Features of keeping chinchilla at home

In the modern world, people are increasingly acquiring pets. If earlier it could only be dogs and cats, now many people prefer rodents living in cages. Most people believe that these pets are picky, do not require special attention and high care costs. However, this is not at all the case.

A striking example of this is the keeping of a chinchilla - a rodent with unusually soft and rich fur. It is known that they are famous for their cleanliness and measured, mostly nocturnal, lifestyle. But this does not mean at all that small pets do not require special attention to themselves. They also demand! Their maintenance costs are quite high. Therefore, before purchasing the animal, it is important to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances.

First of all, it is necessary to note the main features of chinchilla keeping, concerning living in close proximity to humans.

It is important to understand that the chinchilla is an exotic animal with a rather fragile physique and not a particularly strong nervous system. Therefore, it should not be exposed to any stressful situations, as this can lead to health problems for the animal. For this reason, you need to think carefully when buying an animal as a gift for a child under 12 years old.

Chinchilla fur is recognized as safe for people with allergies or asthma.

Many people wonder whether it is possible for a chinchilla to "walk" around the apartment. Experts do not advise to get carried away with such a procedure, because in the human dwelling of a fearful animal, a huge number of dangers await: these are wires with electricity, and poorly stable furniture, and various containers with liquids. Moreover, running quickly is also unsafe for the animal: the chinchilla may have a fever that can even lead to a stroke. And then, a chinchilla is a rodent, so it is better to keep all wires and valuable items away from it. For the state of the rodent in the cage, you definitely do not need to worry, the main thing is to take care of the comfort and the availability of entertainment.

Breeders do not recommend leaving chinchillas alone for more than 1.5 days. Of course, the animal can easily cope without you for a little more than a day, the water and food left behind will be enough for it. However, it is important to take into account the restlessness of the animal and possible breakdowns in the cage. It often happens that the rodent breaks the drinker and wet the food, which can be a problem if he is alone at home.

If we talk about living together, then the ideal option is a female and a male, as a last resort, you can settle two males of the same litter next to each other, but do not forget that same-sex animals get along in the same territory is rather difficult. Animals of this kind always have a lot to do, therefore, living alone, they definitely will not get bored. Breeding a chinchilla is a rather complicated matter: you need to have two cages, and within six months after giving birth, you need the male and female to live separately.

It is also worth considering the fact that veterinarians specializing in the treatment of rodents such as chinchillas are available exclusively in large cities. A doctor in an ordinary hospital may simply not have some knowledge about this type, and even injure. It is important to be prepared for the fact that many issues related to the health of the animal will need to be resolved independently.

When keeping a chinchilla in an apartment, it is important to consider the following features:

• the temperature in the room where the rodent lives should be from +14 to +25 degrees in order to provide the animal with conditions as close as possible to natural;
• the cage should not be in direct sunlight, it must also be protected from drafts, and it is better to avoid the presence of heating devices nearby;
• chinchillas are especially sensitive to loud sounds, so it is undesirable to use noisy equipment in this room.

The cage is the home for the chinchilla, where it spends most of its life. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the home is as comfortable and adapted as possible for the existence of a rodent in an apartment. There are several factors to consider when choosing a design.

• The size. Of course, the cage should be spacious and high so that the animal can move around, play and have fun as it is convenient for him.
• The rods are made of reliable material. Chinchilla is a rodent. Therefore, the animal is used to everything and always taste. The bars of the cage will not be an exception; he will definitely try to gnaw through wooden or plastic slats in order to risk escaping to freedom. For this reason, metal will become the optimal material for rods, which, of course, is beyond the power of pets.
• The gap between the rods. Chinchillas are extremely mobile and flexible animals. They can easily crawl into the seemingly narrow cracks. To block the path of rodents to the freedom undesirable for the owner, it is necessary to choose a cage with a distance between the rods of at least 1.5 centimeters.
• The quality of the material used. This criterion needs to be given special attention. Make sure that the walls of the cage are not covered with any paint or varnish.If a chinchilla enters the body, such substances will cause severe irritation that can lead to poisoning, and even death of the animal.

There are two types of cages for keeping a chinchilla in an apartment, each of which has both obvious advantages and visible disadvantages.

Hosts often prefer just such cages with twigs. First of all, they are easy to clean and well ventilated, and rodent waste products are easily extracted from them.

As a disadvantage, you can consider the low level of sound insulation, or rather, its complete absence. As you know, chinchillas are predominantly nocturnal, that is, the most active period for them is the dark time of the day when people sleep. In a metal cage, every action of the animal is heard by the owners, sleeping, for example, in the same room. Of course, this causes a lot of inconvenience.

Due to the activity, chinchillas can throw out the remains of food or filler "over the sides" of the cage. Obviously, through the bars, all this easily flies to the floor. Therefore, the cleaning area is increasing - you need to take care of the cleanliness around the cage.

This type of dwelling for chinchillas is a wooden structure, several walls of which are made of metal mesh or glass. In comparison with the first option, the showcase clearly wins in terms of sound insulation - you can not hear the animals in it at all. Also, feed and filler do not fly out of the frame, as it is made of solid material.

A serious drawback is the fact that the windows are inconvenient to clean, the wood absorbs odors well, and can swell from excessive moisture. In order to comply with sanitary standards, such a dwelling must be changed periodically.

The cell variety does not affect its constituents. Inside, there must be several shelves suspended at different heights.

Obviously, not only the size of the cage and the materials from which it is made are important, but also the interior filling of the home for your furry pet. Consider the main accessories that are most often preferred by the owners of chinchillas.

• It is, perhaps, necessary to start from the bottom of the cage, which should be as safe as possible and not traumatic for the animal's legs. You can choose dense carpet or give preference to shavings or hay. In order for the chinchilla to always be busy, a variety of sports equipment must be present in the cage, which will also help the animal to maintain physical shape and endurance. These are all kinds of stairs, a running wheel, labyrinths, tunnels.
• A separate house required for the privacy of the animal. In it, the chinchilla will be able to stay with herself for a while, take a break from the eyes constantly looking at her and enjoy loneliness. During the day, she will be comfortable sleeping there. You can buy a house at a pet store or make it yourself from wood.
• Moreover, for the rest of the pet, you can equip an area with a hammock, which will definitely suit his taste. A hammock is purchased from a pet store and hung from the ceiling or walls of the cage.
• A bath with sand poured into it. It is attached to the walls of the cage so that the mold does not turn over due to the active life of the rodent. You can also do it yourself using a plastic bottle cut in half, or even a canister. High quality sand can be purchased at a pet supply store, then sprinkled in about 0.5 centimeters thick. To keep it always clean and bring pleasure to the rodent, it is important to change it once every two weeks.
• Drinking bowl. Perhaps this is one of the first items in the list of accessories that a chinchilla needs. A drip bowl is ideal. It needs to be suspended 10 centimeters above the floor of the cage. The water should be changed as it gets dirty and, of course, as soon as it runs out.It is best to use bottled or boiled liquid.
• Feeder. You can give preference to an outdoor one, but then it should be made of heavy material so that the animal does not drag it from place to place and does not gnaw. Or choose a mounted feeder, securely attaching it to the wall of the cage.

It is necessary to foresee the location of each of the accessories in accordance with the dimensions of the cage. It is important that each item is necessary and useful for the pet, and not just take up space and give the animal anxiety, being located in an already cramped cage.

For an active animal, there is nothing worse than constant boredom. Of course, the owners should make sure that the chinchilla has something to do in his cage. Otherwise, the rodent begins to pull out its own fur, which gives it psychological and physical pain.

Consider the main types of toys that can attract a chinchilla.

• Tunnel. The animals especially like to wade through wooden and plastic pipes, playing hide and seek. In order not to lose an accidentally sleeping rodent, as is often the case, you can buy a transparent tunnel. Make sure that the diameter of the device is more than 30 millimeters, otherwise the chinchilla will get stuck.
• Hammock. In pet stores, buyers are offered rag, wooden or plastic structures for resting the animal. They can also be with several tiers, which, of course, will be even more interesting for the pet.
• Shelf. A device that is attached to the rods of the cage at a height of about 80 centimeters so that the animal does not suffer from an unsuccessful jump. Several installed shelves provide constant physical activity for active rodents.
• Ladder. Small designs are great for constantly developing an animal's paws or sharpening teeth. An ideal option with your own hands is a wooden stick, placed vertically and leading from the shelf to the bottom of the cage.
• Hanging toys. They are most often equipped with various noisy details that cause unprecedented delight in chinchillas. Animals can play with them as they want, but at night, of course, it is better to remove such things from the cage.
• Wheel. A good simulator that helps your pet to keep fit and be constantly busy. It can be made of plastic, wood or metal. An aluminum wheel is ideal, however it has the highest value in the pet market.
• Ball. This construction is essential for walking around the room. The animal climbs inside and, turning over with its paws, rolls around the room. From the experience of many owners, it is known that such entertainment is not always safe for the rodent, since it may not have enough air. Then it is better to remove foreign objects and let the animal walk around the room without any balls.

Food for chinchillas serves not only as a satisfaction of physiological needs, but also as a kind of ritual, receiving true pleasure. They adore all kinds of delicacies for rodents, however, it is important for the owners to know when to stop and feed their wards correctly, so as not to overdo it in relation to the fragile body of fluffy pets.

Since the animal is active at night, food intake should also be in the dark. The chinchilla quickly gets used to the food offered to her, and over time, it loses its appetite. Therefore, it is necessary to change the diet once every six months.

Of course, the menu of chinchillas depends on the age, sex, physical condition of the animal, and even on the season. It is important to constantly take care of the presence of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids in food, otherwise the pet will not have enough useful elements, which will lead to various diseases in the animal and pathologies in its cubs.

One chinchilla requires 10 kilograms of combined feed and 7 kilograms of hay per year. The daily food intake for one adult chinchilla is approximately 60 grams. Of these, about 25 grams are for combined feed and hay, 5 grams for vegetables and herbs, no more than 4 grams for treats, and there should also be 20 milliliters of water.

The food must be bought in specialized stores so that all proportions are observed in its composition. Any violations lead to pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. For a more favorable development of the chinchilla, it is fashionable to give it additional vitamins from nature. You can collect hay from legumes and cereals, cornflower, chicory.

For feeding, you can turn to the help of fresh grass. For example, chinchillas are very fond of freshly harvested nettles, dandelions, rhubarb or tree leaves, hawthorn fruits, and even dried fruits. The main thing is to observe the measure.

It is forbidden to feed chinchillas with food of animal origin, as they will not be able to digest the protein contained in it. High-calorie nuts are also undesirable. There are also required elements that are constantly needed by rodents. This is a chalk stone with any vitamin supplements and salt lick.

Chinchillas are known for being one of the cleanest animals. At home, they constantly look after their fur themselves. However, in caring for them, they still sometimes need human help, which is not difficult to do at home.

Once a week, the rodent needs to swim in the sand. As mentioned above, for this purpose, you need a bath specially bought at a pet store or made with your own hands, into which you need to pour clean sand.

Let the animal into the bath, he himself knows what to do. And you can watch a happy creature that gets incredible pleasure from sand baths. It is better not to leave the bath for more than 30 minutes, because chinchillas love to fall asleep in the sand, and this dries the skin. There is no need to seek the help of a bath more than once every five days.

It is strictly forbidden to get chinchilla wool wet, since it takes a lot of time to dry it, and the animal may catch a cold. Moreover, water can enter the ears, and this is a direct path to the inflammatory process, which is very bad for a fragile animal. Breeders advise to use a damp towel and a clean comb in case of heavy contamination of the fur.

Chinchillas are the complete opposite of dogs and cats, it is almost impossible to tame them, teach them to be submissive. They love loneliness and are ready to spend most of their time alone with themselves. Of course, exceptions happen, and the rodent is ready to go into the hands of the owner, to submit to tenderness and affection.

In order for the chinchilla to be more tame and docile in the future, it is necessary to take care of its domestication from childhood. At first - about 3 weeks after purchasing a chinchilla, let it get used to a new place, get used to an unfamiliar environment.

After a certain period of time, you can make contact with a new family member. Begin to approach the cage, open it, and stretch your palms towards the animal. Most likely, the chinchilla will be interested, will sniff, and even bite his fingers. It's good if the pet jumps into your arms, however, here it is important not to scare him. Do not pull the chinchilla out of the cage, but, on the contrary, give more time for adaptation.

Next times, you can try to call a rodent from his home, invite him to his knees or shoulders. At this time, the pet must be affectionately addressed and called by name. Any success must be reinforced with a delicacy.

At the next stage of contact with the chinchilla, you can go on to scratching. The most pleasant places for her: behind the ear, along the chest or neck.But it is better not to touch the backrest, barrels and tail, this can cause a feeling of fear.

Experts strictly forbid taking a chinchilla by force; it can react to this by scratching or biting. This is allowed only if necessary: ​​if the animal needs a medical examination. If you catch her often, your hands will seem to her as a signal of danger, then contact will definitely be lost.

Based on feedback from breeders, it is worth making a detailed list of what you definitely cannot do in relation to a chinchilla:

• to let her out of the cage into a room that is not free from various dangers;
• let it out into the street, where the animal can catch a cold, get any infection, and even run away;
• bathe in water.

In fact, there are no special difficulties in keeping a chinchilla. Of course, it is important to take into account many aspects for a pet to grow and develop successfully, but it will not be difficult for someone who really loves animals.

For the peculiarities of keeping and caring for chinchillas, see the next video.