They are more affectionate than dogs, smarter than rabbits, more fun than average hamsters; less temperamental than cats and ………… the list goes on. There is simply no comparison. Meet the amazing chinchillas and you will be instantly attracted to them. Chins, as they are more affectionately called, have the good looks and the smarts to scream. To learn more, keep reading!
Origin:
The Chinchilla is a member of the rodent family native to the Andes Region of South America.
Characteristics:
The most attractive attribute of a Chinchilla is its poking coat. Each hair follicle contains 60-80 hairs, 20-30 times more than cats and dogs! Add in the big button eyes, big round ears, and long fluffy tails; No wonder Chinchillas melted many hearts. Chinstraps are nocturnal, spending most of the day dosing. They have no scent, unlike rabbits or guinea pigs, so they make decent apartment pets.
Skin colors:
Standard gray is the original color, but as the barbel trade grew, the demand for variety gave rise to a new trend: color mutation. Available colors are beige, silver or pink, white, black velvet, brown, tan, sapphire, mosaic, violet. The rarer the color, the more expensive it is.
Life expectancy:
Average of 8 to 10 years, in some cases more than 15 years.
Diet:
Chins are herbivorous. Their nutritional requirement is quite bland, all they require are commercially produced chinchilla pellets, dried timothy hay and alfalfa, and fresh water. An occasional treat of dried fruit will make them very happy.
healthy sign:
Healthy chins have active, bright, and clear eyes; teeth yellow-orange and aligned, dry nose; hard and elongated stools; dense and uniform fur. The ideal weight for a fully developed chin is around 450 to 800 grams. Chins are hardy and rarely get sick.
Maintenance:
Chins don’t cost much to maintain. The essentials are the cage, water bottle, and wood shavings as bedding. A 24 by 24 by 18 inch wire mesh cage is considered good, larger if it has more than one chin. Get those with raised wire floors if possible, to allow droppings, urine and partially eaten food to fall through, as wattles are clean animals and don’t like their fur to get dirty. Also, Chins need a dust bath at least once a week.
Where to buy Chinchillas:
Always buy a chin from a reputable breeder. The breeder must know the history of the Chin and provide the proper equipment and feeding for the Chin. Pet stores sell many other animals, and therefore the staff may not have enough knowledge about barbels. Look for a pedigree certificate, if you want to breed quality chinstraps with the goal of winning prizes. Otherwise, all chins are adorable. Price is not necessarily a guarantee of quality, so be sure of your requirement and seek a second opinion.