One of the questions that we're asked is whether it is safe to take a chinchilla on trips. Our general response is that taking your chinchilla on your travels is a bad idea.
The reasons for our response are many. Here are the top reasons to NOT travel with your chinchilla:
- Chinchillas are skittish to begin with. Moving them outside of their familiar surroundings can cause them great stress.
- If you move them very frequently, they may learn to associate your presence with the move and thus stopping trusting you.
- You don't have as much control with the environment when you travel. As a result, you may put your chinchillas in situations where the temperature and/or humidity are high enough to kill them.
- The more moving, the more likely your chinchillas will become physically harmed e.g. broken leg.
We also understand that sometimes you have no choice but to take your chinchilla with you. Breeders that attend shows are obviously taking their chinchillas to different locations with no ill-effects. So it is quite possible to do successfully. We do hope that you'll carefully examine your plans and make sure that at all stages you've considered the implications to your chinchillas.
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August 2nd, 2006 at 8:49 pm
I have 2 pet chinchillas and I was wondering if I can travel with them to my parents house. Their house is about 700 miles away but I know they would love to see my 2 adorable chins. I know it is not recommended to travel with them but if I were to travel with them in a car what would be the best way to transport them. I read that traveling during the night would be best because that is when they would be most alert. Can you please give me your comments. Thanks!
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:13 pm
Jenn,
So far we haven't needed to travel with our chinchillas and so we don't have first hand experience. The biggest thing that you'll want to pay attention to is heat. In small cages in your car with the sun beaming it is quite possible that your chinchillas will get too hot. They're not as tolerant as people are. Traveling at night will also help eliminate the risk of too much heat from the sun.
August 17th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Hi. I was wondering if it would cause my chinchilla harm to have my friends over to see her. My friends are very excited about it and they want to hold her all day long. It's good to give her cuddled, but will it make her scared?
August 17th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
If your chinchilla squirms around and tries to jump out of your or your friend's hands, then that means you are scaring her.
September 24th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
I took my chinchillas with me when I went to visit my parents. We had left late in the afternoon around 5, so the sun would be going down soon and while the sun was still up a little the chinchillas sat and pouted. Then as soon as it got dark they were running around the cage and running on their wheel like they weren't even in a car. We took emergency frozen bottles to keep them cool incase it got too hot, but since we traveled at night it was pretty cool and the chinchillas didn't seem to mind.
Then when we got to my parents house I thought that the chinchillas would be reserved and not want to greet everyone like they normally do but I was very wrong. They had an awesome time running around the kitchen and just doing their little jumps and bounces off the walls. I suppose that might have been because I was there with them but they just made themselves at home. All in all the trip went very well. However, I would not recommend traveling with chinchillas a lot, because I believe that would cause them a lot of stress.
September 24th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Sounds like you carefully planned each element of the trip. We're glad to hear things worked out. Well done!
January 12th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Where should I look for information about flying with a chinchilla?
January 12th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Chinchilla_grrl,
We don't know of a good resource. The first thing you'll want to check is whether the airline you plan to use allows it. Other than that, you'll want to make sure you have the usual things covered such as temperature, safety, and food/water if the trip is a long one.
Good luck!
August 13th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
What tempeture is exactly too hot for your chinchilla and are there any airlines that allow chinchillas?are there any saftey issues or things I shoud purchase to make sure my chinchilla is out of harms way?
August 14th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Katie,
There is no exact temperature that is too high because humidity is a factor as well, but generally the upper limit is considered to be 75 degrees. We don't know of any specific airlines that allow chinchillas but the trickiest part will be explaining what they are. It probably makes sense to ask if they allow rabbits or guinea pigs and once you get a yes to move in to the area of chinchillas.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:09 am
Hi Katie:
I just relocated and brought my chinchilla on the plane with me (Westjet). I think it was a very stressful experience for him since he urinated all over himself while travelling.
Also, rabbits, small cats and dogs are allowed in the cabin with you. Chinchillas are not and the airline I travelled with specified chinchillas as having to go under the plane. If I had had him with me I'm sure I could have kept him calmer.
That being said, I watched him being loaded into the plane and the Westjet staff treated him with care and concern, sat with him until right before take off, and generally treated him the same way I would.
He's still recovering and seems to be more cuddly and "needy" than before. He's slowly calming down though. I've been here a week now.
Good luck!