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.
Entries (RSS)
June 24th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Ann-Marie,
Chinchillas can be coaxed to come out and play even during the day. Sometimes we give them a dust bath in the morning before proceeding to clean their cage and they don't seem to care that it's daytime. We've also seen our chinchillas eat their pellets during the day.
June 24th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Hello there,
First and foremost, I wanted to thank you for your prompt response to my question regarding the appropriate room temperature for a chin. Being a first-time owner, I have another question on a different topic - sleep patterns.
I noticed that although my chin is active mostly at night, he rests on and off during the night. On one occasion, I gently prodded him to come out of his cage and play which he did, hopping about energetically. My question is - do chins sleep for 8 straight hours or does it vary?
Thanks once again for all your help.
June 18th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I'm seriously considering getting a chinchilla, mostly because they're EXTREMLEY CUTE. I just wanted to say that my friend has three chinchillas, two of which get along perfectly, and while playing with them for what seemed like hours, I discovered that they're the perfect pet for me! Your site, Chinchilla Planet, has informed me with extra information needed for caring for them, thank you so much!
May 20th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Amber,
Check out our dust bath article.
May 20th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
I was thinking about getting a chinchilla, but I'm not sure how the whole dust, dirt, sand bath thing works? Can anyone give me an answer?