Chinchilla Care Guide

Short, Sweet and Impossibly Soft Chinchillas!

Chinchillas are small rodents native to the Southern Andes mountains of South American. Sometimes called “chinchies,” chinchillas have some of the softest fur in the world, having 65-70 individual hairs growing out of one follicle! Their fur is very soft, and also very dense. Their fur is so dense that some common parasites, like fleas, cannot even survive on their skin! Chinchillas make good pets because they are typically quite docile and once they’re comfortable with you, they are pretty easy to handle. Some owners report that they will use their front paws to grab things, and some of them are keen to hold a variety of things like little toy umbrellas or action figure swords- talk about a pet who can accessorize!

Species Profile:

Scientific/Common Name: Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera)
Size: Chinchillas can grow to about 10-16" (25 cm-41cm) long, including the tail.
Lifespan: Chinchillas live about 10 to 15 years.
Behavior: They are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.
Social: Chinchillas are social animals and do best when raised in same-sexed pairs. Males and females may live together but to avoid accidental breeding they should be spayed and/or neutered.

Handling note: When a chinchilla feels threatened, stressed, or is being too roughly handled, one natural defense mechanism they will use is to release large amounts of their fur, resulting in bald patches. This is called “fur slip,” and is similar to how porcupines release their quills. With time, your chinchilla’s fur should grow back in. To help prevent fur slip, it is important to handle your chinchilla gently. Never grab them by the fur or tail, and never scruff your chinchilla like a cat.

Setting up your Chinchilla habitat

A unique feature about chinchillas is their fur- it is incredibly soft but also exceptionally dense. If their fur gets wet, it is so dense that it does not dry very well, which can lead to health problems for your chinchilla including but not limited to skin problems, bacterial infections and fungal infections.

Instead of water baths, chinchillas take dust baths! Providing your chinchilla with bathing dust will give them enrichment as a natural way to bathe themselves, and give you some entertainment by watching them take a cute little bath.

Choosing the right enclosure

Size and setup:

Choose a multilevel habitat or hutch at least 24 x 24 x 42.5" with a solid bottom floor
Place the habitat out of direct sunlight in a room between 60-70°F with a relative humidity under 50%
Chinchillas have very dense fur and temperatures over 75°F can be very dangerous
Consider adding a chilling stone or frozen marble slab to their habitat to help keep them cool

Bedding and cleaning

Daily maintenance:

Line the habitat with clean bedding, approximately 3" depth
Spot clean to remove dirty bedding daily

Weekly deep cleaning:

A full bedding change of the habitat should be done every two weeks

Habitat essentials

Food and water:

Add a hay feeder and fill it with hay for chewing on to help maintain your chinchilla's dental health
Hay should be available at all times
Provide a water bottle (not a bowl) to keep your chinchilla's dense fur dry

Comfort and enrichment:

Add a hide to the habitat so your chinchilla has somewhere to rest and feel safe
Add wood chews and other toys for enrichment
Include paper towel tubes to chew up and run through
Provide recycled newspaper to play and tunnel in

Dust bath area:

Provide a 6 x 6 x 9" area for a dust bath
Your chinchilla should use it for 10-20 minutes, 3-4 times per week

Feeding your Chinchilla

Chinchillas are herbivorous rodents and eat mostly hay and grass, with occasional nutritional mix-ins like hibiscus. It is recommended to offer your chinchilla food in the early evening, as chinchillas eat approximately 70% of their food during the evening.

Chinchilla diet staples

Timothy hay and pellets:

The majority of your chinchilla's diet should be Timothy hay or cat grass, and a chinchilla-formulated pellet diet
Both should be available at all times
Pellet food should be refreshed daily, even if the bowl isn't empty

Twice-weekly mix-ins

Flavor and nutrition boosters:

Alfalfa hay, rose hips, and hibiscus can all be used as mix-ins to your chinchilla's food
This adds extra nutrients and flavor to your pet's diet
It also provides enrichment for them

Understanding chinchilla eating behaviors

Coprophagy (eating feces):

Chinchillas are coprophagic, meaning they eat their own feces. This is a normal behavior and is essential for ensuring your chinchillas are maximizing the vitamins and nutrients they absorb.

The chinchilla digestive tract is designed to do most of its actual digestion towards the end, in the large intestine and the cecum. The cecum is like a pouch attached to the large intestine and it contains beneficial bacteria that help break down the fibrous diet that chinchillas eat. This is why they're considered "hind-gut fermenters."

They then consume the fecal pellets they pass, as now that the hay has been broken down it will be much easier to absorb the vitamins and nutrients they didn't get on the first pass. Think of it similarly to how cows will eat hay, swallow it, then regurgitate it as cud and chew it again to help break it down better for digestion and nutrient absorption, this is just going the opposite direction.

Continuously growing teeth:

Many rodents, including chinchillas, have front teeth that keep growing their entire life. These are called "hypsodont" teeth and, unlike human teeth, hypsodont teeth will continually grow longer and longer.

In addition to regular feedings, chinchillas need things to gnaw on, like wood chew sticks, to keep their teeth at an appropriate length so they can chew and eat normally and without pain. If you notice your pet is having difficulty eating, you may want to have a vet evaluate their teeth to make sure they're not overgrown.

Chinchilla Hydration

Water bottle setup:

A water bottle attached to the side of the cage should be available at all times and refreshed daily
Chinchilla fur is very dense and shouldn't get wet, so bowls aren't ideal as there's a risk the bowl could spill and get your pet wet

When to see a vet

In addition to regularly scheduled appointments, contact your small animal veterinarian if you notice the following signs:

not eating or drinking normally
cloudy, sunken or swollen eyes
overgrown front teeth or drooling, not eating
bare patches in fur
lethargy; weight loss
discharge from the eyes or nose; sneezing
diarrhea, discolored droppings or absence of droppings for more than 6-8 hours
continuously tilted head
Bloated Abdomen
Labored breathing

SHOPPING CHECKLIST

habitat sized 24” x 24” x 42.5" or larger (multilevel home preferred)
grass hay and hay feeder
pelleted chinchilla food
food dish
water bottle
hide
bedding
dust bath hut and dust powder
chilling stone
toys & wood chews

FAQs

How often should I give my chinchilla a dust bath?

Provide a dust bath area for your chinchilla to use for 10-20 minutes, 3-4 times per week. Dust baths are essential for keeping your chinchilla's dense fur clean and healthy, as water baths can lead to health problems.

What temperature is safe for my chinchilla?

Keep your chinchilla's habitat between 60-70°F with relative humidity under 50%. Temperatures over 75°F can be very dangerous for chinchillas because of their dense fur. Consider adding a chilling stone or frozen marble slab to help keep them cool.

Can I house two chinchillas together?

Yes, chinchillas are social animals and do best when raised in same-sexed pairs. Males and females may live together but to avoid accidental breeding they should be spayed and/or neutered.

Why is my chinchilla eating its own droppings?

This is completely normal behavior called coprophagy. Chinchillas are hind-gut fermenters and need to eat their fecal pellets to maximize vitamin and nutrient absorption. Don't try to stop this behavior, it's essential for your chinchilla's health.

What should I do if my chinchilla's fur starts falling out in patches?

This is called "fur slip" and happens when a chinchilla feels threatened, stressed, or is being too roughly handled. To help prevent fur slip, handle your chinchilla gently. Never grab them by the fur or tail, and never scruff your chinchilla like a cat. With time, your chinchilla's fur should grow back in.

How do I know if my chinchilla's teeth are overgrown?

If you notice your pet is having difficulty eating, you may want to have a vet evaluate their teeth to make sure they're not overgrown. Chinchillas need things to gnaw on, like wood chew sticks, to keep their continuously growing teeth at an appropriate length.

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Information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure your pet and is not a substitute for veterinary care provided by a licensed veterinarian. For any medical or health-related advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet, contact your veterinarian.

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