First off I want to say that's awesome, chinchillas are pretty awesome lol

Now as for some advice, chinchillas are generally not considered a first time rodent pet, since they require a substantial amount of care and attention in order to have a happy and *long* life. I would say if you expect this thing to only live 4-5 years you will be sorely mistaken, as chinchillas have been known to live more than 20 years.

Also make sure their enclosure is really secure, although I might just be saying this from my own experience, chinchillas are escape artist and will gladly hop all over your room if they find a spot to squeeze through. They're like cats, if their head can fit, they can sit. Or in this case squeeze through just about anything, underneath the door, behind the TV stand, get inside a high vase...

One more thing, chinchillas need attention, their social creatures and in the wild are usually found in colonies of well over 100 chins. So even if you do get another one, they still need some attention from you! These aren't really an animal that you can stick with another animal and call it a day

Thats all, I hope some of these help, though I'm sure you already knew most of them! :)

Spirtasi Whims said:

First off I want to say that's awesome, chinchillas are pretty awesome lol

Now as for some advice, chinchillas are generally not considered a first time rodent pet, since they require a substantial amount of care and attention in order to have a happy and *long* life. I would say if you expect this thing to only live 4-5 years you will be sorely mistaken, as chinchillas have been known to live more than 20 years.

Also make sure their enclosure is really secure, although I might just be saying this from my own experience, chinchillas are escape artist and will gladly hop all over your room if they find a spot to squeeze through. They're like cats, if their head can fit, they can sit. Or in this case squeeze through just about anything, underneath the door, behind the TV stand, get inside a high vase...

One more thing, chinchillas need attention, their social creatures and in the wild are usually found in colonies of well over 100 chins. So even if you do get another one, they still need some attention from you! These aren't really an animal that you can stick with another animal and call it a day

Thats all, I hope some of these help, though I'm sure you already knew most of them! :)

Stormsong Manor said:

They need regular dust baths to keep their coats healthy, too.

EmeraldHillsFarm said:

A random assortment of my thoughts on chinchilla ownership:

Caveat to the social interaction thing: chinchillas are most intensely social with other chinchillas, not always with people! While each chin is an individual, and some may be down for petting and holding, others are much more shy. I had 2 chinchillas, and one was happy to climb up and sit on my shoulder. The other would only touch me if he initiated it. However, he was an older chinchilla when he came into my care and was already set into his habits-- younger chins are easier to socialize.

I also recommend an enitrely metal cage! They will destroy plastic ones, and ingesting all of that plastic isn't good for them anyway. To make it more cozy, you can cover flat surfaces with soft covers, add hammocks, and of course use lots of bedding. A large cage is also a must, with room for climbing! Chinchillas are excellent jumpers and love to show off this ability.

A chinchilla-appropriate wheel (not a little hamster one) is also a great addition to the cage. Do NOT put your chinchilla into a plastic ball. They become easily overheated due to their dense fur and those balls are not well ventilated enough!

Daranyx said:

Chinchillas are not considered the best for first time rodent owners. They do require a lot of care. Another thing is that the oils on your hands can ruin their coats so they arent animals that should regularly be handled and pet like say a rabbit or rat would but they can be held. Some don't enjoy it that much and may just prefer to hang on you or sit on your shoulder once you gain that bond but honestly it does take a while and some never bond. They are all very unique. They are escape artists and can jump very very high so its not a bad idea to make sure the cage you have them in is nice and secured and tall habitats are ideal. They do need regular dust baths as ven mentioned and it's not a bad idea to actually leave their dust bath "container" in their cage every couple of days or so since they will maintain themselves. They like to stay clean. They can actually be destructive like any animal and will eat chords from my experience so it's a good idea to keep them away from the wall and chords. A lot of them are particularly fond of foods that aren't good for them so if you plan on having your chinchilla out, watch out for food that they could get into. A huge thing is how they are kept though. Again, tall cages are best and it's better to have a cage rather than a glass case type thing that they are kept in in pet stores. The reason being that the glass cases can actually retain moisture and cause respiratory infections/issues. They really need the aeration. Similarly, they are from south America, primarily around mountains so always keep that in mind when designing their habitat/cage and just make sure your chinchilla has plenty of hiding places and room to climb. They are also herd animals and like to live in groups. If you get one, it's not a bad idea to consider buying a pair. A lot of places sell chinchilla pairs (not just breeding pairs but siblings) and its a good idea to keep them together rather than separating them if they are paired for their health.