Ch-Ch-Chinchilla! Having one as a Pet
April 23, 2015
Ch-Ch-Chinchilla! Having one as a Pet
Ahhh, the chinchilla! The chinchilla is the small little guy known for the buttery softness of its fur. These little guys are found way up in the Andes mountains of South America, and run around in multitudes of furry buddies called “herds”. Yes, you can actually climb up the Andes and perhaps be blessed with the opportunity to see a herd of fuzzy chinchillas running about and grazing in the grass.
Caring for a Chinchilla
Chinchillas are very similar to many small rodent type creatures in terms of their domesticated care needs.
1. Cage: first and foremost you need to make sure they have a nice big cage and that your home is prepared to let them out to romp around. Chinchillas love to roam and see new things just like most creatures, they also like to jump – so make sure there’s levels in their cage.
2. Bedding: make sure you have the right bedding, some common bedding materials like pine shavings can actually be poisonous if consumed. Aspen or kiln dried shavings are best.
3. Handling: make sure you’re very delicate with your chinchilla as they have what is known as a “floating rib-cage” and can get injured if not held correctly.
4. Food: pellets and timothy hey are a chinchillas best friend! Make sure you feed them regular and healthy meals.
5. These little guys love to chew – so make sure you provide them with proper chew toys.
6. Cleanliness: water and clean living environments are pretty obvious, but incase you need a reminder – here it is!
7. Dust baths! Probably one of the best things about chinchillas is that they like to roll and tumble around in dust and it’s good for their fur too. You can get appropriate rolling dust at your local pet store.
Make Sure You’re Not Contributing to the Cruelty!
Sadly, chinchillas are a little too well known for their fur and are often farmed to make coats. Fortunately, there are many organizations fighting to stop this chinchilla cruelty and if this is something you’re passionate about, you should definitely get involved! Some of the bigger organizations are listed below:
A Couple of Petitions & Tips
Compass.org: stop the cruelty.
Some tips on how to contribute to the cause
While some breeds of chinchillas are becoming endangered due to these horrible chinchilla farms, there are other breeds that are thriving and domesticated. As long as you make sure you’re not contributing to the cruelty that these little critters often endure, then we definitely recommend having one as a pet.
Here’s a couple of cute chinchilla videos to show you just how awesome they can be!
Source:
Author: Aileen Schultz
Photo Credit: Benjy on the rail via photopin (license)