What is a chinchilla.

A chinchilla is a very curious furry creature.  They resemble a rabbits body with a squirrels tail. They are a rodent.  They come in colors ranging from white to black with all colors in between. They each have their own personality.







What makes them so appealing?

What makes them so appealing is the fact that  they are cute, cuddly, and have absolutely no odor.  They are curious, easy mannered, don't tend to bite, and over all just plain interesting.






Can I train my chin?

Chinchillas are intelligent for rodent-type animals.   You will need some patience and it will take you awhile to teach your chin what is expected of him. Your chin will have to trust you. You will have to coax it by giving it treats.  (similar to teaching a dog or cat)  I personally know an individual whose friend had one while living in Hawaii and the chin went everywhere with his owner.  He rode on the guy's shoulder.

They tend to be very smart and quite responsive.  So hard work and dedication will eventually pay off.  You have to be consistent in your training and show them rewards as an enforcement for their behaviour.







Do they have an odor?

Chins do not smell.  They have no noticeable odor like that of a hamster or guinea pig or ferret. They are odor free.  I just recommend cleaning the cage at least once a week.  The only smell I have ever had was the hay in the cage.







How long will my chin live?

Chins have been reported to live up to 20 years.  The average is 15 years.






Do they bite?

Generally speaking, NO.  A chin will nibble on you to check you out. They don't normally bite unless they feeling threatened or you are abusing them. They may pee on you if they don't like you or the way your smell. The chin breeder where I live had to take the chins out of his petstore because they liked to spray the customers






What kind of cage should I put my chin in?

I recommend using a metal cage.  Plastic cages could be chewed through. Wooden cages will be chewed on also.  See Housing/Cages for more information.  My chin resides in a 3-story condo.  He loves it!






Can my chin be housebroke?

Yes and no.  They will pretty much only use one spot in the cage for urinating. My chin pees in a small container that I add wood shavings to.  I have found that my chin will not urinate unless he is in his cage.  No as far as defacating they will do that everywhere.  But it is easy enough to clean up!






Are they smart?

Chins are very intelligent.  They each have a personality all their own.  They are very curious critters that will offer you hours of fun and excitement.






Do they like toys?

A wheel is a good toy to start your chin out with.  I would suggest getting a 15 inch one if you can find it.  Some of the bigger cages have several levels and this allows your chin different places or shelves to run on.  A plastic ball to chase, or boxes to chew on are important things for your chin to have to keep it active.  You don't want your animal getting too bored.   Hanging wooden parrot toys are good to play with.  PVC pipe joints are good to hide in (T's and Y's, 3-4 inches in diameter).  Pumice stones are good to chew on, as are mineral stones. Remember that their teeth grow continuously and they need things to chew on to wear them down.  The more they have to do the better they like it because they are very interested and curious. They are smarter than other rodents.