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Sleeping Habits, Environment, and Cage Safety
Chinchillas are considered to be nocturnal animals, obtaining most of their sleep during the daylight and being mostly awake at night. However, since being domesticated, it appears that they have adapted more to the habits of their caregivers and are less nocturnal than, say, hedgehogs or sugar gliders. In any case, chinchillas are light sleepers and don't seem to mind being awake or awakened in the daytime hours. I turn the lights in the chin room off when I retire for the evening and turn the lights on in the morning. It is generally considered best to allow your chin to establish its own instinctive sleeping patterns. Chins are generally the most responsive to interaction with humans between 6 and 9 am and again between 6 and 9 pm. A Safe and Comfortable Environment for a Chinchilla Chinchillas seem to be the most comfortable at about 65 degrees F. A comfortable range is 60 to 75 degrees F. It is best to maintain a consistent temperature or to avoid abrupt temperature changes. When higher temperatures are unavoidable, you can put a 2 or 3 liter coke bottle containing frozen water in your chin's cage for instant air conditioning. In the event of extreme cold temperatures, the cage can be covered with a blanket or other suitable material, bearing in mind the chin will chew on this material. Cage safety should be taken very seriously. The most common injury suffered by chinchillas is a bone fracture in the leg or paw, usually the result of becoming caught in cage wire. The big culprit is cage wire having a grid of ½" by 1 inch, particularly when this wire is used for a ramp or a floor. We use only ½' by ½ inch wire or solid pine wood for all of our floors. We recommend removing any wire ramp. A chin can reach over two feet in a single bound, making a ramp totally un-necessary. Chinchillas have been known to escape from their cages, disappear for days, only to be found when it's too late. Escapes usually occur because of inferior door locks. If you can create a two inch crack by pulling on a locked cage door, chances are your chin can escape. There are several hardware items that can be used to better secure a door. Cage furniture should be made of solid pine wood, not plywood. Some other woods can be used, but it's best to stick with white pine. Your chin will chew on the furniture, so avoid items made with nails or screws. If the furniture is painted, be sure the paint is non-toxid (un-painted is best). Plastic and cardboard furniture (such as a tissue box) can also be used, but be sure to remove any labels or material containing adhesives, which are often toxic in very small amounts.Food, Water, and Daily Nutrition
Providing fresh water and nutrition are the most important responsibilities of a pet owner. A chinchilla's digestive system is quite sensitive, which makes it especially important that extra attention be given to the food and water it is given. In this regard, there are a few guiding principles we subscribe to and recommend to others. First, if you are in doubt about a product's suitability for a chinchilla, don't feed it to him/her until its suitability can be established. Second, any change in a chinchilla's principle food (pellets) should be made gradually. A new brand of pellets should be phased in over about two weeks. Phasing in a new brand of food is a simple matter of mixing the old and the new foods together and gradually increasing the proportion of the new food. Failure to do this can result in serious health consequences. If changing food brands results in diahrea which lasts more than two or three days, it is advisable to go back to the original brand or mix the original brand with another new brand. Third, treats should represent only a small proportion of a chinchilla's total diet. A chinchilla who is given too many treats is more likely to become a finicky eater. While raisins are often given to chinchillas, our treat of choice is unsweetened mini shredded wheat squares or Vitacraft nibble rings. Too many raisins (more than 3 per day) or other fruit and vegetable treats can cause diahrea. It is more fun watching a chin eat a shredded wheat square, and it also provides the chin with more food value than raisins. Avoid giving any fruit to a chinchilla until it's about six months' old. The choice of pellet brand is also important. We're not familiar with all brands but can comment on several. Mazuri, Tradition, Kline Diet, and Oxbow are all millers of high quality chinchilla pellets. Unfortunately, these brands are not always easily accessible and not carried by most pet stores. Brands which have colorful treats mixed in are probably the least nutritional. A good feed is an alfalfa based pellet which can be purchased within 90 days of the date it was milled. Chinchilla feed will stay fresh for 3-6 months if it is stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. Over time, light will rob a feed of important vitamins. Hay is another important component of a chinchilla's diet. Timothy hay has more nutritional value than other types of hay, and it is also preferred by chinchillas. You may give a chinchilla as much timothy hay as it cares to eat. Hay loses its nutritional value over time, particularly if it's exposed to light. Also, if hay has been exposed to moisture it can become moldy; moldy hay can cause enteritis and other potentially serious digestive maladies. Most pet stores carry timothy hay in small quantities which will stay fresh. We use Oxbow brand western timothy, exclusively, because it is consistenty of the highest quality. Proper hydration of your chinchilla is important to both its short and long-term well being. A chinchilla who drinks more water will be healthier. That said, tap water in particular can be a source of parasites and other unwanted microorganisms and a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. For these reasons, give your chinchilla fresh water two or three times per week and thoroughly wash and rinse the water bottle at least once a week. We have also found that chinchillas seem to prefer water that's been refrigerated.Chinchillas' Teeth and Gnawing Instrinct
Chinchillas are rodents, and their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. It is for this reason that they gnaw and chew all the time, and their long-term health requires that they not allow their teeth to get too long. Several products are available at pet stores, but twigs and small branches from pear or apple trees are favorites of chinchillas (if any of these are used, be sure that the tree was not treated with pesticides). The branches of other trees, such as cherry, peach, and cedar are toxic and should not be given to your chinchilla. Pieces of pine board, or pine chin houses seem to work well for us. A healthy chinchilla's teeth will have an orange color. White teeth in adult chinchillas are a sign of a calcium deficiency. It may take a few months for your kits teeth to develop the orangish color. A calcium deficiency can be remedied by giving your chinchilla calcium tablets or Tums with Calcium about twice a week. We are often asked "Do chinchillas bite?" All chinchillas will nibble on things, including your fingers, hands, and arms. A nibble becomes a bite when it hurts. We blow air on a chin's face as a corrective action for a bite. Bear in mind, however, the bite was probably precipitated by an action you took which the chin found offensive.Dust Baths
Chinchillas love to take dust baths, and it is the way they keep their fur from getting too oily. They also look much nicer after coming out of the dust bath. We give dust baths two to three times per week and leave the dust baths in the cages for about 30 minutes. The longer the dust bath is left in the cage, the more likely the chin will urinate in it. Periodically dispose of the old dust, wash the dust bath with warm soapy water, and re-fill with fresh dust. We refresh the dust every week, and we replace the dust completely every five to six weeks, or more frequently if necessary.Lesser Known But Important Facts To Consider
A chin's body is delicate and fragile. Holding a chinchilla too tightly can cause serious injury and should, therefore, be avoided. There may be a tendency to hold on tightly in an effort to keep control of a chinchilla who might be adverse to being controlled. Also, chins have the ability to release their fur, which they will do when they feel threatened. If you grab the chin's body, you may end up with a clump of fur. While the fur will grow back in a few months, the loss of fur can be somewhat unsightly. I have found that cradling the chinchilla with one hand and using the other hand to grasp the chin at the BASE of the tail is the most effective approach and the least objectionable to the animal. Chins are less likely to release tail fur, and holding the chin by the BASE of the tail will NOT cause injury. The aforementioned technique takes a little practice. Some chinchillas are allowed to play outside of their cages and amongst children,. Outside of its cage, a chinchilla is exposed to a number of hazards, which can cause serious injury or even death. A shock from chewing on electrical wires, a fall from a high place, such as a bookcase; being stepped on; and being injured by another family pet are a few situations which can occur. Also, if a chin is allowed to much playtime, especially in the warmer months, a heat stroke can result. There is nothing inherently wrong with letting children play with their chins outside of the cage. Younger children, however, must be closely supervised, and even children over the age of 10 should be provided with a set of guidelines and monitored for compliance, especially in the first weeks of having a chinchilla. We also recommend that playtime outside of the cage be in small confined areas, such as a bathroom with the door closed. Chinchillas can't swim, but can easily jump a couple feet off the floor. Therefore, it is important to keep the commode lid closed. A chinchilla can chew a hole in a plastic water bottle, causing all the water to leak out, even when it's hung on the outside of the cage. While glass water bottles are more expensive, they can be worth the money in the long run. It is very important to check you're chins water every day. A chin can go without food for a few days, but it's health is can be seriously compromised if it goes without water for as little as 48 hours.Males Only - Checking for Hair Rings
Male chinchillas can develop a condition called "hair ring:", which occurs when fur gets wrapped around their penis. If the fur is not removed, it can eventually cause severe discomfort and infection.. Therefore, it's necessary to periodically inspect your male's penis. Inspection can be done by sliding the penis away from the foreskin. The fur can be removed by hand. Hair ring unlikely to occur with bachelor chins.Health Issues and Veterinary Care
Chinchillas do not require an annual health checkup or vaccines. Healthy breeding pairs generally produce healthy kits. These kits should remain healthy, if they are provided proper nutrition, clean and fresh water, and a sanitary and safe environment. However, as with any species, chinchillas can develop maladies or can be injured accidentally. It is important to know the signs which might suggest that your chin has a health and/or physical problem. Loss of weight and appetite, loss of fur, severe diarrhea lasting several days, watery eyes, a cough or raspy breathing, and listless behavior are some of the more significant signs of possible health problems. An injury might be suggested by unusual swelling or blood. If any of these signs are observed, it is important that you promptly consult with a licensed veterinarian, trained to treat exotics and/or rodents. Veterinary care can be costly, and options to providing needed care could be unpleasant. A prospective pet owner should consider this, before taking on the responsibility of caring for a new pet. One of the more serious conditions that a chin can develop is known as mal-occlusion. The symptoms are a loss of appetite and slobbering (drooling), which results in having wet fur under its chin. The condition can be hereditary (generally occurring between 18 months and 24 months of age) or acquired (occurring later in a chin's life). Mal-occlusion is a very serious and painful condition for a chinchilla and should not be allowed to go un-treated. If the symptoms described above persist for more than a few days, your chin should be seen by a vet. If you obtain a positive diagnosis for mal-occlusion for a chinchilla purchased from me, please let me know.1. The above information was prepared by Alan Andler, who is not a Licensed Veterinarian, nor does he have any special academic credentials pertinent to the husbandry and/or care of chinchillas. The information is based solely upon his experience as a chinchilla breeder, which commenced in the Summer of 2002 and has continued through December, 2011.