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Cage Size And Proper Housing Chinchillas are rodents and their scientific classification is Rodentia Hystricomorphs. Chinchillas resemble our North American gray squirrel with larger ears. They are closely related to guinea pigs and rabbits. In addition, they are very active at night and sleep most of the day.
Chinchillas are mammals from South America. Which live in the mountains in altitudes at or above 16,500 feet. They bathe in lava dust and sleep in caves. There is very little humidity and the temperatures vary greatly for day to night in the mountains. Chinchillas drink very little in the wild, only off the dew on the morning leaves. Chinchilla's fur is soft and dense, but not just to protect them for the heat of day and the cold of night, but to prevent evaporation. There are two classes of chinchillas and they differ sightly in appearance. Chinchilla Brevicaudata and Chinchilla Lanigera are the two species. Both species are being breed in the United States today. However only one species, Chinchilla Lanigera, is still alive today in Northern Chile. Most of the Chinchilla Brevicaudata were hunting or trapped to extinction. Chinchilla Lanigera are on the endangered species list. Chinchillas have been in the United States since 1923 thanks to M. F. Chapman.
C. Brevicaudata have shorter ears and shorter tails then C. Lanigera. C. Brevicaudata has slightly coarser hair. C. Brevicaudata is also rarely kept as pets. C. Lanigera has a flatter nose and appears more compact then C. Brevicaudata.
Chinchillas cannot tolerate temperatures above 80o F. The average chinchilla's life span is 9 years; however, they can live up to 22 years. Chinchillas are often timid and do not come out of their cage and walk on your arm. To encourage your chinchilla to do this place a raisin on your arm as a treat/reward for doing what you want them to. However be careful in feeding them raisins or other treats, because chinchillas only eat a tablespoon of grain a day and they will eat less then that if they fill up on treats. Therefore feeding a chinchilla most than two raisins a day is strongly discouraged. Chinchillas do not like to be cuddled or to sit on your lap like a cat. Chinchillas rarely sit still for long periods of time. Chinchillas like to run on your shoulders and run around in your room.
Cage Size And Proper Housing
A proper chinchilla cage is like a ferret cage with several shelves. The cage should have a width of 30 inches to 36 inches and with a height of 36 inches and a depth of 20 inches. Remember that baby chinchillas fit throw small spaces so the wires hole should be about 1/2 by 1 inch or 1/2 by 1/2. A baby chinchilla will escape from a cage with wire 1 inch by 1 inch. Chinchilla cages should not have any plastic in them because the chinchilla can eat it and die. They also like to have a house, cave, or tunnel to hide in. Make sure that the cage is dry and clean at all times. This is very important to prevent disease and illnesses such as having fur fungus. Illnesses of the skin or fur have symptoms including; thin or patchy fur, scabby or crusty patches in fur, bald spots, greasy or plastered together. Remember chinchillas do shed, do not be confused between shedding and illness.
Proper Placment Of The Cage In Your HomeChinchillas need to stay out of direct drafts. The cage should be placed in a well-lit room, but not in direct sun light. Chinchilla's sleep during the day therefore the cage should be placed in a quiet room in your house where they can sleep during the day. The chinchilla cage should not be placed on the floor but on a table. Chinchillas are easily scared but humans if they are on the floor.
WateringA Chinchilla drinks about 1 to 2 tablespoons of water a day. Therefore, a small water bottle is adequate. Wash your chinchilla's water bottle weekly because red algae can form in the water bottle and it can be fatal.
FeedingChinchillas eat chinchilla pellets found at your local pet food store. These are small green pellets that resemble rabbit/guinea pig food, but do not be fooled it is different. For one thing, rabbit food has hormones in it that is harmful to chinchillas. Chinchillas also need different vitamins then rabbit and guinea pigs do. If your chinchilla is lacking vitamins, it can manifest its self in such symptoms as seizers. Chinchillas also eat timothy hay. Free feeding of hay is good for the chinchilla because it helps prevent hair blockage. Hay is also the first solid food a baby chinchilla will eat.
BathingChinchillas need a dust bath once a week to wash off any excess oils and to keep their dense fur soft and shinny. Use a deep baking pan or bowl and put about 1 inch of dust in the bottom. Chinchillas will roll around in the dust and then shake to get the excess off. The dust is very fine and drifts throw the air easily. You might want to cover the cage to prevent covering your house in dust. If you leave the dust pan in the cage for more than 5 to 15 minutes, they will empty the dust bath. They love to play in the dust however they are clean the first time they take a dust bath. You might want to watch them and remove it after they have taken a turn.
Carrying Your ChinchillaIf you are trying to carry your chinchilla, it will probably try to get away. Hold the chinchilla in one hand and then with your other hand hold the base of the tail firmly. Make sure that you hold the tail where the tail meets the spine if you hold the tail at the tip you could rip the tail off, which is very painful for the chinchilla.
Catching A Loose ChinchillaIf your chinchilla get loose, do NOT chase after it. This will only scare the chinchilla and make matters worse. If the chinchilla can reach the cage door, it will go back into its cage after a little while of exploring. I like to place a raisin in its cage to encourage it to go back in.
Some healthy treats include;
1 Almond,
2 Wheat Chex,
2 unbaked Sunflower Seeds,
1 baby Carrot,
A 1 inch to 2 inch piece of Celery,
2 Raisins,
1 Teaspoon of Rolled Oats,
1/8 of an Apple,
1/4 of a Slice of Whole Grain Bread,
Unlimmited Wooden Chew Sticks; apple, pear, hazelnut, or dried pine.
Make sure the wood has not been treated with any clemicals.
It is healthy to limit these treats. Giving your chinchilla treats
everyday or two many can cause vitamin deficiencies.
The decision of purchasing one chinchilla or two chinchillas can be a difficult one. Having one chinchilla has its benefits because it will look forward to playing with you in the evening. Chinchillas get lonely easily if they are alone. Therefore, it is a good idea to get two if you do not have a few hours a day to spend with your chinchilla. However, if you have two chinchillas make sure the cage is large enough for both of them. Chinchillas will sometimes fight if they are not use to each other. Therefore purchasing two chinchillas is a good idea when they have been paired up for a while. You can locate matched pairs at your local breeder. However, two usually leads to more. If you do not want babies or cannot locate a local breeder, but want two chinchillas you might want to put two chinchillas in two different cages one next to the other. With time, you might be able to put them in the same cage, but this is tricky and I do not recommend it. A good way to locate a local breeder is by advertising that you are looking for one in your local newspaper.
*Chinchillas weigh between 1 and 1.5 pounds. They reach sexual maturity
at the age or 4 to 5 months. Their gestation period is 111 days and
they have between 1 to 6 kits.
*Chinchillas get their name from a South American Indian tribe. Chinchilla
means "Little Chinta".
*Chinchillas and birds cannot be kept near the same room or preferably
the same house. All birds have fur mites. Fur mites can kill chinchillas.
*Chinchillas like to taste everything. This includes tasting you.
This can also be fatal to the chinchilla if eats something it's not
suppose to, which is very likely to happen it you let it run free
for exercise in a room in your home.
*Chinchillas can NOT be trained.
*Chinchillas are pregnant for 111 days.
*Chinchillas do not need vaccinations.
*Chinchillas fur is always dry, shinny and fluffy. It should not be
wet or crusty. Its eyes should also be bright. If a chinchilla has
wet or crusty fur, cloudy eyes, or is, slow moving it is most likely
sick.
*Chinchillas such never get wet. Due to the denseness of the fur,
the fur will not dry. The wet fur will fall out if it is wet for too
long leaving the chinchilla exposed to the elements as miner as they
are for us they are major elements to them. If your chinchilla get
wet towel dry him, the best you can and then use a hair dry to finish
the job. Make sure the heat is set on low. Be aware that the hair
dryer might scare your chinchilla.
In conclusion, potential owners should be aware that chinchillas are not a pet for small children and need much consideration before purchasing. Also, it is important to keep in mind that veterinarians who are knowledgeable about chinchillas are hard to find. In addition, chinchillas are hard to treat as they are often subtle at letting their owners know what is wrong. Chinchillas housing needs and temperaments can also make owning one of these cute guys a chore instead of a luxury.