Getting your first chinchilla can be an exciting ordeal. There is a ton that goes into properly raising these little creatures though. Below we have listed out everything you need to know in order to raise a healthy chin.
Chinchilla Care Guide (A Must Read For Chin Owners!)
Chinchilla Diet Guide + Foods to Feed your Chinchilla
Chinchilla’s are plant-eating animals that have a diet primarily made up of hay. Along with this chinchillas can be given treats such as vegetables and fruits that can give them needed vitamins. While the list of edible food for chins is short, the things they can eat are important.
- Pellets: Pellets should be given to your chin daily. Most chinchilla caretakers recommend giving your chinchilla a few tablespoons of pellets per day. The pellets you’re feeding your chin should be entirely made out of hay with no treats mixed in.
- Hay: Hay is the staple food of a chinchilla’s diet. A chinchilla needs constant access to hay. Most common chinchilla foods will contain alfalfa hay. It is recommended to attach a hay tray to the side of your cage and change the hay out daily.
- Fruit: Fruit can be given to chinchillas, but only as treats. Many fruits can’t even be consumed by chinchillas, but the ones that can have nutrients make giving your chin the occasional strawberry a healthy treat.
- Vegetables: Much like fruit, vegetables are a healthy treat that should only be given to your chin on occasion. Vegetables like carrots can give a boost to a chinchilla’s immune system or even help maintain their eyesight.
Along with these core foods, there are many treats you can get your chinchillas that are made of seeds or yogurt. A chin’s diet should always be made primarily of hay pellets and fresh hay. If treats exceed more than 10% of a chinchilla’s daily food intake health problems may arise.
Along with this, you should also avoid any foods with high fat contents. Fat is one of the number one causes of liver issues in chinchillas. Along with this a lack of hay can cause dental problems to develop.
Water
Water should always be available in your chin’s cage. Chinchillas need a constant fresh source of water to drink on throughout the day. The water must be kept in a non-leak drinking bottle to keep your chins from getting wet and the water in the bottle should be at room tempature.
Make sure to replace the water every 3 days to keep it fresh. It’s also best to use water that has been purified, as chlorinated water can be bad for chins in the long run. Either run the water through a purifier or used bottled water to fill your chinchilla’s bottle.
Supplements
Like with most any pet out there, sometimes you will need to add a little something extra into your chins diet to get them healthy. Chinchilla supplements can help turn a malnourished chin into a healthy chin without having to drastically try and modify the diet they are use too.
Many of the supplements you will find for chinchillas have a high amount of fiber. You can also pick up multivitamins that can help increase the productivity of your chinchilla’s digestive track. If your chinchilla is a picky eater then you can even buy hay cubes infused with vitamins.
How often and how much do I feed a Chinchilla?
A chinchilla should be fed every single day unless a vet has told you otherwise. Chinchillas should always have food, water, and hay available to them. In fact, the only thing that should be weekly are treats such as fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of sugar.
Pellets should be given to your chinchilla every single day in 2 tablespoon increments. This should not include any snack bits you may find in chinchilla mixes. The pellets you feed your chinchilla must be may out of hay in order for them to meet the needed nutritional standards.
Hay should be available at all times. Fresh hay helps your chinchilla grind down their teeth and is needed to keep the digestive tract moving along properly. You should switch out the hay for your chinchillas every day if possible and every other day to keep it from starting to mold.
If a chinchilla doesn’t seem to be getting the nutrients they need then you can mix in some fruit or vegetables a few times a week. If you prefer to avoid treats with high sugar, you can pick up some chinchilla supplements from many online stores and pet stores that carry small mammals.
Chinchilla Care For Cages & Habitat
Vertical Vs Horizontal for a Chinchilla cage?
In the wild chinchillas live in the mountains and often find themselves moving up and down rocks throughout their environment. Thanks to this chinchillas hop around rather than walk or run. Chinchillas also are incredibly active animals that need tons of exercise to be happy.
While horizontal cages can be ok for temporarily housing a chinchilla, they don’t provide room for your pet to fully exercise. Chinchillas prefer an environment that has plenty of jumping room. Some horizontal cages don’t even have the space to let a chinchilla jump without hitting the top.
Vertical cages, on the other hand, can be customized with ledges that give the chinchilla a sense of climbing. These cages provide the room your chinchilla needs to exercise the way they were naturally designed to. That being said, both types of cage need to be big to house a chin.
What’s the best cage for a Chinchilla?
A good cage for a chinchilla will be a tall vertical cage with multiple levels. The cage should have enough space to put in hammocks and toys for your chinchilla to enjoy. The cage should also have solid platforms as wired platforms can cause your chinchilla’s feet to become injured.
A chinchilla’s cage should also be made primarily of metal. Chinchillas love to chew on everything in order to help keep their teeth worn down. Plastic cages will be chewed through quickly and if the plastic is ingested it can damage your chinchilla’s sensitive digestive tract.
One of the best cages currently on the market for chinchillas is the Yaheetech 52” vertical with 6 levels. This cage provides the perfect amount of room for your chinchillas to exercise and is made of iron wire. The cage also offers ample room to add any toys your hearts desire.
Along with being durable, this cage can easily house more than one chinchilla making it perfect for a bonded pair. The cage also has a tray that you can slide out for cleaning and three front doors to allow you access to the cage. Best of all, it comes with a perfectly fitted drinking bottle
Chinchilla Bedding
Chinchilla bedding is another area that can be a little tricky since chinchillas love to chew. In fact, some of the most popular types of shaving used with caged animals can easily injure a chinchilla’s delicate feet. This leads some chin owners to substitute fabric for normal bedding.
Never use cedar or pine shavings in the environment. Your chinchilla can easily be injured from small splinters and can’t easily digest these shavings. Aspen shavings are the only wood-based bedding appropriate for a chinchilla, however, Aspen bedding is known to create a mess.
If you are looking for a good quality bedding that doesn’t make a mess then recycled paper is best. There are tons of bedding that are made of paper that is absorbent and offer odor control. If all else fails then you can use fleece fabric scraps to safely line your chinchilla’s cage.
Chinchilla Hiding areas
Giving your chinchilla areas to hide in is extremely important. Chinchillas are prey animals that need their own space in order to feel completely safe, especially if a stressful situation arises. There is no better way to give your chin this security then by adding in a hiding spot.
Hiding areas can be anything from a fake log to a chinchilla house. If possible try to find a hiding ornament with multiple exits to make your chinchilla feel the most comfortable. You can even add several hiding spots to give your chinchilla an area of comfort in different areas of the cage.
One of the best types of hiding spots are hanging ones. A hanging spot usually doubles as a bed and comes with multiple exits for your chinchilla to peak out of. Even better these hideouts will keep your chinchilla cozy as they sleep making them less anxious during the daytime.
Chinchilla Dust Baths are essential
One of the strangest parts of owning a chinchilla is how you have to bathe them. Unlike most animals, chinchillas can’t get wet without risking their health. To keep clean and avoid water chinchillas use dust to keep clean by rolling in it to eliminate oil and debri caught in their fur.
In order to contain the dust, you will need to purchase or make a bathhouse for your chinchilla. Bathhouses generally have one entrance and are only big enough for on chinchilla at a time. The amount of dust you need will vary depending on the size of your particular chinchilla.
Dust baths are generally made of durable plastic and can be left in the cage as long as your chinchilla doesn’t mistake them for a chew toy. Dust should be checked daily and changed out once a week. If your chin has urinated in the dust then you need to change it immediately
Cleaning your chinchilla cage
Chinchillas can be messy animals that need regular weekly cleaning sessions. You will need to change out the bedding of your chinchilla cage once a week and sweep up any droppings on the platforms. You will also need to clean out their food bowl at this time as well.
You will need to do a deep cleaning monthly where you wipe down the platforms and bars of the cage with a cleaning solution. You will also need to wash any hammocks and replace any old toys. It’s best to use non-scented soap along with warm water to clean the cage.
Should my Chinchilla have toys?
Chinchillas are regarded as highly intelligent rodents that have been shown to get bored in a stagnant environment. To keep this from happening you can add toys into the environment for your chinchilla to play with. One toy that should always be available is an exercise wheel.
Along with wheel, you can add in danglers for your chinchilla to pull on and break down throughout the month. You can also add in bridges for them to run along or cubes for them to toss around. Edible toys are also a popular choice for encouraging your chinchilla to play.
Chinchilla Care For Health & Illness
How to keep your Chinchilla healthy and happy
Chinchillas are an animal that needs a little bit of patience to keep healthy and happy. Still, keeping your chinchilla in good shape is very easy to do by following some very simple steps. To keep your chinchilla healthy they need:
- Proper Exercise: Exercise is important to nearly every animal on the plant. Chinchillas need exercise to keep their muscles healthy and weight down. If your chin isn’t getting exercise in the cage then set up a large play area in your home to promote movement.
- A Feeding Schedule: A bad feeding schedule can stress you chinchilla out and can lead to missed feeding. To properly care for your chinchilla get into a feeding routine so that they can learn when to expect food each day.
- Proper Food: Make sure that 90% of your chinchilla’s daily diet is made of hay. Anything less then this and their digestive system can suffer. Chinchillas should also have constant access to clean purified water.
- Weekly Baths: If a chinchilla becomes too dirty then they can become depressed or stressed. Weekly baths help eliminate bacteria from your chins coat and will boost your chinchilla’s mood.
- Clean Habitat With Toys: A chinchilla’s habitat should be cleaned regularly. If the habitat becomes too dirty then your chin will become distressed. Toys should also be available to encourage in cage activity and alleviate any boredom.
Most common Chinchilla Health issues and issues
Chinchillas like many pets have some common health problems that can develop over time or because of improper care. Some of the most common health issues can be cured with proper care and can be easily recognized if the owner is paying daily attention to their chins.
- Ringworm: Ringworm is an incredibly common occurrence in chinchillas. Ringworm will cause your chinchilla to lose hair in patches and their skin to become rough. This can be treated with over the counter medicine you rub onto the affected area.
- Heat Stroke: Chinchillas simply cannot take hot environments. If your house becomes warm and your chinchilla begins to act lethargic then you need to cool them. Heat stroke is a serious issue that can easily be avoided by keeping tabs on your home tempature.
- Digestive Issues: Chinchillas don’t process many foods very well. Thanks to this, feeding chinchillas food high in sugar or fat can lead to many digestive issues. If you notice a change in your chin’s droppings then you will want to examine their food intake.
- Overgrown Teeth: Another huge issue many new chinchilla owners may encounter is overgrown teeth. A chin’s teeth are always growing and if they are slightly overgrown your chin can develop gum issues. This can be controlled by providing chews.
How to care for a Chinchilla’s Teeth & hair
A chinchilla’s teeth can quickly become a hassle unless you are taking care of them from day one. A chinchilla’s teeth grow rather fast and need to be constantly sanded down using both hay and chew toys. By simply keeping hay available you decrease the risk of teeth issues greatly.
Along with the hay you should introduce wood or pumice chew toys to your chinchilla’s environment. You can also use dangling chew toys if you need something to peak your pet’s interest. Keep in mind that some chins are picky and you may need to try multiple chew toys out.
If not properly maintained your chinchilla’s lush coat can suffer greatly. To maintain your chinchilla’s coat make sure to provide them with their weekly dust baths. Also keep their environment clean in order to keep excess debri from sticking to their fur.
If your chinchilla’s hair gets matted or tangled use a small brush to try and untangle the fur. If the comb doesn’t work then gently cut the matt out of the chin’s coat. Also make sure your chin’s environment stays stress free to keep your chinchilla from developing stressed based hair loss.
Chinchilla Breeding & Babies
Pregnant chinchillas and their babies
Unlike most other mammals, chinchillas don’t show many signs of pregnancy, especially during the first few weeks. One of the best ways to tell if your chinchilla is pregnant is by keeping tabs on her weight. Steady weight gain can be a major indicator of pregnancy.
Depending on the chinchilla you may even be able to notice the size of her stomach start to grow early on. If you suspect your chinchilla is pregnant the only sure way to tell is by taking them to the vet. Once there the vet can run an accurate test to determine the answer.
A chinchilla has a longer pregnancy period that lasts around 110 days. The sizes of a chinchilla litter is generally 2 kits, but a chinchilla can have up to six babies in total. Chinchilla babies are born able to walk with their eyes open, they are even born covered in fur.
While the kids are young the mother chinchilla will become incredibly protective over them, even towards the father. The babies will need to stay with the mother for around 8 weeks or until they can eat solid food. At this point you will want to move the babies to a separate cage.
How to tell the sex of a chinchilla
Sexing your chinchilla can be a confusing process at first, but once you learn how to tell the difference it will be a breeze. A male chinchilla is generally the calmer of the two and aren’t very territorial. The males will have a penile cone located a bit away from the anus and testacles.
A female chinchilla will have a uterine cone that is almost on top of the anus. Females and males can grow to around the same size making them hard to tell apart by first glance. If you have checked you chinchilla and still aren’t sure of the sex you can always check with a vet.
Chinchilla Handling & Best Practices
Best way to hold a chinchilla
One of the first things you want to start doing once you get your chinchilla is interact with them. Chinchillas are very delicate creature that can be easily scared or hurt if not given proper care. To properly pick a chinchilla up your going to come around from the sides and scoop it up .
If possible, the best way to handle a chinchilla is by teaching them to walk into your hands. Once you have the chinchilla out of the cage hold them securely to your body without squeezing. Make sure that you have a hand under there belly and there feet are touching you.
Know when to give your Chinchilla time
Sometimes you just need to know when to give your pet some space. If your chinchilla is tired of being handled then it will generally let you know. This is usually done by making noise that can sound like a squeak. If your chinchilla ever squeaks when you try to handle it, it means back off.
If a chinchilla runs away from you continuously then it may not want to come out. Likewise if a chinchilla snaps at you, then you should give it sometime. Chinchillas are prey animals and will try to run away if they don’t feel safe. Continuing to try and force around your chinchilla out can damage their trust.
Hopefully this Chinchilla care guide has better helped you to understand what it takes to care for a Chinchilla in a correct and healthy manner.