Can chinchillas eat cardboard?

Fine as a toy, but better not as food. PDSA says cardboard rolls and boxes make great, low-cost toys, and the RSPCA and NC State also suggest cardboard for chewing and play. Your chinchilla shouldn’t eat it, though: Woodgreen warns that cardboard and paper can cause gut blockages and suggests skipping cardboard tunnels for chinchillas that like to chew cardboard. Merck, on the other hand, says cardboard boxes can be digested and that paper bedding won’t block the digestive system if chinchillas eat it, so we err on the side of caution.

Good to know: PDSA says not to use shredded newspaper, because the ink can be toxic to small pets like chinchillas. If you suspect your chinchilla is in pain, ill or injured, the RSPCA says to see a vet immediately. NC State adds that a chinchilla not eating for more than 12 hours is always an emergency.