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Anonymous
I have chinchillas and rats, and I'd have to say rats fit what you want better. In addition, you don't need as large a cage for two rats as you do for two chinchillas - 2'x3'x2' with two levels would be plenty for two rats, and 2 chinchillas (or even just one) you'd want 3x2x4' high or more. Rats are domesticated, easy to socialize and very forgiving when you accidentally smack them, give them static shocks, etc. Doglike in many ways, including licking your hands affectionately.
Chinchillas are great fun but are not likely to sit on your shoulder for long if they have the alternative of scurrying around a room and jumping on things, eating the walls, etc. I love my chinchillas but they're the most destructive pets I've ever had. They eat the paint off the walls, have bitten through the wires on 3 sets of headphones and one USB device, they've torn up a bit of the carpet, etc. My rats gnaw but are nowhere near this destructive. If you want an idea of how chinchillas act, think of them as large fluffy ground squirrels. High-strung, playful, incredibly quick, short attention span. And poop everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE.
And don't forget the 75 degrees or cooler. No air conditioning = no chinchilla. The fine volcanic dust they bathe in gets everywhere. They're a 10-20 year commitment and still a prey animal.
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