THE CHINCHILLA

Chinchillas are well known for their cloud-like coat of valuable fur. Native to the high Andes, from Chile to North of Bolivia. They are almost extinct in the wild as they were the source of one of the most expensive and perhaps the most beautiful of all furs. It takes 120 to 140 chinchilla pelts to make a fur coat.

CHINCHILLAS AS PETS

Chinchillas make superb pets, with a very inquisitive and gentle nature. They are very bold and they enjoy contact with people of all ages, preferring to perch on a shoulder or an arm, if given the chance.   Chinchillas are not for you if you have allergies or you do not like mess.  The Chinchillas fine fur and dust from their baths make a mess of a house very quickly.

HOUSING

Chinchillas need a lot of room as they love to bounce everywhere. A cage that measures 2' x 3' x 4' high is fine if your Chinchilla is out a lot, but bigger is always better.  A good Chinchilla cage or cat cage would do for most Chinchillas.

BEDDING

Hardwood chip bedding, such as aspen is the best. CareFresh Pet Bedding or Pine bedding will also work as long as it is not dusty. The dust can cause upper respiratory problems. NEVER use cedar shavings, as cedar contains phenols, which can cause severe irritation to a Chinchilla.

ACCESSORIES

Supply a “rat” exercise wheel and a sleeping box. You can use wood chips as a litter on the bottom of the cage. Some Chinchillas will use a “litter box”. If you chose to do this use a small cat pan (or something of similar size) and you can use either wood chips or kitty litter in it. Note: the litter in the “potty” must be different than the litter on the bottom of the cage.
Chinchillas need something to chew on. Their teeth are always growing and without something to chew on they will end up with overgrown teeth and they will not be able to eat. Small blocks of softwood and hardwood, cardboard tubes (paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes, etc), card paper, etc are great.
Give your Chinchilla a bowl or large jar (on its side) with Chinchilla dust in it, two or three times a week. This will not only help keep their coat looking good but it will help keep them healthy.

HANDLING

The best way to pick up a Chinchilla is to either scoop it up in your hands or to let it walk up into your open hand. 
The Chinchillas sense of smell is very good, keep this in mind when you go to handle it. If you have just been eating, your hands smell like food. To a Chinchillas, your finger smells like the potato chip you ate 10 minutes ago, and it may try to eat your finger! Don't worry, it usually realizes that your finger isn't food. If you have anything on your hands that give off an offensive odour, you may not even notice it, but the Chinchilla will and it may bite in reaction to the smell. Always remember to wash your hand first. As they say "first impressions", well a Chinchillas first impression of you is your smell.

BUYING A CHINCHILLA

Whether you are buying a Chinchilla from a pet store or a breeder, you should ask questions, even if you know the answers from your own research. This will tell you how knowledgeable they really are. If they don't know what they are talking about, buyer beware! If they don't want to give you any information or want to help you, buyer beware!
Check out their facilities carefully. Look for overcrowding, dirty cages, unhealthy animals, smell the air. If the animals are overcrowded and/or the cages are dirty, be very cautious about buying a Chinchilla. There shouldn't be any sickly animals in sight, any good breeder/pet shop will have a "sick" room for any animals that aren't up to par. If the establishment/breeding facility has a very strong odour, be very careful, even if it looks clean, the smell is coming from somewhere. Any place, that has animals, will have a smell to it. The larger the facility, the stronger the odour. They just can't clean as fast as the animals do their business. But if the odour is overpowering, then there might be something else under the surface, use caution.
Check the health of the animal before you buy it and handle it. If they won't let you handle it before you buy it. They may be hiding something, WATCH OUT! Handling the Chinchilla tells you how tame it is and you have a chance to check its health. Look for discharge from its eyes and nose, sneezing, wet rear end and firmness of body. If it has any of these conditions or its body appears thin, don't buy it. Don't even consider another Chinchilla from the same cage as the other Chinchilla may also have the same problems. The Chinchilla you choose should be bright eyed and interested in what is going on without being too nervous. There eyes and nose should be clear, the rear end dry and the body firm to the touch.
If possible, check references. Referrals from other satisfied customers will tell you a lot about that breeder's/pet shop's quality of animals, their care and concern for the animals well-being, their "customer service" and how much information they are willing to share.

DIET

Give Chinchilla pellets (free choice) along with some hay. A small amount of alfalfa is fine for a treat, but only once or twice a week. Other treats that can be offered a couple of times a week are: seeds, raisins, clean dandelion greens, clover, grass, carrot tops, carrots or apples. Fresh tree branches are good for them to chew on (this is necessary or their teeth can overgrow). Fruit trees (not cherry or plum) and arbutus are great. Fresh water with a good vitamin supplement every day.