Although chinchillas have been around for a very long time, their time living with us humans is rather short. It’s a new companionship!
Chinchillas originate in the rocky slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America (we’ll talk more about this habitat soon!).
It is said that Mathias F. Chapman got permission from the Chilean government to bring 11 chinchillas to the United States in 1923. This means that nearly every one of our pet chinchillas are descendants of those 11 chinchillas.
It’s a very good-looking family tree!
Compared to other small pets like rabbits, the history of domesticated chinchillas is relatively short. This means that we don’t know as much as we would like to about chinchillas and everything they need from us. It’s a learning process - a very fun and adventurous learning process.
Chinchillas are gaining popularity and it’s not hard to see why. Their cute appearance matched with their curious personality makes for an amazing pet.
There’s a lot that goes into chinchilla care so it’s important to learn as much as you can before embarking on chinchilla parenthood. Let’s talk about what you must consider before adopting a chinchilla and then we will dive into the details of chinchilla care.
When you adopt a pet, you’re growing your family! Chinchillas are not something to give as a gift or something to be brought home on a whim. You need to consider your own personal situation and how much time, money, space, and patience you have.
It’s common for chinchillas to live for ten years, that’s a big commitment! A lot can change in ten years so consider where you’ll be living, if it’s likely you’ll move, any children moving out, and anything else that may influence your ability to care for a chinchilla.
Only adopt a chinchilla if you’re in it for the long haul. Taking care of a new animal for a month usually sounds fun and exciting but don’t do it unless you’re excited to care for them for ten years!
Chinchillas need attention every day. There’s a lot of cleaning involved! Are you excited to do chinchilla chores for ten years?
While the cost of adopting a chinchilla is usually only around 200 dollars, there’s a lot more that your chinchilla will need. Also, it’s best to adopt more than one chinchilla for social and emotional reasons!
The cost of caring for a chinchilla is an ongoing expense. Hay, food, toys, dust baths, and bedding will be bought every month. Is there room in your budget for a chinchilla category? Initially, you will also need to buy the enclosure and accessories. These will need to be updated as the years go by as well!
Whatever you’re imagining right now as far as space goes, your chinchilla needs more. The cages in the pet store are far too small and a happy chinchilla needs as much space as you can give. If you don’t have an area of the house available for a large chinchilla enclosure, then this isn’t the pet for you.
A single chinchilla needs an enclosure that is at the very least 4 ft x 4 ft x 3 ft. As we mentioned, you’ll probably want more than one chinchilla so you’ll need even more space. The more space available in your chinchilla’s enclosure, the more accessories and toys you can include to give them an enriching life. It also provides space for them to exercise and stay healthy!
It’s always best to start your search for your chinchilla at local rescues or animal shelters. While you may not see chinchillas at animal shelters, if you talk to the workers they may know of a chinchilla rescue or somewhere chinchillas are being fostered looking for a forever home.
Community forums may have people looking to rehome their chinchilla. Before getting a chinchilla from a breeder, make sure there aren’t any chinchillas in need of a home. Playing the waiting game is worth it! If there aren’t any right now, maybe you want to learn more about chinchillas while you wait for a chinchilla in need.
In order to understand what your chinchilla needs, you need to understand what is natural for them.
To the Andes!
Wild chinchillas make their homes in crevices in the Andes Mountains in South America. These are elevations of 9,800 - 16,400 feet. The air is very dry and the vegetation is sparse -lots of rocks and hiding places for these quick prey animals. Chinchillas also dig burrows under the rocks to keep cool and dry.
They live in herds of 14-100 chinchillas so there are plenty of friends to talk to. These large groups also help keep the chinchillas feeling safe as there are plenty of chinchillas to sound the alarm if they sense danger.
Their thick fur keeps them warm in the cold winters but it also makes it very difficult to dry their skin after they get wet. Their skin can stay wet long enough for bacteria and fungi to grow. This is why the dry Andes mountains are so perfect for them!
They spend their days foraging for vegetation and any sign of danger they quickly disappear into the rocks. The rock crevices also keep them dry from any rain. They chew lots of fiber and roughage. They spend most of their waking hours looking for food!
The Andes mountains are steep so it comes in handy that chinchillas can jump up to 6 feet high! This is why they love ledges and platforms in their enclosures. Vertical space is where you’ll find happy chinchillas.
Based on what we know about their natural environment. Chinchillas love:
Your chinchilla’s enclosure is their home. Even more than their home, it’s where they live and explore.
As we mentioned, 4 ft x 4 ft x 3 ft is the minimum size for a single chinchilla. Give your chinchilla as much space as you can, you can’t go too big here. Multiple chinchillas need additional space and the ideal setup doesn’t have a chinchilla living alone.
When building your chinchilla’s enclosure, make sure you’re incorporating lots of vertical space. They love to jump, they need plenty of ledges, and some even love a nice hammock.
Chinchillas love to chew so while wood materials are great for the inside of their space, they’re not ideal for the perimeter of their enclosure. Don’t use galvanized wire because that contains zinc which is toxic to chinchillas. Make sure the space between the bars is no larger than 1 X 2 inches so your chinchilla doesn’t get stuck or escape!
The floor needs to be a smooth surface to avoid foot trauma. Plexiglass, wood, or another solid surface that's easy to clean is ideal. Chinchillas can develop bumblefoot if they don't have a solid area for their feet.
Chinchillas love chew toys and as long as they’re made from safe materials they should be a regular part of your chinchilla’s enclosure. The best toys for chinchillas double as a snack.
Rings, hay balls, twigs, and logs are all great additions to the enclosure. There are a lot of different chews you can rotate through to keep your chinchilla’s environment changing in a fun way.
Moving everything around all the time can be stressful. Adding a new chew toy to find is fun!
Most chinchillas do well using a litter box. We will talk more about litter training soon but for now, let’s run through what you need to put in the litter box.
Chinchillas are curious animals who will get their nose in everything. They need to have safe bedding that can be kicked up, breathed in, and tasted.
This bedding is natural wood shavings from logs that have been heat treated without chemicals. There are no added dyes or irritants and it’s 100% recyclable and compostable. This option is a little softer on your chinchilla’s feet than White Paper Pellet Bedding.
Paper Pellet Bedding is a very low dust option which is perfect for a chinchilla’s respiratory system. It’s made with pre-consumer paper which keeps it clean from chemicals. This bedding is easy to spot clean as you can notice the soiled bedding easily with the white color.
Chinchillas have sensitive skin, respiratory systems, digestive systems, and paws. They’re sensitive animals! You can’t use just anything for their bedding.
Bedding can be spot-cleaned every day to extend the time between a total replacement with new bedding. If you spot clean every day, then you may only need to replace all of the bedding once a week. Otherwise, your chin will need new bedding in 4-5 days.
This is very individual though depending on how large your litter box is and how many chinchillas you have using it. A good rule of thumb is if you can smell your chinchilla’s litter box then you waited too long!
Chinchillas are also sensitive to heat and humidity. They need a cool dry environment to stay healthy. The ideal temperature range for a chinchilla is 60-70°F and they need the humidity level to be below 50%.
When a chinchilla is in temperatures greater than 80 degrees they are at risk of heat stress and heat stroke. This can be fatal for a chinchilla if they aren’t cared for immediately. High humidity makes temperatures less than this dangerous so be aware of how humidity affects the heat in a room.
If you think your chinchilla is suffering due to heat, take action to get them to a cooler environment and contact your exotic vet.
One of the most important parts of your chinchilla’s enclosure is the food you provide. Probably the most important. I mean, the food in the kitchen can make or break a house. Additionally, the food you provide is what fuels the rest of their adventures!
If they aren’t feeling their best they won’t have the energy to chew toys and climb platforms. That cute and curious personality is fueled by fiber! Let’s talk about what chinchillas need.
Wild chinchillas spend their day foraging for roughage. Fiber is needed to keep their digestive system on track as well as keeping their teeth worn down and a healthy length. Most of their food will be dry fiber. When it comes to your chinchilla’s diet, variety isn’t what we are looking for.
Once you have quality hay and pellets they love, just rinse and repeat! Chinchillas thrive on a consistent diet.
Hay is the most important part of your chinchilla’s diet. It’s what makes their world go round! High-quality hay that your chinchilla wants to eat needs to be available at all times for your chin.
If they don’t love their hay, they won’t eat enough! Chinchillas need low-calcium hay like Timothy hay or orchard grass hay. Too much calcium can cause problems with their bladder or kidneys.
Alfalfa hay can be given to baby chinchillas, and pregnant or nursing mamas who have additional demands on their bodies as they’re in the growing and producing stages of life! Other adult chinchillas should only have alfalfa hay in very small quantities as a treat if at all.
Chinchillas only need 1-2 TBSP of pellet food a day. This is a small part of their diet with hay being their main source of food! Consider pellet food a multivitamin supplement.
When you give a chinchilla too much pellet food, they don’t have enough room for the hay they need! Pellets don’t require as much chewing as hay does so their dental health can suffer as well.
Chinchillas can synthesize vitamin C from glucose but having vitamin C-fortified pellets is needed to ensure they have enough vitamin C for their immune system, wound healing, and gum and tooth health.
Make sure your chinchilla has access to fresh water at all times. Water bottles can be easier than water bowls as water bowls can tip over or become dirty with droppings or hay falling into them. Bottles also help keep the cage (and your chinchilla) dry.
There aren’t a lot of treats that agree with chinchillas and the ones that do only work in very, small quantities. Your chinchilla may do best without any treats at all, every chinchilla is unique. We will talk about what to watch for when introducing new foods in a moment!
Hay Cubes are one of the safest treats because they’re simply hay pressed into cubes. They give your chinchilla a new texture to explore without any sugar rushing to upset their stomach.
Chinchillas thrive on very dry diets. Too much water can give them a stomach ache. A lot of chinchillas do better with dried berries like Goji Berries for this reason. Just remember that the sugar is much more concentrated in dried fruit compared to fresh fruit. Make sure you keep pieces very small and no more than one paw-sized treat every few days.
Chinchillas have very sensitive digestive systems. There’s no reason why you need to give your chinchilla treats. Some parents really want to give their chinchilla something extra on occasion so if you fall in that boat, let’s talk about your options.
You can test a paw-sized treat with your chinchilla and watch for signs of digestive system issues over the next few days. Don’t give your chinchilla a treat every day and any sweet treat like fruit needs to be paw-sized.
If you think your chinchilla isn’t feeling well, contact an exotic vet!
When transitioning your chinchilla to a new pellet food, mixing the old and new food together helps their digestive system adjust to the change gradually.
As we mentioned, avoid straying from their simple diet. There are some foods that are especially harmful as they don’t fit in their natural diet and some that are toxic.
If there’s a food you aren’t absolutely sure your chinchilla can have then don’t give it to them! Check with your exotic vet if you are unsure. A vet can help you come up with a diet that works well for your specific chinchilla.
Chinchilla hygiene is a fun part of chinchilla ownership, thanks to dust baths! It’s fun to see your chinchilla roll around in their dust bath because you can see how much they enjoy it too.
Chinchillas don’t take baths with water, only dust! Let’s talk about dust baths and then we will touch on a few other areas that can need grooming.
Wild chinchillas in the Andes mountains use volcanic ash for their dust baths. It's important for a chinchilla to stay dry and running this ash through their thick fur helps absorb moisture and evenly distribute oils on their skin.
Our pet chinchillas need similar material for their dust baths! For this reason, only use dust specifically made and packaged for chinchillas. You may see it marketed as chinchilla bath sand as well. Use a container large enough for your chinchilla to turn around and flop over in.
You can reuse the dust from a dust bath 2-3 times but after that, you need new dust!
Chinchillas should only have a dust bath 2-4 times a week. Two is enough for most chinchillas. You should add the dust bath to their enclosure for less than an hour at a time when they’re most active. Most likely in the evening but you know your chinchilla best.
Having the dust bath available consistently at the same time of day will help your chinchilla adapt to the routine.
While dust baths help keep your chinchilla dry, too much time spent in a dust bath can actually make your chinchilla’s skin toodry. For this reason, don’t have a dust bath available more than four times a week, and don’t leave it in your chinchilla’s enclosure all day.
If they get too used to having the dust bath around they might start using it as a litter box, and that would make it no longer a dry place! We will talk more about litter boxes soon.
Chinchillas usually keep their nails short on their own so you don’t need to clip them. Check their nails to make sure though, if they get too long they could get caught in their enclosure.
Gently filing your chinchilla’s nails is usually all you would need to do if they aren’t staying short on their own. Having wood surfaces in their enclosure can help them file their nails on their own.
In general, you don’t need to worry about brushing your chinchilla’s fur. You can comb their fur every few weeks to remove any mats but they usually do a good job of grooming themselves as long as they’re getting regular dust baths.
Most chinchillas can use a litter box and they use it mostly for pee. Which is good because that's where the moisture and smell come from. Using a litter box helps keep your chinchilla’s cage clean and dry. It makes it easier for you to replace soiled bedding and keep the mess contained.
Once you have the essentials figured out, you can tap into your creative side to put together the rest of your chinchilla’s enclosure. Accessories and enrichment aren’t optional but there are more options and ways to vary the space.
As prey animals, chinchillas need a place they can run to when they need to feel safe and calm their nervous system. As long as there’s a safe spot they can quickly access they will feel safe during their other adventures.
Keep in mind that everything in a chinchilla’s cage is fair game to be chewed. Make sure their hideout as well as other accessories are pet-safe materials. Untreated wooden hideouts work very well for chinchillas.
We talked about how chinchillas love vertical space, let’s talk about what to do with that vertical space. Chinchillas love to jump and climb on ledges and platforms in their enclosure. Attaching platforms to the side of their enclosure gives them a vertical obstacle course to master and new places to sit and look over their kingdom.
Chew toys are more than just toys for chinchillas. Having new tastes and textures to explore keeps their mind busy. Chew toys are their way of foraging and exploring and that’s their favorite hobby. It’s important their teeth stay busy as well so they don’t become overgrown. It’s a healthy hobby to have!
A chew toy can be as simple as a stick or a log but don’t ever give something to your chinchilla unless you’re absolutely sure it’s safe for them to chew. There are lots of options when it comes to chew toys for chinchillas. The different materials give them something new to explore and it’s always fun to find a new favorite.
Rotate through different types of chews in their enclosure. These chews double as a snack so they don’t last too long but they sure are fun to destroy.
Chinchillas need to run and get all of their energy out. One of the safest ways for them to do that is with an exercise wheel.
When choosing an exercise wheel for your chinchilla, look for:
You can also put a shelf above the exercise wheel to stop your chinchilla from standing on top of the wheel and falling.
Your chinchilla’s enclosure needs your love every day. If your chinchilla is leaving food pellets behind, you need to dump them and refill them with fresh food. The same goes for water! Chinchillas need clean, fresh water every day.
Spot clean every day where you remove droppings from their shelves and sweep up the floor. You can spot clean the litter box but you need to dump the litter and replace it with fresh litter at least every week.
Every few months you need a deep clean where you wash the entire enclosure and replace any ledges that need to be replaced. A solution of half water and half vinegar is an excellent nontoxic cleaner.
Any health issue you suspect with your chinchilla needs to be checked out with an exotic vet. A chinchilla’s health can decline quickly if something isn’t addressed.
As a chinchilla parent, it’s important to know what could go wrong and what signs of illness you should recognize. That way if something does go wrong, you’re able to recognize it and get your chinchilla treatment as quickly as possible.
There are different respiratory issues and a lot of ways they can come about in chinchillas. As with any illness, high stress can be a big contributing factor.
Issues with a chinchilla’s digestive system are possibly the most common health problems among chinchillas. A chinchilla’s digestive system is sensitive and they need to keep their simple diet consistent.
Stress or illness that decreases their appetite can have a negative effect on their digestive system as the muscles that move the food along will slow down when they aren’t put to work!
Feeding a proper diet and consistent eating is what keeps a chinchilla’s digestive system healthy. The right food will give them the right gut bacteria!
Dental problems and digestive issues can piggyback off each other as when one goes wrong the other can be affected. When a chinchilla has mouth pain they’re less likely to eat. If a chinchilla doesn’t eat (chew enough hay) then their teeth can become overgrown.
We’ve talked about how important it is for a chinchilla to stay dry. When their thick fur keeps their skin from drying out your chinchilla can have problems with their skin. Moisture leads to fungal infections.
Chinchillas can experience heat stroke in temperatures above 80 degrees.
Having a vet picked out ahead of time makes all the difference in emergency situations. A regular check-up is a great time to run through your chinchilla’s care routine with the vet and make sure there’s nothing that needs to be tweaked to prevent problems in the future.
When it comes to bonding with your chinchilla, it’s all about building trust. It’s easy to be seen as a threat when you’re as large as a human compared to a small chinchilla. So it takes a lot of patience to build a relationship where your chinchilla can consistently see you as a friend.
This is done with proper handling! As well as good manners.
It’s important that chinchillas get daily out-of-cage time. They need a safe space for exercise and to get their mind moving in a new environment. Chinchilla proofing a space can be done by getting down on their level and looking for spaces where they may get caught, substances they may try to eat, or objects they may try to chew.
Cord Covers are helpful as a chewed cord is both dangerous and inconvenient.
Provide toys and activities for them to explore. Put out a tunnel for them to run to if they get overwhelmed. Sit with them and be a part of the exploration!
In the wild, chinchillas live in herds. There are plenty of buddies around to talk to but it's not all fun and games. Their sounds and behavior tell other chinchillas whether there is danger around. The more chinchillas on watch the safer they will be. This is why they get together in herds!
It’s also why our domestic chinchillas like to live with friends. It helps them feel safe and loved.
When you have multiple chinchillas (as you should) you may hear them being more vocal with each other which is fun for you as well! Knowing how your chinchilla is feeling and what they’re trying to say will help you to respect them and keep them comfortable.
Here are some common chinchilla sounds you’ll hear!
When you hear gentle squeaks coming from your chinchilla this means they’re happy and content. They’ve declared the hour safe for snacking and playing.
Quick and high-pitched squeaks tell you your chinchilla is excited. They probably found the new toy you left out for them and they want a taste of it!
Teeth grinding is different from teeth chattering. Teeth grinding is more similar to a cat purring as it means your chinchilla is content! It may sound like your chinchilla is chewing something hard.
You will get more used to your chinchilla’s teeth grinding sounds but be aware that if the teeth grinding suddenly changes to where it's happening more often it could be a sign of tooth pain.
Teeth chattering is quicker than teeth grinding and it happens when your chinchilla is angry or scared. It means they need some space and they could get aggressive.
Grunting can be an adult chinchilla’s way of saying hello. However, grunting is most often heard when a mother is with her kits.
Barking is something a chinchilla does when they feel unsafe and they want someone to back off. Some people relate a chinchilla bark to a duck quacking. If you hear a chinchilla bark then give them space and if they’re barking at another chinchilla then you need to quickly separate the chinchillas.
Making a quick cough or spitting sound is sometimes the first attempt at telling someone to get away. If you notice this then leave your chinchilla alone or if it’s directed at another chinchilla, separate the chinchillas until the situation calms down.
Screaming is a loud high-pitched screech that will startle you! Chinchillas scream to get your attention so startling you is the goal. A chinchilla will scream to let you know there is danger, but some chinchilla parents have found their chinchillas screaming for other reasons.
Little toddlers…
A lot of chinchilla communication can be found in their body language. Some of the sounds we talked about can sound similar or may be confusing which is why it’s best to look at their body language in various situations to help put all the context clues together!
When your chinchilla is extremely happy they will jump uncontrollably about their enclosure and this is called popcorning!
Another sign of extreme happiness is when your chinchilla runs up and down the walls of their enclosure. The cool kids call this wall surfing.
If you see your chinchilla grooming himself, this is a sign that your chinchilla is happy and content. They will only stop to groom themself if they are feeling safe.
When chinchillas are grooming each other this means they’re comfortable with each other and they want to take care of each other.
If a chinchilla is irritated they may bite, spray, or throw poop at the other chinchilla in their cage. If these first signs are ignored, they may start lunging toward whatever is concerning them.
A chinchilla is not likely to make signs of illness obvious. They have prey instincts so they don’t like to show weakness.
Signs of sickness can be a hunched-over position, low energy, or decreased appetite. Fur chewing can also mean something is wrong with your chinchilla and a vet should investigate!
While we are confident you will come up with an excellent setup and routine for your chinchilla, as time goes on you may find yourself tweaking and changing some things. Every chinchilla is unique and as you get to know your chinchilla you may find something else works better for them, whether that be food, space, or the way that you handle your chinchilla.
An exotic vet can help you go over your care routine and make sure you have covered all your bases. An expert chinchilla parent doesn’t hesitate to ask a chinchilla expert!
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