If you were to ask a pet chinchilla owner if chinchillas make good pets, you'll probably get an earful of all the care and maintenance they require. Only after getting through a laundry list of items will the owner respond with, "Yes, we think chinchillas are great!" Admittedly, we're the same way.
Responsible pet owners want to make sure that you're truly ready for the responsibility of caring for a chinchilla. Not because we don't want you to have one, but because we care so much about them that we want all chinchillas to live in perfect homes. We've already presented our list of reasons why not to have a chinchilla, so now we're going to get in to the more positive aspects.
- First off, they're really cute combining the features of a rabbit (body), mouse (ears), and squirrel (tail).
- Their fur is the softest thing you'll probably ever touch.
- They're fun to watch when let loose from their cage as they'll run, hop, and bounce off of the walls.
- Once your chinchillas trust you, they will be happy to run over to you and crawl on your legs, arms, and even in to your shirt.
- They don't need to be taken outside like a dog.
- They don't need a huge area to live in like a cat and dog.
- They don't bark when you leave the house, chirp early in the morning, or scratch at your bedroom door at night.
- They don't smell (although the cage can if you don't clean it often).
- Chinchillas are generally healthy animals that usually don't need vet visits.
Can you think of any other items we missed? Feel free to mention them below.
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i used to never know what a chinchilla was, until last year i really wanted a pet because i've never had one of my own, i was only aloud to have a small, cage critter. at first i wanted a bunny, so i looked up info about bunnies and then i found out what a chinchilla looked like, then i HAD to have one. cute furry and playful. i was so excited! i looked up everything i could know about them. i noticed that there was allot i needed to do in order to make sure my chinchilla was a healthy one. i told my grandmother about it and she thought it was the cutest thing ever. so for my birthday (last year) she said i can have a chinchilla that i've been talking about for like two months. he's light gray and super friendly. at first he was very shy, but we grew pretty close. i've had him for a year now, and i love him. he's very silly. he tries to do little flips against the wall. its really really funny. i love him!!!
i have a chinchilla named midnight and she is a black velvet. she is the most softest,most playful,and the most cutest thing in the
world. i have had her for almost a year and she is a amazing creature. i looked online for some reasearch about them and i found out some interesting stuff. first of all they are playful,curious,and smart. also did you know that they are thirty times softer
than human hair.also they can jump up to five feet.bugs cant get in there fur because there fur is so thick.
I just got an 8 month old chinchilla from a friend of mine who also owns a 'ma and pa' pet store. Every time I would visit him and purchase feeder fish and pellets for my turtles, I would eyeball this chinchilla. I'd go visit him and talk to him, sometimes holding him. After much research and contemplation (we're talking almost 6 months now) I went in just one week ago and decided I wanted to take him home this time.
In just one week I am so much happier, not to mention calmer, with him in my own.
I named him Spicolli as he is so calm and relaxed, and watching him makes me think of Spicolli (Fast Times at Ridgemont High). He lays there on my chest with his eyes closed, his little head resting on me.
He also is very tolerant of the fact that my 3.5 year old is constantly running over to pet and kiss him.
I'm so happy I bought Spicolli, but can't help but wonder why I waited so long.
Rachel, I have to say that your comment is my favorite by far that I've read on this site. I've often found myself sad for the chinchillas that belong to some of these people! Prior to getting Virgil, I bought several books and researched the net thoroughly to be certain my chin would have the very best care she could get. Unfortunately, some people really don't understand the simplicity of caring for them or the importance of the "rules" to follow. They are amazing pets! I've never had a pet that I loved more than Virgil. She's the best! I'm really glad that you and your husband have such an awesome pet too! Congrats on your new baby!!
PS- I LOVE NINJILLA!!! That's hilarious! I cannot tell you how many times I have called Virgil my Lil Ninja! haha That's awesome!
My husband and I, to celebrate our engagement, bought a chinchilla 2 years ago. We named him Dave Chinchizzle. (An ode to his parents, their names were Chinchi and Chilli). Right now he is housed in a dog kennel cage (pretty big, but no shelving (I bought him some parrot perches, a bathhouse, an igloo, and fanagled him a shelf out of a smallish piece of lumber) or catch tray at the bottom) but we are looking into getting him some new real estate.
Among his favorite treats are cherries, grapes, blueberries, apple slices, roasted almonds, every once in a while we give him a tortilla chip, salted , and ritz crackers. We have also found that instead of room temp fruit, he REALLY likes it frozen! I figure it also is a good temp thing for him, but he scarfs down frozen fruit, and leaves the non-frozen stuff. We give him one piece of frozen fruit (unless its blueberries, we give him three of those, cause they are tiny), one almond, and only every once in a while a cracker or chip. On top of that we make sure that he has plenty of hay, pellets, water, a salt block, and lots of nibbles for his teeth (wood, and one of those critter chews made of alfalfa, which I have also turned into a shelf for him - a critter log attached upside down to the top of the cage near his food shelf makes an excellent hidey hole).
We spend about 15 quality minutes with him a day, every day. Its hard to find time to spend more - we both just finished college, we have a 5 month old baby, we are moving soon, etc. But Dave is AWESOME and likes to be petted on the head and neck, about half the time, he lets me stroke him down his back, and KNOWS what that big container means - bath time! My hubby also nicknamed him Ninjilla - we once found him escaped from his cage...in a closed drawer...
I have to say, he is probably one of the best pets I have EVER had. We love the fact we are going to have him for a long time. He is also great entertainment, and my small nephew (3 years old) enjoys watching him, and feeding him his daily treat.
that was supposed to be salted roasted almonds, heh
My boyfriend and I just recently took in a chin that wasn't cared for the greatest...He is just the sweetest thing you could ask for...I went and got him the dust bath, timothy hay, and food he'll actually eat (the food they had he didn't like), treats and most recently raisins...He likes the raisins and really seems to like the timothy hay...He's in our bedroom by the computer desk so everytime we sit down at the computer he climbs up on his hut and wants attention so I usually take him out and hold him while I'm on here...They are the greatest pet to have...Now that I have one I want more...
The only thing that you need to worry about is the fact that all chinchillas are diabetic. It's not the kind that we are concerned about, they don't need daily shots, but that is why they have created specific treats and food combinations for them. That is probably why the chinchilla didn't enjoy the food it was given before.
I do believe that you are incorrect and need to be brought up. All Chinchilla's are not diabetic and diabetes is as dangerous for chins as for humans. I could not find one story on Google to back up you statement Amanda so please give me your source. I also asked a pet store who owns chins.