How to care for your pet chinchilla?

Chinchillas are adorable furry rodents native to Chile and kept as popular pets in the United States. They are gentle sweet creatures and develop special bonds with their owners. Their fur is extremely soft and wonderful to touch. Like all exotic animals, chinchillas do not adapt easily to their new environmental conditionsso special care must be taken to make them comfortable.

Accommodation

There are a lot of important considerations when purchasing a cage for your chinchilla. As for any rodent, the floor must not be wired as they may injure their legs and feet. Similarly, there must not be any dangerous ends or bits of wire on the walls to hurt them. The floor should be solid and the cage big enough for it to roam around freely with multiple levels for jumping and climbing. Make sure the gaps between the bars are small so that it cannot escape. The cage must be washed thoroughly without the aid of any chemicals because those could poison your chinchilla.

Bedding

The wood shavings must not contain any dangerous chemicals in case your chinchilla decides to gnaw on them. Use natural ones recommended by specialists to prevent respiratory diseases, etc. You must provide fresh bedding daily otherwise the unsanitary conditions will make your pet ill.

Diet

To keep your chinchilla properly fed, opt for fresh hay and recommended food pellets but steer clear of artificial treats high in fat and sugar. If you are giving it any sort of treat then it must not be given too often as that could cause obesity.

Water

Chinchillas must be given fresh water daily from filters or bottled water as there are bacteria, which can cause severe gastric illnesses that may even prove to be fatal infections. Proper washing of the water bottle must be done frequently to avoid algal growth.

Chewing habit

As chinchillas are rodents, they must be given safe materials like safe wood or pumice stones to chew on in order to maintain their dental health.

Dust baths

As chinchillas do not naturally use water to clean themselves, they must be given dust baths to soak up any residual oils on their skin and keep their fur shiny and clean. A dust bath every other day is a good habit with thorough cleaning to get to all the areas.

Exercise

These active animals must allowed to burn off their carbohydrates daily in  a healthy manner by providing them solid exercise wheels but avoid wire ones.

Environmental conditions

Chinchillas cannot withstand high temperatures and high levels of humidity so make sure you keep their cage in a cool dry area, where sunlight dies not filter through.