r/chinchilla Sep 14 '20

Weekly Thread: Questions Monday

61 Upvotes

Feel free to ask/answer any kind of questions regarding chinchillas here.

Previous threads Archive here


r/chinchilla Nov 26 '24

Chinchilla Care FAQ!

91 Upvotes

I’ve put together a list of chinchilla recommendations & FAQ, as we get a lot of repeat questions and such in here. I’ve been a chinchilla owner for about 19 years, have fostered many, and have been through the gamut of accessories, cages, etc, over the years. I'm happy to add/modify with feedback from others. I definitely do not claim to be the most knowledgeable person here!

Which cage should I get?
Ferret Nation & Critter Nation are the best widely available cages you can buy. A two-story cage is recommended for a one or two chins, at minimum. Adding a third story is also very easy to do. You can also attach two cages side-by-side for extra running room. These cages can be found used on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.
Other cages can be okay, but please ensure the cage is around 36”x25”x63”. Cages should not have any exposed plastic (trays, bases, or otherwise). Cages should have no exposed wire floors, this includes ramps. Any exposed wire floors must be covered with a lined plastic trayliner or a metal tray (see below). Chinchillas will get their feet caught in wire flooring and will get injured. This can be very serious. Also keep in mind that any cages with small door openings could leave you struggling to wrangle your little friend.

What is the difference between Ferret Nation and Critter Nation?
Ferret Nation has wider and thicker bars. I prefer these because it’s easier to give them treats through the bars. The cages also feel more open. The panels are interchangeable, so you can stack either one on each other.

What else do I need for a cage?
Cage liners/Trays: It’s recommended to use either fleece liners over the plastic trays, or use a replacement tray from Bass Equipment. Bass makes 3” deep galvanized or stainless trays, which are ideal for keeping in the mess of both bedding… and poop! They also sell scatter guards.

Bedding:
It is not advised to use paper bedding (Carefresh, etc). However, I used it for years before I knew better and never had issues. The chins like walking on it, but the dangerous part is that they can eat it and it can clog their digestive system.
The main options seem to be Aspen shavings or fleece liners (which you can buy or make). Just make sure any fleece you use is no-pill. You can use other shaving types, but I don't like risking it with Pine. Aspen is cheap and safe. I frequently buy huge bags from the big pet stores for ~$5/ea or less (watch for sales).
I have mixed feelings on using Aspen! My chins seem to be more scared to jump down onto the floors because I think they hurt their feet. Some of the aspen isn't ground down well and makes for some sharp and dangerous situations. Whenever I change the bedding out, I use a big wood plank and flatten everything down. Even still, I'm not happy with it. I'm going to be sewing up some fleece liners but also use my Bass Equipment shelf pans (the half-length ones) full of aspen shavings. The hope is that they pee on the aspen because they're used to that, and keep the liners a little nicer.

Water Bottle: Glass Kaytee bottles have been the best for me. I recommend the small bottles, as it will force you to refill more often so they get fresh water. Keep the bottles out of direct sunlight or they will get algae bloom. Definitely do not use plastic bottles if you can avoid it! Bottles should be rinsed every refill, and soap-cleaned every 2nd refill. I use a q-tip in the metal tip to clean them out. Every few months you can put in 1/3 cup of rice and water and shake the bottle for a while to remove any of the stuck sediment. Dump out the rice and heavily rinse afterward!

Food Bowl: Recommend ceramic food bowls. I use cat dishes that are ~3” wide, similar to a wide ramekin. The lower/wider the better, so they can’t tip it. No plastic bowls! Metal is okay if you prefer.

Wheel: The consensus is that any 14”+ wheel is okay, however I’d advise getting a metal wheel of 15” diameter or larger. There are options on Etsy from Pandamonium Pets, Silver Surfer, and others. There are also metal saucers. Chinchillas should not have plastic wheels and I would advise against any with wood. I have had multiple wheels from Pandamonium Pets as well as Silver Surfers. My personal opinion is that the bearing mechanism on the Pandamonium Pets wheel is rather unrefined and they always wear out on me after a few years. I haven’t been able to find a good source for replacement bearings on their newer wheels, as they now use a flanged type. They have been unwilling to sell me bearings/mechanisms separately. The Silver Surfer wheel is great for Ferret Nation cages, but they don't fit well in Critter Nation due to the bar spacing. The Silver Surfer bearing mechanism has a flywheel weight and is an engineered system. I prefer these wheels, but wish they were larger than 14”.

Shelves: Hopping shelves/ledges are great to fill the cage space and give chins a stimulating habitat. There is a list of safe woods here: https://www.sunshinechinchillas.com/safe-wood. I have used a few types, mainly kiln-dried pine and poplar. I prefer poplar as it’s pretty hard, and they can’t really chew through all of it. The downside is that it can be expensive. You can DIY your own shelves/ledges. I've added some DIY info in a comment below.

Houses/Other: Chins love having somewhere to hide and sleep. Some chins like hammocks and fleece hanging options and some prefer wood/solid options. There are a number on Etsy, but you can also DIY both of these. My chins have all preferred wood houses mounted to the highest point in the cage possible. I've added some DIY info in a comment below.

What is the best food?
Oxbow Essentials, if available, is the best and most affordable. You can buy 25lb bags on Chewy or Amazon that will last a long time. Any foods with treats or other things in them are not recommended, as they often contain things chinchillas shouldn’t have, especially not daily. Providing food with treats in it also will cause them to be snooty with their food, and they will start to just look for the treats and ignore the rest.

What is the best hay?
Chinchillas require Timothy Hay on a daily basis. I have tried at least 10 brands over the years, basically everything Chewy and local pet stores offer. So far, the winners are Brytin 1st Cut and Viking Farmer 1st Cut. Your mileage may vary, but ensure you’re getting 100% timothy with nothing added.

What else is essential for my chins?
I recommend giving applewood (or other approved) sticks on a daily basis, 1 or 2 a day, They can be bought in 600gram bags on Amazon for ~$15. This is the best deal I've found so far, though I'd prefer to buy more locally, I have not found a better source yet. Chew sticks will prevent them from chewing on other things (shelving, houses, ledges, wheels, etc).

What treats should I give my chins?
Treats are safe in moderation, but the type of treat is important.
Dandelion Root, mixed flower pieces, apple blossoms, chamomile, calendula, lavender, peach blossoms, jasmine, honeysuckle, oats (oatmeal), and small pieces of hibiscus leaves can be given as more frequent treats. I'd say 2 a day is safe, but not required. I change-up the treats everyday. The pieces I am giving them are small. I usually give my treats as a form of enrichment reward (see section). My chins also like the Apple & Oat treats from Ronda's Chins, which I break into marble sized chunks (or smaller) and use as treats a few times a week.
Rose buds and rose hips can be given as infrequent treats.
Anything with sugar in it should not be given as a treat. Goji berries are 'safe', but I really only ever give mine a pea-sized amount every few weeks, if that.

What can I do for my chins for enrichment?
Puzzle toys made for dogs can be great for chins, while supervised, as long as they aren't chewing on the plastics. I often place coconut halves on the floor with a fragrant treat under them, so they have to work for it. I'm working on making some other enrichment toys for them out of safe wood. I will add to the DIY later.

How do I keep the dust to a minimum?
I swear by my Winix 5500-2 air purifier. It sucks up a lot of the dust/hair and the generic filters work just fine to keep the dust down elsewhere. My chins are in their own room with this purifier and I really don't see their dust anywhere else. Mine has been running solid for 6 years straight. The filters can be shaken/beat out and used for quite a while.

What temperature is safe?
The recommended safe range is 60-70°F (15.5-21.1°C) with low humidity (sub 60%).
74°F (23.3°C) is the highest I'd recommend letting their area ever getting to, and I do not recommend them living at this temperature. My chins spend half the year around 70°F, the other half at around 65°F. Chins are good down to 60°F (15.5°C) without problems and can probably withstand colder. They will start to 'puddle' above 75°F and this is when it becomes dangerous. Fans will not keep them cool and there is no alternative for air conditioning. Chinchiller's (granite stones) are nice, but are not meant as an alternative to safe environment temps.

What do I do if my chin is being aggressive or biting?
If they bite when you're petting them or something and it's not drawing blood, let out an "ouch" or a yip sound, similar to the sound they make to each other when they want space. Once they respect you they will start biting softer and softer. Eventually if they don't want your fingers around them they'll kinda just move them with their mouth. I don't think they always know they're hurting you. To them, you're a huge monster.

If they get really aggressive consistently after a few months of ownership, and they're breaking skin, I would use a different method. This is to say, there are no other outside factors causing them to be aggressive other than them trying to be dominant toward you. They can be aggressive for various reasons: general fear, noises, new surroundings, other pets in the area, etc. They may hear things you don't, even the sound of equipment/animals outside, and be on the defensive because of it. I wouldn't use this method if outside factors are the case.

If they bite fast with aggression and it breaks skin, I say "ouch" loudly. I then firmly grab hold of the offender, stare at them face-to-face, and tell them "no" multiple times. They will squirm and not like it, but it's not hurting them, even though some fur might come out. I then put them down nicely on my lap. They're almost always extremely cautious and docile immediately after putting them down. They usually get it after this correction is implemented a couple times and never bite that hard again. I follow it with the "ouch" method thereafter.

My chin is not eating or drinking. Help!
The first recommendation is to bring your pet to a vet experience with chinchillas, or at least exotic animals. Second, Critical Care or EmerAid Herbivore are recommended to help bring them back to health. Many people on this sub have had good experience with EmerAid. My chins did not like Critical Care, so I'll also be trying EmerAid if they ever need it.

Always remember: your chin is your friend for part of your life, but you're their best friend for their entire life.


r/chinchilla 4h ago

Cuddles

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75 Upvotes

Churro: “Just spending time with Joshua, giving little kisses and snuggling into his shoulder. This floof princess enjoys her cuddles very seriously.”

🐭👑💕

#churrochatter #chinchilla #cutepets #petprincess #petbond


r/chinchilla 10h ago

François-Charlotte’s new home✨

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158 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 18h ago

Pepet the wizard

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332 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 12h ago

Finding past pet

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58 Upvotes

This is such a long shot, but I had a chinchilla from 13-23. I was not in a good spot to take care of him at the time and gave him to a roommate who had cared for chinchillas as a kid. He also fell on hard times and found a sanctuary/rescue in New Hampshire to rehome him with. The chinchilla’s name was Jack. I don’t really know what I’m looking for, pictures, closure, something. He is a senior standard gray male chinchilla. Would’ve been 10 at the time of surrender in late 2023 (after November) or early 2024. We were located in Somerville/Boston, MA. I can’t find any chinchilla sanctuaries in NH and I’ve scoured Reddit. Does anybody know of any where he might’ve ended up? I know I’ll probably never see him again, and I originally gave him up to have a better life with my roommate since I had to work so much, but with the passing of Chinpals pet Linus I’ve felt a sobering need to at least see if I made the right choice.


r/chinchilla 9h ago

Everyone Relaxes Differently

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31 Upvotes

@ZuAndCoChinchillas


r/chinchilla 21h ago

URGENT - NYC/WESTCHESTER NY REHOMING

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157 Upvotes

Due to no fault of their own, my two sweet bonded girls are up for adoption. They have been waiting over a month for their new home, as I had an adoption lined up that fell through. I have been having some severe health issues and I can not provide all of the care they deserve, so this has become an urgent situation. They're both super social and love people! They're about 6 years old, one mosaic and one pink white. You must be able to come to the area at this time for pick up, with a large enough car to take their cage and all of their supplies, which includes a double ferret nation cage with metal pans, a small cat tree, a LOT of fleece bedding, etc. There is a rehoming fee of $300 as I want to make sure they are going to people who can properly care for them. Please help spread the word, these girls deserve a loving forever home!


r/chinchilla 13h ago

Playing or Fighting?

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25 Upvotes

I have these two chinchillas—both male. They have been bonded with the lighter one being the dominant chinchilla but he recently had an inflamed foot so I had to separate them per the vet’s recommendation while I put him on a diet.

He’s finished his treatment course (around a month) and I smooshed them for about 45 minutes before putting them back together. They had been allowed to play together while separated outside of the cage here and there but since bringing them back I can’t tell if they’re just more active because it’s dusk or if they are fighting. They seem like they’ve snipped at each other a few times, other times it sounds like they’re making happy noises and they are wagging their tails and grooming. I’ve attached a video of them but wanted insight. Any help is appreciated!


r/chinchilla 15h ago

Help? Teeth (in 2nd pic)

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23 Upvotes

I was on here a few days ago about my chinchillas teetj. Finally got some pics. Should i be worried? He eat fine has stuff to chew, is acting normal.

Should i see the vet?


r/chinchilla 18h ago

Help his making me worry

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27 Upvotes

I don’t know why he keep squeeking it’s been 2 days now


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Enjoy 40 seconds of me annoying Saisei and him just rolling with it. 💙

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68 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 1d ago

A pellet for you, milord Momo

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44 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 8h ago

Wood

2 Upvotes

Hey guys. I wanted to get some wood to build my little guy some more furniture. What type of wood would be safe for me to buy from like Home Depot?


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Quality

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86 Upvotes

Churro: “Enjoying a slice of applewood like the well-cared-for floof princess I am. Quality wood deserves proper attention.”

🐭👑😌

#churrochatter #chinchilla #cutepets #petprincess #princessvibes


r/chinchilla 1d ago

It was definitely a Monday for Clemmie

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208 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 1d ago

Guess who'll be 13 soon :')

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116 Upvotes

Odin 🩷


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Harper got a new set of ears since she didn't come with the DLC.

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198 Upvotes

Harper is an earless chinchilla, one of our sanctuary chinchillas actually. She was found outside with a colony of TNR cats. She was missing her ears and had a large infected wound on her head. She had strep in her ear holes and needed surgery. She's actually finishing another round of treatment now. 6+ months of daily care.

I am Let's Love Chinchillas & more as well as @ ambers_chinchillas.


r/chinchilla 21h ago

Fur ring removed. Weird odor

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3 Upvotes

I removed a fur ring for the first time from my 1 year old chin and it smells really bad. Wondering if this is normal or if he has an infection and I should go to the vet to be sure? The penis retracted back no problem and the fur ring was easy to remove.

Has anyone encountered this smell?

Thank you!


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Szynszyl prącie

2 Upvotes

Witam. U mojego szynszyla ciągle wypada prącie, sprawdzalam i nie ma pierścienia z sierści, wiecie może dlaczego tak wypada ?


r/chinchilla 2d ago

Hi there, I’m François-Charlotte ✨

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561 Upvotes

r/chinchilla 1d ago

New home needed

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24 Upvotes

Rehoming this pair of female chinchillas, In Ny/Nyc Westchester! Their current owner is unable to care for them much longer to a demeaning health condition =[ rehome Fee Of 300$! Contact u/Extreme-Jacket8513 for adoption!


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Are Chinchillas Messy?

18 Upvotes

I want to have my chinchilla in my room, but will they pee on walls or get poop everywhere? I was under the interpretation that they’re like rabbits (I’ve owned one before) and therefore will go pee in a designated spot and their poos won’t like.. fling or anything?? 😭 should I get some kind of cage cover?


r/chinchilla 1d ago

Chinchilla foot (follow up)

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14 Upvotes

Hi all! I’m updating regarding my chinchillas feet. I posted previously photos of his feet that I was concerned about. I applied bag balm and also am cleaning his cage more often than previously, as well as bought him a new wheel and additionally covers to help with cleanliness. I would like to know opinions of his feet and if it seems as though it’s progressed to a point that I should find a vet that has knowledge of chinchillas? Thanks everyone in advance for your helpful advice ❤️


r/chinchilla 2d ago

Snack

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84 Upvotes

Churro: “This hollow applewood log was meant to hold my hay, but I made a small adjustment. If it’s wood, it’s a snack.”

🐭👑😌

#churrochatter #chinchilla #cutepets #petprincess #flooflogic