CHINCHILLAS

Chinchillas are wonderful friendly and inquisitive animals, they can make great pets if you can give them everything they need to be happy and healthy. They are best suited to older children and adults, as they are timid by nature and very sensitive to rough handling. They are also noctural. They can live for 15-20 years, so you need to be prepared for a long term commitment.

Chinchillas can be kept alone, but if you do this you will need to spend lots more time with them, as they will see YOU as their companion. If you want to give a home to a pair, try to rehome two that are already bonded and friends. Just check out your local rescue centres for bonded pairs. It is usually better to bond them as same sex pairs. If you are wanting to bond two yourself, you must do so on neautral territory. There is lots of helpful advice on how to bond chinchilla safely, read up on this before you try it yourself.

Chinchillas are very active and need lots of exercise, so it is important that you give them the biggest cage you can afford. Ideally the cage should have different levels with shelves for them to climb around on. The bottom of the cage should have a mesh floor with a wood based litter underneath. It is important that chinchillas don't soil their coats. As chinchillas are enthusiastic chewers a wire mesh cage is ideal, so they cannot chew their way out of the cage. You will also need to provide a bedroom area, a nesting box full of hay or cosy bedding material is ideal. You can add lots of wooden chew toys, a large wheel and a hammock to the cage to keep your chinchillas amused. Position the cage away from direct sunlight, radiators or draughts. Chinchillas do not like high temperatures and can suffer from heat stroke. The cage should also be kept in a room that is quiet, particularly during the day when they will be sleeping.

Chinchillas should be fed on a good quality chinchilla pellet food. Also provide them with a good quality hay, try Timothy hay and Alfalfa. It is also a good idea to provide a cuttlefish bone to chew on as this provides calcium which is essential for healthy teeth. Chinchillas can also be fed treats, make sure they are suitable for chinchillas though, and never overfeed them. Try one or two raisins or a plain mini shredded wheat each. They will also need a water bottle. Make sure food and water is always fresh and clean bowls and bottles daily.

As well as providing chinchillas with company, and lots of toys in their cage, they will also need time out of the cage. The more time you spend with them, the tamer they will become. Never leave them unattended while out of their cage.

When you first bring chinchillas home, give them a few days to settle in and get used to their new surroundings. Then start by gentley talking to them. Move on to letting them feed from your hand, and gentley stroke them. A chinchilla must be picked up gently but firmly, hold them close to your body, one hand under its bottom, the other over its back. The more you handle them, the happier and tamer they will become.

Chinchillas are clean pets, you should change their bedding daily, and clean the whole cage thoroughly once a week.

Chinchillas teeth constantly grow, so make sure they have safe things to chew on in their cage to keep their teeth clean and trim. Chinchillas also need a dust bath atleast twice a week to keep their fur in tip top condition, buy the special bathing dust/sand from a good pet supplier, put it in a suitable container and let the chinchillas use it every few days. They will roll about in it. never leave it in the cage permanantly though and the sand can become dirty, and over use can cause a chinchillas skin to become too dry.. You can also brush them, this will also help you to bond.

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