Can chinchillas eat cherry wood?
No – toxic. Chinchillas should never eat cherry wood. Purdue says cherry, plum, cedar and redwood are toxic and should be avoided, and the Swiss animal welfare society (STS) calls thuja and yew toxic. Merck lists cherry, plum, cedar, redwood, oleander, citrus wood and fresh pine as unsafe woods. Germany’s Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) rules out conifer and stone fruit wood entirely; Purdue, by contrast, lists peach bark and Merck pine without phenol oils as safe, so we cautiously follow the TVT.
Good to know: The STS also calls resinous trees such as fir, the leaves of stone fruit trees, chestnut and oak completely unsuitable.
Did your chinchilla eat some?
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.
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply)
- Tell your vet what your chinchilla ate, how much and when.
Better choices, for example
Questions
My chinchilla ate cherry wood. What should I do?
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. You can also call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply).
Sources
- Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine – Feeding the Pet Chinchilla
- Schweizer Tierschutz STS – Merkblatt Chinchilla (2019)
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version) – Providing a Home for a Chinchilla
- TVT Merkblatt Nr. 153: Heimtiere – Chinchillas (2012)
Last checked: November 2026