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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July 9th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
L,
Chinchillas are pretty skittish to begin with. It is likely they will be jumpy around strangers. They may even be jumpy around you.
And yes, chinchillas will try to crawl through tight spaces. They seem to enjoy it. They're also good at pulling at things to widen spaces so they can fit through them.
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:29 pm
One more question I forgot! My bedroom doors have cracks underneath, so if I let the chinchilla out to play, do they try to run into weird crevices?
Thanks again so much! I really appreciate it!
-L
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I'm adopting an adorable baby chin who is barely 2 months old. Seeing as how I will be the primary caretaker, does this mean he will become clingy to me and be snooty to others? I had that problem when I had a bird who I took care of from a very young age. Didn't take well to others. Thanks for helping!
-L
June 26th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
hey im 14 and im thinking of getting a chinchilla… ive been begging my parents for a year and they still havent budged what can i do to convince them?
June 24th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Thanks for all your help. I just need to know if it's normal for a chin (mine's around 4 months old) to sleep through part of the night even during the times it's supposed to be active. Thanks again.