Before you get a Chinchilla you need to think of their needs to make sure they are right for you.
Lots of people think of Chinchillas as cheap pets but they aren't!!! They are constant chewers so need their ledges changing regularly ( as can only have kiln dried wood shelves not plastic ones) and they need lots of toys for enrichment along with twigs ( like apple, pear) to chew on.
Chinchillas are exotics so require specialist vets to see to their medical needs, this means that vet bills even for simple procedures can be hundreds of pounds. You would need to see if there are any close to you in case of emergency.
Chinchillas don't cope well with heat, please see Temperature section below.
Lots of people think of Chinchillas as cheap pets but they aren't!!! They are constant chewers so need their ledges changing regularly ( as can only have kiln dried wood shelves not plastic ones) and they need lots of toys for enrichment along with twigs ( like apple, pear) to chew on.
Chinchillas are exotics so require specialist vets to see to their medical needs, this means that vet bills even for simple procedures can be hundreds of pounds. You would need to see if there are any close to you in case of emergency.
Chinchillas don't cope well with heat, please see Temperature section below.
Cages
Chinchillas are clumsy when jumping and can easily break their legs. When thinking of cages for them, width of cage is needed not height as they are natural rock hoppers and because of this they need low height cages so there's limited drop for them if they miss the ledge as they jump between them.
There are only 2 suppliers of cages that I recommend as they are specific for Chinchillas with correct mesh. Contact me and I can provide links
If you were to go for taller cages, you need to make sure that there is no drop of more than 18" at any point so would need to make sure there are lots of ledges and hammocks to break up any potential fall.
There are only 2 suppliers of cages that I recommend as they are specific for Chinchillas with correct mesh. Contact me and I can provide links
If you were to go for taller cages, you need to make sure that there is no drop of more than 18" at any point so would need to make sure there are lots of ledges and hammocks to break up any potential fall.
Ledges
Chinchillas cannot have plastic ledges. Most ledges are Kiln Dried Pine although a couple of sellers are now doing Poplar and Oak ledges which are longer lasting.
There are various bundles of ledges you can buy. Contact me and I can provide links
There are various bundles of ledges you can buy. Contact me and I can provide links
Furnishings
As Chinchillas are chewers a lot of products sold out there are not suitable. If you are using hammocks, cage liners etc they need to be made from 100% Anti Pill ( Polar) Fleece. No rope, cotton, towelling or teddy/sheep fleece.
There are several suppliers I can recommend, Contact me and I can provide links.
There are several suppliers I can recommend, Contact me and I can provide links.
Food
A lot of breeders feed their Chinchillas on a pellet because they can buy it in large bags so its more cost effective for them.
Personally, I feed mine on a nugget that is readily available for all so that its easier for babies when they go to new homes. I use Science Selective Chinchilla food but I sometimes add in Burgess or Care+ to my food to give them a change.
Personally, I feed mine on a nugget that is readily available for all so that its easier for babies when they go to new homes. I use Science Selective Chinchilla food but I sometimes add in Burgess or Care+ to my food to give them a change.
Hay
Chinchillas need constant access to Hay. The main one given to Chinchillas is Timothy Hay, they can eat Meadow Hay too but Timothy is better for them. When it comes to picking their hay, you should be looking for green fresh smelling hay, if it is brown and smells foisty then avoid it.
I can recommend a few suppliers, contact me and I can send you links.
I can recommend a few suppliers, contact me and I can send you links.
Water
Chinchillas need glass water bottles as they will chew through the plastic ones. The glass bottles need to be checked to make sure it releases an air bubble when you press on the ball as they can get stuck. I 3/4's fill my bottles which means they don't drip and it seems to prevent them not working properly.
Treats
Chinchillas can not have seeds, nuts, fruit or veg.
They should be given dried flowers/leaves etc, dried twigs ( apple, pear, hazel usually) and lots of wooden toys for them to chew.
I am able to supply Chinchilla safe toys and treats to come with my Chinchillas at time of purchase to get you set up but if you contact me I can send links to suppliers I buy from.
They should be given dried flowers/leaves etc, dried twigs ( apple, pear, hazel usually) and lots of wooden toys for them to chew.
I am able to supply Chinchilla safe toys and treats to come with my Chinchillas at time of purchase to get you set up but if you contact me I can send links to suppliers I buy from.
Baths
Chinchillas need baths but not water baths, their baths are with a special sand that they roll in to keep their fur clean. The commonly used one is sepolita
When they bathe the sand goes everywhere. You can buy enclosed sandbaths from Etsy etc, they arent cheap but are worth it to keep the sand contained.
They don't need constant access to the bath as they will end up using it as a toilet, they need a bath 2/3 times a week for around 10 mins
When they bathe the sand goes everywhere. You can buy enclosed sandbaths from Etsy etc, they arent cheap but are worth it to keep the sand contained.
They don't need constant access to the bath as they will end up using it as a toilet, they need a bath 2/3 times a week for around 10 mins
Travelling
In the event you need to transport you Chinchilla to a vet etc, you can use a small plastic pet carrier if its for a short distance/time otherwise they will find a way to chew out of it.
If you are travelling for a long distance/time then I would recommend a Metal transport cage which most show people use. Contact me for the link to the ones I recommend.
If you are travelling for a long distance/time then I would recommend a Metal transport cage which most show people use. Contact me for the link to the ones I recommend.
temperature
Chinchillas have the densest fur of any land animal with 2000 per square inch, that's probably the equivalent of us wearing tshirt, jumper and a thick coat!
Therefore Chinchillas need to be kept in a cool environment, the cooler the better but in our domestic households in the UK 16-18 Celsius is usually most achievable. If temperatures drop lower than this in winter that's not a problem at all. Providing they are not in draughty or damp areas a low temperature is not an issue, providing their water bottle does not freeze!
A thermometer is an ESSENTIAL item for your Chinchilla room, and we would advise getting one BEFORE your Chinchilla, so you can find which room in your house is coolest.
During winter as our house temperatures drop our heating systems kick in, please don't forget about your Chinchillas. If they have a radiator in their room their cage needs to be nowhere near it or it needs to be TURNED OFF. Again a thermometer near the cage can help you to assess whether it's getting too warm for them. Too many people keep their cage in front of a radiator and forget about it kicking in come winter time leading to very poorly Chinchillas!
Humidity is also an essential thing to keep an eye on as Chinchillas don't cope well in high humidity.
5-10 years ago summer heatwaves were 1-2 days of 25C heat at a time and a shady room often managed to keep below 22C. However in recent years due to drastic changes in climate change we are having longer spells of much hotter weather every year, with daytime temperatures upwards of 30C in some areas of the country for days on end.
Not many houses have rooms that stay below 22C in days of 28-30C weather, therefore air conditioning units are becoming more and more essential (fans and air coolers are not appropriate substitute).
All too often people get Chinchillas in winter and find that the first hot spell in the spring sometimes as early as Easter time that their room is easily hitting 22C+.
Hot temperatures lead to heat stroke, which leads to seizures and can cause long lasting neurological issues and death. MANY Chinchillas die every year because their owner was not aware how hot their room was whilst we walk around in our shorts and t-shirts with the fan on, and they suffer in their thick dense coats. Or because their owner wasn't prepared how to cool the room effectively and thought "it will never happen to me, my house is quite cool" again because we don't feel the heat like they do!
PLEASE CONSIDER ROOM TEMPERATURES/HUMIDITY AND THE NEED FOR AN AIR CONDITIONER UNIT BEFORE BRINGING CHINCHILLAS HOME.
Therefore Chinchillas need to be kept in a cool environment, the cooler the better but in our domestic households in the UK 16-18 Celsius is usually most achievable. If temperatures drop lower than this in winter that's not a problem at all. Providing they are not in draughty or damp areas a low temperature is not an issue, providing their water bottle does not freeze!
A thermometer is an ESSENTIAL item for your Chinchilla room, and we would advise getting one BEFORE your Chinchilla, so you can find which room in your house is coolest.
During winter as our house temperatures drop our heating systems kick in, please don't forget about your Chinchillas. If they have a radiator in their room their cage needs to be nowhere near it or it needs to be TURNED OFF. Again a thermometer near the cage can help you to assess whether it's getting too warm for them. Too many people keep their cage in front of a radiator and forget about it kicking in come winter time leading to very poorly Chinchillas!
Humidity is also an essential thing to keep an eye on as Chinchillas don't cope well in high humidity.
5-10 years ago summer heatwaves were 1-2 days of 25C heat at a time and a shady room often managed to keep below 22C. However in recent years due to drastic changes in climate change we are having longer spells of much hotter weather every year, with daytime temperatures upwards of 30C in some areas of the country for days on end.
Not many houses have rooms that stay below 22C in days of 28-30C weather, therefore air conditioning units are becoming more and more essential (fans and air coolers are not appropriate substitute).
All too often people get Chinchillas in winter and find that the first hot spell in the spring sometimes as early as Easter time that their room is easily hitting 22C+.
Hot temperatures lead to heat stroke, which leads to seizures and can cause long lasting neurological issues and death. MANY Chinchillas die every year because their owner was not aware how hot their room was whilst we walk around in our shorts and t-shirts with the fan on, and they suffer in their thick dense coats. Or because their owner wasn't prepared how to cool the room effectively and thought "it will never happen to me, my house is quite cool" again because we don't feel the heat like they do!
PLEASE CONSIDER ROOM TEMPERATURES/HUMIDITY AND THE NEED FOR AN AIR CONDITIONER UNIT BEFORE BRINGING CHINCHILLAS HOME.