*~*Buying A Chinchilla*~*

Age
Chins can live anywhere between 10-15yrs of age and in some cases they can exceed 20yrs. It is a long-term commitment, which should not be taken lightly.

Sleep
Chinchillas are naturally nocturnal animals. You cannot change this. Do not try to keep your chinchillas awake all day and actually expect them to sleep all night. When you’re awake, up and about during the day and ready for a play, they will be fast asleep. Usually from my experience they wake early evening in between 8-10 o’clock.

Handling
Most chins do not like being picked up and held. However they do love being tickled under their chins and staying still for treats! So, if you are expecting to get an animal that will sit with you like a cat, a chinchillas is not the animal for you.

Expense
Initially buying a chinchilla (or two), it’s cage, food and accessories is expensive. But the actual cost of keeping it (them) doesn’t in my experience usually exceed more then $10-$15 per month. BUT you must understand that if your chinchilla gets sick, the vet bill can eat a hole in your pocket.

Gnawing
Chinchillas chew everything! Please be very thorough and careful in safeguarding wires and valuable furniture from chins as they chew anything they can get ahold of. Make sure plants are removed or raised out of the way. Also, their teeth and jaws should be checked regularly for any abnormalities. Chewing proper wood and such is good for them as it is a way for them to keep their teeth filed.

Exercise
Chinchillas need daily, not excess exercise. A chinchilla should be let out for a play once a day, never longer then 20 minutes as this can cause exhaustion. Catching them can be a nightmare - you have been warned!!! But often you can get them to run into their dust bath for easy capture. Make sure that all small gaps are blocked. If in the bathroom ensure the toilet lid is closed, there is nothing dangerous in the trashcan, and monitor the temperature so it doesn’t become too warm.

Training
If your chinchilla is bought from a reputable breeder this should not be too difficult, as they will of handled the chinchilla since birth it should be friendly and have no nasty traits bred in. Although there is no guarantee on this. I use ‘training’ in the broad sense of the word, as chinchillas are not like cats and dogs, they will not sit, fetch and play on demand, neither will they come when you call. However they can be trained to a certain degree.
When you first bring your chinchilla home you should allow him/her time to settle in. After a couple of days they should be getting familiar with their new home, sounds and environment. A good way to help a chinchilla settle in is to play some music (quietly) but make sure the wires/cables are not within chewing distance! Begin by feeding some treats daily (1 or 2! I know it’s tempting to feed them lots, but ultimately you could make your chin very sick).
Don’t be frightened to pick your chinchilla up after it has had time to get used to you, I know it is nerve racking the first few times but you will get used to it. With one hand under the belly and back legs to fully support your chin, your other hand should hold the base of the tail, firmly but not tightly. Hold them close to your body because many chins are afraid of being held out in mid air.
It is a good idea at play times (once you have chinny proofed the wires and valuables etc!) to sit in the middle of the room and let your chin sniff, play and run all over you. When the chinchilla is ready to come to you, it will.
In my experience there is no actual time in which a chinchilla will be more friendly with you (apart from treat time!), it is a very time consuming, but enjoyable thing. You will soon get to know all you chins little habits and character traits, as they will yours.
Bonding with your chinchilla is one of the best things about owning them. But remember all chins are different just like us and it will take time to get to know them. Have fun…

Choosing A Chinchilla
When choosing where to buy your chinchilla, I would advise only buying from a reputable breeder, as pet shops and independent rescue centers often do not have the background of the animal, know the correct age or even tell you the truth and right advice about the chin in question.
As with most reputable breeders you should receive a full and comprehensive pedigree (basically a family tree). You should be careful to check its teeth, ears, eyes, fur, feet and droppings for any irregularities. Healthy teeth and fur should look like this:
*Note the orange color of teeth, this is a healthy sign.
*This is an example of good fur quality. (Pictures courtesy of Lizz at www.chinnychinchin.co.uk)
Their feet should have no bad sores, infections or limps. Don’t worry too much if it looks tough and a little dry as chins feet aren’t their best feature and all that sitting on the wire cages will have caused it. An animal moisturizer, such as tea tree cream for small pets should clear it up and is available from most good pet shops.
Their ears should not be scaly, tiny rips and blemishes do occur sometimes if the parent and kit, mating partners or kit and kit have disagreements.
The eyes should in no way be runny; this is either an infection or worse, malocclusion. They should instead be clear and bright.
Droppings should be firm, not sticky or runny.
You should pick up the chinchilla feel along it’s spine if it is very bony, this could be a deficiency in food or a genetic defect, most commonly occurring when small colors are breed to small colors. The influence of a standard should always be used to maintain the quality, which any reputable breeder does.