At all costs, avoid the kinds of cages that have a wire bottom to keep them up off the base of the cage. I would prefer not to run the risk of broken limbs or bumblefoot and I only use solid-floored enclosures. Even commercial breeding operations avoid wire bottoms. Some people use shavings for absorbency, some use pee pads. I use the latter. In any case, they are very clean animals and I have never known one to deliberately sit in its own waste if it can avoid it.
On the matter of baths, dust only, avoid water. Which means, if you have asthma, might be best to give them a pass. But then my roommate has asthma and loves them to bits, even though he sometimes has trouble breathing
Good point about the lifespan, I forgot to mention that. As you're young you will want to consider all the major life changes you have coming up. Who will look after your chinchilla when you go away to college? Get married? Get your first apartment? Will you be able to take the little guy with you? They are a long-haul pet
Chinchillas???
Re: Chinchillas???
They need a lot of attention and a specialized diet. You have to chin-proof their exercise area for playtime because they love to chew and ordinary barriers or pens aren't much use because they can jump 3 feet or more straight up. They have extremely complex digestive systems that need a lot of fibre but very low nutrients and any excesses can cause illness and death. One of my rescue girls has liver damage from an improper diet and it could have been caused by something as simple as being fed alfalfa hay instead of timothy. They're soft, but not usually cuddly. Not because they're mean, they're just very independent. Think of it as having a child who is permanently toddler-age, running around and putting things in his mouth that he shouldn't and sticking his fingers in light sockets. You have to be on your toes all the time. Love 'em, but they're intelligent and can get themselves into trouble faster than you can blink
Linear Mode
