can cut an old t-shirt or tea towel and simply tie the ends to the grid. Such mats are usually accepted immediately, many squirrels even lay their nest in the hammock.
Egg cartons, large cardboard tubes, and the like also provide variety. Large cardboard tubes can be found in carpet shops, for example, as they serve as the core for the carpet rolls.
Employment through feeding
Feeding can also be used for occupational therapy. Simply distribute the food in the enclosure so that your squirrel has to look for it. Or you fill the food in an empty cardboard tube of toilet paper or kitchen paper and seal it at both ends with uncolored toilet paper. The squirrel now has to work out its food and is busy for a while. You can also achieve this with feeding baskets, such as those used for feeding wild birds.
Fill them with nuts and hang them up in the enclosure so that the squirrel can only reach the nuts through the traffic light grid. You will be amazed at the skill your croissant shows. Hazelnuts and walnuts can also be placed in the enclosure in their shells. If your squirrel wants to get to the contents, it first has to crack the shell, which not only keeps your teeth busy but also wears them down.
Food skewers that are hung up in the enclosure also prevent boredom and train your squirrel’s dexterity and coordination. These are just a few suggestions that provide plenty of variety and activity when feeding. You can come up with more “feeding tricks” yourself at any time. In this way, not only the squirrels but also you are always busy.