Chinchilla Habitat Guide

What home should I have prepared for my chinchilla?

Cage Conditions and Dimensions

Suggested cage, 7.5 cubic feet, all metal, $52
Cage: Large Small Animal Sugar Glider
Chinchilla Ferret Rat Mice Cage
K705h

A chinchilla cage can have many different combinations of dimensions, as long as the dimensions add up to more than 6 cubic feet of space (length (ft) x width (ft) x height (ft)= Cubic feet of total space in cage), just make sure the cage isn't too short in height and too skinny in length/width. Besides dimensions, composition of the cage must be sturdy. Cage walls should comprise of metal bars, whilst the floor should be metal mesh or a solid metal plate (NO PLASTIC!!!). In cages with plenty of upward space, platforms are a great addition for the cage, just as long as its metal. Plastic is not recommended because chinchillas can easily destroy it given enough time and is unhealthy to ingest. Plastic platforms are only meant to temporarily stay until metal platforms are installed. Also have room for accessories such as marble slabs and wooden perches (again, no plastic allowed). (Pro tip: later ramps can be removed when chinchillas are used to jumping, so chinchillas can leap from platform to platform given their superb agility; but permanently kept platforms should be metallic, NOT PLASTIC!). 

Water Dropper, KAYTEE Brand,
Comes with cage attaching equipment

Marble slabs are also a must, because in hot temperatures, chinchillas seek a cold surface to sprawl across to cool off; so getting this will help keep your chinchilla comfortable (1 slab per chinchilla). Wooden perches are also a good way for chinchillas to amuse themselves and wood is edible by chinchillas, so if chinchillas do develop a chewing habit: wood perches are a healthy option. There must also be room for a food bowl (no plastic) and a leaky water bottle (dropper). Chinchillas cannot get wet, so no water bowls; instead get a leaky water bottle so when chinchillas are thirsty, they can press their tongue against the bottle nozzle to drink the oncoming water droplets to hydrate. Leaky water bottles can also be purchased with attachment gear to the side of the cage, so the nozzle can fit through the bars and attach to the cage to be secured. 

Environmental Conditions

In terms of atmospheric conditions, the cage should be placed in a room where people are not present too often to reduce body heat and humidity (preferably someplace dry and cooler). The thermostat should be cooler than 71 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them comfortable. You can till if a chinchilla is becoming overheated if they seem constantly exhausted and their ears are turning a shade of red. The cage should be cleaned out daily to preserve good sanitation given their potty routine. Pest control should be kept up to code, just a huge suggestion to keep chins happy. Lastly, avoid going overkill on chemicals to clean chinchilla cages, as the exposed chinchilla feet are kind of sensitive to that. Chemicals can be extremely effective, just avoid using too much.

North Star Rescue. "A Guide to Pet Chinchilla Cages." North Star Rescue. North Star Rescue, 2014.             Web. 16 Mar. 2016. http://www.northstarrescue.org/pet-care-information/pet-chinchilla-care/145-a-guide-to-pet-chinchilla-cages


Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Introducing Chinchillas. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 26 Feb.              2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/introducing_chinchillas.html

Are Chinchillas the Right Pet for You?

Some things to consider

Pros

Chinchillas have pros and cons on how difficult it is to care for versus other small animals. For the pros, chinchillas do not require grooming (unless extremely necessary) or manual bathing, just give them a powder bath every 2 days and they should be good. Chinchillas are also very independent and are nocturnal, so they do not require much attention for those kinds of relaxed owners. Feeding is also easy, just make sure you give your chinchilla 2 teaspoons of pellets per day (1 pellet for breakfast, 1 for dinner) and give them a handful (or 2) of hay every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Buying a 5 pound bag of pellets should last a chinchilla well for a couple months. No manual dental care is also a plus, just give them something to chew on (wood block, pumice stone, but NO PLASTIC!) to keep their teeth down and they should be good (and make sure to give them their hay too, chinchillas grind their teeth while eating hay is the biggest method they use to keep their teeth from growing out). 

Cons

Cons do exist, on the other hand, as nothing is all sunshine and rainbows. Chinchillas are very sensitive to their environment, so keep their room temp somewhere below 71 degrees (Fahrenheit). Another con (and the biggest) is when chinchilla gets sick, because they barely show symptoms. It is difficult to tell if a chinchilla is ill, and more importantly it is not cheap getting them treated, because they are exotic animals (so it is more difficult to treat by default). Another big con is chinchillas need to avoid having their fur coats exposed to water. Water will moisten their coats to the point where it will not dry properly on its own, inviting unwanted visitors such as fungus, killing your beloved little furry pet. The next con is that chinchillas go potty constantly, so their cage must have all poops in it removed daily. Do a deep clean of the cage (using some soap and water then drying with a towel) weekly to keep it sanitary for your little guy. If the floor has bedding on the floor, change it out weekly as well. The last con is the cost of getting a cage. On one of my later blogs, I will cover habitat standards. The cage needs to be large compared to other small animal cages, and chinchillas will also need a large area to run around in for occasional recess. Also chinchillas love to chew on EVERYTHING, so keep chinchillas away from things you do not want them getting their powerful teeth on.

Overall

Caring for chinchillas is unique, but just as difficult as caring for a rabbit or a hamster. Chinchillas can make really nice pets if you are proficient in pet sanitation and care. Chinchillas are definitely not the cheapest to have around, but they can make some pretty awesome pets. However, people have different preferences for pets. If you want a pet that is more dependent on you (like dogs), then chinchillas may not be the best option. Chinchillas can be a challenge at first, but later you get the hang of the routine and your chinchilla will be a humble addition to your home.

Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Introducing Chinchillas. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 26 Feb.              2016. http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/introducing_chinchillas.html

Poli, Mirella. "TIP OF THE MONTH !" Chinchilla Teeth. Mirella Poli, 2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
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