Did you know that chinchillas are highly intelligent creatures and that they can learn and remember things. A chinchilla will require at least an hour of your time every single day because if it is a single chinchilla he will regard its owner as his mate. It is very bad for a single chinchilla to be left by itself in the corner of a room without any human contact as he will become bored, depressed and ill and he will possibly start to chew his own fur.

It’s wise to remember that chinchillas are not suitable for children as they are nocturnal animals who can be very noisy at night. They can also be easily scared by loud noises or sudden movements and a chinchilla who is nervous may also bite. Chinchillas must always be held correctly because if not, they can suffer stress, injury or fur loss. In some cases, we have known a chinchilla even lost it’s tail by incorrect handling ! A chinchilla should be held and supported with both your hands, holding it securely against your body.

If you decide that you still want to purchase a chinchilla as a pet then you need to decide on the type of chinchilla cage you need. Chinchillas are always best kept indoors unless you have a fully insulated purpose built block or wood built shed outside. Chinchillas can’t withstand heat, draughts, damp or wet so if you do keep yours outside, a good quality chinchilla cage should be placed inside the heated shed. A typical Chinchilla cage should be made from approx. ¾” galvanised squared mesh and measure approx. 3ft x 2ft or bigger. Wide chinchilla cages are better than tall cages but a tall cage can usually be split with a mesh division.

The chinchilla cage must contain plenty of natural pine shelving secured at various heights in order to provide platforms for the chinchilla to jump onto. Remember not to have any shelves higher than about 18” as a chinchilla can badly injure itself if it falls. Most good Chinchilla cages are made with a wire bottom and have a removable tray to catch droppings and urine and make cleaning the cage easy. Don’t forget to provide your chinchilla with a suitable food bowl that can’t be chewed or thrown around, a water bottle with clean, fresh water in it and a nest box so that your chinchilla can have a quiet place to sleep. Toys should also be provided to stimulate your chinchilla when you can’t be with him.

Make sure you purchase your chinchilla from a reputable breeder or rescue and have him checked out with your vet. If you haven’t had a chinchilla before, ideas-4-pets would recommend that you read as much as you can about this adorable little animal and also get as much information as you can from your vet and the rescue or breeder before purchasing. Remember, that chinchillas can live to be 20 years plus, so you want to be absolutely sure that your chinchilla is in a forever home for the rest of his days.