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Chinchilla Information and Care: Average life expectancy is between 10-20 years. The oldest Chinchilla I have heard of was 27-29 years old. Chinchillas on average weight from 550grams -1000grams. Chinchillas can jump at least 3 feet high. Chinchillas have very dense fur. Their environment must be kept under 70 degrees. They can over heat and die in warmer temperatures. Chinchillas should be housed indoors only. Also many people ask if chinchillas can be walked on a leash. The answer is no. They can easily slip out of pet harnesses. Remember chinchillas are mostly fur and you can not tighten the harness enough for them. Chinchillas do not take water baths instead they take dust baths.( Not Sand baths) They roll in the dust bath to keep their fur clean of oils. Dust baths should be given at least 2 times a week or as needed. Use about a half cup or more per chinchilla. Their teeth grow continuously though out their life time. It is very important that they have wooden toys or pumice stones to help wear their teeth down. Use caution with toys: Plastic Run around exercise balls are not a good way to have your chinchilla exercise. They can over heat in them causing a heat stroke. Wheels are great for a chinchilla but you need to be careful which type you chose. Wheels should be solid (no wire) not made of plastic , be at least 14 inches and fit securely to the cage. Not all toys in the pet store are safe. Please use good judgment when purchasing toys. Chinchillas are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and are awake at night. Bedrooms are not always the best place to house a chinchilla for this reason. They can be very noisy. Cage location is also a very important aspect. The cage should not be located under a window or direct sun light. The cage should not be under a AC vent or in any other drafts. Chinchillas need a good diet to maintain their health. Fresh Pellets: There are several good pellets on the market now such as Kline, Mazuri and Tradition to name a few. Please do not feed a chinchilla any type of small animal food. They need a diet that is made specifically for them. Most pet store chinchilla diets and pellets are not quality and contain junk. There should not be any fruits, nuts seeds tor junk food in the pellet. Hay: Chinchillas love their hay. You can feed hay either loose or in cubes. Timothy hay, orchard grass and Bermuda by Oxbow are great choices. Which hay depends one what kind of feed you will use. For example if you use the timothy diet you will need alfalfa hay if you use Mazuri (Alfalfa )pellets you would need timothy hay. Water: Chinchillas need a constant supply of water just like any other animal. Filtered water is best it eliminates bacteria and sediment from the water. Healthy treats include rose hips, plain mini wheats, cheerios, loose hay (orchard grass, oat hay, bermuda grass), wheat grass, supplement, or edible pink rosebuds. Do not feed your chinchilla fruits, nuts or vegetables this can upset their stomachs or cause bloat and kill. Chinchillas are treat monsters. You must be careful when giving treats. To many treats can take years off their life. Chinchillas can be given treats once they are 6mo old, no sooner. Give treats very sparingly once or twice a week. This info was copied from http://www.naturecoastchinchillas.com and modified. |
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