Chinchillas as Pets: A Guide

If not for yourself, then perhaps for a loved one or perhaps for your kids. Before you decide to bring in a brand new pet to your house however, it is of critical importance that you choose to read up on chinchilla info and learn about what there is to know about the animal.

A chinchilla may live to be about 15, give or take a few years. Some chinchillas only live 12 years, whilst others live a longer life; up till the age of 20. It’s easily possible to get a tame chinchilla, so long as you give them the attention and caring they require while they are young.

Note: Just in case you’re considering buying a chinchilla for a child: Show the child how you can properly take care of the chinchilla. Though it may appear all warm and cuddly, the chinchilla knows how to bite if it feels threatened. If the child by accident squeezes the rodent a tad too hard, it might panic and bite. Sit down with the youngster and show him/her how to hold and pet the chinchilla. If dealt with in the early stages, you will not have any bite marks from your chinchilla.

But what about the scent?

You’re in luck! Chinchillas don’t share the “unique” scent that some other rodents possess. Having a chinchilla will not turn your home into a mini zoo in the case of scents. Should you clean up your chinchilla’s cage once every seven days, you should have a virtually odor free zone. In most cases, strong scents from your chinchilla may suggest that it’s got some form of parasite (in the event you haven’t cleaned it in a while, then it is probably just it’s cage)

What does it eat?

Largely pellets intended for the animal. You could possibly supplement the pellets with a bit of spinach or hay, but keep in mind that most of the chinchilla’s daily consumption have to come from the pellets. That doesn’t mean that the chinchilla is choosy when it comes to food. It may well dine on a left over burger, some lasagna, chips as well as other salty food, for that reason be sure you do not have leftover food near it’s cage any time you let it out to play. (blank) Should the teeth grow too long, it may hinder it’s ability to eat, therefore having something for it to chew on is really important. At the same time, keep a mineral or sodium block inside the cage for vitamin supplements.

Can I train it?

Yep, you certainly can. Just as with nearly all other animals, the way to train a chinchilla is through food treats. You can bait it with a bit of piece of fresh fruit. Put the piece of fruit onto your shoulder/arm/hand and wait for the animal to leap onto you. Remember to pet it extensively afterwards!

Buying a chinchilla

We’ll now look at a couple of things that you should be aware of at the pet store/breeder if you choose to get a chinchilla. The best time to buy a chinchilla is when they are 10 weeks old, if you get them at an earlier age, they may not necessarily have had the sufficient contact required from it’s parents or siblings. If you’re able to, ask to check out it’s mother and father before buying it. Watch out for patches of fur missing, watery eyes and drooling (drooling usually indicates tooth problems). Some good features to look for in a new chinchilla tend to be: curiosity, healthy looking eyes and fur, as well as a good personality.

Hopefully I’ve helped describe the most crucial elements for you.

Keeping chinchillas as pets is a fantastic thing.

The author of this article, Jack Sterling, periodically writes articles about chinchilla facts as well as other bits of chinchilla information, such as what chinchillas as pets are like.