Los chinchillas de Chile

Volume 2 Issue 1
April 1, 2008
Author: Ann Faucher

When Katie and Maddie of New London, Wisconsin return home from school each day, they are not only greeted by their excited dog and cat, but by three cuddly chinchillas.

Belle, a 3-year-old female, belongs to Katie. Maddie has two 7-year-old males, Lightning and Thunder. The two males have been together since birth; therefore, they live well in the same cage.

Chinchillas are very docile animals and make great pets. They can be housed in groups of two or more; however, it is recommended that they originate from the same litter or be introduced while young to avoid conflict. Older chinchillas tend to be more aggressive when a new 'roommate' moves in.

Their temperaments, as with any animal, can vary. "Some chinchillas like to be held, it just depends on their attitude," Katie explained. "Belle likes to be scratched under the chin, Thunder will sit on our shoulders, and Lightning is just plain annoying."

A proper cage should be well ventilated. Chinchillas lack the ability to sweat and may become overheated if airflow is limited. A two-tier design with shelves and obstacles to climb on is ideal, as it gives the animal room to be active. Because chinchillas will chew plastic, a metal cage is a better choice. The girls have plastic items in both of their pet cages and continually experience problems. "Belle chewed several holes in the bottom of her cage and my dad had to patch them," Katie told me as she pointed them out. Lightning and Thunder chewed the corners of the shelves and a plastic igloo.

When deciding on placement of the cage, keep in mind that chinchillas are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep during the day and are active at night. With that in mind, a bedroom might not be an appropriate place for this type of pet. Katie knows this from experience. "Belle, my chinchilla, used to be kept in my room. She figured out how to pull the cage bars and then let them go, causing a loud 'boing' sound. She knew it would wake me up and I would give her a treat in hopes of keeping her quiet. We had to move her to the family room so I could get some sleep," she said with a giggle.

The girls have learned a few important things about their pets. For example, chinchillas' teeth never stop growing; therefore, they regularly need to gnaw on things to wear them down. For this reason, it is important to keep tree branches or blocks of wood available at all times. "We use branches from my dad's peach tree," said Maddie. Apple, willow, and birch are other safe choices. Cedar should never be used because it is toxic to small animals and can cause upper respiratory infection.

Dust baths are also a necessity. This helps keep the animal's coat healthy and clean. In their native habitat, the Andes Mountains in Chile, they roll in volcanic ash. Fine sand or pumice is available for domestic chinchillas...