With its adorable face and its soft fur, the chinchilla is a rodent that attracts young and old. But are you ready to adopt a chinchilla and do you know its needs? Adopting a chinchilla is an act that must be carefully considered , unlike other rodents, it has a very specific way of life.
To guide you, we offer you the 10 things to know before adopting a chinchilla . This should confirm or not your choice for this adorable fur ball.
The Chinchilla Is a Crepuscular Animal
The first thing to know before adopting a chinchilla is its lifestyle. We don’t always think about this detail, but many owners end up not supporting noisy nights anymore. The chinchilla is a crepuscular animal , which means that it becomes active from nightfall until sunrise .
He can be very noisy during the night and disturb your sleep and, conversely, your presence during the day can disturb his. This is a criterion to be taken into account before its adoption. If you do not have the possibility of placing his cage elsewhere than near a place of night, it is better to reconsider your choice.
He Needs a Spacious Cage
The chinchilla is very active when awake, it jumps around and therefore needs a suitable space. He will be very unhappy in a small, unsuitable cage. Be aware that he needs a spacious and high cage , of the bird aviary type . This type of cage, the price of which must also be considered (between 80€ and 300€), requires having a substantial place in a dwelling. If you live in a small studio, this might not be the best idea.
The Chinchilla Needs a Stable And Calm Environment.
The chinchilla is a rodent that needs calm and serenity . It is not advisable to place his cage in a very busy room because it is too stressful an environment for him.
For it to be in perfect health, it needs to live in a perfectly stable environment . This means avoiding lugging it everywhere when you travel . In addition to needing a presence, he is not made for a nomadic life.
Traveling with your chinchilla can be dangerous in many ways: stress, heat or drafts. It is better to avoid disturbing him and prefer a petsitter to come and take care of him in your absence. If you are often on the move, the chinchilla will not be for you.
The Chinchilla Is Not Recommended For Children
The youngest love it, but know that the chinchilla is not recommended for children . This temperamental and independent rodent is not made to be put in the hands of children who will want to handle and pet it. Children running around are also not ideal for chinchillas who need calm.
Finally, it must be taken into account that he has specific needs and that children do not have the maturity necessary to take good care of him. It is a rodent much more suited to a confirmed master.
Chinchilla Lifespan Is 10-20 Years
A chinchilla can live up to 20 years, by adopting it from an early age it will accompany you for almost a quarter of your life, but the average is 15 years. Are you ready to take on this? Before adopting on a whim, you need to be able to make sure that his presence is compatible with your life plans.
Many people adopt an animal without thinking about the impact it could have on certain projects, a world tour would be difficult to organize when you have a chinchilla to take care of, it is for these reasons that abandonments do not stop to increase. Adopting a chinchilla is therefore an act that must be done with reflection.
He Is An Independent Animal
Difficult to resist his desire to pet such an adorable being. But the chinchilla does not really appreciate hugs or being handled too much. Of course, everyone has their own character and some will love to enjoy long pampering sessions, but most will decide for themselves whether they want to be cuddled or not. If you are looking for a very affectionate and demonstrative animal, it is better to choose a cat.
Are You Ready To Devote Time To It?
The chinchilla is independent by nature but needs the presence of its master to get it out of trouble, especially if it lives alone. You have to be able to devote at least 1h30 or even 2h a day to it and that includes: feeding it, cleaning its cage, giving it affection and taking it out so that it can go for a walk.
Even if you offer him the most spacious cage, it is necessary for his well-being to let him roam outside. This should not be done unsupervised, which requires taking time for him.
Be Prepared To Take Its Damage
It is in his nature as a rodent to put everything he finds under his tooth . With a chinchilla, you won’t have finished buying bottles, bowls, sandboxes and other plastic or wooden accessories that will sooner or later end up being gnawed.
Prefer accessories made of solid material such as stainless steel for the bowls. Expect him to attack the bars of his cage or your furniture when he goes for a walk.
Beware Of Allergies
We do not necessarily think about it, but members of the household sensitive to allergies may suffer from the presence of the chinchilla. With its dense coat of fine hairs, moults are particularly rich in loss of very volatile hairs that will stick everywhere in the house. In addition, the sand in his bath and the hay are particularly conducive to creating fine dust that can cause allergies.
And Dirt!
Contrary to popular belief, the chinchilla does not give off an odor if you take care to clean its cage regularly. On the other hand, since he is very active and always jumping in his cage, he tends to propel litter as well as his droppings through the bars and dirty everything around the cage.
You must therefore be prepared to sweep regularly to clean up the mess. It should also be noted that he has an always functioning transit and therefore he produces excrement continuously and is not able to hold himself back. You will have to follow him to clean up after him when he walks around the house.