How to care for chinchillas
Chinchillas are a great, fun, and interesting pet to have. With their energy and unique habits, you’ll always find something entertaining with them around. They are quickly becoming a popular pet to have, especially in the United States.
However, chinchillas need to be taken care of properly. Yyou need to learn how to care for chinchillas in order to get to all that fun. This article will cover some good, solid recommendations and ideas to keep your chinchilla healthy and happy.
Chinchilla cages
Chinchillas love running around. Because of this, try to get as big a cage as possible. This will keep the chinchillas happy and fit. Two story cages are nice if you can manage them. Pine shavings are best to use at the bottom, but generally you shouldn’t have shavings without the contents of oil or tar. This can be harmful to a chinchilla.
Remember to put something down over the wiring because a chinchilla can develop sores. The spaces on the wire mesh are also an important element to remember. If you are expecting baby chinchillas, you shouldn’t keep the spaces more then a square half inch at the bottom. You do not want them escaping! Another important item to have in a cage is a hideaway house. These help the chinchillas feel safe and they’ll have somewhere to go when they’re scared or want to relax.
Handling chinchillas
Be gentle when handling your chinchilla. This is especially needed if you are trying to bond with your pet. You must be consistent with your handling as well in order for the chinchilla to develop a trust in you.
Also remember that chinchilla’s are very curious and active creatures. If you take them out of the cage, they’ll want to jump and run around. If this isn’t your intent, make sure your handle is secure as well as gentle.
Food
All animals need a proper diet to maintain a healthy life and chinchillas are no different. Keep a routine of feeding your chinchillas twice a day, at the same times each day. Fresh food is important for a chinchilla’s health. If you want to provide a treat for your chinchilla, small pieces of fruit, seeds, or pieces of wheat toast are all good, healthy ideas to keep in mind. Don’t give too many treats, as that can result in sickness.
Water
A chinchilla’s health is dependant on having a fresh, supply of water. Make sure the water is changed daily. The source of water for a chinchilla should be held in a water bottle that is cleaned often. Although glass water bottles are the best choice, plastic water bottles are also acceptable. Chinchillas like to chew on everything and at every chance they get. If you decide to go with a plastic water bottle, make sure to put a sheet of metal between the cage and the bottle. This will keep the chinchillas from gnawing through the plastic.
Exercise
Having a large, multilevel cage is nice to have for a chinchilla. However there are other things that could be even more beneficial to a chinchilla’s health. A chinchilla wheel is ideal. Make sure you choose the correct wheel for a chinchilla. They can’t have mesh wire wheels or hamster wheels because that can cause major harm for a chinchilla. A wheel that is solid all the way around is the only safe option. If you decide to take your chinchilla out of the cage, make sure you keep an eye on it and cover anything that might harm it. Chinchillas are very nosy and love to explore, bounce off of walls, and play hard. Having time outside of the cage will most likely wear the chinchilla out and will fall asleep when reentering the cage.
Toys
Toys for a chinchilla are another important thing to have in the cage. There are many types of toys to choose from and having a variety of them will keep them entertained. Although the toys provide a large source of entertainment for chinchillas, there are other uses for the toys. The teeth of a chinchilla will continually grow and having toys to chew on are always a good for that purpose. If the toys are wooden, make sure that you change it so bacteria and fungus doesn’t gather on the wood.
Dust Baths
It is also necessary for chinchillas to have a regular dust bath. This keeps their coats clean and healthy. It is also completely natural and relaxing for them to do this as well. Find a good, store-bought chinchilla dust for these baths. It can be reused several times after taking out any waste. Use a container that is slightly bigger then the chinchilla for the dust baths. A fish bowl, deep container, or plastic house-type bath are all good recommendations. As long as the container is enclosed enough, it won’t make a huge mess. Expect a mess when dust baths occur. You will never be able to stop that. Allow for a chinchilla to take dust baths for 10-15 minutes, twice a week. If you let them take dust baths too much, their skin will dry out.
Habits
Chinchillas are fairly quite during the day. They are primarily nocturnal and love to play at night. Remember to handle them and feed them on a routinely basis. Chinchillas have proven to love their routines and will stress themselves if their routine changes too much. Also, chinchillas have a preference to cooler temperatures. Overheating is common and should be avoided if possible.
Now you are ready for the many years ahead of having a chinchilla for a pet. Because you know how to care for chinchillas, you will be able to keep them for the average 15 years or maybe even up to 22 years if you keep the chinchillas healthy. Once you bond with your chinchilla, you will find countless hours of fun!
