Chinchillas – how they make a good pet

by E-NewsCast Team
March 7th, 2010

Chinchillas make great pets. Unlike other small animals, thechinchilla’s lifespan is about fifteen years. That’s great forthe folks that really get attached to their small pets.Chinchillas are very small, and can easily be kept in smallerspaces. Your child can have years of enjoyment from them.

Caring for chinchillas is relatively easy as well. You can get acage for them and use woodchips, as you would for other smallcaged animals. You can also let your chinchilla out of the cage,but be careful to watch them as they love to hide and can bedifficult to find!

One of the other nice aspects about pet chinchillas is the factthat they sleep during the day, making them nice pets forchildren who can play with them when they get home from schoolin the afternoon, or for adults who work during the day.

Pet chinchilla’s are fun to play with. They can be housetrained,too, although it might be difficult, so watch them if they areout of their house. Also be sure to keep them away from dogs andcats.  They are excellent pets for apartments that don’t allowlarger animals, too. 

Your chinchilla likes to have hiding places in its house, soprovide things like clay pots for them to sleep in.  They needthat nesting box, so make sure their cage is large enough forit. All wood used in a chinchilla’s environment must benon-treated, because your pet chinchilla is, after all, arodent. They like to chew!

Chinchillas are generally clean animals, but they do need somegrooming in the form of dust baths to keep their fur nice andsoft. Chinchilla dust is available at most pet stores or throughyour veterinarian’s office.  Let your chinchilla enjoy a dustbath a few times a week.  Be sure to follow the directions onthe label, but it’s quite easy.  As for more aesthetic grooming,you can get special combs at the pet store for your chinchilla. 

When you get your pet chinchilla, it’s best to get a young one,so you have a chance to let your chinchilla get accustomed tobeing held.  They might nip if you scare them, so acclimatizethem to their new home and their new owner as soon as possible.They are soft and cuddly, and when you start interacting withthem early, you’ll have a loyal pet that will bring you yearsand years of enjoyment. For the young or old, a chinchilla makesa wonderful pet, that is easy to care for, and will be a friendfor a long time. 

Visit ChinchillaGuide.Com

Popularity: 1% [?]