What Do You Know About Chinchillas?

December 4, 2009

With some of the silkiest fur around, Chinchillas are as sweet as they are soft. Although I've never had one as a pet (GeekSugar did!), I've dug up some fun facts on the cute rodents. Even if you wouldn't name yours Chill, Charlie, or Chi Chi, learn about the creatures anyway when starting this quiz.

Source: Flickr User Just chaos

2 Comments

danakscully64 3 years 23 weeks

That was easy, but I've been a chinchilla Mom for more than 8 years :) They are VERY soft and have cute personalities, but think twice before adopting or buying one. They are chewers, they need cages made just for them. No plastic and they need lots of space to climb. My chinchilla cage, which houses 3 (2M, 1F) cost me close to $500. I bought a Ferret Nation and took out the shelving. I bought chin-safe wood and made shelves (took a few hours). You can buy metal drop in trays that are made by Bass just for the Ferret Nation, those cost about $70 with shipping. I kept the plastic and covered them with fleece. Fleece is the only fabric that's safe for chinchillas. I bought a ton of fleece and made liners (took a few hours there too). The 2 wheels specially made for chinchillas are over $50 each plus shipping (Quality Cage). Because they chew on plastic, you have to be careful about their water bottle, if it's plastic, you need a guard to protect it. Chinchillas are nocturnal too, so don't expect to be able to sleep in the same room as them. Trust me, I got booted from my bed and onto an air mattress when I lived with my parents. If your chins get sick, it can be hard to find a small animal vet who knows what they're doing. If you don't mind the money and energy to get the cage together and you have a cool spot in your house for them away from your bedroom, they're really not bad pets. Getting their house set up is honestly the hardest thing. Pet stores will try to sell you what they have and they are not adequate (food too, no treats in their pellets). Chewing plastic can kill them and/or give you a $1,000+ vet bill. Maintaining is not too expensive, good quality pellets, hay, and dust isn't any more expensive than keeping a guinea pig. Chins also tend to not like being picked up, so they don't make good pets for kids. They also tend to live 10-20 years, so they are a commitment. Sorry, I probably just talked everyone out of it. I love my babies and wouldn't give them back, but if I had to start all over, I wouldn't do it again.

lostinsomniac 3 years 24 weeks

I had a chinchilla once. His name was Oswald (Or Oz for short) and I loved giving him his dust baths. He would leave little ashy foot prints all over the house afterward.

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