Chinchilla

Chinchilla Photo by Nyusha Svoboda on UnsplashPhoto by Nyusha Svoboda https://unsplash.com/photos/gray-rabbit-on-persons-hand-pTnsGY06GO0

Chinchillas are originally from desert-like areas of the Andes mountains in South America. They have big round ears and bushy tails. They like to take “dust baths” and they need a pretty constant temperature of 50-65 degrees F and low humidity. They have been bred for their nice fur. Also, chinchillas tend to be more hypoallergenic than other small furry animals.

Cage

Chinchillas need lots of space in their cage to run around and supervised playtime outside of the cage. The smallest cage for one chinchilla would measure 2 feet by 18 inches and be two feet high.  Wire cages are fine and a metal collection pan underneath a wire floor is helpful for keeping them clean.


You need to provide them with dark hidies and nesting boxes so they can feel comfortable and rest easy. Provide them with branches to climb on and different platforms to explore.


Bedding

Avoid any bedding that is dusty or contains ink or chemicals. Paper and textile bedding can cause blockages when ingested.  Likewise, chinchillas might eat towels that are used as bedding and become sick. Good choices are aspen shavings, straw or hay, and fleece. The fleece used for bedding should be anti-pill fleece. Anti-pill fleece is dense and chinchillas are not likely to ingest it. Kiln-dried pine shavings removed the toxins that are in pine, they are inexpensive and comfortable for the chinchillas

Chinchilla in flowersPhoto by Nyusha Svobodahttps://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-gray-and-white-cat-EhaE9mhqwR4

Food and Water

You can feed chinchillas pellets designed especially for them, or for small pets in general. Put their food in a non-tip bowl.  They should have constant access to high-quality hay. They can have vegetables a couple of times a week, but should not eat alfalfa. Alfalfa has too much protein for chinchillas. They also might like fruits and nuts occasionally. Sometimes chinchillas have poops called caecotrophs, which are good for them to eat. 


Sociability, Activity, and Toys

Chinchillas like to be with others of their kind.  In the wild, they live in groups of over 100. Be careful of mixing the sexes, although you can neuter males and keep them with females.  Introducing a new chinchilla to a group takes time and patience.  You need to keep the animals in different cages for a while until they get used to each other.  Otherwise, there might be violence. If they are spitting, peeing on each other, fighting, or rearing up at each other, it is a sign they don’t get along. Introduce them slowly and when you see them grooming each other, eating when they are together, sitting next to each other, and calmly exploring together when they are together, they can start sharing a cage. Some chinchillas prefer to be alone, though, so you have to evaluate your particular pet to decide what is best.


They like to chew on wooden toys. Keep them away from plastic because they will chew on that as well. Provide them with chinchilla-proof spaces to run around in - a playpen or a room that is safe for them.


Chinchillas like to have dust baths. Give them a shallow bowl of fine sand or chinchilla dust for them to roll around in.  This keeps their fur in good shape and they really enjoy it.


Chinchilla on a person's handPhoto by Nyusha Svoboda https://unsplash.com/photos/gray-rabbit-on-persons-hand-YpXDf4yXX2E

Size

Chinchillas tend to be 9 to 14-inch inches long with 3-6 inch bushy tails.  Females can weigh almost 2 pounds and males tend to be closer to 1 pound.

Lifespan and Health

You can expect your chinchilla to live about 10 years, or even longer. Some pet chinchillas have lived for over 20 years. Things limiting their lifespan include poor nutrition, stress, overgrown teeth, overheating, choking, and other pets that are predators of the chinchilla.

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