You can help your chinchilla avoid many health problems by giving it the right diet, proper housing, clean water, and soft bedding, and by keeping its cage and supplies clean.
How Do I House a Chinchilla?
Chinchillas need large cages with multiple levels, ramps, and places to climb because they are very active. Avoid cages with plastic-coated wire because chinchillas like to chew the plastic off.
If the cage has wire mesh, the openings should be small enough that a chinchilla won’t get its legs stuck. These openings should be no wider than 1 by 2 inches (25 by 50 millimeters) on the sides of the cage and ½ by ½ inch (15 by 15 millimeters) on the bottom.
Wire bottoms help keep the cage clean by letting droppings fall through, but chinchillas also need a solid area to rest on so that the bottoms of their feet don’t get sores from standing on wire all the time.
Good bedding includes kiln-dried pine or recycled paper. Pine shavings must be dried in a kiln because untreated pine has oils that can harm chinchillas’ lungs. Paper bedding is often better than wood because if chinchillas eat it, it won’t block their digestive system like wood shavings might.
Chinchillas like to be able to hide in their cages. You can make hiding places from small PVC pipes (which are easy to clean), cardboard boxes (which can be digested but need to be replaced often), or wood (which is harder to clean). A 4-inch PVC pipe shaped like a T or a Y can be a great hiding spot.
Make sure any wood in the cage is safe and not toxic (see the table below). Never use wood treated with chemicals or pesticides.
Wood for Use With Chinchillas
Safe Wood | Unsafe Wood |
|---|---|
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Never use wood treated with chemicals or pesticides. | |
Does My Chinchilla Need a Dust Bath?
Chinchillas need dust baths to keep their fur clean and dry. Provide your chinchilla with the special dust that is available in pet stores. It is just like the volcanic ash that wild chinchillas bathe in.
Put a shallow layer of dust (2–4 inches [5–10 centimeters] deep) in a container, and let your chinchilla roll in it for about 10 minutes every day. Don’t leave the dust in the cage too long or it will get dirty with droppings and food.
Does My Chinchilla Need to Exercise?
Chinchillas need daily exercise to stay healthy. Their cage should be big and have toys. Chew toys and wooden parrot toys keep their minds active. A 15-inch running wheel with a smooth surface is good for exercise. Avoid wheels with holes or rough surfaces, because chinchillas can hurt their feet or legs.
Let your chinchilla out of the cage every day for supervised playtime in a safe, chinchilla-proof room. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't chew on furniture, wires, or walls.
Never put chinchillas in plastic exercise balls because these balls are too small for chinchillas and can roll off of or into things, causing injuries.
Keep your chinchilla's cage in a quiet place during the day so that it can rest.
