Caring for Chinchillas
While chinchillas are a fairly exotic pet, originating from the Andes, caring for them is fairly straightforward, provided you choose appropriate chinchilla bedding, cage and food, are aware of specific chinchilla safety requirements and seek the advice of a vet.
Chinchilla Bedding - click here to buy smartbedz from our online shop
Choice of Chinchilla Bedding / Litter
Chinchillas generally cannot be toilet trained and will go just about anywhere within their cage. So you will need to provide suitable chinchilla litter to absorb the urine and help suppress any odour.
Chinchillas are rodents and will try to nibble anything within reach. So if you have a solid floor cage with a litter layer it is vital that your choice of chinchilla litter is non-toxic and safe for your chinchillas to ingest.
Some types of litter, such as those based on pine or cedar wood are known to be a problem for chinchillas, as the naturally occurring phenols in the wood cause irritation to the lungs and throat. This is a problem even if your cage is of the aviary type (see below for cage design options) as the phenols are volatile and will rise up through the cage.
Clay based kitty litters intended for cats are far too dusty for small rodents such as chinchillas and, if used, should never come into direct contact with the chinchilla. Clumping clay litters should never be used as it poses a severe hazard to any animal with small nasal passages.
The ideal chinchilla bedding / litter is therefore one which is dust free and non-toxic, while also having good absorbency and odour suppression qualities. SmartBedz fulfils all these requirements and makes an excellent chinchilla litter. Made of pulverised straw pellets it is highly absorbent and suppresses odour naturally by drawing moisture away from the surface, preventing oxidisation, the main cause of odour. Because it is made entirely from straw with no added chemicals, and breaks down easily in contact with moisture, it can be safely nibbled and eaten by your chinchillas.
In addition to using a suitable chinchilla litter layer, you may also provide a soft nesting layer within the sleeping box, usually fresh hay. It is useful to provide a good layer of SmartBedz inside the nesting box to help keep the sleeping area dry.
Chinchilla Litter - click here to buy smartbedz from our online shop
Choice of Chinchilla Cage
Chinchilla cages tend to have multiple levels. This provides climbing opportunities for these mountain creatures, as well as creating additional space to accommodate two or more chinchillas together (they tend to prefer company and it is common to own a pair or a small group of chinchillas rather than just one)
The majority of chinchilla cages on the market are aviary style, meaning that they have a pull-out tray at the bottom of the cage which is inaccessible to the chinchillas and which will contain your choice of chinchilla litter. In a multi-level cage, all floors will be made of mesh, allowing droppings and urine to fall through to the aviary tray. There will be the occasional solid floor area however, such as a nesting box and at least one ledge where a chinchilla can rest or lie down.
In this type of cage, a good layer of SmartBedz should be placed primarily in the aviary tray underneath the cage, although some can also be added to solid floor areas such as nesting box or additional ledges if you notice your chinchillas toileting there.
However, the aviary design is mainly a matter of convenience for the owner rather than to maximise comfort for the chinchillas, and many owners feel that walking around on a mesh floor is uncomfortable and unnatural. Bumblefoot is a particular problem for chinchillas where feet become sore and then infected as a result of chinchillas jumping about on a mesh floor. In this case, a solid floor design can be used. However a solid floor design does mean that your chinchillas are going to come into direct contact with whatever chinchilla bedding and litter you use. This means choosing a chinchilla litter which is non-toxic and dust free, such as SmartBedz.
Solid floors also create more of a challenge in terms of cleaning. In a cage containing several chinchillas, all toileting indiscriminately, odour will build up pretty quickly unless cleaned regularly. So unless you are willing to clean out a large, multi-layer cage every day, you need a chinchilla litter which is exceptionally good at suppressing odour and which is easy to spot clean. SmartBedz has natural odour suppressing qualities, which reduces the frequency of cleaning required. Wet areas can be easily seen (the pellets swell up) and scooped out, and a fresh layer of SmartBedz placed over the remaining litter. A complete clean out will still be needed sometimes - the frequency will depend on your nose and the number of chinchillas occupying the cage.
Creating a Safe and Enriching Environment
As well as ensuring a safe choice of chinchilla bedding, there are other important safety factors to consider when caring for chinchillas. The most important risk to chinchilla health is overheating. Chinchillas evolved in a cold climate and have very thick fur. They also do not perspire - a further adaptation to prevent heat loss. Keeping them in a temperate climate, where temperatures can frequently be quite high, can pose a significant problem - and temperatures above 24 degrees C can even be fatal.
You therefore need to ensure that your chinchilla's environment is kept cool and well ventilated, and you should actively monitor the temperature within the cage. Depending on the ambient temperature where you live, you may even consider using some type of cooling system during hotter weather. A chinchilla stone provides a place to lie down and get cool, especially in warmer weather, so try to provide one or more stones to cater for the number of chinchillas you have.
Since your chinchilla will spend most of its time inside its cage, you need to provide a degree of enrichment and entertainment. The best entertainment for a chinchilla is another chinchilla, so keeping two or more together will help to keep your chinchillas content.
Chinchillas are also highly visual creatures, so it is a good idea to provide the cage with a window view if possible - but do avoid direct sunlight!
Internally, the cage design should include a variety of different areas accessible by ramps, ladders and so on, for your chinchillas to explore. But you should also add toys and move these around to create variety. A dust bath provides entertainment as well as helping your chinchilla to keep its coat in good condition.
Chinchilla Bedding - click here to buy smartbedz from our online shop
Feeding Your Chinchilla
Chinchillas need a high roughage diet and have special requirements in terms of nutrients compared to other small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs. It is therefore important to base your chinchilla?s diet on a specially formulated chinchilla pellet.
These pellets comprise a variety of different components and give a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate suitable for chinchillas.
It is a good idea to stick to a routine, feeding at the same time every day, rather than just topping up food as and when you remember. Chinchillas seem to like a routine and it gives them something to look forward to. Some recommend feeding morning and evening, splitting the food quantity in half between the two feeding times. This evens out your chinchilla?s food intake, and gives them two definite points in the day to anticipate.
While pellets form the basis of the diet, you should also supply fresh hay daily, taking care to remove any leftover hay to prevent mould or other contamination. Hay cubes can be given as a substitute, but it is still important to provide some fresh hay. Chinchillas need the long strand fibre it provides - and it also provides playing and nesting material.
Some owners like to feed their chinchillas treats such as raisins or other dried fruit. But quantities should be very small - a few a week is plenty. Chinchilla treats are available commercially but are usually high in fat and sugar so these are best avoided.
Ensure there is always plenty of clean water to drink. Hydration is essential to prevent constipation and to help body temperature regulation.
Chinchilla Health
The average lifespan for a healthy chinchilla is around 12 years, but some have been known to live to 20. They are generally quiet robust but, like any pet, are prone to some particular health problems which you should keep an eye out for.
Most chinchilla health problems arise from problems with diet, lack of exercise, stress levels, too much heat or damp or physical problems arising from cage design (e.g. Bumblefoot). If you have followed the advice above you will avoid most of these problems. For instance, chinchillas are used to dry, cold environments and will develop fungal infections if their environment is at all damp or too warm. Using SmartBedz will greatly help to prevent dampness within the cage, although it is still important to clean out wet and damp areas regularly.
Some conditions are very specific to chinchillas, so it is advisable, especially if you have not kept chinchillas before, to find a vet who knows about chinchillas and who can help educate you about symptoms, as well as being on hand to deal with problems if they arise.
Chinchilla Litter - click here to buy smartbedz from our online shop