Anyone who owns a chinchilla can tell you there are always some problems that you can run into; so here are some hints that I and some other breeders have learned through our experiences in raising chinchillas!
A “dish digger” is a chin who will literally dig through their food and throw it onto the floor of the cage. This can be caused by a couple of things. If you are using a blended or mixed feed, a chin may dig. A chin will throw the food onto the floor to pick out the goodies in the feed. It’s like giving a child a plate of veggies and candy, it will pick the junk food over the healthy food every time. The chin will throw away the pellets and eat the treats. To stop this, get a good quality feed like Mazuri, Kalmbach, or Tradition pellets. The mixed food is not healthy for a chinchilla and should never be fed to one! Sometimes a chin will dig through a plain pellet feed. I haven't found out why yet, but I know it is both annoying and costly. I had a male chin that used to throw his feed. I used this tactic to stop him. Give your chin a smaller amount of feed than usual, maybe half as much or so. Do not give him more or this will not work. If he throws food out of his bowl, do not give him more until he eats all of the food he threw out. If he is hungry, he will eat it. This may take a week or so to break, but it does work. The key to this is to not give in. The chin will learn that he will not receive food until he eats what he has and he will not like to eat it on the floor, thus he will stop throwing the feed.
How to Catch an Escapee! (the easy way)
This is not an if it happens, it’s a when it happens. At some point in time, every chinchilla owner experiences an escaped chinchilla. When your chin is out and running around, it is a game to the chin when you chase him around. It is fun! But when you are not in the mood to play, it may not be for any fun for you. So instead of chasing your chin aimlessly around, let him/her come to you! Set out your dust bath and wait until the chin pops into it. No chin in the world can resist a good dust bath. Once the chinchilla hops in, walk up to the dust container and place your hand over the opening. Now all you have to do is pop the chin back into the cage.
Meeting a New Friend
Ed and Elizabeth used to bicker.
Introducing your chinchilla to a new buddy can be an exciting experience, but it can also be difficult. Some chinchillas, generally young kits and the occasional super friendly chin like Arnold, are very easy to introduce to new chins. Young chins are babies and just don't know any better than to be nice and they generally squeak and squeal to say hello. Babies are not territorial and generally pose no threat to any older chin; this makes it easier to introduce them. An older chin will generally take to a baby readily, but sometimes they won't. Two babies can generally be put together with little to no problems. They should take to each other very well and readily cuddle up together! When you have to put two adult chinchillas together, it can be a little more difficult. Sometimes chins can be territorial and do not want to share their cage; especially if they have lived alone for their whole life. If a chin has lived alone for this long, it is probably best to leave him or her alone. If the chin has lived with another chin, it is possible to add another chin to the family. First, you'll want to make sure the cage is cleaned thoroughly to remove any scent of your chin. Put your chin into a small wire cage and place your new chin in a similar cage next to it. While they become acquainted, wash the cage with soap and rinse with water, add fresh bedding and, if necessary, spriz the cage with a light perfume. Watch your chins; if they seem to be getting along well you can try letting them loose in a small area (like a bathroom) and supervise them. Chins that are getting along may smell eachother or just run around the floor. You will be able to tell if they are not getting along. They will chase eachother around, pull fur, and often times squeal and bark. If they seem to be getting along, try placing them in the cage. Make sure to watch them. Some may "argue" at first, but if it is minor, they will be okay. If major confrontation occurs, seperate them and place the cages right next to each other and let set for a week, them try again. Some chins just prefer to live alone. Up to date, I have successfully introduced three pairs of chins with no failures. Edward and Elizabeth, Darrel and Duchess, and Streak and Stacy all used to bicker and pick at each other, but now they are inseparable.
Never Place Items Near a Chin's Cage!
Arnold loves his pillowcase!
Any type of item near a cage can and will be chewed. Chinchillas like to reach for anything and everything. Electrical cords are very dangerous and can result in electrocution if the chinchilla chews on them. Clothes should never be placed on top of or near a cage. They will try to pull them in to make a bed or they may just want to rip it up. I have seen clothes pulled into a cage, ripped to shreds, and made into a bed a couple times if they were in reaching distance. I advise giving your chins a fleece hammock or an old pillow case to sleep on. Arnold, pictured above, loves having an old pillow case in his house! He sleeps on it and he drags it around the cage with his mouth. Offering hanging chew toys is another way for your chinnie to play.
Oh-no! My Chin Got Wet!
*photo found on Google*
Every now and then, a chin becomes wet and is in need of a good drying. Do not give it a dust bath cause this will cause more problems. Dust will cause the fur to tangle and become matted. Instead, dry it as well as you can with a hand towel and then use a hair dryer to dry it the rest of the way. Some chinchillas may not like the sound of the dryer, but others may actually enjoy being blow dried. If your chin doesn’t like the hair dryer, try another source of heat. If you have a wood stove or burner in your home, place your chin on your lap and sit in front of it so the chin gets dried. Once you get it as dry as you can, keep your little buddy in a warm place free of drafts until it dries completely. Once the chin is dry, it's ready to get back to playing!
Clean and Healthy Bottles and Bowls!
*found in Google*
Once a week, clean out your water bottle and bowl with soap, water and a tooth brush. Afterwards, place the bottles and bowls in a bleach and hot water rinse to prevent bacteria and algae growth. Some chinchillas like to urinate in their food dish, this helps eliminate contamination risks. I let my dishes and bottles soak for around 10 minutes or so. Always remember to rinse both well to remove any bleach left in it! Vinegar also prevents algae growth, but doesn't kill all the bacteria.
A Cute and Clean Hay Feeder!
Our chin-bath hay feeder.
The dust bath that looks like a chinchilla is actually way too small for a chinchilla adult (especially if your chins are large) to take a dust bath in. A chin needs to be able to roll around in the dust and this bath does not give it enough room to do that. Our chin Jasper actually got stuck in one and needed our help to get out! Instead, use it as a hay feeder. Simply stuff the hay inside of it and place it into the chin's cage. It keeps the hay clean and doesn't allow it to become wasted or peed on!
Vinger cleans everything!
*found on Google*
Vinegar is the best cleaner for chinchillas (and other pets, too). It should remove most of the stains and remove the urine smell. All that you need to do is pour some in the bottom of an empty cage and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub the bottom and remove the vinegar. Rinse with water to remove the scent and dry with a cloth. It is safe and all natural so your chinnie will be alright if he/she gets into it. I also use this for my button quail. Growing chicks are very good at making messes, so it doesn’t take long for the tank to become stinky. The vinegar will pull out the smell! Have a tough stain? Try adding a little baking soda before you clean with the vinegara and let them work their magic!
Ouch! My Chin Bites!
Arnold begging for a treat!
Most friendly and hand raised chinchillas do not bite, but occasionally somebody comes across a chin that bites. These chins normally have not been socialized and are unfriendly, or they may have been picked on. Sometimes, it is a young kit that doesn’t know any better. To teach a chin not to bite, gently flick or pop it on the nose every time it bites you. A chin may accidentally bite you if it thinks you have a treat, or if your finger smells like a tasty treat, but it should still know not to bite hard. So, every time it bites (hard), also do this punishment. Sometimes a chin nibbles gently, this is okay. If your chin becomes very attached to you, it may even try to groom you. Our chin Arnold grooms us by holding a finger in his hands and very softly nibbling it.
How to Make Tasty Apple Stick Treats!
This is very simple to do! 1) Collect you apple branches or twigs off of an apple tree. Make sure they are small enough for your chin to hold in their hands! 2) Rinse the twigs off under warm water. 3) Preheat your oven to 350 and place twigs on a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. 4) Remove from oven and let them cool. Place in an air tight container and let your chins or other furry friends enjoy! These are healthy treats and can be given as much as you like, but don't give too many, or you'll run out fast!
Safe and Unsafe Wood List
Safe Woods: Cotton Wood, Apple, Willow, Pear, Mulberry, crab-apple, Hazelnut, Dogwood Rose (Rose hips are tasty and healthy!), Chinese dogwood, , Kiwi, Horse Apple, Kiwi, Pine (kiln dried and untreated), Pine Cones that are free of seeds and have been washed and baked, Bamboo, Grape, Manzanita, Howthorn, pecan, and Magnolia. Unsafe Woods: Apricot, Cashew, Birch, Cedar (including litter cedar shavings), Cherry, all Citrus woods such as orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime (and stone), Elderberry bushes, Chestnut, Eucalyptus, Spruce, Fir, Aralia Spinosa (Other names are devil's walking stick or Hercules’ club), Juniper, FRESH CUT Pine or Pinecones (see note in safe woods), Beech, Oak, Walnut, Rosewood, Black locust, Maple, Blackwood, Almond, Mahogany, Plum, Cherry OTHER TOXIC WOODS ARE MAN-MADE BOARDS such as Chipboard, Plywood, Block board, Fibreboard, Hardboard, Stirling board