Chinchillas can make lovely pets for the right owner, however they are a big commitment and are not the right choice for everyone. Listed below are the Top 10 Considerations before getting a chinchilla. This is just an brief overview and each point links to important further information on each topic - just click on the green links throughout to find out more.

1. Long lifespan: Chinchillas can live up to 20 years, making them a longer term commitment than the average dog! Consider where you'll be in 20 years from now, what life changes you may go through and if a chinchilla fits into that plan. Even with the best intentions, external factors such as moving into rental housing may mean you're unable to keep chinchillas there.

2. Regular playtime: chinchillas enjoy plenty of out of cage time, which whilst can be very rewarding for the owner as well, it can become a chore if you're the type of person who prefers to go out or just sit down and relax in the evenings. Take a step back and decide if you have time to supervise playtime for minimum of an 45 minutes most nights and if this is something you'll still want to do for many years to come.​

3. Expense: chinchillas are fairly expensive to buy and their care, particularly vets bills, can prove very expensive. As they're classed as exotics, any vets treatment will be more expensive than many other animals'. This can easily amount to £/$100s, so you must ensure you have access to this type of money if your chinchilla gets sick. Suitable cages and accessories can be more expensive to buy, often pet shop accessories marketed for chinchillas are actually unsafe so you will need to use specialist online retailers. Air conditioning can also be expensive to install and run.

4. Keeping your chinchilla cool: Chinchillas need to be kept in a cool room to avoid fatal heatstroke, with the temperature not exceeding 21 degrees/70 Fahrenheit. This means you will need air conditioning, even if you live in countries such as the UK where this isn't commonplace. If you already have air conditioning it will be more expensive to run, as you will need to have this on at all times and not just when you are home. If you don't have air conditioning you will need to buy and install a unit and ensure your property can be set up for this to work.

5. Large cage free from plastic: As a minimum your chinchilla's cage should be at least 64 x 61 x 91cm (25" x 24" x 36"). The bigger the better though, chinchillas need both horizontal space to run as well as some height to climb. Please ensure there are no drops more than 40cm/16”, as chinchillas can seriously hurt themselves if they fall. The cage must be completely free from plastic, this causes fatal internal blockages when ingested. Only toys/shelves made from safe wood, metal or non pill fleece or other approved chinchilla safe materials should be used.
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6. Chinchillas typically don't like to be held and their bite is painful! whilst there are definitely exceptions, chinchillas do not generally liked being handled, nor for too long. They overheat easily, are often too lively or just not comfortable with being picked up. Unfortunately many chinchillas are re-homed just because they won’t allow their owner to hold them. Like any other animal, chinchillas can also bite if they're scared or annoyed. With their big teeth this can be very painful and draw blood! If you are looking for a cuddly pet who's happy to be handled and petted, then chinchillas are not generally the best choice.

7. Expect mess in your home: Chinchillas poo almost constantly, far more than guinea pigs or rabbits for example. Whilst their poos are very small and a similar size to mouse droppings, they will inevitably end up on your floor, even with regular cleaning. Expect hay, pieces broken off the chews they require and fur around your home. Females in particular may spray urine at you if they feel threatened. Again many people re-home chinchillas because of the mess they cause in the house.

8. Most pet shop accessories & toys are unsafe: Unfortunately buying supplies for your chinchilla is not as simple as just calling into your local shop. A lot of the accessories marked for chinchillas are totally unsuitable for them. Many are made of plastic which is toxic to chinchillas, the treats are often not from the safe list, exercise balls are extremely dangerous and the wheels they sell are too small for chinchillas. Be prepared to buy supplies from specialist retailers which can be more expensive. A comprehensive list of these can be found here.

9. No interaction with other species: Chinchillas must not come into contact with any other different pets you may already have. This is not just limited to cats and dogs but also any reptiles and other small animals, especially rats and rabbits. As well as the risk of injury, other species can carry diseases/bacteria that whilst isn't harmful to them, can be very dangerous to chinchillas.

​10. Be aware of False information: Unfortunately there is a lot of incorrect information when it comes to chinchilla care, with pet stores, ill informed owners and irresponsible breeders being some of the main sources of these. ​

Chinchillas must have an adequate sized cage free from plastic, regular playtime, not have any fruit, vegetables, nuts or seeds nor be not be taken outside or put in exercise balls or harnesses, which are all very dangerous.

Any information to the contrary is either due to lack of knowledge or wanting to make money above the chinchilla's best interests.

Safe treats (in moderation)
Treats should only be fed to chinchillas over 6 months, be fully free from pesticides and dried:

Alfalfa Leaf
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Apple Blossom Apple twigs
Basil
Bee Pollen
Blessed Thistle
Cactus Flower
Calendula
Carnations
Chamomile
Clover Blossom (red)
Cornflower
Dandelion Leaf/root
Echinacea
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Goji Berries very limited
Hawthorn Leaf/Berries
Hibiscus Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon Balm
​Linden Leaf
Mallow
​Marigold
Marshmallow Root
Milk Thistle
Mint
Nasturtiums
Nettle Leaf
steel cut only Oats Oat Straw
Oregano
Peony
Peppermint
white willow twigs and sticks

lot of the pellet selections sold at the pet store are not "quality pellets". In fact, they're junk food riddled with fruit, nuts, fillers, and treats. How can you have a healthy pet if you serve treats with every meal?

Things you'll want to avoid in your pellet choice are:

• Fillers such as Corn or Soy
• Vegetables or Vegetable products, dried or fresh.
• Fruit, dried or fresh.
• Seeds
• Nuts

A good rule of thumb, if it's bright and shaped funny.. it's a treat.

The reason we tell you to avoid fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables, is because they're very unhealthy for your pet.
Fruits + Vegetables contain a lot of natural sugar in their natural and dried forms. Pet chinchillas do not need this excess sugar. This excess sugar can resort in your Chinchilla becoming ill. Diabetes, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are all risks when feeding a sugary diet.

Many do not realize that a dehydrated small piece of dried fruit is just a shrunken big peice. When you dry fruit it shrinks down, but the sugar is still there. It's just concentrated into a smaller piece.

In their natural form, fruit and vegetables contain ample amounts of moisture. Chinchillas originate from a dry climate, and have developed needing a very dry diet. Excess moisture in their food will lead to bloat. Bloat is a hazard because chinchillas can not relive themselves of any gasses, meaning without intervention they can pass from buildup.

Nuts + Seeds are high in fat. When a chinchilla is fed a diet high in fat they become prone to ailments like fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is known as a "silent killer" in chinchillas because they'll be gone before you realize that was the cause of any problems.

So please, your pet relies on you to make educated choices about their diet. Take what you've learned here and apply it to your next purchase so your pet can live a long healthy life.

We use Small Pet Select's hay, we've never been disappointed.
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The storage box SPS comes in helps make hay the perfect bed!

What type of hay does a Chinchilla eat?
Chinchillas can be offered a variety of hay.

The most common hay is Timothy hay. Timothy hay comes in 3 cuts. It should be green.

• First cut, which is very coarse stemmed and has a lot of heads. This cut is full of fiber!

• Second cut, Which is a mix of softer and firm, leafy hay ( most popular & common )

• Third cut, is very soft and leafy and best for picky eaters.

There is also Alfalfa Hay which is sweeter and rich in nutrients. It's best for young / growing animals, or for malnourished animals. It can be offered occasionally to adults as a treat, but should not be their staple hay. It is bright green and fresh smelling.

Orchard Grass is a high fiber, leafy hay. Sometimes a mix of Timothy, Garrison, and Alfalfa. It's a good alternative to Timothy. Green and bright in color.

Oat Hay is a hard, stem filled hay that is tough and yellow/pale in color. It comes with Oat heads, so should be fed sparingly.

Blue Grass Hay is another leafy hay option.

Botanical Hay is generally Timothy hay with herbs mixed in.

** Please avoid purchasing and serving any hays that are sold mixed with fruits or vegetables. **

We got the new cage, bought a proper metal wheel. Peekaboo moved. All the plastic gone chinchillas will chew anything and everything. I had to menthol my walls and make a few adjustments. Every thing nice and calm. Life with a chinchilla is not calm. the leash and harness Giant do not use Bird bones. Lucky learned before i used it. Treats stay away from raisins. Chinchillas are basically type one diabetics Cannot have sugar in their diet. Dried Gojji berries are a one at a time. think after school snack. Chinchillas have tiny tummies. Yes they are adorable,yes they can and will con you into treats. I will be posting a list of can and cannot have. Double check area before allowing them out. They love to chew cables. They can and will take any opportunity to explore. Mistake that gave me my own white hair from fright. Partner was working on the furnace and had taken the cover off of our floor duct. I did not know this when I let the intrepid Peek a Boo loose. How fast can you make a human move was quickly learned. down the duct he went. down the stairs my partner went tearing out ducting that lead to the furnace. Peekaboo in the duct not coming out pleading, treats,tears whimpering, none of it worked. 4 hours later after talking with someone . Loud banging on duct. Up popped peekaboo. duct quickly covered. Chinchilla perfectly fine in his cage drinking water like he hadn't cause a panic. Always double check.

Please forgive tormented book.

In the beginning continued. The first day was filled with a lot of nervous me and scad chinchilla. He was injured while being moved from a backyard breeder to the Big Box pet store and lost a finger. He did not respond to his name. Okay maybe with some time. His cage was a small thing of plastic and metal. He came with a harness and leash. he had a wheel he had to arch tummy down to fit not a natural chinchilla position. A plastic dust bath. his cage would be perfect as a starter. He had lived in it since He was brought From Big Name pet store. He lived with dogs that could actively reach his cage. His owner often left for days. They decided that he was too much effort. He needed so very little. These things are an important part of his story. Two weeks later still nope, not happening. all i wanted was to be able to play and touch my chinchilla. It was still a nope. Okay, lets try a new name Gizmo nope, Houdini nope. The i won’t answer my name chinchilla. While out at play time scurried low to the floor and tried to just stay hidden. He would teach us about the need to understand engineering. He kept getting in a non human accessible spot under our bed. My partner used to ferrets and rodents tried to block him from this. He had other thoughts mainly good luck, clumsy and annoying humans. He thwarted our attempts with almost a malicious glee. I would say” peekaboo” when ever i spotted him. Three weeks in my partner had his trust and was even allowed to be used as a shoulder space. I was not amused. There were tears. I had never had an animal reject me. Partner goes out of town for a month. Chinchilla realizes stuck with me. He starts responding to peek-a-boo. He named himself, I often say. I still was not allowed to touch. He was A Very Sassy little guy. I joked if he had speech he would sound like Joe Pesci . When he played in,: My cousin Vinny’” I would draw while sitting on the floor. while he played out of his cage. I was very painfully, learning patience. my Sketch book became beveled. Peek A Boo would sit on my drawing pad nibbling the sides. I do not advocate using paper by the way. It can cause digestive issues. I did not know this at the time.

Cage not great and wire gives that hold it together. Partner once more thinks i can fix this. At least until we get him a new cage . My partner sees zip ties the way i do duct tape. There isn’t much they can’t fix. Peek A Boo had thoughts. Ha, inferior human. Staring at my partner and i . He snipped the first of the five zip ties. All the while staring us down. Zip ties by human zero Chinchilla five. New Cage gets ordered that night. A three tier ferret nation.

I'm sitting by my boyfriend. who is watching a video of a guy's pet from work. A chinchilla named Houdini bouncing across the shiny cherry wood floor. He hops into a baby's windup swing and just rocks back an forth in pure joy. OK that's cute. I was more into cats. Then i took a slippery slope known as You tube and started really watching chinchillas playing and dusting. They` were so adorable. I started thinking maybe i want one. My Very scientifically minded boyfriend said maybe but there's a lot to learn. Maybe get a ferret first...Held off learning more and more about chinchillas i may have become slight every so slightly obsessed. My best friend knew i wanted one. My birthday was coming up. She told me about a chinchilla that needed a home. She said her friend couldn't care for him anymore. with the assurance of he would come with the basics he was brought to our home. He was the most amazing animal i had ever touched. Soft grey fluff with a white tummy,curved hairless ears, Shining bright black eyes. the black marking on his haunches.

It all started with Peekaboo.
You ever think oh that's cute. Maybe I will get one. I researched and studied for a year before I got mine. It was not nearly enough. I'm hoping you will laugh, learn and cry with me .As i write about these magical creatures and their needs, wants and antics.

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A little place for those who love small furry critters that may or may not be from Alpha Centari