Diet
Water: chinchillas require a fresh water bottle each day. Be sure to clean each water bottle every few days
and disinfect them as harmful bacteria can grow on the inside of the bottle. Do not give water in a bowl as chinchillas will play in it or tip it over and chinchillas should not get wet.
Pellets: a fresh hay based pellet is required daily. Many commercial chinchilla pellets do not meet the nutritional requirements of chinchillas. I have personally used Mazuri chinchilla food, Oxbow Essentials, Bunny16 by Purina, MannaPRO, Blue Seal Show Hutch Delux and am currently using Purina Rabbit Chow Show. I would say that any of these feeds are good or acceptable feeds. Try to avoid pellets that have treat type foods (especially colorful ones) in them. Free feed pellets daily (if their bowl is empty, fill it). Chinchillas won't over eat!
Hay: free feed your chinchilla timothy hay daily. Make sure that it is dust free, and free of contaminants. Do not feed alfalfa daily as it is too rich for a chinchilla's system. Both loose hay and compressed hay cubes are acceptable.
Supplement a healthy chinchilla should NOT need supplemented. However, if your chin is underweight, just recovering from an illness, pregnant or nursing here are a few recipes that will help put a little weight on them and get them healthy:
Mixture of:
You can also give:
1tsp. rolled (or crimped) oats (no fast cooking)
burnt toast (for wet poo)
Treats should be given sparingly. Some chin-safe treats are: plain cheerios, plain shredded wheat squares, or rosehips. If you would like to give your chinchilla a treat that isn't listed here, but aren't sure if it's safe or not, visit some of the websites listed on my links page or feel free to contact me.
and disinfect them as harmful bacteria can grow on the inside of the bottle. Do not give water in a bowl as chinchillas will play in it or tip it over and chinchillas should not get wet.
Pellets: a fresh hay based pellet is required daily. Many commercial chinchilla pellets do not meet the nutritional requirements of chinchillas. I have personally used Mazuri chinchilla food, Oxbow Essentials, Bunny16 by Purina, MannaPRO, Blue Seal Show Hutch Delux and am currently using Purina Rabbit Chow Show. I would say that any of these feeds are good or acceptable feeds. Try to avoid pellets that have treat type foods (especially colorful ones) in them. Free feed pellets daily (if their bowl is empty, fill it). Chinchillas won't over eat!
Hay: free feed your chinchilla timothy hay daily. Make sure that it is dust free, and free of contaminants. Do not feed alfalfa daily as it is too rich for a chinchilla's system. Both loose hay and compressed hay cubes are acceptable.
Supplement a healthy chinchilla should NOT need supplemented. However, if your chin is underweight, just recovering from an illness, pregnant or nursing here are a few recipes that will help put a little weight on them and get them healthy:
Mixture of:
- 115 grams rolled oats (not quick cook oats)
- 60 grams wheat bran
- 30 grams milk powder
- 60 grams pot or pearl barley(or barley flakes)
- 30 grams baby oat cereal
- 60 grams cracked wheat
- 60 grams wheat germ
- 60 grams rye flakes
- 60 grams flax seeds
- 3lbs rolled oats
- 1.5lbs red wheat bran
- 1lb rolled wheat
- 1lb rolled barley
- 1lb wheat germ
- .5lb flax seed
You can also give:
1tsp. rolled (or crimped) oats (no fast cooking)
burnt toast (for wet poo)
Treats should be given sparingly. Some chin-safe treats are: plain cheerios, plain shredded wheat squares, or rosehips. If you would like to give your chinchilla a treat that isn't listed here, but aren't sure if it's safe or not, visit some of the websites listed on my links page or feel free to contact me.
Housing
Cages: the size cage you will need will depend on how many chins you need to house in one. Remember, if you plan on housing a female that is or will be pregnant you need to have wire spacing no larger than 1"X1/2". Many people consider buying the SuperPet cages for their chins. I would not recommend these as they are hard to clean/disinfect and any plastic in/on them WILL be chewed by the chinchillas which could cause intestinal distress or worse if impaction occurs.
Bedding: if your cage does not have a wire bottom you must use bedding. NEVER use cedar chips, they can cause respiratory problems and they are poisonous to chinchillas. Aspen is the recommended bedding and one your chins will love! Kiln dried pine is also acceptable and many chinchilla owners have now taken to lining cages with fleece!
Toys: Chinchillas are very active little creatures and love exploring the world. A list of the following are all chin accepted play toys:
Bedding: if your cage does not have a wire bottom you must use bedding. NEVER use cedar chips, they can cause respiratory problems and they are poisonous to chinchillas. Aspen is the recommended bedding and one your chins will love! Kiln dried pine is also acceptable and many chinchilla owners have now taken to lining cages with fleece!
Toys: Chinchillas are very active little creatures and love exploring the world. A list of the following are all chin accepted play toys:
- ANY toy offered by RAF Chinchillas (check our supply page)
- wooden houses made from kiln dried pine (no nails!)
- leap-n-ledges by SuperPet
- sleep-n-ledges by SuperPet
- hammocks (fleece w/no seams showing)
- hanging wooden toys
- pumice stones
- chin-safe running wheels
Grooming
Dust baths: chinchillas do NOT bath in water. Instead they bath in a synthetic (or natural) volcanic ash/dust that you can buy at your local pet store. Offer your chin a dust bath no less than once a week to take oils out of their fur. Twice weekly is preferred. They should be offered the bath for roughly 10 mins. Dusting is an important part of your chins health so never neglect it!
Combing: while this is not required, to maximize the effect of dusting you should comb your chinchilla a few times a year. You can use a cat/dog comb (not brush) to do this. It will remove dead fur from your chin and it helps the dust penetrate the fur. Be sure not to dig into the chinchilla's skin with the comb and do not rip or pull quickly as it will pull live fur from the chinchilla.
Teeth: chinchilla's teeth constantly grow so you need to offer them stuff to chew on (to wear their teeth down) Items such as pumice stones, lava bites, apple branches or chin-safe wooden toys are suitable. If you buy hay cubes instead of (or in combination with) loose hay, this will also work to keep the chinchilla's teeth healthy and worn.
Combing: while this is not required, to maximize the effect of dusting you should comb your chinchilla a few times a year. You can use a cat/dog comb (not brush) to do this. It will remove dead fur from your chin and it helps the dust penetrate the fur. Be sure not to dig into the chinchilla's skin with the comb and do not rip or pull quickly as it will pull live fur from the chinchilla.
Teeth: chinchilla's teeth constantly grow so you need to offer them stuff to chew on (to wear their teeth down) Items such as pumice stones, lava bites, apple branches or chin-safe wooden toys are suitable. If you buy hay cubes instead of (or in combination with) loose hay, this will also work to keep the chinchilla's teeth healthy and worn.
Vet Care
While chins do not require any annual vaccinations you should have a chin experienced vet on hand before purchasing a chinchilla in case of illness. If your chin acts sick, or even irregular, see a vet immediately! Chinchillas are frail animals, and if they get sick it can be fatal if not treated quickly and vigorously. Some signs of sickness include, but are not limited to:
- not eating/drinking
- lethargy
- weight loss
- falling over/lack of balance
- difficulty/labored/noisy breathing
- rancid odors in urine or feces
- small hard feces
- wet/runny feces
- extremely red ears
- dull eyes
- discharge from nose
- drooling
A Good Read on Chin Care
"After 40 Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas"
Buy through the Mutation Chinchilla Breeders Association.
"After 40 Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas"
Buy through the Mutation Chinchilla Breeders Association.