Chinchilla Care Guide

Natural History: Chinchillas originate from the high elevations of the Andes mountain range, at heights of 9-15 thousand feet above sea level. They are prey animals that have evolved to be extremely agile running and jumping through the rocky outcroppings and steep slopes found in their wild range. At this high altitude, things are harsh with little rainfall, and scarce plant life. Because of this, chinchillas have evolved to thrive in these conditions by sustaining on the dry grasses and shrubs found there while boasting an extremely thick coat to maintain warmth. Chinchillas are most famous for their coat, due to its extreme softness they were almost hunted to extinction for the fur trade. 

Behavior: As prey animals, they can be extremely quick to try to flee or dart away. While very common in the pet trade, these are still wild animals with strong self-preservation instincts. To learn more about how this thought process works, see our page on domestic vs wild instincts. They will appear shy at first, even if socialized before purchasing. They will need your patience to earn their trust to build a meaningful bond. Give them the time and space they need while moving at their own pace, and you will find yourself with a very enriching relationship before you know it. With time and patience, chinchilla can grow to be confident and outgoing making a wonderful companion.  Another curious behavior they display is how they bathe. Their fur is so dense, that it can not dry properly when wet, so to bathe themselves they roll in fine dust and volcanic ash to absorb the natural oils they produce to maintain their cleanliness.

Before You Buy

Chinchilla husbandry can be straightforward if you are properly prepared. The goal here is to set you up for success while setting your chinchilla up to thrive. Before you bring your new friend home, you should have the supplies you need armed with information and understanding to be completely prepared.

The first step to preparation is housing. Chinchillas do well with the mindset that “bigger is better”. They are very active animals that require ample room to jump and climb. A minimal size of roughly 4x4x3 feet is recommended by the VCA, but I encourage you to view it as a goal to beat and exceed, not just meet. A large cage with ample platforms, ramps, and perching providing plenty of space to move is ideal. They are animals that normally spend time hiding within rocks and shrubs, providing multiple places to hide is often appreciated by your chinchilla. You will need a plan on how you will provide appropriate ways to bathe themself, safe items to chew in order to wear down their teeth, and a good quality diet. 

Make sure to have a plan to meet all their needs for their whole life, not the time you think it would be fun to have one. Have a plan to care for them for the 20 years they can live, that alone can be a tall order. Next, find a vet that will see them before you find yourself needing one. They are relying on you, don't let them down because you didn't plan accordingly. 

Husbandry Needs

Caging: Once again, the bigger the better. Multiple commercial brands provide large options for them, get the biggest one you can. This is not their home, it's their world, let's give them a big one. Make sure they have plenty of things to jump to and rest on such as ramps, tunnels, platforms, and perching inside as well as multiple hides. 

Bathing: There are serval options here, some people provide free access to an appropriate bathing substrate, while others have set bath times. For mine, I do both. I prefer once-a-week baths, as in my personal experience if given free access to a bathing station it turns into just a litter box wasting dust or providing unclean baths. They tend to bathe once a week or so either way even if freely provided. If I find myself busy or out of town, at that point I leave an area to bathe. Do which one you feel is best for you and your chinchilla as long as you are providing clean, weekly dust baths. 

Diet: Thankfully, multiple good commercially made pelleted chinchilla diets are widely available. I feed Mazuri brand chinchilla diet, but there are multiple good options just make sure to do your research. Hay will be roughly 60-80% of what they eat, ideally timothy hay. Both hay and a high-quality pelleted diet should be free-fed and always available. Low-calcium fresh fruits and vegetables may be offered as treats. Too much calcium may result in health issues such as bladder stones down the road.  

Cleaning: This tends to be the biggest complaint when it comes to the care of Chinchillas. All that fur means they shed more than any 3 dogs you have owned at one time. Those dust baths mean, somehow everything around them will always be covered in dust. Because of this, your normal cage cleaning will be the most time-consuming part of the care of your chinchilla. I recommend a good hand-held vacuum or shop vac to be used twice a week to clean up debris around the cage, and deep cleaning once a week wiping down the cage and changing enrichment found inside.

Enrichment: Chinchillas are quite intelligent, and need mental stimulation to thrive. The best approach is a varied one. Enrichment can come in many forms, but I am going to cover changes in diet, changes in their environment, and new activities. Change in diet does not mean changing your staple diet, find a good pellet and source of hay and stick with it. Changing its diet means offering a treat food once a week or so. Moderation is key here, much like a large cheeseburger for me, I can't eat them daily and expect to be healthy, but one as a treat now and again sure enriches my life. Change in the environment I do during my weekly deep cleans. I move the contents of the enclosure around after cleaning to provide a “fresh” environment. Change in activity is what it sounds like, providing an activity that normally would not be a part of their daily routine. This could be offering a puzzle feeder, handling and spending time with you if stress-free, or allowing room to roam, in a safe new environment. If you have more questions on enrichment, see your page on it or reach out to our team.