How to care for chinchilla at home

Recently, people prefer to start exotic animals instead of cats and dogs. Among the four-legged friends, ferrets and chinchillas are gaining wide popularity, let us dwell on the latter. Chinchillas are small fluffy creatures scurrying from corner to corner. Animals are characterized by waywardness, kindness and love for people. Consider the important aspects in order.

If you are just planning to start a chinchilla as a pet or already are the owner of a fluffy lump, it makes sense to consider basic care down to the smallest detail. Chinchillas can live about 15 years at home, if all the conditions regarding feeding, habitat, bathing and other nuances of maintenance are met.

Cage for chinchilla

To successfully keep a chinchilla at home, it is not necessary to build a complex structure like the one that is built on farms. It is enough to purchase a cage of the right size and arrange it properly.

The optimum size is considered to be 60 cm in height, 60 cm in width, 70-80 cm in length. If possible, get a larger cell, it all depends on finances. To facilitate the life of the owner will help the requirements that must meet the cell.

1. If you plan to breed chinchillas at home, the distance between the rods of the cage should not exceed 2 cm. Otherwise, the babies that appear can easily slip outside the house, making both the female and the owner nervous.
2. Chinchillas love coziness and darkness. For these purposes, it is necessary to purchase a plastic house with a roof, in which the animal can spend the night or take shelter in case of poor health or fear. The cage must be equipped with a pallet into which chips or sawdust are poured. The filler should be changed 1 time in 5-7 days, as often as possible.
3. A fortified stone must be present in the cell. Chinchilla belongs to rodents, for this reason it needs constant grinding of teeth. In addition to the fact that the animal grinds its teeth mechanically, it will also gain useful minerals and macronutrients.
4. To comply with the rules for keeping chinchillas at home, you need to put a feeder and a drinker in the cage. Attach bowls to the door or wall of the enclosure. Do not place containers on the floor, otherwise the animal will constantly turn them over. In addition, sawdust and waste will enter the food. The pet will refuse to eat, because it is too clean.
5. Chinchillas are herbivores, for this reason you should always have hay or fresh grass in your arsenal. For these purposes, equip an additional tray in the corner of the cage. If you wish, you can make a hanging hay feeder from a net, it all depends on personal preferences and the size of the home.
6. Pets of this kind prefer to sit on a hill than in a lowland. Build a shelf for the animal, if possible, make several sites. You can build a structure from several shelves so that the pet jumps from one step to another.
7. Pet shops sell special anti-bacterial sand for rodents. If you have enough space in the cage, get the composition and make a kind of bath. Chinchilla will bury in the sand, cleansing the coat.
8. Chinchillas are the cleanest creatures of all the available species of rodents. The litter of the pallet needs to be changed regularly as it becomes soiled, and once a week it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning of the cage.

Chinchilla Feeding

Chinchillas are fastidious animals in terms of food.If you accustom a pet to one diet, switching to another will be quite problematic.

1. During the purchase of the animal from the breeders, ask what kind of food they gave the pets. Find out the brand, name, series. If possible, purchase the finished mixture with chinchilla. At the same time, it does not matter what type of pet you decide to have (coastal or small long-tailed), everyone has different taste preferences.
2. When choosing feed, pay attention to the expiration date. Give preference to premium grades. If not possible, mix "luxury" and "economy" in a ratio of 1: 1. As a rule, breeders feed individuals with a mixture that includes wheat and rye bran, oats, wheat germ, barley, flour of all sorts, minerals and fortified supplements.
3. Regarding the frequency of feeding, the procedure is carried out twice a day. A serving of granular food for an adult is 60 g. To diversify the diet, give your pet fresh grass or hay, but do not mix the two species together. Chinchillas are not indifferent to carrots, cabbage, apples, pears, dried apricots. However, these products can be given in the form of goodies.
4. Domesticated chinchillas often need fortified complexes that are sold in pet stores. The veterinarian will help you choose the optimal composition when you take the animal to the first vaccinations. As a rule, vitamins must be given twice a year. Supplements are available in the form of a powder or gel, which dissolves in water and is poured with a syringe.
5. Chinchillas are very fond of sweets. For a piece of chocolate or raisins, they will serve you on small hind legs. It is important to be careful while feeding a treat, the animal may develop allergies. Pamper your pet no more than 1 time in two weeks.
6. Change the water in the drinker daily. The fluid should be clean, filtered, and drinkable. In no case do not drink your pet with running water to prevent intestinal upset.

Chinchilla temperature

In the wild, chinchillas live in temperate climates. Because of the thick fur, they cannot exist in the heat, so it makes sense to talk about the optimal temperature in the apartment.

1. To make the animal feel comfortable in the summer, it is better to install a split system (air conditioning). In cases where the temperature crosses the mark of 28 degrees, the chinchilla may die from heat stroke.
2. Optimal conditions for keeping the animal are considered indicators from 18 to 23 degrees. Do not allow subcooling, make sure that the mark does not fall below 15 degrees.
3. Keep the cage with the animal away from direct ultraviolet radiation. You can periodically let the pet bask in the sun (loggia, balcony, street), but not at the peak of activity. Suitable time for a walk is 18.00–20.00. Do not keep the chinchilla in the sun for longer than a quarter hour.

Chinchilla toilet training

1. Chinchilla must be accustomed to the tray, otherwise it will spoil the corners of the apartment. Purchase a special corner tray from the pet store designed specifically for ferrets and chinchillas.
2. If the animal will relieve the need for the entire area of ​​the cage, collect feces in a specially designated place. The pet will feel where it needs to be spent. Remove waste from the tray once every 3 days.
3. When the chinchilla comes into the tray, praise it. Repeat each time until the animal gets used to it. After time, you will notice that the animal begs for affection, wanting to please the owner in everything.
4. If you let the pet run around the apartment, set one tray in each room. Put the animal in the toilet as soon as you see that it is looking for a place for such purposes.

Breeding chinchillas

It is very difficult to breed chinchillas at home, especially if the animals are kept in the apartment.

1. Females are quite selective, they do not allow each of the males to approach. If the partners in sexual intercourse do not have mutual sympathy or are irritated in the presence of each other, they begin to lose weight very much and fall into a prolonged depression.
2. Puberty in chinchillas occurs after 7-8 months from birth. When it comes to females, they mature a month earlier.
3. The offspring are healthy and strong only if pregnancy occurs once every six months. If the female carries the cubs more often, the offspring will turn out to be of poor quality, the babies will get sick. If we talk about reproduction in captivity, it goes badly.
4. The total duration of pregnancy is about 4 months. In most cases, childbirth occurs without complications, then the female eats the placenta. At one time, the mother can bear about 3-6 children.
5. In female chinchillas, the mammary glands are poorly developed, only two out of six work in full mode. Babies grow extremely slowly, but after 1.5-2 months they need to be taken away from their mother.

Basic rules for keeping chinchillas

1. Do not allow the pet to move freely around the apartment without your supervision. In cases where you instill an animal with a similar habit, it will be asked to leave the cage daily.
2. Chinchillas have a habit of nibbling wires, wallpaper, and upholstery. They also like to climb into hard-to-reach places, from where it will be difficult for the owners to rescue them.
3. In no case do not feed your pet the usual food (sausage, porridge, potatoes, etc.). An animal may develop an upset stomach and a blockage in the intestines, resulting in death.
4. The behavior of chinchillas in most cases is unpredictable. They can sleep all day or tirelessly run around the cage. In the first case, do not worry, in the second - take your pet in your arms and play with it.
5. If cats or dogs live in addition to chinchilla, do not allow animals to come into contact without your participation. Always hold the rodent in your hands, letting the rest of the pets sniff it.
6. If you plan to walk with a chinchilla on the street, first take your pet to the veterinarian. Get vaccinated against rabies and the plague of carnivores, gobble the pet. In no case do not release it from the harness.
7. Chinchillas are the type of animals that start to get sick due to stress. For this reason, pets are not recommended to be often transported from city to city, as well as to squeeze (relevant for young children).
8. Do not place the cage near radiators or, conversely, in a draft. Since chinchillas are afraid of noise, do not put the house next to a TV, speakers, dishwasher, refrigerator and other household appliances.

The nature of the chinchilla will only be fully revealed when the owner creates all the conditions for this. Exotic pets need to be carefully looked after, they need constant attention and care. Do not neglect the basic rules regarding food and home improvement.

Video: how to properly care for chinchillas