Chinchilla Care – Common Chinchilla Care Facts That You Should Know
Are Chinchillas Good Pets for Kids? Chinchillas are an exotic long-term commitment, usually living more than 15 years with great love and care. This is a big commitment, that a kid even for years may not be ready for. So make sure you are prepared for it. Consider these important questions before deciding to add a new pet to your family.
Are they easy to care for? Chinchilla pets need just as much attention as any other pet; however, chinchillas are slightly different. They tend to demand a bit more from their owners. If you are looking for easy-going, cuddly, fuzzy pets that will simply love you for the rest of their lives, then chinchillas are NOT the right pet for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a pet that will require some extra attention, will require regular grooming, and may even have medical or behavioral issues that need to be dealt with, then chinchillas are perfect pets for you.
How do you get started with chinchilla care? You can purchase chinchillas from an animal shelter, but be careful – most shelters do not properly care for the animals they receive. It is up to you to research reputable breeders in your area and make sure the chinchilla you choose meets all of the basic needs and requirements listed here.
One of the best ways to find reputable breeders is to ask other pet owners from whom they got their chinchillas. Chances are, they are happy with the breeder they got their chinchilla from. If not, many other pet owners would be glad to help you out with your research.
Now that you have found reputable breeders, it is time to begin learning about chinchilla care. The first thing you should know is that chinchillas are not good pets for children under the age of eight years old. Although they are gentle and kind, chinchillas are also extremely playful and can be a great source of entertainment for the younger generation. They are also not good pets for newborn puppies less than eight weeks old. Pregnant mothers should never leave their babies alone with chinchillas.
The second of the important chinchilla care facts you should know is that chinchillas are NOT good pets for people with allergies or heart conditions. Chinchillas are covered in thick fur and getting a tick or flea in your pet chinchilla’s fur can lead to an extremely painful reaction, which could even result in death. The fur is also infested with mites, which can be very harmful to humans who are allergic to chinchillas.
The third of the important chinchilla care facts you should know involves the chinchilla’s tendency to get overweight. If your pet chinchilla does not have adequate exercise, it will eventually become obese. When they become overweight, they will become less active and thus have a hard time finding an activity to burn off excess fat. This can eventually result in chinchilla obesity, which is potentially deadly.
The fourth of the chinchilla care facts you should know deals with chinchilla breeding. Chinchillas are not considered to be good pets for beginners because they tend to have a strong maternal instinct, which means that they will not hesitate to mate with the new pet. Therefore, pet owners must practice special chinchilla care, where they do not breed their chinchillas. Otherwise, it is possible that two chinchillas will conceive, leading to a litter of four to eight kittens.
These kittens are less likely to survive, and so you should try to avoid having more than four chinchillas in your household. It is also important to note that chinchillas do not give birth as easily as other mammals, so it is wise to have an experienced breeder give your baby chinchillas.
Finally, the last of the chinchilla care facts you should know deals with their natural desire to mark their territories. A chinchilla will begin to mark its territory roughly three weeks after they have been born. This is a natural instinct that they have, and so it will not be difficult for you to correct any problems that occur with this natural behavior.
All you need to do is make sure that your pet chinchilla has its own personal tent or den area where it can go to relax when it is happy. Once this is done, you can expect your chinchilla to live anywhere from one to three years with proper chinchilla care.