Talk to me about chinchillas

[Terabith]

So, we told eldest that ferrets were a no.  They're adorable, but they would not be a good fit for our household.  They were very upset, but now they're watching YouTube videos about chinchillas.  This seems like a much better pet.  Anything we need to know?  They seem similar to guinea pigs in care needs?  

[Carrie12345]

They’re flipping adorable! I think they’re banned here, too, but I didn’t google to check.
Aren’t they nocturnal?  I won’t do nocturnal animals because my cat already makes me homicidal at 2am.

[itsheresomewhere]

13 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

They’re flipping adorable! I think they’re banned here, too, but I didn’t google to check.
Aren’t they nocturnal?  I won’t do nocturnal animals because my cat already makes me homicidal at 2am.

You can have them in PA. 
 

They can be very interesting.  They need a dust bath.  We had the chance to help with some and know a breeder.  They need to be handled regularly and a large cage. I highly suggest the cage not be near the sleeping areas.  The last set we helped foster was a little trying.  They peed outside of the large cage regularly and were extremely odd.  If you haven’t had a pet before, it is not one I recommend as a first pet.  We raise guinea pigs and chinchillas are more work to us. 
 

Has she considered a bearded dragon?  They are excellent.  Our friend’s loves car rides,  walking out on his special leash and watching tv with her. He is really such a neat pet. 
 

If they are looking for something different- what about skinny pigs (the house hippo as we call them). They are hairless guinea pigs. DD raises them and they are such neat little guys.  

Edited July 12, 2020 by itsheresomewhere

[ktgrok]

I can say that they bite hard, and have soft fur. I was convinced I wanted one when I was a teen, until one at a pet store bit me. But I also had a hamster bite me and draw blood, so maybe rodents just don't like me. 

[katilac]

Unlike guinea pigs, chinchillas are nocturnal. 

We considered chinchillas before we got our sugar gliders, and our neighbor had some. 

Chinchillas are nocturnal, they won't be able to play with them throughout the day and the cage has to be somewhere where the noise won't wake you up (they don't make vocal noises but they are very energetic and run and jump frequently). They need to be handled with care,  you can't just grab them the way you might a dog or a cat (not that this would make the cat happy either, lol). The cage needs a minimal amount of daily care and then a big weekly clean-out. 

They're beautiful and soft and can be friendly when handled frequently, but they usually don't like being held. It's the same with sugar gliders; people are always asking how they can get their gliders to snuggle up with them, but they're really not cuddly animals unless they're sound asleep, lol. There is the occasional exception, of course, but most chins and gliders are not going to sit on your lap or cuddle in your arms for any length of time, if at all. 

They need a good cage, but luckily one that is tall versus wide, thus taking up less floor space. I think the minimum cage size of 2x2x2 is far too small and would only consider them if I could have a much larger cage. Even if you faithfully take them out every single day, they spend a lot of time in their cage. 

I wouldn't adopt a grown chinchilla without seeing it interact positively with the current owner, because ideally they are handled from a young age. When they say it's only because you're there . . . don't believe them, lol. My neighbors adopted theirs from someone rehoming them, and they were very skittish and bit a lot, which scared everyone into not handling them, which made them more skittish, and it just kept going in that circle. They were trendy here for a while and that's the way it seemed to go. 

They are very low odor, which is a nice plus!

Chins can live a really long time, up to 15-20 years, so another question is: do you want chinchillas after your kids are gone, lol?  

It all depends on what you want. I'd consider chins myself under the right circumstances, I think they're adorable, but you have to be aware that they aren't likely to be cuddly, snuggly pets. For that, I'd look at a guinea pig. Several kids in our neighborhood have them, and they always seem pretty content to be toted around in the kid's arms. They are pretty chill and don't seem to try and jump away like chins and gliders do. 

Having pointed that out, I will say that our sugar gliders are the same way and I love having them. You just have to know what to expect. 

 

[Terabith]

Eldest is nocturnal, so a nocturnal pet would be perfect.  But, not cuddly would probably disappoint them.

[Terabith]

9 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

If he wants a cuddly pet please look into rats. They’re such love muffins. Really.  The sweetest and most intelligent of the pocket pets. The ONLY downsides are their shorter lifespans and propensity to cancer (females more than males).

We switched to rabbits because I was tired of losing rats after a few years, but they’re a much more expensive pet with much higher space needs. Rats are personable, sweet, snuggle buddies with wonderful intellect and curiosity. Can’t say enough good things about them.

I've been trying to talk up rats.  

[Terabith]

Just now, Arctic Mama said:

They’re such wonderful animals, it’s worth it! Have you kept them before?

I’d take them over hamsters, mice, gerbils, and guinea pigs. Chinchillas are pretty but not as personal as, say, a house rabbit. Similar long lifespan though. 
 

I hope your kiddo sees the light!

I've never kept rats (or any small pet) before, but I had a friend who kept rats, and they were utterly delightful and had such wonderful personalities!  They were super smart, too.