Chinchillas
Habitat, behavior, care, feeding, costs, lifespan and reproduction

What is a Chinchilla?

Chinchillas are small furry animals, between a guinea pig and rabbit in size. Their body fur is very soft, hence their use in the fur industry. Their tail has wiry fur and is somewhat shorter than the rest of their body. The common color is gray, but colors range from white to black, including beige.

Where can I get a Chinchilla?

Your best bet is another chinchilla owner, one who breeds them as pets. Some pet stores sell them, but make sure they are well cared-for, healthy and friendly. Finally, there are the breeders, raising them for fur, who will often sell those that aren't prime pelting candidates. In those conditions they are kept in a very small cage about 18 inches on a side, and have no training in the joys of a wheel, sunflower seeds, etc. You need to give these plenty of time to adjust. Before you make the buy from a breeder or pet store, be sure to get a contingency statement that the chinchilla will pass a vet check. Then take your chinchilla to a good veterinarian and have it checked for heart murmurs, and have the stool checked under the microscope [as a wet mount] for giardia and other parasites. Sometimes a seemingly healthy chinchilla will have giardia, and the move will cause symptoms to flare up. We do not know why this is but it has been noted as a not uncommon phenomenon.

How much do they cost?

The cost of a chinchilla from a breeder can be as low as $35 (the cost of a pelt) but usually ranges from $65 to $500 (the cost of a good breeding specimen). Pet stores run around $100. The cage can cost about $60- $75 and wheels are about $25. You can make the house, and the rest is negligble cost. Food runs about $5.00 or less per week per animal. We buy for a month at a time. Be sure to keep your food out of the wet, well sealed and bug free.

How long do they live?

A chinchilla's average life span is 15 years, although they have been known to live 20+ years. We now have reports of chinchillas living up to 35 years. That is, however, an anomaly, and rare, but that is also possible.

Where Did Chinchillas Come From?

Chinchillas were found by Europeans when the Spanish conquored the Inca indians. The royals in the Inca heirarchy wore chinchilla throws. Chinchillas were found in areas that now comprise Peru, Chile and Argentina. They were used to high rocky areas and lived in small cracks and crevices - some found above treeline at about 12,000 feet and others as low as 5,000 feet above sea level. By the beginning of the twentieth century they had been badly hunted, almost to extinction. The governments of these countries were trying to protect them and beginning to set aside areas to preserve them. An American engineer became interested in them and got permission [after a long time] to import some. He was able to bring 11 into the United States - 3 females and 8 males. On the way one died and one was born. It had been thought that they had become nearly extinct in the wild, and they are on the endangered species list. Recently, however, rumor has it that a new colony has been discovered in Chile, so we will see what their status will be.

Are there different types of chinchillas?

Nearly all the chinchillas in this country ar of one type - Lanigera. Through the efforts of breeders and natural mutation, other types have come into the genetic pool - Costina and Brevicaulda. [Houston and Prestwich, Chinchilla Care] However, further research seems to indicate that there is only the Chinchilla Lanigara, and that Costina and Brevicaulda are adaptations to altitude and are not separate types. For now we can consider all chinchillas as probably Lanigara, with large or small variations. For a long time we were worried that all the chinchillas in this country [USA] were the decendents of the original 11 brought in by M. F. Chapman in the 1930's, but we now know that it is not the case, and that many other animals have been imported into the blood line over the ensuing 30 years from various places in South America.

What are their behavioural habits?

Chinchillas are nocturnal, spending much of the day dosing. They will be active during the day if there is something interesting going on. They love to run on wheels, especially at night, so think twice before keeping your chin in your bedroom. They make noises to let you know you are not paying enough attention to them. They are very social, and can be hand tamed to play and interact with you. Chinchillas are, however, nothing if not adaptable and if the time that you want to play is in the afternoon, then they will be more than willing to accomodate you providing you are fun to play with and consistant in your play time. They can wake up in the day time and then doze again and wake again and doze again and will make sure they get their proper amount of sleep, provided you give them a consistant schedule. Chinchillas hate change, prefer consistancy and do not like being moved much. If you move them, give them time to get used to the new surroundings.

What do I feed my chinchilla?

Chinchillas are vegetarians, primarily grass and seed eaters. They will eat alfalfa or hay. I recommend that you find out what type of hay is available for your local horse community, and get good hay from them. Out here in California, I find that alfalfa is the best as it has more leaf and less stem, and is richer than Timothy hay which is a favorite of breeders. Feed fresh pellets, and if the only really fresh is guinea pig or rabbit, then that is ok. Some people will tell you that rabbit pellets have hormones in them and are bad for chinshillas. That is a myth, and the reverse is true. Rabbit pellets in the United States cannot have hormones. My standard food mix is 2 parts chinchilla [or other fresh] pellets, 1 part calf manna [horse people again], 1/2 part sunflower seeds, 1 part oat flakes, plus I throw in some rabbit treats [dried carrots, peas, fruit] about 2-3 cups to the large mix above. I mix this up and give 4 oz per chinchilla per day plus hay. ChinRox gives all the above separately based upon what each one eats daily. I give them treats of fresh fruit, like grapes or blueberries, or pieces of apple or such once in a while. They generally love dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, etc. - but should be given these in moderation. Some also love fresh vegetables like steamed corn on the cob. Each one has specific likes and dislikes, so offer small tidbits to see what they like. Be careful however, they have a tender digestive system and can get diarrhea from too many treats. Give them a little salt block and a few pressed alfalfa blocks. Since their teeth keep growing, they need lots of good gnawing material. A pummice stone is great, if you can find one. Various woods are also good, such as pine, apple and manzanita. Avoid woods like fir, spruce, plum or redwood. We also believe in giving some other supplements which you will find under health/supplements. I frequently treat the chewable vitamins as daily treats, and they will eat Vitamin C and enjoy it as much as they do other sweets.

What about living quarters?

Cages should be all metal, since they will gnaw their way out of a wooden cage. They need room to run around and climb, so a cubical cage 3 feet or more on a side, with shelves, is ideal. Wire mesh should be no bigger than 1x2 inches, smaller when you have babies. The cage should have a removable bottom tray to aid cleaning. You can leave the mesh bottom of the cage clear - don't cover it with bedding or litter as you would for a hamster, however some owners relate stories of accidents so if you prefer a solid bottom it really is your choice -- as long as you can keep it clean. I have had no problems with mesh bottoms in all the years I have had chinchillas. Line the bottom tray with newspaper and clean the cages on a weekly basis. You can line the inside with newspaper too, it is not toxic. If you prefer to use a solid bottom cage with shavings, aspen is the best but is hard to obtain [again see vendors, Oxbow co], kiln dried pine is good, and biodegradable products made from old newspapers are ok, as are corn cobs. Use what you prefer, can obtain and can afford. Again, the main thing is to keep the cage clean. DO NOT USE CEDAR or undried pine as they have aromatic oils which can damage the respiratory tracts of chinchillas and cause liver problems. We also recommend you do not use oak, but that is based upon our assumption that since oak is harmful to horses, and chinchilla GI tracts are like the horse GI tract, that the possibility that it is harmful to chinchillas. They really enjoy a wheel, but the largest wheel commonly available in pet stores is 12 inches in diameter and is really too small and can actually cause a bend in the chinchilla's spine. Try to find a 15-inch wheel if you can [see vendors for one supplier]. Provide a wooden or cardboard house for them to hide in. Again, I prefer cardboard because it is easy to change and therefore to keep clean, but they do have a tendency to be remodeled by the chinchilla, and I frequently find an extra door within a week or two. Four-inch PVC drain pipe T- or Y- joints are also dandy to hide in - they chew on them a bit, but it doesn't seem to bother them. Other ideas for hiding places are large tin cans with each end out, and all sharp points filed down. They need a certain type of cement byproduct called blue cloud, to dust in as they bathe in dust, not in water. They have such a thick coat that they put out a lanolin type of oil and it mats their fur. They love their dust bath and would do it daily if you let them. They are chewers and anything that you put into the cage will be chewed, so choose things that are not poisonous. Plum wood is poisonous, as is ceder, so if you build a house, make it out of kiln dried pine.

Any health issues?

Chinchillas have rather delicate digestive systems and are susceptible to water-borne bacteria such as Giardia in concentrations that won't bother you or your larger pets like cats and dogs. It's best to give them purified water. [See health/diarrhea]. Chinchillas are also very susceptible to heat stroke, so don't allow their environment to get over 80 degrees. Chinguru's rule of thumb is that the sum of the humidity (in percent) and the temperature (Fahrenheit) should not exceed 150. Chinchillas are also susceptable to other problems, such as heart failure and seizures. When you first get your chinchilla have it examined by a veterinarian for giardia, for heart murmurs, and for tooth alignment. In most cases of disease the earliest symptom might be only diarrhea, so pay attention to their normal elimination habits.

Breeders are trying to keep unhealthy animals from breeding, and we should too. There has been good evidence that chinchillas have died from enlarged hearts and blood clots in the decending aorta causing paralysis and death. There have been deaths from congestive heart failure, where the heart pump action is not strong enough to completely clear the pump chamber, and fluid backs up into the lungs. We also have seen seizures in chinchillas both from low calcium and from unknown causes. Female chinchillas who are pregnant should, therefore, have extra calcium [see food supplements] during pregnancy and while feeding babies. We have also seen absesses and cavities in chinchilla teeth, some of which have been decreased by the use of high doses of vitamin C [see food supplements]. Also, animals who have heart murmurs or seizures must not be bred! There is strong evidence that these problems are passed on.

How intelligent are they?

They are smarter than the average rabbit and much more fun than the average rat. They are different than cats, and there is no comparison. Chinchillas commonly memorize their trails, and have good memories. So if you frighten them, remember that your chinchilla will remember for a fairly long while, and you will have to regain its trust. I have heard of them going thro mazes, but have not seen any journal articles on the subject. If you are a psychology student in college and need to do a paper, try comparing chinchillas and rats going thro mazes, and publish it. Please send me the article.

Do they smell?

Chinchillas have no smell like the rat or guinea pig, so they can make decent apartment pets. Weekly cage cleaning will keep them virtually odor free. There's no comparison between chinchillas and a cat box!

Can I train my chinchilla?

Chinchillas are intellegent for rodent-type animals, in that they can be conditioned/trained, but it takes a while to train them, and you need to go slowly and do one thing at a time. It is a type of Pavlovian conditioning training, much as you would train a cat or dog. Take the time to get to know your chinchilla, gentle it to your companionship, and gain its trust [takes up to 6 months] then try to coax it to come to you using sweets like raisins or dried fruit of its choice etc. It can take a while - even years - to train one, especially if it has had bad experiences with humans before you got it. They are so intellegent and responsive if they trust you that it is worth it. Training is based upon principles found in Richard M. Foxx's book Increasing Behaviors, and is based upon rewards for good behavior. Start with rewarding the chinchilla for trusting you, and getting to know you. Reward the behavior you want to reinforce, and do not frighten the chinchilla unless it is for a wrong or dangerous behavior [like shaking a can filled with pennies when it goes near a dangerous place, or chews on your antique furniture]. Then go to intermittantly rewarding the good behavior. They will continue the behavior thinking a reward will come. Be consistant, be kind, and keep trust, and the animal will reward you with an uncritical friendship.

Pregnancy information

To see if a female is old enough to get pregnant, check under the tail for a small soft spot, the pelvic opening. If it is the size of an adult thumb she should have space for baby to pass. Gestation is about 111-120 days. [Duplicating and validating research needs to be done.] Babies can be felt at around 90-95 days, It is not good to go mashing around to feel if mom/chin is pregnant as you can cause miscarriage.

Leaving mom in with dad depends upon whether or not you want mom to get pregnant right away again after baby is born. Mom goes into esterus within a day or two after baby's birth. This is a common practice for breeders, but their does do not have more than a few years of bearing under this regime. My personal bias is to remove mom from dad about 20 days before baby is born. I put mom into a small mesh one story cage with an open mesh bottom and put newspaper on bottom of cage. I call this my maternity cage. Mom usually tears up newspapers for the rest of the pregnancy. The newspapers are to protect babies from the mesh [they can break a leg on open mesh], and for ease in changing the papers every 2 or 3 days. This keeps the area clean and cleanliness is important for health of mom when vaginal canal is open and she is susceptible to infection.

Sometimes the mom is very nervous and will not let you handle babies after they are born, but most moms do not mind. You might want to check babies in the first 24 hours to be sure there are no problems. For the first few days cover the cage with an old sheet or large towel to give mom some privacy, but keep a close eye on everyone. We have had reports of dad savaging and killing babies [when left in] within the first 48 hours, of mom doing likewise, and of "post-partum blues" where the mom's milk dried up and mom curled up and would have nothing to do with babies. These problems are admittedly rare, but they do happen. It is indicative of the myriad of personalities we have in our little furry friends.

The one story cage is so that babies will not hurt themselves. Babies are born with eyes open and able to crawl and move. By their second day they can climb. But they are, as yet, unable to discern danger and can fall and hurt themselves. If you prefer a two story cage, make sure the bottom places are well padded.

If mom has boys, I usually remove the baby boy at 8-10 weeks. We have had experience of babies of as young as 10 weeks impregnating mom again, and babies as young as 8 weeks trying. Too close a breedback can cause very interesting deformities. If mom has girls, I leave everyone together [all females] for as long as I want mom to rest after pregnancy. I keep her from dad for that reason, birth control. There is, as yet, no birth control products for chinchillas. Males can be neutered, but it is a tricky surgury, much trickier than with dogs and cats for instance. Females can be spayed but that too is very difficult and I personally, recommend against it for now. I feel that general anesthesia might be dangerous for a chinchilla if it is not necessary. Further research needs to be done.

I find that cages with somewhat larger mesh and multiple stories [suitable for large other rodents like rats] make good homes for adolescent chinchillas, especially males. This allows them room to romp and play and work off all that excess energy that all adolescents seem to have. Mom appreciates the extra space too, and if it is boys who are removed, she seems to appreciate the respite.

Postpartum nutrition/weaning

All other breeds of animal have a weaning formula. Chinchilla breeders do not feel that chinchillas need extra nutrition during gestation, after birth, or with the young. I personally disagree. In all mammals, gestational females have extra demands upon their bodies and need extra nutrition, lactating females tend to need more calcium, and the young need higher amounts of really good nutritional foods. [Again, we need good research done here. Rabbits have their own text just on nutrition, why not chins?] For that reason I personally feed my pregnant females extra doses of nutrical/nutristat and calf manna in their food. I feed my lactating females extra nutrical and even give them soy milk and tums. I have heard of one female having lactation seizures [also known as calcium staggers or calcium fits] and one of my older females suddenly had white incisors which is an indication of lowered calcium. Soy milk is also good enough for babies and some will lap it up too. I always feed my animals good loose alfalfa. Alfalfa is common in California but not as common elsewhere so good hay is fine. But alfalfa is a high protein food and is fine for chinchillas. Some research shows that the higher protein in the food for even the wild chinchilla is ok, but that more water is necessary for proper homeostasis. For my adolescent chinchillas I tend to feed calf manna and alfalfa and rolled oats. I have found that they prefer those to chinchilla pellets anyway, and will pick them out of their dishes.

Are they friendly animals that like to be handled?

Yes tey can be handled, but they need affection and gentling. They are very shy and have long memories. If you frighten them they will remember that and can reject you until you regain their affection. When children have chinchillas they need to remember to be gentle and affectionate and not frighten, or squeeze them too hard. For that reason children under the age of around 10 years old are not mature enough to have chinchillas. The age is not as hard and fast as the maturity, and the ability to understand another's needs -- eg learning empathy which comes with maturity. Sometimes children don't have that even in high school.

Letting chinchillas out of their cages is something that is done only after they are no longer afraid fo you [see above about training]. Because if you have to chase them that only increases fright and mistrust. Begin with giving treats while in the cage, then graduate to laying your hand in the cage and letting them come to your hand which has a treat on the palm. They have to come to get the treat and will equate your scent with the treat. Scratch under the chin and talk softly, and if they run away and hide [still in the cage] don't force the issue. Eventually they will come to you and allow you to handle. Then you can let them out, but have to coax them back, chasing only frightens them. Usually it is best to be consistant about the times each day you let it out. At the same time daily and for the same amount of time and in the same area. The chin will soon learn the routine and even be willing to get back into the cage with the same prompt [bath, special treat etc.] after the same amount of time. DO NOT chase it around to get it back into the cage as it will become increasingly afraid and mistrustful of you and will be harder to catch each time. Gentle the chin first. More on that later. Remember, that chinchillas are animals who prefer the same routine. So they like being fed at the same time each day, and like being let out at the same time each day for the same length of time. Consistancy is the key here. You can build mazes for them to run in, it does keep them busy and they are curious and intellegent animals who like challanges.

The room you let them into should be free of dangers: no open wires, no holes to hide into, no poisons or chemicals easily found, furniture you don't mind being tasted, nothing that if run under or around can cut or scratch or they can catch a small foot in and break a limb. Get down on the ground and look around with your face on the floor. What do you see? Is it dangerous? Wrap all loose wires in PVC plumbing pipe. Bathrooms are good, but remember they do taste toothpaste tubes too. Bedrooms are good, if the kid has cleaned it up, or you haven't a lot of clutter in the room. Kitchens are ok if you block off the refrigerator and stove. The problem here is that small holes they can get into are smaller than you think. They can get into spaces around 1.5 inches around. Be very careful too, of the under the sink spaces. We all usually keep soaps and things there, poisons. Utility rooms are ok if the washing machine, dryer, and hot water heater are made off limits. Block off those areas you do not want your chin to run into, use a baby gate with small mesh. If you have a room that is primarily family but has old furniture and not much they can hurt themselves on and you have gotten on the floor and looked at it with your face on the floor, and crawled around looking for small spaces they can get wedged into and really checked out the dangers; that is chinproofing a room.

Are they noisy? Do they Chew their cages?

They are nocturnal and tend to want to play at night, but will arouse in the day time and play and nap, and then play and nap at night too. Noisy is a subjective quality. They do not bark like a dog but the do have barks and squeeks and squeals and other noises that they use periodically. They run on wheels and if the wheel squeaks that is noisy. They tend to move furniture around and rearrange their cages. That can by noisy. They tend to chew on whatever is in the cage to chew on, including the domicile you have for them to hide in. So between chewing on it, and moving it around they can be noisy, and they do . If all of that is considered by you as noisy then they are noisy. As for chewing on cages, they will chew on cages if the parts of the cage are wood. They will chew on anything that seems to be chewable. They chew on walls, woodwork, wall board, electric cords, books, pumice stones, branches, chew blocks, what ever is chewable. They will even nibble on you to see if you are chewable or edible. So if you make the cage out of wood, then they chew on their cages. If you let them out they chew on furniture, appliances, whatever. One member of the internet family stated that his chin got out at night [unsupervised] and tasted each piece of antique furniture in the house. The suggestion I have is that you have an all metal cage, a wheel, lots of chew toys [wooden blocks, pumice stone, parrot toys, branches, mineral stones, etc] to allow for chewing. Give them a house of wood, or cardboard [they will chew it too] and a PVC 3-4 inch in diameter pipe joint from the hardware store [both to hide in and to chew on]. I also suggest that unless you can chinproof a room or supervise them or both, that you not let them out.

Where can I get more information?

Get some of the books in pet stores and read them. They are OK, but not great. Also consider Lani Ritchey, book "The Joy of Chinchillas", updated and illustrated is now in its 6th edition. It can now be bought with PayPal off the www.cachins.org website.

Chinchilla Info

Chinchillas Habitat, behavior, care, feeding, costs, lifespan and reproduction

Chinchillas
Habitat, behavior, care, feeding, costs, lifespan and reproduction