Caring for your Chinchilla

• About Your Chinchilla
• Bringing Your Chinchilla Home
• Chinchilla Food
• Chinchilla Health Care
• Socialising & Training
• Playing

Where did I come from?

Chinchillas originated in the high mountain regions of South America. They adapted to the extremes of their environment by producing their luxuriant coat. They were originally bred in captivity for their pelts and then became increasingly popular as a clean, odourless pet.

The chinchilla originated in Peru and can be found in the wild from southern Peru and Bolivia, to southern Chile. The chinchilla possess the thickest fur coats of all mammals, which are considered to be highly prized. Due to the value of their coats, chinchillas were hunted in South America almost to extinction. The chinchilla is now a protected species in many countries and though controversial, this is partly due to the establishment of fur farms which have helped save these animals from extinction.

Chinchillas have existed in the wild, on ranches and in zoos for many years; however, it is only recently that chinchillas have been considered as pets. These animals are nocturnal and become very active, jumping and climbing during the night, they can eventually become quite active during the day. However, these animals are not normally suitable pets for young children.

Although chinchillas are more commonly grey there are many variations in colour and can be beige, black or white.

Before you get your new chinchilla home and settled you are going to need a few essential items, in order to care for him or her properly.

Essential Items

Cage, wooden litter, pellet food, nest box, hay, hay rack, water bottle, bottle brush, heavy food dish, cuttlefish, chinchilla dust bath, chinchilla book, chinchilla sand, disinfectant.

How to handle me

Chinchillas do not like being handled roughly but feel more secure if the grip is firm. Hold the chinchilla close to your chest, facing you, with one hand over its back and one hand holding the base of the tail gently but firmly. Gradually get the chinchilla used to being picked up and lightly stroked and they will gain confidence. If they are very lively at first just introduce your hand into the cage for the animal to familiarise itself with you and realise there is no threat. Chinchillas generally do not bite.

Where do I like to live?

Chinchillas are part of the rodent family of animals and love to chew everything; it is therefore essential that their cage is made of wire mesh to ensure that it is escape proof. They need a lot of space because they can be very active and need room to exercise. This requires a large cage. The cage should ideally have several levels with a large enclosed nesting box and some bedding inside. Branches or cuttlebone should also be made available so chinchillas can gnaw to wear down their teeth. The bottom of the cage should have a mesh floor set above a tray that can be filled with wood based cat litter. The cage must be placed somewhere which does not get damp and is well away from draughts. Chinchillas can stand cold but suffer if the temperature rises above 20C.

Twice a week a Chinchilla dust bath filled with Chinchilla sand should be placed in the cage so that the animal can use it as a bath. This should then be removed after about 20 minutes to be topped up for the next occasion. Cages and all equipment should be cleaned and disinfected regularly, at least once per week

Chinchillas need a very bland diet; they need good quality pellets and long cut hay for fibre. They need plenty of chews as their teeth are always growing, like many rodents. Chinchillas suffer mostly from dental problems and this can be a genetic defect, so if you don’t know about the parents of your animal breeding would not be recommended.

Pellets

60g of good quality chinchilla pellets should be provided fresh each day. This should be augmented with a supply of fresh hay and water. Chinchillas have a delicate digestive system and their diet should be as dry as possible. Treats should be given sparingly. Breakfast cereals, dried fruit and toast make ideal occasional treats. Do not feed Muesli mixes, sunflower seeds, peanuts or flaked maize. If the feeding bowl is not secured to the cage it should be made of heavy earthenware to prevent spills.

Supplements

Hay: Although many foods are referred to as ‘complete’ none can compensate for a fresh supply of hay everyday. Hay fulfils many essential functions for your chinchilla:

• Is an essential fibre source helping to aid digestion.
• Chewing hay can help prevent any problems with their teeth, as with many rodents their teeth continuously grow.
• Provide some thing for them to chew on and prevents them from being bored.

Fresh Foods

Fresh foods such as a small piece of apple or a couple of raisins can be an ideal treat for your chinchilla or try Pets at Home dried fruit or vegetables.

Chews

Help prevent your chinchilla’s teeth growing too long by providing things to chew on, such as twigs or wooden chews.

Like the majority of small animals Chinchillas teeth continuously grow, which can lead to serious problems. Branches or cuttlebone should be made available so chinchillas can gnaw to wear down their teeth.

The bottom of the cage should have a mesh floor set above a tray that can be filled with cat litter. The cage must be placed somewhere which does not get damp and is well away from draughts. Chinchillas can stand cold but suffer if the temperature rises above 20C

Chinchillas have the second densest fur in the animal kingdom, only sea otters have fur that is denser. In the wild chinchillas roll in volcanic dust to remove the grease and dirt from their fur so, in captivity we need to provide them with special chinchilla sand for them to bathe in. They like to have a bath after they have been handled to help remove the grease that our hands put on their lovely soft fur. So it is important to provide them with a sand bath every few days to keep their fur looking in tip top condition. Never leave the bath in the cage for any longer than 20 minutes as it may be used as a toilet.

It is important to regularly check your chinchilla over and look out for any signs such as weight loss, bare patches (chinchillas can chew their fur if they become stressed, bored or have a bad diet) and most commonly overgrown teeth.

Chinchillas are unusual pets so you will need to make sure your vet has either treated chinchillas before or is willing to learn. Ring up your vet before you actually purchase a chinchilla just to make sure you feel confident taking your pet there.

The type of relationship you want with your chinchilla and the amount of time you have to spend with your pet is a consideration when deciding if you want to keep one or two chinchillas. If you want to have a closer relationship with your pet then you should have only one chinchilla. They will see you as their cage mate and will want to spend more time with you, even if that is just using you as a climbing frame.

However, if you want to see more natural behaviours then you should get two chinchillas. You can have two females, two males or one male and one female, but ideally they should be the same age bought at the same time. If you don’t know the history of the animals then you should get the male neutered and the female spayed. If you have two males together you must be aware that bringing females into the area may encourage them to fight. As when the female is in season she puts out pheromones that the males can smell which can cause them to be very territorial and fight.

Chinchillas are most active in the earlier part of the evening as they are nocturnal. They are naturally timid and do not like being handled roughly, they will shed their coat if they are stressed or held tightly. Gentle contact and winning their confidence will eventually result in them sitting on your open hand or allowing light stroking.

Chinchillas are highly intelligent animals and love to play. It is recommended that you let them have a run around on a daily basis. However, you must supervise play at ALL times and be sure to remove any wires or other items that could cause harm. Make sure the room is escape proof and doesn’t allow them any access to bathrooms.

Chinchillas should be provided with a number of toys in their cage for entertainment, especially toys for chewing. This is an essential item in their cage to ensure their teeth do not over grow.