Your new chinchilla: Your chinchilla is classified as a small rodent with an amazing exuberant personality. You will enjoy watching this extraordinary little animal jump, play, and chew on almost everything. They are adorable when they take a treat from you with their “hands” and eat it. You will get great laughs at the way it will scratch and roll in the dust bath, getting dust everywhere in the process. This little animal will be with you for a very long time (10-15 years on the average) providing you give it the care and attention that it needs. This pamphlet is a guide from the breeder of your chinchilla to you, so that you will know and understand how your chinchilla is accustomed to living and being handled. We hope you and your chinchilla have many enjoyable moments together for a very long time.
Overview of chinchilla handling and care:
At SageBrush Chins, our chinchillas come from good quality breeding stock, all from show winning lines. We breed for healthy, active, friendly animals with no genetic disorders. Every chinchilla has a different personality, so it is important to know what you are wanting in a chin as a pet. They are a nocturnal animal, so they are active most of the night. They will get up during the day to eat, drink, and see what’s going on if someone comes in the room.
Chins are not as tame as a rabbit, but have a definite will that as the owner, you must respect. Chins in general do not like to be grabbed or held, but would rather climb on you, have you pet, or scratch their chin, chest, and back. Chins are very loving and gentle in their own way. They will express their devotion to their human in a variety of ways, some nibble (not hurt), some lick, some snuggle, some are just content to sit next to (or on) their human and watch them.
Bringing the new arrival home: If you are traveling by car it is important to keep the noise level at a minimum due to the fact that this is a very stressful time for the chin. If the weather is hot you will need an air conditioned car to keep the chin cool. The chin must not be in the draft of an open window, nor the trunk (due to air constriction). If you are traveling a long distance, please remember to water and feed your pet. When you arrive at home place the carrier (door open) right next to the open door of the cage. Then let the chin walk into the new home on its own. This may take awhile so be patient, but it is less stressful.
Housing: Cage size should be as large as you can afford and have room for. It is important to provide a comfortable and stimulating atmosphere. A minimum cage should be at least 24” long by 24” high by 20” wide. Especially if you think you might have two in the same cage. A cage this size is adequate for two chins as long as they get their daily exercise. If you don’t plan on giving your chin free run daily (for at least 30 minutes) then this size cage would only be large enough for one chin. A cage can easily become too small with overcrowding due to too many toys and accessories. Although they are necessary, be sure to take into consideration the size of your cage and the number of toys in it. You can get cages through PetSmart.com and they are around $125 depending on size and the equipment included (look in the ferret section for the best prices and selection). Also, www.theferretstore.com has a lot of things for chinchillas and has free shipping. Make sure the shelves and ladders are solid, not wire mesh. A chin has been known to get caught in the wire and break a leg. Cages need shelves for jumping and resting on. Our chinchillas enjoy the ferret tubes as sleeping places, and to climb on. You can also go to any hardware store and buy 4” PVC pieces, which are a whole lot cheaper and serve the same purpose. A wheel helps provides exercise if your chin does not get out and run on a daily basis. The ferretstore.com sells wheels 15” chinchilla wheels for $29.99 plus free shipping.
Cleanliness is a MUST. Clean your cage at least once a week, removing all of the old shavings, hay, food ect. Use only Aspen or Kiln Dried Pine shavings.
Chins cannot handle drafts, heat, or high humidity. Ideal temperature is 50-75 degrees F.
Chins get heat prostration very easily, so temperature is important. They are not meant to be an outside animal. Your chinchilla is used to a temperature around 60 degrees year round.
The first few days: Your new chinchilla is going to need some time to adjust to the new surroundings. The first thing is to let the chin have a day of quiet with little contact or noise so that he/she can get used to your everyday household noises and voices. After the first day begin by talking quietly and slowly to your new pet, and offer a treat like dried apple, raisin, dried banana, or dried cranberry. When the chin is finished try placing your hand inside the cage and be very slow so that you don’t frighten it. Let the chin come to you. Never try and grab your chinchilla. This will only cause fear and stress on you and the animal. Keep repeating these steps once or twice a day until your chinchilla willingly approaches your hand and lets you touch it. As long as you are patient and slow, the chin will learn to trust and love you just as it has my family while it was in my home. Once you have gained your chin’s trust you can begin to let it out of the cage for free exercise. Chins need to be able to run freely (supervised by you at all times) to get the daily exercise they need to stay healthy. If you can’t let them free run, then a chin wheel is a very nice replacement.
Feeding: Your chinchilla is used to having Show Time Feed made by Farmers with a supplement, loose grass/alfalfa hay or cubes,. Treats that chinchillas enjoy include raisins, dried apple treats from chinworld.com, dried papaya spears (good to eliminate hairballs), and dried cranberries. A chinchillas diet is very sensitive, they get diarrhea fairly easily with too many treats. You should only feed 1 to 2 small pieces of a treat per day. If your chinchilla happens to get diarrhea, you can feed them a half a piece of dry burnt white toast or a shredded wheat square. That usually clears it up, if not consult your vet. Your chin is also very sensitive to diet changes. If you plan on changing the diet or pellets, do it slowly. Mix a little of the new food with the old and slowly wean them off of their old diet. This makes the transition easier on their systems.
Toothcare: Chinchillas teeth are constantly growing, so they will need something to chew on to keep their teeth at the appropriate length and position. Your chin is used to chewing on wood toys, their shelving, and manzanita. They also like the hanging wooden bird toys. Please keep in mind that all toys must be hanging to keep them from being soiled. Toys will need to be replaced, as they get chewed up rather quickly. If your vet ever diagnoses your chin with Genetic Malocclusion of the molars, it is very important that you notify the breeder (upon which the chin will be replaced as soon as a chin becomes available), because this is a recessive genetic disorder. The breeder must not breed the pair which produced this animal again. I have not had any chinchillas with this disorder, but since it is a double recessive trait (which means both parents must be carriers), it can occur without any warning.
Bathing: Chinchillas do not take baths in water. It would be detrimental to your chin if it did get wet. Chins take baths in a special dust (Blue Cloud Chinchilla Dust) that is available at most pet stores or online at Chinworld.com. I put the dust in a Super Pet Dust House, glass dishes, or small rubbermade bottoms, available just about everywhere, Put it in their cage or on the floor during playtime. They roll, play, and dig in the dust. It is not only a way to keep their fur dry and fluffy, but it is also a stress reliever for the animal. It is important that if the dust gets soiled that it be replaced so that no bacteria or fungus begin to grow in it that can be passed on to your chin.
Introducing your new chin to other chins: When it comes time to introduce your new chin to another chin, follow these simple steps to a happy friendship.
1) Put the cages side by side as close as you can get them to each other.
2) After about a week of living as close neighbors, try letting them play together. Encourage this nightly if they get along well.
3) If the playtime goes well for about a week then put them in the same cage. If fighting breaks out, go back to step one and repeat the process again.
Congratulations on your new chinchilla! We hope that the chinchilla you have chosen will bring you many years of satisfaction and enjoyment.
If you ever have any questions, please send an email or call.
Health Guarantee: The chinchilla that has been purchased by you is guaranteed to be in good health and nutritionally sound at the time of sale. If a licensed veterinarian finds the animal to be ill within 72 hours, please feel free to return the animal for a replacement animal when one of the same color and sex comes available. This agreement is only valid if the animal has a congenital defect. The breeder cannot guarantee against heat prostration, or any illness brought on by stress due to a change in environment.