The cage is best sited where other animals will not bother your chinchilla; away from draughts; not directly in front of a radiator; and not in direct sunlight where they may be at risk from heat exhaustion. A good spot is against the wall, or in the corner of the room where the chinchilla will feel less exposed. When your chinchilla arrives home place them in their new cage and leave them alone for the rest of the day. Before they start to interact with you they need time to settle in, investigate their home, and become accustomed to all the new smells and sounds around them.
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| Chinchilla |
Chinchillas enjoy chewing, and need to chew in order to prevent their teeth becoming overgrown, chewable toys are therefore ideal for chinchillas. Avoid toys that have small or sharp, metal parts, or have plastic parts. If (or when) your chinchilla chews these they will end up swallowing the plastic and could end up with a blockage in their intestine. Items which are suitable to leave in your chinchillas cage are:
• hanging parrot toys
• sisal ropes (again designed for parrots, but chins love them)
• pieces of pumice stone
• some rabbit or large hamster toys
• wood or branches, e.g. kiln dried pine (not fresh pine), apple, pear, or willow.
All a chinchilla Cat needs is good quality hay and pellets; and fresh water a very basic diet is without doubt the best diet for them. Hay needs to be available at all times as it is essential in helping wear down their teeth and keep them in trim. If your chinchilla is not eating its hay then reduce the amount of pellets you feed to encourage eating of hay. It is also a good idea to provide a cuttlefish bone to chew on as this provides calcium which is essential for healthy teeth.
You will see mix foods which say they provide a good balanced diet however problems which become apparent when feeding a mix food are:
• Most mix foods contain treat foods.
• Given the choice most chinchillas will pick out their favourite food and choose not to eat the rest. Chinchillas can become picky - they will tend to eat more treat foods and less of the other ingredients.
• A diet rich in treats is not considered a good diet for a chinchilla.
• A mix food is formulated to provide a good balanced diet based on the assumption that all ingredients are eaten.
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| Chinchilla |
When changing your chinchillas diet do it slowly in order to decrease the risk of digestive problems. Start by mixing in a little of the new food into the existing food, then over the course of a one or two weeks (approx.) gradually increase the quantity of new food, and decrease that of the old food.
Although pellets and hay are all that a chinchilla needs they can be given some treats. All treats offered should be low in salt, sugar, fats and oils, therefore commercial foods, e.g. biscuits, crisps, crackers etc. should be avoided. Nuts and seeds should also be avoided or given only occasionally as they are high in fats and oils, for example pecan nuts contain approx. 70g of fat per 100g. All treats should be given in small quantities, and only one or two each day as too much fresh fruit, veg, and grains can cause digestive problems. Peanuts and corn should not be given.
Chinchilla Treats which can be given are:
• fruit, try fruits with seeds, not stones or pits, e.g. raisins, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, dried blueberries, dried rose hips, a banana chip, or a piece of apple, pear, grape, or kiwi.
• veg, e.g. piece of carrot, flaked peas, parsley, chard, romaine, a dandelion leaf (small and washed). Avoid anything gas forming, e.g. broccoli, cabbage.
• dried herbs, if available you can pick herbs, then after washing them, hang them upside down (in bunches) in a warm area until they have completely dried out. Herbs suitable for chinchillas include: oregano, comfrey, mint, nettle, dandelion, and raspberry leaves.
• grain, e.g. rolled oats, oat grouts, healthy cereals low in sugar like Shredded Wheat or Cornflakes.
• nuts and seeds, very sparingly - e.g. almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds.
• commercially prepared, e.g. chinchilla crackers (produced for chinchillas and available in the UK), a small piece of dry toast, or an alfalfa-based animal treat.
When introducing a new treat, do it slowly introduce one treat at a time, and when first feeding it to your chinchilla only give a small piece. If you have just bought a chinchilla and are not sure if they have been given fruit before then start by only give one small piece at first.
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| Chinchilla |
Chinchilla Taming and Handling
A chinchilla can live up to 20 years so you have plenty of time - take your time getting to know your chinchilla, a weeks progress can suffer a severe setback if you inadvertently scare your pet.
Remember that chinchillas are timid and can easily become frightened; each chinchilla is different and the time it takes to develop trust between you and your new chinchilla will vary with each animal - some animals can take six months or more to trust their owner completely. It is worth remembering that in the wild a chinchilla is a prey animal - and they have evolved to be alert to dangers, and to run and hide if there is something they are not sure of.
Approach the cage slowly and speak quietly and gently to your chinchilla, offer them a raisin or some other small treat. Chinchillas are naturally curious so after a while s/he should come to the side of the cage and accept the treat. When your chinchilla is happy with this try reaching into the cage and offering a treat, do not pursue your pet - be patient and let them come to you, and allow them to explore your hand and arm. As your chinchillas trust in you increases you can try stroking their back, and in time you may be able to pick them up. It has to be said here that some chinchillas will never like being picked up.
Chinchilla Accessories you will need include:
• a hay rack (unless one is built into the cage),
• a water bottle,
• a food dish which cannot be knocked over,
• a dust bath,
• food and hay,
• chinchilla dust or chinchilla sand. Do not use ordinary sand as this is too coarse.
• litter - wood based cat litter is ok. Alternatively you may line the litter tray with newspaper provided the chins can not reach the paper. Do not use sawdust as this is too fine, and do not use cedar wood shavings (cedar is harmful to chins).
