Chinchillas can live between 10 to 20 years in captivity.  

Yes – Chinchillas are social animals and need the company of other chinchillas. They are happy with at least one other compatible chinchilla for company. Chinchillas may be kept in same sex pairs or groups, or a neutered male can be kept with one or more females.  

No - Chinchillas are nocturnal and awake in the evening and at night. 

Chinchillas are not cheap pets. They require specialist housing, food, bedding, and toys. Chinchillas generally dislike being handled. Caring for also them takes a great deal of time. Both cleaning and interacting are best completed in the evening or at night which is not suited to all lifestyles. 

Chinchillas need a large, multi-level enclosure and a secure exercise area. They are very active and require plenty of space to run and climb. An ideal enclosure consists of a secure, wire mesh enclosure with plenty of horizontal and vertical space. You can then add platforms and branches for your chinchillas to climb and explore. There should be no uninterrupted heights of more than 60cm to ensure your chinchillas do not hurt themselves if they fall. Solid flooring at the base of the enclosure will prevent your chinchillas getting sore feet. They can be highly destructive, and enclosures need to be protected to prevent damage. They are also messy and produce a lot of droppings daily, which need cleaning up. 

Nest boxes are essential, and these should be at least one for each chinchilla. These are also used to hide in if your chinchilla is scared or wants some time alone from their companions. At least one nest box should be large enough for the chinchillas to sleep in together if they choose to. All nest boxes can be loosely filled with hay as a warm bed.  

We recommend that you locate your chinchillas’ enclosure in a quiet, dry and well-ventilated area. The enclosure should be away from other pets, direct sunlight, radiators and draughts. Chinchillas don’t like high temperatures and can suffer from heat stroke which can be very serious. 

Allow your chinchillas supervised time out of their enclosure into a safe and secure exercise area in the evenings or at night. This is when they are most active. This could be a dedicated chinchilla room, or a large secure playpen (with a roof).  Fill the exercise area with plenty of enrichment for your chinchillas. This could be tubes, boxes, tunnels, platforms and wooden toys. Your chinchillas will love to hide, explore, jump and chew. They are very active and can easily get bored.  You can also hide food or healthy treats around the enclosure for them to find. This simulates natural foraging behaviours. Chinchillas love to chew, so provide plenty of gnawing blocks or natural willow toys so they can do this. 

You need to do a small amount of cleaning each day with a more thorough clean at least once a week.  

Each day - Remove damp or dirty bedding and nesting material. Replace with fresh and sweep the enclosure to remove all droppings.  

Each week - Clean the entire enclosure thoroughly using a pet-safe disinfectant. After cleaning, replace some unsoiled bedding. Cleaning can be stressful for chinchillas as it removes familiar scents. Putting some old bedding back in with the fresh bedding makes the scents more familiar. 

Chinchillas need lots of fibre in their diet to keep them healthy. Good quality hay should form the majority of the diet as it is high in fibre. This must be available at all times.  

good quality chinchilla pellets should also be offered, paying attention to the manufacturers feeding guidelines. In most cases it will be small amounts, perhaps 1-2 tablespoons per chinchilla per day, as most of their diet should be good quality hay. This can be fed in a bowl of scattered within the enclosure to encourage normal foraging behaviours.  

Provide fresh water daily in a suitable bottle. 

Chinchillas enjoy treats but these must be low in sugar and fat. Dried fruit, root vegetables, leafy greens and cereal can be given occasionally in very small quantities. Avoid nuts and seeds as these are high in fat. 

Give your chinchillas a quick health check each day to allow you to spot any issues early. Your vet can advise you how to do this if you would like more help. Take your chinchillas to your vet for a thorough health check at least once a year.  

See your vet immediately if any of your chinchillas are showing signs of pain, injury or illness  

Provide a dust bath for 10 minutes each day. This is a tray filled with chinchilla dust, also called bathing sand. Your chinchillas will roll in this tray and the dust helps to keep their coat clean and healthy. Do not leave the dust bath in the enclosure for prolonged periods as your chinchillas will use it as a toilet.  

Provide plenty of gnawing opportunities. Fresh hay and wooden gnawing blocks and toys allow your chinchillas to wear their teeth down. Chinchillas' teeth grow constantly and without the appropriate level of gnawing can become overgrown and prevent eating and grooming. Check your chinchillas’ teeth regularly and visit your vet if you are concerned. 

Chinchillas get stressed by travelling and new surroundings so would prefer to stay at home whilst you are away. You will need to find a trustworthy and competent person to visit your home daily to look after them while you are away.