Clearing the suspicions

[lilyluvstiki]

I really really want. A chinchilla. And I hear they are amazing pets! I only have 2 problems. Some people say other things then other people (if that does make any sense.) for instance, some people say chins are farely easy and don't have trouble to take care of. But some people say that they are extremely hard to take care of and regret having one. And some people say chins keep you up all night and you can't change the fact that tey are nocturnal, but some people say that they aren't nocturnal and that they don't keep you up/they can be easily trained to be quiet. Can you clear these rumors please?

 

[LVchinchillas]

Chinchillas are better than any pet I have ever had, they had taken over my world and I'm absolutely fine with that. Chinchillas are fairly easy to take care of if you are an animal lover.

Requirements:
1 Hour of Play
House Temperature at 72 (They can get a heat stroke and die in temps 80 or above)
Aspen Bedding (Never cedar or undried pine)
Mazuri/Oxbow Chin Feed (Never brands that have tons of treats and junk in them)
Timothy Hay
Weekly Cage Cleaning
Money put aside just in case of a health scare.
No plastic in their cage
Dust Baths

Chinchillas are lovely animals and I'm sure you will not regret getting one. You also have to put into consideration that some chinchillas can live up to 15-20 years.

I hope this makes your decision easier. If you are a true animal lover and can devote time and love to your chinnie you should have no problems.

 

[DaddyslilDimwit]

They are really fun, and live for a long time so you have 15+ years to bond, which I think is awesome. The biggest issues are diet, heat, and not getting them wet.

It all comes down to doing as much research before hand as possible and not jumping on the first chin you find. Don't go to a pet store, ask a knowledgeable breeder and let them know you are looking for a more mellow animal.

 

[KelseyLynn]

For the first "rumor": If you love animals and you have cared for animals before, chinchillas are very easy to care for. Other than specific requirements such as an air conditioned room, a special diet (Mazuri/Oxbow .. no treat filled foods!), and dust baths, etc. their care is very straightforward.

As for the second, my chinnies do wake me up at night. I am not sure if they are nocturnal, because I feel like they are more of a "I'll be awake when I feel like it" kind of animal. When I walk past their cages during the day they will perk up, ask for scritches, sometimes run around and then plop back down. But to get back to the point, my girls do wake me up at night, some nights not at all and some nights multiple times. I'm a pretty heavy sleeper so I just doze off again, but if you're one of those people that gets annoyed with being woken up or has trouble falling asleep, I wouldn't put your chinchilla in your room.

 

[Becky]

Chinchillas are better than any pet I have ever had, they had taken over my world and I'm absolutely fine with that. Chinchillas are fairly easy to take care of if you are an animal lover.

Requirements:
1 Hour of Play
House Temperature at 72 (They can get a heat stroke and die in temps 80 or above)
Aspen Bedding (Never cedar or undried pine)
Mazuri/Oxbow Chin Feed (Never brands that have tons of treats and junk in them)
Timothy Hay
Weekly Cage Cleaning
Money put aside just in case of a health scare.
No plastic in their cage
Dust Baths

Some of this is opinion, not fact. Play time is great, but not mandatory. Aspen bedding is fine, but so is kiln dried pine, Those feeds are OK, but so are Tradition, some top quality rabbit pellets, and others. 72 is the top temperature for me- I keep them closer to 65. Over 70 is too hot for me. Timothy hay is fine, but so are others.

 

[Encantadora]

They aren't difficult as long as the owner doesn't get "bored" with them during their long life. That's the main reason I see them re-homed when you get down to the root of the matter.

 

[perabalaofmystery]

They are really fun, and live for a long time so you have 15+ years to bond, which I think is awesome. The biggest issues are diet, heat, and not getting them wet.

It all comes down to doing as much research before hand as possible and not jumping on the first chin you find. Don't go to a pet store, ask a knowledgeable breeder and let them know you are looking for a more mellow animal.

lol the not getting them wet part made me think of gremlins. (dont feed thoese after midnight too)

personally i think chillas are a great pet if you've put considerable thought into getting one. i would say dont get one if you just want it on a whim. lots of chillas get rehomed because of people just getting bored with them. In my opinon they just wanted one because they were cute. and then found out they didnt have time for the care of them.


i love my chins. i wouldnt give them up for the world. they have such amusing quirks and personalities and they never cease to amuse and amaze me with their antics. i find them rather easy to take care of. though i do have to keep a vaccum handy. youd be amazed at how far the poo could go. but they are most definitely worth it for me


like people have said before make sure you do your research. chin ownership isnt something you should just jump headfirst into.

 

[Jenn]

I have one chinchilla that I would never regret getting. She has so much personality and I just love her to death. Yes, I think caring for her is pretty easy. I have a fleece liner and a litter box that she mostly uses, so cleaning her cage isn't that difficult, although she does have the tendency to spread her hay everywhere! She is not a neat freak! lol. I have my own apple trees so I can spoil her rotten with apple sticks. Any good quality food will do, and one chinchilla doesn't go through that much quickly. She has the biggest cage possible full of ledges and a saucer she loves. My chinchilla is up frequently during the day because we are. So she is not strictly nocturnal. I don't have her in my bedroom so if she is up at night, I'm not bothered by any noise she makes. You do need to have your chinchilla in a cooler environment. Most people would agree that 65-70 is ideal. One thing to remember is that they are exotic animals who hide illness until sometimes too late. If they require a vet visit, it will be a lot more expensive than a cat or a dog to the vet. Not all vets know much about chinchillas so you have to find a competent exotics vet.

In the end, is a chinchilla worth all of this? YES!

 

[mistywaterwoman]

Chins aren't nocturnal, they're crepuscular - most active at dawn and at dusk.

Mine are very noisy at night, a problem I solved by keeping them in a room on the opposite side of my house from our bedrooms. I can still hear the wheels going and such if I'm listening for it, but the "normal" noises don't wake me up. Now, when Amy decides to throw her bowl down and clang it, it still wakes me up, lol.

Any exotic pet you get is going to require a certain investment of time and money. If you have both and are willing to make the commitment, they are wonderful pets.