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Anonymous
Chinchillas have very light sensitive eyes and hate bright lights; not unlike mogwai. Your chinchilla should under NO circumstance be exposed to direct sunlight. It'll make him/her ill if it's prolonged for more than a minute.
They also have very sensitive stomachs and require a carefully monitored diet. Raisins are excellent treats for your chinchilla, but should be limited to 1-2 a day (never in the same feeding) or it will get diarrhea.
Also, Chinchilla's are social animals, but nocturnal. It's no understatement when I say your chinchilla will NEVER want to do anything during the day. That is, of course, unless it's becoming a victim of neglect throughout the nights, and is forced to beg for your attention during the day. If you can't dedicate 3-6 hours a day after 8pm to be in the company of your chinchilla (not necessarily playing with it, but preferably near its cage, engaging it when it wants to play or even talking softly to it a few times every hour) then I would recommend getting him/her a companion (2 females is your best bet). I truly recommend that all chinchilla's be kept with a playmate because they are so social, yet active at such deviant hours.
Make sure you get them a decent sized cage as well. Chinchilla's are quite agile and enjoy the space (putting them in a hamster-cage like most petstores are forced into doing is cruel!)
Chinchilla's are great pets imo, but they require a lot of planning and a flexible schedule . As far as rodents go, they're very high maintainance (if you buy them in a pair you'll want to bathe and clean their cage every couple days), but it's extremely rewarding if you can fit them into your life.
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