Frequently Asked Questions
Chinchillas are quiet, shy, agile rodents that originated in the Andes Mountains of South America. On average they live to be 10 years old in captivity. Their soft coat, big ears, and great personality make them wonderful, unique pets. They rarely bite, but may be a little too hyperactive for some small children. If this is your first chinchilla, it is important to understand that they are not just small dogs or cats. Chins aren’t entirely domesticated, so they’re not real fond of being held and snuggled like a guinea pig or rabbit would be. Some may like snuggling, depending on their personalities, but most chins prefer a nice scratch behind the ears to a hug. They will mostly live in their cage and should NOT be allowed to free-roam unsupervised as they tend to chew on things.
- Where are you located? - Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii but we also ship our chinchillas worldwide!
- Are you a store? - No, we are a small hobby breeder and we have a regular residential address.
- Can I come and see your chinchillas? - When you have everything ready (cage and all accessories), please contact us to schedule an appointment to see our baby chinchillas and select the one that you like the most!
- Do I need an air conditioner? - We recommend that you have one. Window air conditioners are cheapest and we have one that we purchased for only $100 on sale. The only room in our house that has an air conditioner is the chinchilla room! Chinchillas cannot live comfortably in hot climate and high humidity. The absolute minimum requirement is that the temperature in the room where they live never goes above 80 F, but around 72 F is optimal.
- How much does a baby chinchilla cost? - Our prices for a pet baby chinchilla start at $180 and go up to $300 depending on color! There is a 10% discount on pair. We also have a few very rare Angora chinchillas that are sometimes available for around $1,000.
- What colors can chinchillas be? - The most common is Standard - a gray color that is wild chinchilla represents. Over the years breeders developed other colors and for picture examples please click here.
- How long do chinchillas live? - They can live up to 20 years and the oldest chinchilla was 29 when he died (click to read more).
Bringing Home A New Chinchilla:
As exciting as bringing home your new pet is, you need to keep in mind that moving to a new environment is stressful, even for the most socialized of animals. You will need to allow time for your Chinchilla to adjust to their new home. All of these new sights, smells, and sounds can be overwhelming. The best thing for you to do is to give your animal time to settle into their new environment allowing it to become a place of safety.
Do not handle them right away just feed and water them for a few days. After a day or so, put your arm in the cage and hold it still. Be patient and let them come to you; do not chase them. They will be scared at first, but are naturally curious. Once they feel safe they will come and inspect you.
Do this for a couple more days. When they hop up onto your arm and crawl out of the cage on it, hold them for a few seconds and then put them back in the cage. If they do the same thing again then they are not scared and you can hold them again. If they get scared and want to go back into the cage, let them. Be patient and kind so you earn their trust.
As exciting as bringing home your new pet is, you need to keep in mind that moving to a new environment is stressful, even for the most socialized of animals. You will need to allow time for your Chinchilla to adjust to their new home. All of these new sights, smells, and sounds can be overwhelming. The best thing for you to do is to give your animal time to settle into their new environment allowing it to become a place of safety.
Do not handle them right away just feed and water them for a few days. After a day or so, put your arm in the cage and hold it still. Be patient and let them come to you; do not chase them. They will be scared at first, but are naturally curious. Once they feel safe they will come and inspect you.
Do this for a couple more days. When they hop up onto your arm and crawl out of the cage on it, hold them for a few seconds and then put them back in the cage. If they do the same thing again then they are not scared and you can hold them again. If they get scared and want to go back into the cage, let them. Be patient and kind so you earn their trust.
- Diet. Chinchilla's daily diet is very strict and consists of grass hay, chinchilla pellet food, and fresh water. You can also give them treats: an unsweetened Cheerio every or every other day. Never give anything else, no fruits or vegetables. We recommend getting a small 4-8 oz water bottle which you fill with fresh water every day. Give about 2 table spoons of pellets every day + pinch of timothy hay per 1 Chinchilla. Mazuri, Brytin (Tradition) or Oxbow are the 3 best chinchilla food brands currently available on the market.
- Cage and accessories. Chinchillas are high energy animals. They need lots of room to jump and play. 2' x 2' x 2' is the minimum square footage recommended for a single pet chin. Shelves and ledges are a must since they love to jump and climb. We buy untreated pine at a local hardware store to make our own. The best cage on the market is single or double level Midwest Critter Nation. We always keep a couple in stock for your convenience as well as one of the best chinchilla wheels on the market - flying saucer. Do not buy plastic or wire wheels as they can their delicate feet. It is not recommended buying a wheel for chinchillas under 6 months of age and for pregnant females
- Bedding and cleaning. We use fleece liners that are washed once a week and small littler pan than we clean every 3 days. Aspen shaving or Aspen pellets only as pine could be toxic and paper expands so when they eat it they can die from intestinal blockage. An electric sweeper is great for every or every other day floor and fleece liners clean up.
- Bath. Never give your chin a water bath. Their fur does not dry well and moisture can be retained close to the skin causing fungal issues. If your chinchilla becomes wet, dry them immediately using a towel or a no-heat hair dryer. Chinchillas love to take a dust bath! Put a scoop of dust into the Chinchilla bath house or a 1 gallon jar - it will remove excess dirt and oil from their fur. Regular dust baths (every other day) keep their fur soft and silky.
- Health issues. Chinchillas generally sleeping during the day but start being active around 7 pm. If chinchilla is not active during night time and doesn't seem to drink or eat much, please let us know immediately or call a vet. Feather and Fur is a 24 hour clinic and walk-ins are welcome at no extra charge. It is about $65 for a regular visit (Saturday and Sunday too). Note: not every clinic have vets who see chinchillas, so it's important to know which one does like the one mentioned here. Heat stroke and depression can kill chinchilla very quickly. If you let them run around too much they might get overheated, especially if it is above 75 F. Signs are usually chinchilla is getting weak and laying down. When you touch her she doesn't want to move much which is unusual for an active easily scared chinchilla. In this case she needs to be put in a box or a cooler surrounded with ice packs, or ice in Ziploc bags. Sometimes you can gently put her in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds, but it's best not to make them wet, and this should only be done in extreme situations. They can get depressed at their new home and refuse to eat or drink. If this is happening for a day or two, they need to be force fed with Critical Care every 2 hours. A vet can administer fluids through an IV and give you directions and supplies so you can do it at home as well. We can do it here too. Chinchillas are very fragile exotic pets. They have a floating rib cage and should not be squeezed. If they need to be picked up quickly - grab the base of their tail - it's the safest method. Otherwise gently put your hand under their belly with another hand covering their face so that they don't run away. Chinchillas should be kept in a dry, cool and quiet place, away from sun.
