Cheeky Chinchillas - Looking After Your Pet Chinchilla

Description

These beautiful creatures are members of the rodent family. The Latin word for rodent is rodere which means 'to gnaw'. Fully grown chinchillas are about 12 inches long and can weigh between 18 to 35 ounces plus, the female being bigger than the male. Sizes can vary quite a lot. A chinchilla is similar in size to a small rabbit with squirrel-like tails. Chinchillas have more fur per square inch than any other known animal.

Chinchillas are nocturnal animals and so they sleep during the day and become more active at night. They are easy to look after, rarely aggressive, very clean and have practically no smell at all. Their fur is so dense that they do not attract fleas or parasites. Once used to the handler they can be very affectionate and love to be scratched under the chin and behind the ears.

Chinchillas are becoming very popular pets, however, it is well to remember that they can live for up to 20 years (the average is about 10 years) and must therefore be accommodated appropriately within the home.
If you do not have time for a long-term pet then a chinchilla is NOT for you.

The Cage

Make sure that the cage is big enough. One chinchilla can be kept in a cage approximately 90cm high x 61cm wide x 46cm deep. Cages should remain indoors unless kept in a purpose built, secure outer building. He/she should also have a run outside of the cage for approximately one hour each day. Chinchillas do not like a lot of noise so the cage should be placed in a quiet environment that is well ventilated but not draughty. During hot spells of weather, make sure the cage is shaded from bright sunlight and that there is a constant flow of cool air.
Chinchillas do not like to be too hot and can suffer from heat strokes.
Temperatures above 75ºf can be fatal to chinchillas.

Cleaning

Although chinchillas do not smell, the cage should be cleaned out at least once a week. Clean down shelves and boxes etc everyday.
Hygiene and cleanliness are very important.
Left over food, mouldy hay, droppings in food and stale water can cause bacteria to form which can be harmful to your chinchilla. Most cages will have a tray at the base which you can pull out to place in sawdust, paper etc. Some people use wood based cat litter.

General

There should be wooden box, for the chinchilla to sleep or hide in and suitable 'play' items.
Chinchillas need to keep their teeth trimmed and so will try to chew almost anything. For this reason chinchillas can not have the run of the house like a cat or dog. Also, let everyone know when your chinchilla is having a run. A good safety feature is a door hanger to say when your chinchilla is out of the cage. There have been many incidents where chins have been stepped on.

As chinchillas will try to chew many items, avoid anything made of plastic and do not let them chew anything which is painted or stained.
Plastic, paint, stained wood etc is toxic. If they try to chew any of these, they might ingest some and this could be harmful to them.

You can buy a variety of wooden items for them to chew, from a pet shop or on line.
Willow Sticks, Bark Bites and Cholla Rings are often the ones available in the larger pet stores.
N.B. If I buy the willow sticks, I always cut them into smaller lengths of approx 2".
This makes it easier for the chinchilla to hold. Also, as chinnies sometimes chew them to a 'point', I feel it could be dangerous if they are left too long a length .... Afterall, you wouldn't put a sharp wooden skewer in a cage!
Always remove any 'sharp' looking chewed wood.

Cholla, pronounced 'choya' is a type of cactus. When sundried it makes a great natural chewing toy for chinnies.

I also put wooden blocks (untreated pine - see note about pine below) and various other suitable items in for them to chew on. I also provide a thick cardboard tube for when they are playing outside of their cage. Again, you can buy a tube, but a good idea, is to get the inner cardboard tube from inside a carpet roll. Cut it into reasonable size sections. The chins love to run in and out of them. I make up all different routes for them - they will play for hours. If you ask at your local carpet store, I am sure they will probably be happy to give you one. It's also a lot cheaper, one roll will make many tubes! But, make sure it is clean. Pumice and cuttlefish are also items that chinchillas like to chew. Cuttlefish is a very good source of calcium.

The digestive system of the chinchilla is very delicate, therefore, it is important that they are fed the correct diet. Chinchillas require a high fibre diet which helps to keep their digestive tract healthy.
Looking after your chinchilla's teeth and providing items he can chew is very important.

More about this on Feeding and Health pages.

The shelves in the cages are usually made of pine. I also place a couple of small pieces of untreated pine on the bottom of the cage. The chins can play with these, chew them and it also creates another softer area for them to rest on if you have a wire bottomed cage.
Untreated pine is safe, as long as it does not contain any phenol oils etc. Phenol oil is part of the sap that is left in the wood after a quick drying process has been used

Chins don't use bedding as such - they are happy to sleep in their wooden box or on a shelf or even on their wooden blocks. They move objects around a great deal. One of my chins is forever moving her sleeping box about...I always say she is re-arranging her furniture.
There should also be a water bottle, hay rack and a bowl for food. I find the heavy bowls are better, otherwise they just tip the food and it falls through the wire bottom. Chinchilla food bowls are usually the earthenware type, although you can buy stainless steel.
Plastic bowls should not be used as this would be harmful to the chinchilla if he chewed it. See Feeding

The Sand Bath

Don't forget the sand bath...
Chinchillas do not bathe in water but sand. You can buy chinchilla dust from a reputable pet shop. They need to bathe in the sand to clean and look after their thick coat. They usually like a bath at least once a day, but do not leave the sand bath in the cage because if it is used too often, their coats will become too dry.

Making Friends with Your Chinchilla

Sometimes it can take a while for a chinchilla to get used to you, especially if he hasn't been handled very much.

Also, some chins seem to like being held more than others. Not all are the ‘cuddly’ type.

But persevere ...they need time to trust you - could take a while.

Start by placing your hand in the cage and letting the chins smell you. After a while, if they seem happy with this, try giving them a scratch behind and around the ears - they love this. I have one chin that likes it so much my arm aches because he wants me to do it all the time!

I find another good way, is to let your chins out for a run (remember not to let them near anything they can harm themselves on or do damage to, as they will try and chew anything), and sit with them on the floor. Chins are curious and will probably jump on you and investigate. Try not to move too suddenly and do not grab at them. If you try and grab a chin they will shed their fur, basically as a means of escape; this goes back to their origins, when they would escape predators.

See if they will come to you if you offer them a small treat - not too may though. As I mentioned earlier, cut a treat into a few pieces - the chinnie thinks he is getting more and you have more bargaining power!

One of my chins will beg for a treat if she just hears the rattle of the tin! Other times I say to her, 'Come on beg up'...and she will. They are quite intelligent.

I usually wait until they have had their run and then I say to them if they go in their cages now, they will get a treat. I rattle the tin and they usually go in :-) Of course, being so intelligent, they'll sometimes grab the treat and try to jump back out !

When you think he is used to you, you can try picking him up. Do this very gently and hold him with both arms. Chinchillas like to feel secure, so don’t hold him over mid air, keep him close to you, supporting his back legs.

This all takes time and patience but it is worth it :-)

Always talk quietly to them - they don't like loud noises - mine like a little quiet music. There is no need to tip toe around - just not be too noisy.
But, always remember when your chin is out to be careful of wires etc and your good furniture!

Chins like company – if you have a few chins, they will play with each other, but one chin on his own needs more attention.
Provide plenty of activities and be interactive with him.

Origins

Chinchillas originate from the rocky mountain range of the Andes in South America. Discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1500's, they were named after the Chincha Indians, who through necessity to keep themselves warm and have food to eat, used them as a source of food and made clothing with their fur.

Later introduced to Europe, their soft luxurious fur became very popular and was sought after so much, it nearly caused their extinction, as literally millions of chinchillas were killed for their pelts.

It is very distressing to know that it takes well over a 100 chinchillas just to make one coat! Today, hunting the wild chinchilla is banned and they are protected by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Animals.

Mr M.F. Chapman, is responsible for the domestication of the chinchilla. He worked as a a mining engineer in Chile. In 1923, after finally getting permission from the Chilean Government, he transported 11 chinchillas to California. They bred successfully and were originally sold to fur ranches and then later sold as pets. It is more than likely that most of our pet chinchillas today are descended from Mr Chapman's original eleven.