File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
So /an/, can you please give some advice about caring for Chinchillas? I've already looked on Google/Wiki but I would still like some advice from /an/ anyway. I ask because...

The Chinchilla in question (not the one in the pic) is my sister's however I suspect she has grown bored with it. (she's 16) She lives here at my mother's and then at her father's every other week. She used to take the Chinchilla with her but now she just leaves it here all week. She had a large-ish multilevel cage for him but a few days ago she suddenly got rid of it and put him in a much smaller one. This one has no multi levels and the only objects in it are his little 'house' and his food dish. (this was the case before but the cage was at least bigger and had multiple levels)

As far as I know she doesn't take him out and play with him at all even when she's here and he has NO TOYS in his cage. I haven't taken him out or played with him myself because I don't know if he's socialized or not. I feed him each night when I go to bed and he hasn't attacked me or anything when I've reached my hand in the cage, and even brushed against him.

I'm moving out again soon and I'm not interested in having it as a pet. Plus, despite being bored with him I'm sure my sister wouldn't give up her Chinchilla anyway. So what sorts of toys might /an/ recommend that get for him? I don't have lots of money (certainly not enough to get him a proper cage) but before I go I'd like to see that he has something in there so that he doesn't go totally nuts from boredom. I've noticed that she spends most of his time at night sitting on top of his little "house".
>> Anonymous
Pureez hlep meh.
>> Anonymous
I'll try my best...
I don't own one myself, but my friend has had one for years. The bigger the cage, the better- they like to run around. My friend would let hers run around the house sometimes- but since you're not used to it yet, I'd take it in a small room and let it run around a bit. They are quite fast, so make sure you have time to catch it again.
I'm not sure if they play... I would ask someone at a pet store about that.
They are social, and get quite lonely without daily attention, and/or another Chinchilla to play with. You should keep talking to it and petting it every day. Leaving it alone might depress it (yea, I'm serious).
Let's see.... they take bathes in dust. But I don't know much more than that. My advice- stop by a few pet stores and see if you can find someone else who owns one. They are very soft and sweet animals, and friendly if you take care of them.
>> Anonymous
I've had a chinchilla for a long time. He lived to be 17 years old before he passed away!

The other posters touched on most of the key points, but to elaborate:

Mine loved to play with anything made out of wood. Wood chew toys from the pet store are great. They also enjoy alfalfa hay, which should be a part of their diet. Get (or make) a hay rack so the hay doesn't sit on the floor of the cage and get dirty.

For treats, they absoloutely adore nuts, raisins, and bits of dried fruit. Just be careful and don't give too many treats--it can cause digestive problems. I gave mine one rasin and 1 macadamia nut every day, and the occaisional other morsel, and he never had any problems.

As anon posted earlier, a large cage is best. However, you can also let the chin outside of the cage to run around and play. If you do this make sure it is in a safe area: nothing posionous to eat, no exposed electrical wires to chew on, etc...and keep an eye on him! Let him out in the room with you and just sit still. Don't make any sudden movements. Just sit there unless you need to keep him away from something dangerous. He'll come up and investigate you when he feels like it.


Note that Chinchillas need a low-stress enviornment. Keep his cage somewhere where there isn't a lot of activity. A quiet room is ideal. You don't want to keep a chin in a loud, boisterous enviornment. Lots of children running around, loud parties, etc, is a surefire way to get a stressed out and unhealthy chin.
>> Anonymous
Thanks, Anon. I'll go by a pet store or two while I'm out tomorrow and see about getting him some toys. I'll also let him out of his cage tonight (after securing my sister's room). He DEFINITELY doesn't have enough room to run around in there as it is. He doesn't seem afraid of me when I open the cage and likes investigating my fingers when I work the latch to open it, so I don't think I need to worry about him biting or anything. I do wish she'd take more interest in him though. If I weren't here right now he'd be having no contact with anyone (or anything) what-so-ever.
>> Anonymous
expensive and smell real bad

other than that, fucking awesome

these are all just rumors, btw, ive barely even seen one
>> Anonymous
>>131710

I'm assuming you're joking, but anyway: Chinchillas are about as smell-free as you can get. They have very little urine and both it and their droppings have essentially no smell. They are an ideal pet for people who are sensitive to smells. A cat, dog, rat, or mouse is MUCH worse in the smell department than a chinchilla.

Expensive? Well, they're certainly more expensive than small rodents like hamsters, mice, or gerbils. But they are much less expensive than most dogs or cats. Expect to pay in the $50-150 range for a typical pet Chinchilla. Some of the exotically colored ones can be more (much more) but that is no different than buying a special purebred cat or dog. Their food expenses are low. You do have to buy dust bath for them, but that isn't very expensive at all.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
$1350.00 Ninja Stealth Chinchilla, available from Chinchillas.com!
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
FireChin will destroy you all..
>> Anonymous
>>131915

You mean its a ninchilla? :P
>> Anonymous
"I've noticed that she spends most of his time at night sitting on top of his little "house"."

snoopy ?

anyway i'd let it run around somewhere controlled if I had a good place for it, i hate caging animals like that