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Caring for chinchillas


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#1 ♥️fluffy♥️

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 11:10 PM

So one day I shall hopefully own a chinchilla but I know nothing about their care..............

Questions

 

Diet

What do they eat?

 

Housing

Do they need to be in pairs?

How big a cage?

any cage recommendations

 

exercise 

do they need a pen to play in

do they need a wheel

do they need you to excercise them

 

do they enjoy being held

any other colors but grey

will they climb bars

how much of what beddingz?

 

anything to help me!


Edited by lattepanda, 20 June 2021 - 11:16 PM.





#2 Lightning~

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Posted 20 June 2021 - 11:20 PM

So one day I shall hopefully own a chinchilla but I know nothing about their care..............

Questions

 

Diet

What do they eat?

i think there omnivores?

Housing

Do they need to be in pairs?

yes

How big a cage?

 

any cage recommendations

the largest critternation cage should work when there babys/young, but when they get older, you could make a diy cage

exercise 

do they need a pen to play in

no, letting them freeroam is better

do they need a wheel

yes

do they need you to excercise them

yes

 

do they enjoy being held

not always

any other colors but grey

i think, but there not as common

will they climb bars

yes

how much of what beddingz?

i think just fleece will work

 

anything to help me!


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#3 lil BIG dwarf

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 12:41 AM

So one day I shall hopefully own a chinchilla but I know nothing about their care..............

Questions

 

Diet

What do they eat?

 

Housing

Do they need to be in pairs?

ideally yes but for some indivudals no

How big a cage?

any cage recommendations

Double Critternation (more if you can)

 

exercise 

do they need a pen to play in

do they need a wheel

yep-16+ inches I believe, the wheel itself can be 100 USD.

do they need you to excercise them

 

do they enjoy being held

Not really

any other colors but grey

Yep! Google Violet Chinchilla! And more :)

will they climb bars

how much of what beddingz?

 

anything to help me!

 

 

I researched chinchillas for a bit-while there adorable, there also *really* expensive. :)


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#4 ChinchillaDude

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 01:23 AM

Diet is hay based. Hay should be accessible at all times. Also a high quality chinchilla pellet such as Oxbow essentials.

They can be in bonded pairs. Or solo.
The minimum space i would go is Midwest Ferret Nation. 1 level, but 2 levels better.
Midwest ferret nation.

exercise they need to be able to come out for 30 minutes to 2 hours per day. I aim 45-1 hour. Also make sure the room they run around in is free of chords or anything else they can grab and chew.
A chin spin wheel is fine there’s plenty of options for wheels on Etsy.

They become very bonded to their owners but they often don’t care to be held.

Gray, black, beige, white.

Fleece covers will be fine. Fleece I use instead of bedding.
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#5 daisy~

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 07:13 AM

You really need air conditioning if you have chinchillas. It didn't used to be necessary in this country but summers are getting warmer. Chinchillas are very bad at regulating their body temperature, especially when young, and with their thick fur coats, they can very easily overheat. They need to be kept below about 22 celsius really. Fans and air coolers don't work. They just push the hot air around rather than actually cooling the room.

 

They're not omnivores and actually have very restricted diets. They are herbivores and will need to eat good quality pellets, hay and herbs. Absolutely no sugar due to the risk of diabetes.


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#6 ♥️fluffy♥️

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Posted 21 June 2021 - 06:32 PM

You really need air conditioning if you have chinchillas. It didn't used to be necessary in this country but summers are getting warmer. Chinchillas are very bad at regulating their body temperature, especially when young, and with their thick fur coats, they can very easily overheat. They need to be kept below about 22 celsius really. Fans and air coolers don't work. They just push the hot air around rather than actually cooling the room.

 

They're not omnivores and actually have very restricted diets. They are herbivores and will need to eat good quality pellets, hay and herbs. Absolutely no sugar due to the risk of diabetes.

 

Diet is hay based. Hay should be accessible at all times. Also a high quality chinchilla pellet such as Oxbow essentials.

They can be in bonded pairs. Or solo.
The minimum space i would go is Midwest Ferret Nation. 1 level, but 2 levels better.
Midwest ferret nation.

exercise they need to be able to come out for 30 minutes to 2 hours per day. I aim 45-1 hour. Also make sure the room they run around in is free of chords or anything else they can grab and chew.
A chin spin wheel is fine there’s plenty of options for wheels on Etsy.

They become very bonded to their owners but they often don’t care to be held.

Gray, black, beige, white.

Fleece covers will be fine. Fleece I use instead of bedding.

 

I researched chinchillas for a bit-while there adorable, there also *really* expensive. :)

 

 

So one day I shall hopefully own a chinchilla but I know nothing about their care..............

Questions

 

Diet

What do they eat?

i think there omnivores?

Housing

Do they need to be in pairs?

yes

How big a cage?

 

any cage recommendations

the largest critternation cage should work when there babys/young, but when they get older, you could make a diy cage

exercise 

do they need a pen to play in

no, letting them freeroam is better

do they need a wheel

yes

do they need you to excercise them

yes

 

do they enjoy being held

not always

any other colors but grey

i think, but there not as common

will they climb bars

yes

how much of what beddingz?

i think just fleece will work

 

anything to help me!

 

Thanks guys! I don't mean I'll own chinchillas now because I need to wait till I'm much older before I can get one. I mean like I have to be earning money in my own house and stuff like that ya know. So I'm researching now I have the time. Thanks so much!