Chinchillas: Some Facts To Consider Before Adopting
6/14/2015 by Robin Rysavy
Chinchillas are delightful little animals that are very curious and love to explore. They are darling to look at…who couldn’t love those cute little faces? Their fur is ultra-soft (80-100 hairs per follicle) and most have very outgoing personalities. In the wild they are native to the high desert area of the Andes where they often live in groups of 100 or more. They enjoy climbing and exploring, and are very sensitive to humidity and temperature extremes.
Pearl
If you are contemplating adding a chinchilla to your family, here are some things you need to consider first:
- Chinchillas are creatures of habit and like routine. They need to be checked on a minimum of twice a day. They can become depressed if their normal routine changes, like when their human family goes on vacation. They are extremely sensitive to heat and humidity, so if you do hire someone to care for them while you are away, please don’t change the temperature of your house.
- Chinchillas are mostly nocturnal and enjoy play and exercise during the evening. They often run on wheels at night. If you are a light sleeper and have your chinchilla’s house near your bedroom, this could be a problem, as they will sometimes even call out to you to play at night.
- Very small children can be too loud which may frighten a chinchilla, and there is the potential for the small child to squeeze the chinchilla too tightly, causing injury or death.
- Some animals, like ferrets and some cats and dogs (especially terriers) view chinchillas as prey.
- Chinchillas need a large house in which to live; they love to climb and jump, and wheels from Chin World are the best. Wire flooring in the cage is very hard on their feet. If you buy a multi-level wire cage, please make sure it has plastic flooring.
- Chinchillas like to sleep in hiding boxes. (I have several wooden and plastic boxes in their spacious houses that they feel safe in when sleeping)
- Chinchillas can easily live to be 15, so be sure you are aware of the long-term commitment.
- Chinchillas, like rabbits and guinea pigs, need constant access to a good grass hay, and fresh water.
- Also like guinea pigs, chinchillas need a pelleted food with added vitamin C.
- Chinchillas are very social. Please consider adopting a pair such as: a mother/daughter, a father/son, compatible siblings of the same sex, or a neutered male and female.
- Chinchillas need to exercise and play outside their cage, but be careful because they have a tendency to chew. All electrical cords should be protected with cord cover.
As with any animal, please research their needs to be sure they will be the right fit for your family. Chinchillas have diverse personalities just like dogs, cats, rabbits, or humans. They should be respected for who they are and in turn, they will learn to trust you, interact with you, and enrich your life.
Here is one example of a chinchilla house with plastic floors and ramps. These are available on Amazon.
The post Chinchillas: Some Facts To Consider Before Adopting appeared first on Small Pet Select.