Chinchillas 101

The decision to get any pet is always a big one and chinchillas are no exception. The following is a checklist for those important things needed before purchasing your new chinchilla.

1.) Cage: Rule of thumb, "The bigger, the better!" Your cage should be no more than 5 feet tall and should have 1" by 1" wire mesh or 1" by 1/2" wire mesh if you plan on having kits. Adult chins can be safely contained in a wire spacing of 1" by 2" but no larger. Tall as opposed to long cages are best as chinchillas love to jump from shelf to shelf. Shelves need to be made from untreated white pine boards in order to be chew safe. Ventilation is one of the main keys to chinchilla housing. They should NEVER be kept in an aquarium as they will quickly overheat and die within a very short amount of time.

2.) Bedding: Even if you are using a wire bottom cage, the type of bedding you use is as essential as the cage itself. Safe chinchilla bedding consists of KILN Dried Pine, Aspen, or Carefresh. Cedar and Corn Cob beddings are toxic to chinchillas and should never be used.

3.) Pine Boards or Clean Cardboard: If you use wire bottom cages, you will need to provide a place for your chinchillas to rest their feet on. Clean cardboard or untreated white pine boards work best and your chins will enjoys rounding those corners, which is great for helping to keep teeth trimmed down.

4.) Food Bowls: You will need two ceramic food bowls or a metal J-feeder for your chinchillas to eat out of. J-feeders will eliminate the possibility that your chinchilla will use its bowl as a bathroom and are generally more sanitary. Be sure it is metal as plastic is toxic if injested and can cause bowel obstructions.

5.) Water Bottles: Chinchillas need fresh filtered or bottled water daily. Toxins in regular tap water can cause serious illness requiring vet care. Bottles should be scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed every day. Glass water bottles work best, especially if you have a bottle chewer. You can also purchase metal bottle guards at pet stores to keep your chinchillas from chewing holes in plastic bottles. Water bowls are not recommended as chinchillas will relieve themselves in them making them very unsanitary.

6.) Dust Bath Container: There are many things you can use for a dust bath containerlarge bread pans, large pickle jars, large fish bowls, and even commercial dust bath houses available at pet stores. Never leave the dust in the cage with the chinchilla for more than 10 minutes. Just 10 minutes 3 times a week in humid weather and twice a week in less humidity is all they need.

7.) Chinchilla Dust: Chinchillas should never take water bathstheir coats are extremely dense and therefore do not dry quickly or easily resulting in fungus infections. Chins bathe by means of a dust bath. Pet stores carry special chinchilla dust or sand made from Fullers Earth that is specifically designed for chinchillas to bathe in. 1 inch of dust in the container and watch it fly! Your chinchilla will roll, flip and dig in its dust which works to clean excess oils out of its coat leaving it soft and beautiful. Any commercial chinchilla dust will work, but most breeders who show their animals use Blue Cloud dust which is extremely fine and makes the animals sparkle.

8.) Pellets: This is a very important issue. Chinchillas need to be fed CHINCHILLA PELLETS. Other small mammal pellets do not meet the nutritional requirements of a chinchilla. Many commercial chinchilla pellets also contain too many treats. They need a pellet with no other treats in it! Too many treats will cause bloat and GI statis in chinchillas that can lead to death. The best chinchilla feeds on the market are Mazuri Chinchilla Pellets, Klein Diet, American Pet Diner, Tradition, and Oxbow. Chins will eat about 1-2 tablespoons of pellets per day.

9.) Hay: Hay is probably the most important part of your chinchillas diet. It is ruffage and fiber that will aid your chinchillas digestion. The best form of hay to give is Timothy Hay. It is a grassy and green hay that chinchillas love. Loose hay is a chinchillas delight but can be messy. You can also give them timothy hay cubes. These should also be very green. Pregnant or nursing females should also be supplemented with some Alfalfa hay cubes in addition to their timothy hay. Brome, Bluegrass, and Oat hays should be given in moderation as a once in a while treat. Timothy hay needs to be available 24/7.

10.) Air Conditioning!: This is the BIGGEST must have when it comes to chinchilla ownership! Chinchillas come from the Andes Mountains and need to be in cooler weather. 60-70 degrees is the recommended temperature for chinchillas to be housed in. 75 degrees is boarder line heat stroke and upwards of 80 degrees can be fatal! Chinchilla fur is extremely denseimagine wearing a fur coat all year round and never being able to take it off! Fans aid in circulating air but do nothing for cooling a chinchilla on a hot day. Chinchillas do not sweat therefore a fan cannot cool their skin like they would for a human. Air Condition is a MUST HAVE! If you dont have it, or cant get it, a chinchilla is NOT for you.

11.) Extras: Youre chinchilla requires lots of things to occupy their time. They are nocturnal creatures and have to amuse themselves when you are sleeping. Wooden houses, hanging wooden chew toys (on a chain, not rope), pumice stones. Lava Bites, and solid surface metal wheels are great things for chinchilla cages. They also enjoy hammock but they MUST be made of polar fleece and contain NO loose threads. Polar fleece is safe if the chinchillas chew it, but nylon and canvas are not.

12.) A Knowledgeable Chinchilla Vet: Accidents happen and chinchillas get sick. You need to have a knowledgeable chinchilla vet on hand. Your chin may not need the vaccinations that other pets do, but an exotics vet is hard to find when faced with an emergency. It can also be extremely expensive, so having extra money put aside for emergencies is always recommended. Many chinchillas go their entire lives without ever needing a vet, but it is much better to be safe than sorry.

13.) Chinchillas are NOT toys: Chinchillas are prey animals and therefore very skittish by nature. They do not like to be held, coddled or carried and they will not sit still in your lap. They are also very fragile creatures. When held too tightly, they can injure themselves. Therefore chinchillas are NOT recommended pets for small children.

Now that you have everything you need ready for your new chinchilla, it's time to go pick one (or two) out! The first thing you must decide is if you want one or two, male or female, and opposite sex pairs or same sex pairs.

*Please note: Opposite sex pairs can and will breed! If you are planning to breed your new chinchilla(s), please read through Breeding 101. It is not recommended to begin a breeding program before owning chins for a minimum of one year. Breeding pet-store bought chinchillas can endanger the life of your chin and is frowned on.

The following is a guideline for purchasing your pet chinchilla:

Illness Indicators:

1.) Fungal Skin Infection: Crusty or scaly skin at eyes , nose, and ears including missing fur.

2.) Constipation: Very small droppings.

3.) Cold: Nasal discharge and tearing of the eyes.

4.) Incurable Dental Disorders: Saliva discharge and slow or exaggerated chewing motions, inability to bite properly, loss of appetite, watery eyes, and drooling (wet chin).

5.) Nutritional Deficiency: Whitish or transparent incisors. (teeth should be yellowish-orange).

6.) Diarrhea: Soiled bottom, soft poos (squish when stepped on by animal).

7.) Emaciation: Can see or feel the spine, or spine is protruding (due to improper diet or serious illness).

8.) Bald spots in Coat: Could be fungal infection if you can see the skin easily and skin is scaly, or irritated. If it looks like a bad buzz cut, generally around the hips and thighs, it is fur chewing. Fur chewing can be either environmental due to stress, or poor genetics. A chinchilla that fur chews, should never be bred. If fur comes out in a clump during handling, that is what is known as fur slip. All chins can fur slip for improper handling and is a normal defense mechanism.

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