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Lifespan

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One big plus to chinchillas is that they have fairly long lives at 10-20! years!

 

But that is also a big commitment. If you are someone who is unsure of their future, they may not be the best for you if you can not commit to that long of a life.

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Diet

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Diet, as with most pets, plays a major role in their health. Chinchillas have a diet more like a rabbit but more strict. They need constant timothy hay and a hay pellet. They can't have many treats at all outside of some very much in moderation- bee pollen, flowers. They should never have fruits or vegetables or people food. 

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This can be a turn-off to some rat people, as rats have a varied diet and can have many snacks. I have heard a few people say this was a major con to chinchillas because they enjoy giving treats to their pets often. And you just really cant with chinchillas. 

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I feed OXBOW essential chinchilla food. (In the red bag)

I also give Oxbow Timothy hay. 

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Cage & Environment

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As I said above, they need a large busy cage. A double critternation cage is ideal for even one chinchilla. They must have absolutely ZERO plastic. Instead, they need lots of metal or wood shelves and perches. Tons and tons of wooden shelves to jump from and wooden hides. They can have anti-pill fleece hammocks or beds as well.

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They need a LARGE 16 inch METAL wheel, this costs over $100 itself! They need METAL pans for the cage as well, you can see my links to metal pans HERE. 

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Some people do use fleece as bedding though I prefer pine shavings. 

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They need LOTS of enrichment and stuff to chew. 

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They need glass water bottles because they can chew plastic and get wet. Even if it is outside the cage. 

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They can be very destructive animals so be aware of what goes in their cage and during playtime.

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Bath Time

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Chinchillas should NEVER get wet. Their coat is very dense and so difficult to fully dry. They can get fungal infections or hypothermia. It is very bad. 

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Instead they take dust baths. You need to use proper chinchilla dust. I use oxbow brand. They should only have access to their dust bath 2-3 times a week,. Do not leave it in the cage all the time. That could dry out their skin or eyes from over use. And they will poop/pee in the dust. 

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This also means they should NOT have water bowls but always a glass water bottle. Check it often so it does not leak!

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Cleanliness

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Their poop is little pellets, which are easy to sweep or vacuum up. Cleaning the cage is fairly easy. Wood items will need to be changed often as they get peed on and chewed up. 

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Hay is the bane of my existence! It will get everywhere. Even in a good hay feeder, they will knock hay down everywhere. It will escape the cage and get all over your floor and be a pain to vacuum up. I pick it up by hand and sweep. 

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They can shed quite a bit too

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Temperature

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One HUGE issue with chinchillas is that they can get overheated quickly. They have very dense fur coats.

The temp needs to stay around 70 degrees and NO higher. 

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If you live somewhere hot, they need a dedicated AC. And in winter you need to be aware of the heater temp. 

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There is even worry that if they are playing too hard and running around too much they could overheat!

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Friends

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Chinchillas are social animals and ideally would live in same sex or neutered groups. But they can also be not that easy to bond and introduce. It is hit or miss. I see tons of videos and posts in groups of people unable to bond their chinchillas or their pair began fighting and had to be separated. Of course, the fact is you only hear about the bad, rings true! 

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I would suggest either buying or adopting a pair that is already together or making sure you have the funds/space for a second cage incase it doesnt work out.