The Daily Chinchilla

livinginazou asked: I'm picking up a 5 month old chinchilla from a breeder at the end of May but I'm so worried that it isn't going to like me. I technically have a choice between 3 (if they're all still available), but I have my eyes set on one in particular. What are your tips for getting your chinchilla used to you? I've read up on this but you have such great insight and I'd like your opinion!

Well, all chinchillas are different and have big personalities, so unfortunately there’s really no guarantee he will like you! Being so young and being raised by a breeder with human interaction, the odds are probably in your favor.

The most important thing is to not rush it. It can take months and months for a chinchilla to bond with you. For the first couple weeks, let him get accustomed to his new home—don’t try to pick him up, just sit with him and talk to him. When he seems comfortable, try placing your hand in the cage and let HIM come to YOU. Bribe him with small treats (just not too many, and make sure they’re chin-safe! Mine loves dried rose hips, but plain shredded wheat works as well!). Soon you will have him sitting in your hands and climbing up your arm!

Just remember, chinchillas generally hate to cuddle or be held, so don’t get a chinchilla expecting him to ride on your shoulders or sit in your lap. They are independent and would rather be wall-surfing and jumping on you at their leisure.

samandrien asked: hello; how does one weigh a chinchilla? they just won't stand still where they should because that's what they are and i always get wrong results. my chilla was very badly fed by his previous owners and i really need to check if he's gaining weight.

For a squirmy chin, the best way to check their weight is by wrapping them in a burrito. You simply take a fleece blanket and wrap them like a burrito so they can’t get away! Another option is to put him in a small fleece bag. Once you weigh him, subtract that weight by the weight of the blanket, and voila.

clamsandmussels asked: Oh now I'm worried. I've been using kaytee dust bath for mi chinchilla since alwas because at the store they told me it had better quality. So, which brands would you recommend? It's also hard because I live in México.

As far as dust goes, Kaytee is the worst. It’s less fine than the higher quality dusts, so it doesn’t do a good job cleaning their fur. I would definitely recommend Blue Cloud, it’s the best dust out there. Chinchillas can tell a difference in the quality of the dusts too—mine were crazy for Blue Cloud after switching from Kaytee! You can usually find it at stores like Petsmart, but if you don’t have a petsmart in your area, check the classifieds on chins-n-hedgies to see if someone can ship to you!

loktar-ogar asked: Hi there. I'm a bit confused about a post I saw on craigslist. Someone was trying to rehome their chinchillas, and they said they had two males, and that they needed to be kept separate because you don't put same sex chillies in the same cage, but I remember you saying something about never putting mixed sex chillies together. Is that guy completely wrong about his pets??

Yeah, that guy must be confused! You should only ever keep the same sex together. The only reason you would need to keep two males separate is if they have not been introduced, or if they had been together but started fighting.

lesbiandog asked: Hello! I've been thinking about possibly getting new, upgraded (somewhat affordable without going all out 500 bucks per cage, since I have two lovely chins who I would rather not have making babies anytime soon) cages and I was wondering if you had any suggestions?

Ferret Nation is a favorite among chin owners! I would suggest the Ferret Nation 182; it’s a double story cage and you can easily block it off to prevent them from going upstairs or downstairs. Best of all, it’s less than $200! Of course you could buy separate FN 181 (single story) cages, but that would cost you more. For two chins, I think the FN 182 would be your best bet!

eitakwolraf asked: My chinchilla has been having a lot of skin issues. He continuously scratches until he has no fur and sometimes he even starts the bleed and then gets scabs. Whats going on?

If it’s that bad, I’d suggest taking him to a vet to have him checked for ringworms or fungus. These are common causes of dry skin, but can be difficult to get rid of. If your vet can rule these out, then look at other possible causes.

Dust bathes are another common cause of dry skin. How often do you give him his dust bath? They should only have it every other day at MOST if you live in a humid area. Also be sure to use a high quality dust (NOT Kaytee!). Don’t leave them in for too long.

Bedding is another possibility, but not as likely. If he doesn’t have fungus, and if you reduce the number of dust baths and that doesn’t help, try changing the type of bedding you use. If you use fleece liners, try using a different detergent.

What food is he eating? A lot of “chinchilla food” they sell at pet stores is super bad, and it could be causing an allergic reaction. PANR, Oxbow and Mazuri are some of the best, and anything containing nuts or other colorful mystery things should be avoided.

It really could be a number of things, but I would bet on one of the first two.

vanesauria asked: For the person who asked about wire ramps, if taking the ramps out isn't feasible, you could always make fleece liners to cover the ramps. Just be sure to wash them every week!

Good addition! If they’re pulling the covers off, try securing them with clips.

Here’s a great message from flannelliephant in regard to yesterday’s question about breeding! These are very good points from someone who obviously is much more knowledgeable on breeding chinchillas.

“Breeding is a really serious commitment. Are both your chins breeding quality? (buying from breeder does not equal breeding quality, and only an experienced breeder (not a vet) can assess for breeding quality). Are you prepared to spend $1,000 in the middle of the night for an emergency spay if mom needs it? Are you prepared to lose mom AND her babies? Are you prepared to handfeed your babies EVERY TWO HOURS, day and night, for 8 weeks if mom rejects?

Do you know the parents pedigrees? Without them, how do you know they don’t carry a gene for malo, meaning the babies will need to get their teeth filed by a vet every six weeks? Do you have a vet near you with chin knowledge? What are your breeding goals? Cute babies is not a breeding goal; your goal should be to strengthen the species in some way. If your answer to any of my questions is no, you shouldn’t breed. I don’t mean to be harsh! But it’s something you should do for the sake of it.

That being said, if you ARE in a good place to breed, I really advise you read the Breeding FAQs, Breeding threads, and Breeding Horror Stories on chins-n-hedgies (google it). It’s an incredible forum full of extremely knowledgeable breeders and owners who will make sure you are fully prepared to take on breeding”

nartellic-hea asked: Hi, hello! I saw in one of your other posts that you mentioned that wire ramps were bad for chinchillas. I was wondering why because me and my roommate already invested in a $200 cage that came with wire ramps. ;__; They also came with covers for the ramps but my chins keep pushing them off. Are they in any immediate danger?

Wire ramps are no good! Their long, skinny legs can fracture if they get stuck between the wires. The best thing you can do is take them out; chinchillas are fantastic jumpers so ramps are not necessary anyway!

thefuzzychinchilla asked: My chinchilla is being less friendly, and is starting to bite me,is something wrong with him? He doesn't want to come out of his cage, he shouldn't be like this he is only 1. Please answer.

I would bet something happened to spook him, whether it was something you did, or something else. Has there been any changes in the environment, such as moving his cage or adding a new pet (dog or cat) to the family?

Often when a chinchilla suddenly becomes aggressive, it is a particular thing that has changed to cause this behavior. If you can find out what is bothering him and change it back, he will likely become his old friendly self. You might have to do some detective work!

However, if it was something YOU did to spook him, that’s another story. It takes a long time to build the trust of a chinchilla, but it’s very easy to break it. Unfortunately, you will probably have to start at square 1 to build his trust again.