We've come across some interesting facts about chinchillas during our research. Here's a list of things that don't quite fit in with other pages on this site.
- Chinchilla fur is considered the softest in the world and is thirty times softer than human hair.
- Chinchillas must regularly bathe in dust or volcanic ash to remove oil and moisture that gathers in their thick fur.
- Chinchillas have the highest fur density of any land animal with more than 20,000 hairs per square cm. Their fur is so dense that skin parasites (such as fleas) cannot live on one lest they suffocate. Whereas humans grow one hair from each follicle, a chinchilla has more than fifty hairs from a single follicle.
- They are agile jumpers and can jump up to five feet above their head.
- Martha Stewart has 15 pet chinchillas.
- Chinchillas have no dander, which is the leading cause to pet related allergies.
Sources:
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Chintasia
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i am getting a chinchilla in a couple of days and i am kind of nervous people say they are hard to keep alive and i dont want to spend over 200 dollars for something that will die in a couple of weeks.
as long as the have a food bowl water and the love and attention of a caring owner they will flourish with you
make sure you keep the temp in the 70ish range or they will overheat
I have four chinchillas, two silver mosaic males, and two females, grey and a beige velvet. Both pairs have cages that are about 3 feet wide by 5 1/2 feet with wheels and four levels. The bigger the better, for them to get exercise! they also have a playpen for their dust bath with a little "dust" house, you just have to watch them because they will jump out if they have a chance. A top helps but even so they need to supervised Our one female heads up the stairs to her "room" when she gets away from us, the females seem a little more skittish than the males, could just be ours, but they all have very distinct personalities. What I did with ours, which seems to have worked is i put my hand in their cage and (you have to patience and "out-wait" them and eventually they will come up to your hand and will even "taste" you a lil bit!! You should give them alfalfa when they are little, and timothy hay when they get older. I also found that it helps if you rub your hand in hay, it disguises the human smell.... or at least it makes them more comfortable but mine have gotten to the point that they just climb in my lap and then I pick them up to bring them down to their dust bath. The baby boy now barks a me when he wants to come out, which is all the time!! Another note, be careful with babies, even adults actually, they can squeeze through very small spaces very quickly and are very hard to catch when they don't want to be caught. Another suggestion for extra exercise for the Chins, is to find a space ( i use our one bathroom which has marble and is quite large and not too many things in it for them to get hurt) and really let them run around!! Ours like to slide into our (empty) hot tub and then jump back out!! Wierd, but they seem to enjoy it, hysterical to watch and the marble keeps it a little cooler for them too!! Just note that if you're using a bathroom make sure there are no detergents of any kind that they can nibble on, that goes for any rooom with wires, plastics, etc. And they make noise too, we have a room just for the chinchillas, if their in your bedroom they may keep you up at night. Also on a last note, be careful when you introduce chinchillas to each other, they can gang up on each other and bit and even kill an unknown chinchilla, that's how we ended up with four. We tried to introduce our little "Cinnamon" to our other two chins and they chased her and terrorized her to the extent that I couldn't leave her in cage with them (always supervise them when there is a new one even if they look like they're getting along, they would've killed her (they are a very bonded pair), and I tried everything, same dustbath (so they all had same smell), putting cages side by side, letting them see and smell each other but separated by wire, nothing worked. thus, we ended up with a second mosaic male who is a hysterical little man!! He and our little girl settled in and now they're bonded too!! Suggestion, if you are debating getting another at some point (they do better with another chin than alone), see if you can bring your chin with you to test them to see if they are compatable, and I would do it while they are still young, they seem to get more aggressive to new chins as they grow older!! They should be in temperatures from 60 to 70 degrees with as little humidity in the room as you can, they can overheat and die (we got a air conditioner for their room so we regulate their room temp.) And don't ever put them in hamster ball, there is not enough air and they can get very hot inside and again, they can die (signs are staying very still on their sides and sometimes panting, they do not sweat). Never dress them up in clothes, makes them hotter. Oh and rabbits are said to carry diseases communicable to chins, guinea pigs seem to be okay, they get along o.k., but it's no contest, chins are much smarter and if you keep their cages clean, pretty odorless. They need a clean environment (as best you can), they can get poop in their fur and it can be hard to get out, they also need to be brushed periodically, you will be able to tell when they need to be brushed just a little bit (tiny pieces of their hair will stick out). Sorry this is so long but I figure that it is better to know the details rather than find out the hard (and deadly to chins) way, we almost lost our orignal two when the temps went over 80, I ran out and got air conditioner, gave them ice in little bowls tht they could chew on and put icebags on top of cage to lower the temp with towel over ice bag. i hope this helps you!!
Brianna this is Chelsie again i just wanted to let you Know that im 17yrs. old and that i had gotta my 2 chinchillas(Snowflake & Ruby) from a Chinchilla Breeder in Vista,CA The owners are really nice elderly people and there son helps too. They have been breeding chinchillas since 1966 and the chinchillas come in a variety of colors and they know everything about chinchillas and i meen everything literally. They sell chinchilla food, every type of chinchilla suppys, chinchilla toys, they do daycare(like if you go on a trip and can't take your chinchilla with you they will take care of your chinchilla until you get back), they even are like doctors they prescribe medication for anything if your chinchilla isnt feelin good, they sell chinchillas, and they are the one stop shop for all your chinchillas needs you wouldnt need to go store to store just to find something for your chinchilla You should really check it out its the best place to go for all of your chinchillas needs. You can either go there in person, talk to them by phone, email them, or even fax. just go to this website http://www.valleyviewchinchillas.com/index.html and you will find all the info. there. Have fun with your little on and Good Luck
Im getting a baby chinchilla in a week and im nervous.Im afraid she might jump when i hold her.I want her to not be afraid and trust me.This is my very first chinchilla and i have NO experience what so ever.Do you have any advice or anything that will ease me?
Hi Brianna there's no point in saying he/she won't jump when you try hold your chinchilla
at first chinchillas a very scared and they will run i u try
and hold it you need to bare with ur new baby and eventually it will
ease with you, I got Rico last month and he is only now begining to
let me hold him the trick is to Plamouse him with a treat like a raisin (they love them)
but not every day and just take things slow with them
best of luck pet with your new furry friend let me know how you get on x
Hi Brianna i posted a reply but i dont know if it posted so Im replying again, basically Chinchillas are nervous little things so when u get ur chin it will be a little jumpy and will try to wriggle out of your arms. you need to give ur new friend time and let him/her get to know u and they will eventually trust you. Instead of grabbing your chinchilla when u want to hold it, try plamousing it with a Raisin (they love them) but not everyday and you chinchilla will learn to trust you. I have my Rico a month now and he is only now beginning to let me hold him. Its all about being patient and the trick is not to rush them or you will make your chinchilla very nervous and afraid but if you give it time you will have a new best friend in no time
Hope this helps pet and best of luck with ur new furry baby let me know how you are getting on
Colina
I'm 12 years old. And i have two chinchillas right now. they are one of the best animals (except for dogs) chinchillas are actually really easy to old when they get older just grab them by the tail to pick them up (i'm not kidding) But when their younger cup them in your hand because they basically have no bones at all so don't squeeze then just make sure to hold their body so they won't get out of your hand. Make sure they have a pretty big cage and an area you can let them out. Don't give them peanuts and VERY LITTLE raisons. Goodluck! i'm so excited for you!
Hi. I am a chinchilla breeder in Iowa. I just had to comment on your post because it was very disturbing. NEVER pick a chinchilla up by the tail, they can break easily and then more often then not require amputation. My chins love crainberries and goji berries(dried) as well as dandilion leaves(dried), popcorn(with no additives, made for rabbits, but if you get it still on the cob from a farm its good too.) and apple twigs as treats.
hello Brianna i have had 2 chinchillas and when you hold your baby chinchilla you would 1st want to cup one of ur hands and put it towards ur chest then you take your other hand and place your chinchilla in that cuped hand then make that hand into a cuped shape and place it right above where your first hand, make sure you have your chinchilla completly covered against you and make sure your hands are tight and not loose because they will get a bit squermy and try to get out of your hands, you also will need to try and stay calm because the chinchilla will sence that if your not and then she will try a little bit harder to get out of your hands, dont squeeze your hands to tight because she will feel squezzed and become scared. For her to trust you, you will need to first respect her space so when you bring her home and put her in a cage or where ever you are going to keep her in wait about a week or two so that she can get used to her serounding then slowly after the first week or two put your hand flat next to her cage door and let her come up to you, she may wanna come smell you or get on your hand but make sure you dont move your hand away as she does this remain calm and she wont be scared(first time doing this you might get a little bit jumpy and accidently remove your hand quickly but if you do just close her cage door and let her calm down then you can try again later) and remember it will take some time for her to adjust to everything around her including the people associating with and around her so you gotta be patient and i know you might get egger and want to hold her and play with her and all that as soon as possible but in order for her not to be afraid of you or not trust you, you will need to do it on her terms which meens let her come to you, respect her space, be patient, and gradually she will begin to trust you and not be afraid and thats when you and her will become great friends
hope everything goes well Good Luck 
if you have any more question about everything regarding chinchillas go to this webite http://www.valleyviewchinchillas.com and everything will be answerd for you.
i have a pet chinchilla named Herbie. i got him about four years ago when he was a baby. is it odd that he doesnt really like his ball. he always wants to come out of his cage but once i do he never wants to go in and once he's in he just sits there and doesnt move. i wanna make sure he gets his exercise but then again he's always in his wheel. .... another thing. i've had him for so long and he's still extremely nervous around me and he lives in my room and i always interact with him.
Sometimes chinchillas prefer being in the company of other chinchillas, as opposed to their owners. Also, when you pick up your chin, if you grab him around the middle, it makes them skittish. I don't know if that's what you do, but it may contribute to the problem. Chinchillas do not like a lot of commotion, but they do enjoy it when you talk to them. Chinchillas have there ways of getting exercise on their own, even in cages. No chinchilla wants to go back in its cage once its been let out. To keep from grabbing him when he goes back in, coax him with a treat. I hope you have luck with Herbie. Best wishes, Madison
Hey ray. I have 8 Chins (2 male 6 Female). I started with 3 about six months ago.
1. Chins don't like hamster balls. Their tails are not as flexible as mice and rats and their foot/toe bones are more fragile and can break easily.
2. Training needs a system based on three things: Timing, Consistency and Patience.
Timing- Chins are more comfortable after sunset. They will tend to hide if its too early because almost anything can eat them.
- I coincide playtime with feeding and treats. I start with a familiar noise thats easy to remember (I like tapping the cage bars). Once everybody is in a specific 'treat' spot, I give each one half a raison. Then I open the cage to cue the 'exit'. Once they are out, close the cage to make sure he doesn't return until playtimes finished.
-During playtime you should relax and let the Chin come to you. If you chase him, he will run.
-Near the end of playtime, refill the food dish. This adds incentive for their return. BUT DON'T LET HIM IN YET.
-When YOU are calm and ready, open the cage and tap the bars like before, cueing his return. When he arrives, close the cage and give another half raison.
Consistency- Always stay as close to the pattern as possible. If you vary too much the training can be undone. If you don't have the time some nights, don't try to make up for it that day. They are much less outgoing and cooperative during daylight hours. Its instinctual.
Patience- Learning takes time. Teaching takes more time. He will not get it for awhile. And sometime he'll forget. And sometimes you'll forget. One thing that will always happen is if You are on edge, He will be, and he'll hide. Try your best to take deep calming breathes and relax. Talking about anything not exciting helps.
**Take some time to reset the old behavior before starting the system. Keep him in cage for about four(4) days, starting the *Sound*-*Half Raison*-*Food*- *Sound*-*Half Raison*
**Any Treat Begins With *Sound*
Good Luck, sincerely,
Me and the '8' (ChurchDoor, KillfaceDeathRabbit, Pepper, Oni-X, Sometimes-Y, Che-Z, Seven and 4Sale)
I have a chinchilla named Niko and He is very jittery but very lovable. chinchillas should be in a room 60 to 70 degrees. They need to grind down their teeth so you should buy wood toys at petsmart or petco. Also, they need at least 2 hours of exercise out of their cage. Last, you should give them 2 raisins a day. I hope you found this helpful!:)