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 Chinchillas
What is a Chinchilla?
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Chinchillas are a type of rodent. They are
originally from the Andes Mountains in South
America. They grow to be the size of a small
rabbit. (about 9 inches from head to bottom) Chinchillas have beautiful thick, soft
coats, and were originally bred for their fur. |  |
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Chinchillas as Pets
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Chinchillas make great indoor pets because they are
odorless and their fur is so dense that they can
not get pests such as fleas. Chinchillas also have no
dander so people who are allergic to other pets can
usually tolerate chinchillas without problems. All
of our baby chinchillas
(called kits) are handled and played with so that
they will be friendly pets. They are very social animals,
so if you only have one you will become its family.
Here is a video of a chinchilla being petted
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Housing
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They are housed much the same as a ferret would
be, in a wire cage. Shelves are a must since they
love to jump and climb. There are two basic floor choices:
wire bottom and floor pan. If you choose a wire bottom
then the spaces in the wire must be no larger than
1/2"x 1/2". I prefer to have the cage sit right on top of a
floor pan full of pine shavings. The shavings make a
nice floor for the chinchillas. They love to dig around
in it and it is warmer for the babies. Kiln dried Pine
shavings are best and can be found in pet stores.
Cedar should NOT be used. |  |
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Feeding
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Chinchillas require fresh water daily which is best
given in a glass bottle attached to the side of
the cage. Plastic bottles will most likely be
chewed on and destroyed. They need chinchilla
pellets and hay daily. Timothy or Alfalfa can be used
and are available loose or in cubes from most pet stores.
Food should only be changes slowly so be sure to get a
bag of food with your new chinchilla to avoid a sudden
food switch. |
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Bathing
Chinchillas have a lot of lanolin in their fur.
In the wild they take dust baths in the volcanic
ash. As pets we need to give them a dust bath at
least 3 times a week. You can buy chinchilla dust
at most pet stores. It is poured into a container
and placed inside the cage for about 15 minutes.
The chinchillas will dive right in rolling and
bathing in the dust!
Here is a video of a chinchilla taking a Dust Bath
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Playing
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Chinchillas, like most animals, love to climb and
play. Shelves and wheels can be added to the inside
if the cage. Chinchilla wheels are best if they are
a solid circle that attaches to the side of the cage. Chinchillas have been known to break a leg or a tail
getting caught between the spoke of the wheel and the
wire stand that connects to the center of the wheel. The
two pieces cross when the wheel is spinning causing a
"sissor" action. If you buy one of these wheels hang it
upside down from the roof of the cage rather than letting
it stand as it was intended. This way the sissor action
happens at the top away from where the chinchilla will be
entering it.
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Colors
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Most chinchillas in the world are gray. This is what
you find in most pet stores. However they also come in other colors known as mutations. We are breeding quite
a few mutation colors at the moment. Some colors are more
common than others so prices of the chinchillas will vary. |  |
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Babies
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Chinchillas are pregnant for 111 days and usually have
two kits. The largest recorded litter to date is 8 kits.
The kits are born with their eyes open and fully haired. We
leave the kits with their mother for at least 7 weeks.
During that time we hold them for short periods to get
them ready for a human companion. |
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