Want A Chinchilla As A Pet? Here's Where To Start

If you want a chinchilla as a pet, you can keep a domestic chinchilla.  They are known to have nervous tendencies and are night owls.  They like to stay up at night and be active.  They also don't care for someone holding them.  However, they can be friendly animals, but it will take a while for them to get used to their owner.  They're not easily coerced into getting close to people.   The owner has to earn their trust, just like a human relationship.

Chinchillas that become captive have a life span from 15 to 20 years.  /They can be noisy, making sounds in the form of chirping, barking and squeaking.  They use these noises to communicate and express their feelings.  If you are not an early riser, you may have to deal with them making noise in the wee hours of the morning.  If you are sensitive to noise while you sleep, a chinchilla may not be for you.  

It's ok to have more than one chinchilla of the same gender, as long as their personalities don't clash.  If they interact when they're still young, they have a better chance of enduring each other.  If they're older, it may take a little longer for them to form a bonding.  If you have a male and female in the same domain, they will have to be sterilized so to prevent procreation of offspring.  The chinchillas are so full of life, that it's necessary for them to have plenty of space for them to roam.

If you have a house, you should set aside a room just for them.  You can also house them in a cage, as long as it's large enough with items that they can play with.  They also require wooden toys (birch, willow apple tree or manzanita is acceptable) and chew toys to entertain them.  Please keep in mind that chinchillas should not have plastic toys because the plastic can damage the intestinal area.  The cage itself must have plenty of air circulation because they don't sweat much.

Getting too sweaty can cause them to have a heat stroke.  Don't keep the animals in the cage the whole time.  It's good if they get some outside exposure (at least 30 minutes a day, under the watchful eye of the owner).  They need exercise and get a feel of their outside surroundings.   

If the chinchilla gets wet, they have to be dried off rather quickly.  If not, their fur will collect fungus.  You can use a blow dryer on a low cool temperature and you can also use a towel (best choice).  

For their eating regimen, chinchillas cannot consume fatty foods.  They can only eat so much of green plants.  The best dietary plan for them is loose hay.  They can also have a raisin or other kinds of dried fruit, but only in moderation.  Don't give them fresh vegetables as their stomach can expand and cause a fatal reaction.  When they eat, they do so in small portions and they also drink water in small sips.

They can drink water from a water bottle and the water must be fresh at all times.  Because they can't ingest a lot of fat in their system, nuts are to be avoided.  

Chinchillas Staying Healthy With Pellets and Hay

The chinchilla's process of consuming food is quite different than other animals.  They should have a lot of roughage and fewer nutrients.  One of the things that they must have enough of is pellets.  

Chinchilla pellets can be purchased from a breeder or a pet store.  Not all brands contain the same ingredients.  When your purchase them, be sure that the basic ingredients are in the mix.  This would include alfalfa meal, wheat germ, molasses, oats, soybean oil meal, corn, and added vitamins and minerals.  The chinchilla pellets are long because the animals eat with their hands and they must be able to grasp them.

The chinchillas consume the pellets until they feel full.  When they get to that point, they will stop and refrain from overeating.  You can either feed them once or twice a day.  You'll want to figure out which feeding regimen is best for them.  Stick with whatever works best and be consistent.  If you're not, the chinchilla will know and the inconsistency will cause them to be stressed.

A chinchilla's livelihood is based on routines.  You can feed the pellets to them either from a hopper feeder or a ceramic bowl.  The hopper feeder is good to use because you don't have to concern yourself about it falling over.  Ceramic bowls are good because they are heavy and the chinchilla can't chew it, like they would a plastic bowl.  

Chinchilla pellets are one of the best things they can eat; but if for some reason you can't locate them, you can substitute rabbit or guinea pig pellets for them.  These are fine to consume as long as they contain plenty of fiber and are low in fat.  If for some reason you do have to switch their pellets, do it gradually.  Once they get used to a system, it's difficult for them to change suddenly.  They will adapt, but they get stressed if it happens all at once.  

Hay is good for them because it also provides fiber for their system.  You can choose from two kinds:  alfalfa or timothy.  They can be purchased in loose or small compressed blocks with a measurement of 1" X 1" X 2".  The animals will eat both kinds and it must be chemical and mold free.  Because of their sensitive digestive system, chinchillas can only consume fresh hay.  To remain fresh, it must be stored in a dry place.

Fifty-pound bags may be too much for a chinchilla owner, so cubes can be purchased in smaller amounts.  It's better if the cubes are broken into smaller pieces.  This way, they can handle them easier as opposed to being one cumbersome piece.  One pressed cube or a handful of hay is all an adult chinchilla usually eats.  

An alternative to hay would be Bermuda grass.  If your house has a lawn with Bermuda grass, you can feed that to your chinchilla.  However, the grass must be chemical and fertilizer free.  Just wash it off and give your chinchilla a few.  Bermuda grass helps to remedy any digestive issues.