Before adopting a chinchilla, there are some things you should know about them. First, Chinchillas are nocturnal animals, getting most of their sleep during daylight hours. They are light sleepers and will awake during the day for a snack or drink. Second, chinchillas teeth grow continuously all of their lives. As a result, they gnaw on things to keep their teeth from getting too long. It is essential that they be furnished with appropriate materials to chew on. Wood can be from pine, apple, or pear trees. Many other woods can be toxic. Other items, such as pumice stones and chew sticks, are available at pet stores. If chinchillas are allowed to run loose out of their cages, they will chew on furniture, woodwork, and electrical wires, which can cause fatalities. Third, chinchillas are vegetarians with sensitive digestive systems. Their principal diet consists of pellets and hay. Specially formulated chinchilla pellets and alfalfa or timothy hay are recommended. Chinchillas love treats such as shredded wheat, raisins, and other dried fruit. However, too much fruit can cause diarhea and too much shredded wheat can cause constipation. Fourth, chinchillas are delicate animals and should be handled carefully. Chinchillas don't like to be held very firmly and holding one too tightly can cause serious injury.

Daily maintenance is limited to giving your chinchilla fresh food and hay and filling the water bottle, as needed. We replace the bottle with fresh water every other day and wash the bottle in soap and warm water every weeks. The best material to use for litter is white pine shavings. It can be safely eaten by your chin. The litter pan and any solid surfaces should be cleaned at least weekly, and the shavings should be replaced with fresh shavings. The cage wire itself should be scrubbed with a bleach solution at least twice a year. Nine parts water to one part bleach is safe and effective.

Chinchillas groom themselves, and two chinchillas will groom one another. They bathe themselves in a container, called a dust bath, which is about the size of a 1-gallon aquarium and is filled with about six ounces of a dust material, obtainable at most pet shops. The dust removes excess oils from a chinchillas skin which can cause the fur to appear matted. The dust bath can be put in the cage for about thirty minutes, two or three times a week. We sprinkle desenex in the dust to prevent fungi. We wash our dust baths thoroughly and put fresh dust in them about once a month. We add an ounce or two of dust after each use.

It is not necessary to take a chinchillas to a veterinarian for an annual checkup. However, chinchillas can suffer health disorders which will require medical intervention. A lethargic animal or one who has lost significant weight (15% or more) should be taken to a vet promptly. Slobbering (drooling) is also evidence of a potentially serious oral health problem, and should prompt a visit to the vet. If you own a chinchilla, it's a good idea to become familiar with other symptoms of serious health problems and it's also important that you identify veterinarians in your area who are experienced in treating chinchillas; some vets will not treat chinchillas.