CRITICAL POINTS OF CHINPARENTHOOD, "BEFORE YOU BUY!"

Also see: eRodent article, ChinCare's adoption contract/ qualification assessment (.doc) and care sheet (.doc)


Chinchillas can be the ideal companion. Normally gentle and friendly creatures, they only bite or spray urine under extreme duress, even the most vocal ones don't make noise often, shedding is very minimal, their fecal droppings are small, hard and odorless (and continually deposited!) and their urine isn't odorous as long as their cage is kept clean. Basic requirements include: a large cage, a chin-proofed play area, and unlimited access (only ration treats) to the dietary staples of fresh, high quality pellets, hay, and distilled or filtered water.


There ARE potential drawbacks to having a chin as a pet, however, so don't make the initial investment unless you have acknowledged the following and are positive you will remain committed to providing all the attention, time, energy and expense needed to make a chinchilla's entire lifetime worthwhile:


Chinchillas themselves are NOT "ALLERGY-FREE" nor is the hay they eat every day and the ample dust they bathe in regularly. They are not recommended for young children or as classroom pets for several reasons that directly relate to the chin's well-being and the children's expectations.


Although they appear cute and cuddly, chinchillas in general are not sedentary lap pets who will sit still and welcome lots of holding and cuddling. They are usually sociable and enjoy interacting with people, but they like to be on the move: exploring, energetic, playful. While some pets will accept being dominated and controlled by their owner, chinchillas really do not. They prefer to have things on their terms: chinchillas have a keenly intelligent, curious and independent nature with a mind and will of their own. Chins need to be related to as companions rather than treated as mere pets, and it takes someone with maturity and intelligence, emotional as well as psychological, to truly appreciate them.


Chinchillas must be kept indoors in a climate-controlled environment. AIR CONDITIONING IS MANDATORY, not optional, for chins in climates where the temperature can reach 70°F. Heat plus high humidity (above 60%) can easily kill chinchillas, because they have the highest fur density of any land animal in the world.


Chinchillas think and behave a lot like small children, and their active, intelligent minds can easily become stressed or bored (which is a catalyst for various health and behavioral problems) if they are forced to sit, caged, for hours on end without sufficient environmental stimulation, exercise or interaction. Providing this, especially for a single chin who relies entirely on the chinparent for companionship, can be very TIME CONSUMING because out-of-cage activity requires constant supervision: chinchillas are rodents and they will gnaw, gouge or shred anything not sufficiently "chin-proofed." A large cage to accomodate running and playing, a variety of chew toys, at least one hideaway per chin and a cage wheel will help decrease stress and boredom inside the cage while TV during waking hours will provide environmental stimulation when the chin isn't actively engaged in out-of-cage exercise and interaction.


Chinchillas are VERY LONG-LIVED! The average chinchilla life expectancy in captivity is 10-15 years, but they can live 20+ years. For that entire long term commitment they'll need knowledgeable, devoted care, regardless of whether their chinparent experiences a change in lifestyle or preferences: new hobby/ interest, going off to college, joining the military, relocating, starting a family, etc.


Pet stores frequently mis-sex chinchillas!! It's not unheard of for someone to buy a female that's already pregnant because the pet store grouped the animals by color/ price range instead of by gender. It's also not unusual for someone to buy a "same-sex" chin as company for the one they got from a pet store and end up with a litter. Before you buy, learn how to identify gender to prevent overpopulation and unwanted pets!


Most of the problems that chinparents eventually encounter have to do with a lack of accurate knowledge or familiarity in these areas: The Essentials, Environmental Stress Factors, conducting safe Introductions and Safety. Products marketed "for" chins may in fact harm or even kill them, for example: cedar bedding, wheels with spokes, plastic cage parts or accessories and cages with unsafe mesh width.


Chinchillas are regarded as an exotic animal. The "startup cost" for a new chinparent (see Zillah Chinchilla's basic list) is substantial and VET CARE FOR EXOTICS IS EXPENSIVE! For example, malocclusion, a relatively common and potentially lethal dental condition that chinchillas can suffer from, may be treatable if detected early by a yearly check-up head x-ray. The vet visit, with examination and x-rays, can easily cost over a hundred U.S. dollars.


When selecting a chin, health and temperament should be the foremost consideration, not strictly appearances. The colorful "mutations" (every color but the original gray is the result of recessive gene breeding and/ or inbreeding. Some colors are more established and stable than others) can be less hardy, not as long-lived and more erratically temperamented than the standard gray. Most importantly, every chin deserves "a good home"!