Golden chinchilla cat: characteristics, selection and conditions of detention

Chinchilla cats are of English origin, they were first bred artificially in the 80s of the XIX century in England. Chinchilla defines two components: color and breed. Chinchillas include Persian, British, Scottish breeds, as well as exotic and Burmese. The result of crossing a Persian breed with a golden gene and a British one with a silver color were the delightfully beautiful golden chinchillas.

A cat of the golden chinchilla breed is very beautiful and cute, when you meet her, you will definitely want to stroke and caress her. The coat has a characteristic golden color, although in general it is heterogeneous, and has a smooth play (tipping). The undercoat ranges from pale apricot to golden. The hair on the ears, chin, chest and belly is red. On the head, back, sides and tail, in general golden color, there is black or brown tipping.

If the hairs are 1/3 dark, then the color is called shaded, and if 1/8 - chinchilla. The ticked color also stands out - it is of a darker golden tone, while on each hair there is not one black stripe, but more than two.

There is a point color when the full color is hidden under the Siamese color. The cat's coat has a light golden hue, only the ears, paws and muzzle look darker.

Distinctive features of the breed:

• large build, wide chest, straight, straight back;
• short legs with rounded pads with tufts of wool between the toes;
• the head is medium in size, the chin is soft;
• the nose is small, slightly flattened, pale pink or brick-colored;
• large eyes of green or copper color, with dark eyeliner and slightly lowered outer corners, chinchilla-point has blue eyes;
• the tail is fluffy, short and straight;
• weight 5-7 kg.

Features of golden chinchillas.

• British (English). Cats are long-haired and short-haired. Their coat is dense, shiny and thick. Ears are neat, erect, straight or round in shape.

• Scottish breed there are two subtypes: Scottish Fold (lop-eared) and Scottish Straight (normal erect ears). The coat is of medium length and feels like a plush.

• Persian. Has a long, thick coat. The tail looks like a fan, very fluffy, the hairs of which are 2 cm longer than the hair on the body.

Chinchillas have a wonderful character, although there are differences in the behavior of different species.

• British. She is very calm and sociable. To communicate with the owners, he uses meows and purrs. Loves personal space and protests against unnecessary tenderness. He gladly lets himself be stroked, but does not tolerate gripping, it is impossible to hold it in your hands or on your knees for a long time. Cats have a well-developed intuition, feel the role of a person in the house, and based on this they build their behavior with this or that family member.

• Scottish... Differs in kindness and peaceful character. Very attached to the owners. If other animals live in the house (for example, a dog or representatives of birds), then it gets along well with them. Loves children, loves to play outdoor games with them. They endure loneliness calmly, but when the owners return home, he meets them with stormy joy and literally follows them on their heels, demanding to be stroked. Meows rarely, quietly and unobtrusively.

• Persian. Very affectionate and cheerful kitty. She loves to be in the center of attention, she likes tenderness and prolonged lying on the lap of the owners. She is prone to laziness and obesity, so you need to play with her more often. I like fun with candy wrappers and toy mice. She is very wayward, with other animals in the house, she gets along badly, does not seek to establish friendly relations.

Choosing a golden kitten, you need to decide on the following points:

• the characteristics of the character of which breed are more impressed;
• a kitten is purchased only for an adult or for a family with a child;
• readiness for everyday care;
• whether the chinchilla is supposed to live with other representatives of the fauna in the house.

For adults, in whose house there are no other pets, of course, you can choose any kitten you like based on the suitable characteristics and preferred color. Families with small children or other animals available are better off choosing the Scottish breed.

It is better to start a Persian chinchilla for those families where children have already reached the age of 10, as in relation to small children, she behaves wary. If suddenly the kid will persistently show attention to the cat at the moment when she is not in the mood, then she can show aggression: scary hiss, scratch or bite. When purchasing, it is important to find out the availability of vaccinations, if possible, study the documents related to the pedigree.

In addition, one should take into account the fact that babies up to 3 months old can be tabby, but as the cat or cat gets older, it will become more uniform. Therefore, many responsible breeders do not sell kittens under the age of three months, but give them the opportunity to spend longer with their mother, so that their color, a healthy psyche and immunity are finally formed.

The main thing in caring for a cat of this breed is grooming the coat. It needs to be washed and combed regularly. Combing has its own characteristics: first, a comb should be used to go over the hair growth, and then against the fur. This procedure can be carried out for British and Scottish cats once every 2 weeks, since their fur is plush and springy and less prone to rolling into lumps. But the Persian chinchilla needs to be combed twice a week, in this case the coat will be smooth, no tangles will appear on it, and the cat will always feel great.

So that pets do not spoil the furniture for the owners, you need to accustom you to a scratching post from childhood. Once 2 weeks, you need to carefully trim one third of the upper part of the claws, using special claws for this. It should be borne in mind that of all the representatives of chinchillas, the Scots are the most thermophilic, if the temperature in the house drops below 20 degrees, then they immediately become uncomfortable. That's why it is important to monitor the temperature regime so as not to freeze, especially if the pet has to spend time alone for a long time.

In addition, when leaving for work, you need to provide toys and the presence of sufficient space to move (do not leave only in one room), then the animal easily experiences the absence of the owners at work or study. If you want to walk your pet, then in a city it will be advisable to use a harness. When a cat lives in a private house or if the family has a suburban area, it is better to exercise in the garden.

You can feed the animal with special feed or natural food. The following foods are preferred from regular meals.

• Finely chopped chicken, turkey or rabbit meat. It can be boiled or raw, but scalded with boiling water. Can be given daily.
• Boiled sea fish. It is better to feed 1-2 times a week.
• Dairy products: yogurt, kefir, low-fat cottage cheese. Give no more than 2 times a week.
• Quail eggs - 2 times a week.
• Buckwheat porridge, boiled in water - 2-3 times a week.
• Bone flour. It should be used as a supplement. Required dose: 1-2 teaspoons 2-3 times a week. It is better to mix flour with meat.

The following food products are prohibited for chinchillas:

• sweets (chocolate, candy, caramel);
• raw cow's milk;
• smoked meats;
• pickles;
• spicy dishes.

With natural nutrition, special vitamins should be given. When using ready-made feed, you can do without them, since they are already included in its composition. A properly selected diet guarantees an excellent appearance and well-being of the pet. The coat will always be silky and shiny, and the behavior will be active.

Chinchillas, like most cats, do not like to bathe, so you only need to wash them whole as needed and infrequently. For washing, you can use special shampoos, making sure that the foam does not get into your eyes and ears. The frequency of hygiene procedures depends on the breed.

The British (British) are cleaner, very often they wash themselves with their paws and tongue... Owners only need to wipe their eyes with a cotton swab once a day, leading it from the outer corner of the eye to the nose and remove the formed lumps from them. The ears of the British beauty can be wiped once a month with a cotton pad moistened with warm boiled water.

Persian and Scottish chinchillas need more frequent grooming by their owners.

The appeared dirt, as necessary, from the face and paws should be carefully removed with a damp cloth.

It is advisable to brush your pet's teeth once a day, you need to accustom you to this procedure as early as possible. It is much more difficult to teach an adult cat to tooth brushing than a kitten. You can buy dentifrices at your pet store. It is important to keep the tray clean. The choice of fillers is varied, there are those that completely absorb the smell. If the litter box is always clean, then the animal will always use it and will never mess outside it.

The health of cats directly depends on heredity, immunity is transmitted from parents. In general, chinchillas are in good health, but they may be prone to certain diseases.

• Retinal atrophy - damage to light-sensitive receptors in the retina. Symptoms include dilated pupils, glittering eyes, and sudden night blindness. The animal stops seeing in the dark, and in a neglected case, it can completely lose sight. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for atrophy. It is important to practice good eye hygiene so that dirt does not accumulate on them.
• Caries... For prevention, it is important to brush your teeth, and if caries is found, immediately contact your veterinarian.
• Hypertrophied cardiopathy - heart disease in which the wall of the ventricle thickens. May cause your cat to have heart failure or thromboembolism. It can only be detected using ultrasound. At the onset of the disease, shortness of breath and rapid fatigue can be noticed in the animal. Timely diagnosis and treatment started on time guarantee a favorable outcome.
• Polycystic kidney disease - a disease of the genitourinary system, in which cysts appear in the kidneys. It is very difficult to recognize the manifestations of the disease at the initial stage, but nevertheless, if it was possible, then surgical removal of the cyst is performed. But most often, symptoms become noticeable only when the formations greatly increase in size, and the cat has pain. If cysts are detected by simple palpation of the abdominal cavity, then the operation is meaningless. It is no longer possible to save the animal, since the kidneys cannot function normally. Only a special diet and medication prescribed by a veterinarian can relieve suffering. They will be able to extend the life of the pet.

Breeding golden chinchillas is not very easy even for experienced breeders. The main difficulty is the guarantee of obtaining the desired color. It's not easy to find a partner. If the plans are only breeding, without participating in exhibitions, then you can mate the pet with an individual of the opposite sex of any chinchilla breed with a silver or gold color. If participation in exhibitions is important, then the selection of an ideal pair is needed. It must be a purebred cat of the same breed and color as the kitty.

The first age for mating a cat is about a year and a half. It can be done as soon as heat appears. The interval between mating should be at least 4 months. After mating, the chinchilla sleeps a lot. With the onset of pregnancy, the tummy becomes noticeable after about a month, and its duration is 9 weeks.

If your pet has kittens with a pedigree, then after a month and a half you need to contact a special club or organization that will identify the pedigree of the babies and give them special passports. This will serve as a kind of permission for the official legal sale of kittens. The price for kittens of the breed is different, ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 rubles, the more a purebred kitten and closer to standards, the more expensive its price.Scottish and British golden chinchillas are more expensive, Persian ones are somewhat cheaper.

Reviews of golden chinchillas are varied. Contradictions, to a greater extent, are associated with character traits. The main thing is that it matches the nature of the owners. It is difficult to care for a cat or a cat of the Persian breed because of the long hair, which is prone to shedding. Many owners pay attention to the excessive cleanliness of chinchillas, therefore, the litter box, especially when teaching a kitten to it, is recommended to be changed after each visit to the toilet. In general, the bright color, pleasant coat, tenderness, playfulness of the cat and its easy adaptation to the new place of residence, of course, give pleasant emotions to the owners.

More information about the care and maintenance of golden chinchillas at home is described in the video below.