Bringing Your New Chinchilla Home

 

The following guidelines are what we follow in our own herd with great success and we ask all prospective buyers to review these instructions thoroughly before you arrive to pick up your new chinchilla. It is your responsibility to fully research proper care guidelines before you bring your new chinchilla home to ensure the best outcome and to minimize severe stress to the chinchilla which may result in injury, illness, or death.

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• Please thoroughly read our care guide and prepare your new chinchilla’s cage in advance with appropriate items. 

• When you arrive to pick up your new chinchilla, you are expected to bring a suitable carrier for transportation. A small plastic cat carrier or wire carrier for rabbits is acceptable; Please avoid cardboard boxes.

• Ensure the temperature is controlled and does not exceed 70 degrees F during transport to your home as well as in the room where the chinchilla’s cage is located.

• When you get your chinchilla home, place him/her in the cage with a water bottle and some of the food and hay that we send home with you. You may want to place the food and hay near the area where he/she will be likely to hide during the first few days. It is normal for your new chinchilla to be shy and even refuse to eat or drink while you are nearby until it has had time to acclimate. As long as you are still seeing fresh droppings from the chinchilla, there is no need to be alarmed about him/her not seeming to eat (likely, it is waiting for you to leave the room and is snagging a few pieces of food while you aren't looking). If you are noticing complete lack of fresh droppings or very tiny droppings from the chinchilla along with persistent lack of eating/drinking after the first 1-2 days of you bringing him/her home, please reach out to me for guidance before attempting to interfere as it will only place more stress on the chinchilla if done improperly or unnecessarily.

• It is important to allow time alone for your new chinchilla to adjust before you begin handling or attempting to bond with him/her; this typically takes 1-2 days but can take up to a week or more depending on the personality of the chinchilla. We recommend that you do not handle or disturb your new chinchilla (except to perform essential tasks such as feeding) until you see that he/she is comfortable eating and dust bathing in front of you. 

• Do not offer any food or treats other than what we send with you for the first 2-7 days so your chinchilla can adjust to the new environment before any dietary changes occur. When your chinchilla is eating/drinking and seeming comfortable in his/her new home, you may begin slowly mixing in some of the food that you will be using. Do this very gradually, using all of the food that we supplied, over a period of at least 2 weeks. Please refer to our Care Guide for information on selecting an appropriate diet for your chinchilla.

• New chinchillas must be quarantined in a separate room away from any other chinchillas you own for a minimum of 3-4 weeks to allow them time to acclimate as well as to avoid potential transmission of illness. I unfortunately had an individual purchase a chinchilla from me only to bring it home and let it loose in a bedroom for playtime with their other chinchilla to begin introductions to its future cagemate which resulted in the chinchilla not acclimating and dying a couple days later. In addition to the risk of exposing your new chinchilla to illness that you may not be aware of in your existing chinchillas, it is extremely stressful to your new chinchilla to have to navigate introductions to another chinchilla in addition to all the other changes they are acclimating to.

  Your new chinchilla should also not be in direct contact with any other species of animal to avoid risk of illness. Because they are prey animals, it can be highly stressful for chinchillas to have other animals around them especially when they are in a new and unfamiliar environment. Please help your new chinchilla feel safe in its new home by preventing any unnecessary exposures or stimuli while it acclimates.

• WHEN TO BE CONCERNED: It is normal for your new chinchilla to hide and seem uninterested in food or water for the first couple of days, especially if you are hovering around their cage watching them. Place food, hay, and a water bottle near where they hide and leave them be. Please let us know if you notice lethargy, obviously untouched food or water after the first day or two, absence of stool, very tiny droppings, or very mushy or wet droppings that are smearing as these can be signs of bloat, gut stasis, giardia, or other parasitic or bacterial infections. Very warm, red ears can be a sign they are too hot, and if this continues to progress to heat stroke they may start to exhibit more obvious signs of distress such as lethargy, staggering or uncoordinated gait, weakness. If you think your chinchilla is too hot, please act quickly to get their cage to a cooler area and place refrigerated marble or tile in the cage for them to sit on. Fungal infections, or ringworm, can be common in humid climates; if you notice fur loss and flaking or irritation of the skin please check with us as we can assist you in treating this effectively and affordably.

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Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns. I am readily available and am part of a network of highly knowledgable and experienced chinchilla breeders that I can reach out to if I do not know the answer myself.

 

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Cage Selection:

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Chinchillas enjoy cages with plenty of places to perch on or hide in. You can customize most cages yourself fairly easily by adding wood shelves made of kiln dried pine or white wood 2x4’s, 1x6’s, 1x8’s, or 1x12’s cut to the length or width of the cage and fastened with hanger bolts, wing nuts, and washers. Fleece hammocks are a popular addition as well. Please note that you should arrange the shelves/hammocks so that there is no more than a 12” drop from any one area of the cage to the shelf or cage floor below to prevent injuries from falls.

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Many pet owners advocate for allowing the chinchillas to roam outside the cage in an enclosed area indoors for exercise or play-time. This is not recommended by most reputable breeders as chinchillas are prey animals and being placed out in an open area may actually induce stress in them in addition to increasing the risk of heat stroke, hypoglycemia, and seizures as well as significant risk of injury from falls, being stepped on, or escaping from the enclosed area. Additionally, they will chew on any exposed baseboards, wood trim, drywall, electrical cords, furniture etc which will not only damage your home or belongings, but could pose a health risk to them. A cage equipped with plenty of things to chew on and perch on is more than sufficient and will help your chinchilla feel safe.

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Some cage brands that are very popular among chinchilla owners for their size, quality, accessibility (large sturdy doors), and ample room for customization are Ferret Nation, Critter Nation, and All Living Things cages. These usually come with plastic floors and shelves which should either be covered with custom fleece liners or replaced with metal trays with pine shavings, wood, or ceramic tiles. If you opt for fleece liners or ceramic tiles, you may want to place a metal or glass litter pan in the cage with pine shavings so that most of their urine will be contained. Please remove any ramps entirely as chinchillas prefer to jump from ledge to ledge and the ramps get in the way which could cause an injury.

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The biggest safety factors to consider when selecting or building a cage for your chinchilla are:

• Wire spacing: This should ideally be no more than ½”x1” for young chinchillas, and should not exceed 1” for adults. We use 1/2"x1" on all of our cages.

• Size: The smallest overall cage size I recommend for a single pet chinchilla, and the size that we use in our own herd, is 24”x24”x22” but many pet owners go with much larger cages. If you use a larger cage, be sure to provide places for them to hide.

• Material. The cage should be constructed with galvanized or powder coated wire. If wood is utilized in the construction, it should be kiln dried pine or white wood- never cedar or red wood as these can cause respiratory issues. Plastic is never safe as they will chew and ingest it which can result in severe intestinal problems or death. Aquariums or equivalent enclosures without ventilation on the sides are not appropriate as they do not allow for proper air flow and can lead to overheating or respiratory problems.

  **One thing of importance to note is that if your chinchilla ever contracts certain illnesses or fungal infections that are communicable, all wood or other porous items in and on the cage must be discarded to prevent further spread and reinfection. Therefore, cages constructed wholly of galvanized wire and metal that can be sterilized are advisable.**

• Bottom of the cage: It is best if the cage is constructed with a solid galvanized metal tray, or pan, that slides into the bottom so the chinchilla can be directly on the bedding. Wire bottomed cages are not recommended and any wire levels/ledges in the cage should be replaced or removed. If the tray/pan in the bottom is plastic, it will need to be covered with fleece or replaced with a metal pan in order to avoid ingestion of plastic.

• Location of the cage in your home: It is important to note that chinchillas are nocturnal and can be very loud at night when they run around the cage, bounce off the wire walls, and chew on wood. They do fling wood shavings and poop out of their cage quite a bit unless you install guards along the bedding pans and shelves to contain most of it. Additionally, the dust baths, pine shavings, and hay causes quite a bit of dust that will settle on everything in the room and may cause allergies for yourself or family members that share that space. The excessive amount of dust can be a problem if you have electronics or computers in the same room. For these reason, it is often not feasible to place the cage in a bedroom, office, or main part of the house long term.  

• Temperature. Chinchillas have extremely dense fur suited for cold, dry climates. They cannot pant or sweat to regulate their body temperature so they tend to overheat very easily which will kill them if not corrected quickly. Their cage must be located in an air-conditioned room that does not exceed 70 degrees F. 75-80 degrees F can cause heat stroke. It is best to avoid placing their cage fully in direct sunlight from windows even if you use an air conditioner.

 

 

Bedding:

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Safe Bedding Options for the Bottom of Your Cage:

• Kiln dried pine, aspen, or white wood shavings are the most common choice and are what we use in our herd. These should be replaced 1-2 times each week.

• Custom no-pill fleece liners that are fitted to the bottom of the cage or tray/pan. Most people put a glass, ceramic, or metal litter box (such as a baking pan) with wood shavings in it in one section of the cage to encourage the chinchilla to urinate in that place. Chinchillas will not, however, learn to poop in any one location- you will find droppings all over the cage no matter what bedding option you choose. It is also important to note that while fleece is becoming increasingly popular, it does result in much more odor than wood shavings do and will need to be washed 2-3 a week.

• Ceramic tiles fitted to the floor of the cage can be used as an alternative to wood shavings as well, and it is recommended to provide a glass, ceramic, or metal litter box with wood shavings for them to urinate in if using this method.

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Unsafe Bedding:

• Carefresh or any other bedding marketed for animals that is not 100% kiln dried white or pine wood shavings. When ingested, these paper based products expand and are difficult to digest, with high risk of causing severe intestinal impaction.

• Cedar or red wood shavings. These can cause respiratory problems.

• Newspaper or any other paper or cardboard products.

 

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Safe Accessories and Toys:

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Chinchillas are happiest when provided with plenty of items to chew, jump onto, and hide in. Because their teeth are constantly growing, they naturally chew anything they come into contact with, so it is very important to make sure that everything in their cage is safe and will not cause intestinal problems if ingested.

Many items marketed towards chinchillas that are found in pet stores are not safe. The best place to find safe and affordable accessories is to either make them yourself or search for vendors on Etsy that offer the following safe options:

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Safe Items:

• Ledges/perches, wood boxes/hides, or other toys made of kiln dried pine or white wood.

• Fleece hammocks or shelf liners made with no-pill fleece.

• Apple wood/sticks that are washed and dried.

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Unsafe Items:

• Anything plastic or of any material other than kiln dried white wood that can potentially be chewed and ingested

• Enclosed plastic exercise balls such as those used for hamsters. These are deadly for chinchillas due to the lack of air flow which quickly causes chinchillas to overheat.      

• Anything constructed with cedar or red wood (can cause respiratory harm), or held together with rope or glue.

• Painted items or toys; search instead for wood items stained with koolaid or not colored at all.

• Exercise wheels. While these are popular among pet owners, they can sometimes lead to the chinchilla overheating or becoming hypoglycemic and exhibiting seizure-like behavior. We do not use these in our own herd. **If you decide to get a wheel, be sure it is constructed of solid metal (no wire or plastic) and at least 15” in diameter to avoid damage to the chinchilla’s spine. Chin Spin is among the recommended brands.

 

 

Diet:

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The three basic dietary needs of a chinchilla are high quality pellets, hay, and water. Certain treats mentioned below may be given in moderation if desired, but are unnecessary.. 

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Pellets:

Oxbow Essentials and Mazuri are the most commonly recommended pellets within the pet chinchilla community and can be found at most pet stores, though we did not like Mazuri ourselves. In our own herd, we have used and highly recommend Modesto Mills Organic Rabbit and Chinchilla Feed. We currently use Purina Rabbit Chow Show which, though marketed for rabbits, is an excellent, balanced, and affordable pellet well suited for the dietary needs of chinchillas. 

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Avoid any pellets that contain corn in the ingredients list or that are sold with other foods mixed in such as nuts, seeds, fruits/vegetables etc (Kaytee brand is one example). These can lead to serious health problems from the high content of fat and sugars which chinchillas are not designed to eat.

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Pellets should be free-fed, meaning they are always available to the chinchilla. We do not recommend measuring or restricting their intake as they do best if they are allowed to “graze” throughout the day in smaller quantities. This keeps their gut moving and reduces the risk of bloating. If you are feeding a healthy diet, there is no need to worry about your chinchilla becoming overweight.

Hay:

In addition to the pellets, chinchillas should have unlimited access to fresh, loose hay. Alfalfa, Timothy, Bermuda, or Orchard hay (or a mix) will be appropriate for your pet chinchilla.

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Feed stores also sell “hay cubes” which is just alfalfa hay compressed tightly into small, hard cubes. These are excellent additions as they provide another thing to chew on, but these should not replace the loose hay.

Water:

Water should be supplied via a water bottle hung on the outside of the cage, preferably glass. Some great brands that can be found in pet stores are Kaytee and Lixit. In our own herd, we use glass bottles from the Ryerson Chinchilla Ranch that we order online.

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Do not put bowls of water in the cage! Because of the density of a chinchilla’s fur, their fur should never get wet as it can be very difficult to dry them properly without them overheating. Damp fur can result in fungal infections/ringworm.

Treats:

Treats may be given in moderation (recommend no more than one a day) to chins over 6 months of age, but these are not necessary and the less variety in their diet, the better. If you do choose to provide occasional treats, be sure the following are pesticide free and are properly washed and dried.

 

SAFE TREATS:    

• Rose Hips/buds/petals (dried)

• Dried apple sticks

• Dried Goji berries

• Dried Hibiscus flowers

• Dried chamomile           

• Dried Dandelion (the entire plant may be used- roots, leaves, stems, and flowers)

• Bee pollen

• Dried Rosemary

• Dried red raspberry leaves

• Dried peppermint

• Dried Jasmine

• Dried lavender

• Dried apple blossoms  

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SAFE TYPES OF WOOD (WASHED, DRIED, AND PESTICIDE FREE)

• apple

• ash

• aspen

• bamboo

• blackberry

• cholla

• cottonwood

• grapevine

• kiln-dried pine (do not give the bark or pinecones as they contain sap)

• poplar

               

Avoid These Foods:

• Fruits and vegetables of any kind (fresh or dried)

• Nuts and seeds

• Any human food or other type of food not listed in the pellet, hay, and treat recommendations above
   

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Grooming:

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Breeders who show their chinchillas use special fine-toothed metal combs to groom their chinchillas but this is unnecessary if you are not intending to participate in shows as these combs are expensive.

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The only type of grooming that your pet chinchilla will require is dust baths 1-2 times per week. Place about ¼ cup of dust (we use and recommend Chill Dust purchased from RDZC Chinchilla Ranch or from the Chill Dust website directly) into a metal or glass container large enough for the chinchilla to roll around in. Smaller chinchillas can fit into a 1 gallon glass jar. Larger chinchillas or groups of chinchillas may require a cake pan, large bowl, or something similar. Leave this in the cage for 10-15 minutes and remove. You may re-use the dust next time (add to it if necessary) or pour the remaining dust that is left in their bath container over their bedding in the cage. If you desire to comb your pet chinchilla, RDZC Ranch does sell an affordable pet grooming kit.

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Never bathe your chinchilla with water.

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Handling Your Chinchilla:

 

Chinchillas, by nature, are not cuddly and generally do not sit still in your lap or in your arms. There are exceptions; but most prefer to hop onto your hands and arms at their own leisure and do not enjoy being picked up and held for very long against their will.  

 

The best way to bond with your chinchilla and get them used to being handled by you is to place your hands in the cage and be very still until they come up to you. Over time, they will eventually start to hop onto your hands more and more readily and may even be comfortable with you moving them out of the cage to be carried around.

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If you need to pick up your chinchilla for any reason and cannot wait for them to hop onto your hands voluntarily, the safest way to do so is to grasp and pick them up with the fingers of one hand firmly gripping the very base of the tail, then lift them out of the cage and rest their legs on your other hand or arm while continuing to keep a firm grip of the base of the tail. It is ok to pick them up momentarily solely by the base of the tail but once they are caught, the tail-hold serves to prevent them from escaping or falling while their full body weight is supported by their feet and body resting on your arm or another surface. This does not hurt the chinchilla and is far safer than picking them up by catching them around the rib cage which can cause damage to the lungs and/or neurological system. Many chinchillas will screech and/or emit an odor from a scent gland in the anus when picked up by the tail; this simply means they are frightened at being caught and unable to escape and does not mean that you are hurting them! 

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Chinchilla History, Health, Breeding, Genetics, and other topics:

 

Our good friend at RDZC Chinchilla Ranch has a lot of great information on her website that we highly recommend you read!

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