well basically i dont own a chinchilla and never have done, however i volunteer at a local vets every wednesday and yesterday we had a little chinchilla in for a castration and i fell in love! so i was just wondering what chinchillas are like as pets? any info would be great obviously im not just gonna rush in and get one on a whim, but i am interested in finding out more for now.... he was such a lovely little fella!

i got two boys mine r resuce.
they are fun little things and they chew everything even if u think they wont they will, they not the handling type they can be handled if u do it correct and dont hurt them they will sit there but they love to jump of things and run under things, they got a very basic diet, pellets of mix for chinchillas, hay and water and i give mine treats like rasians.

i say some in resuces are tamed and once they know u they get bettter turst in u and hand feed them. they are very active when the sun goes down till early morning.

they need a big cage not alot of high coz they can fall and brake they little feet but the longer and about a good 3ft high cage would be okay there is loads on ebay thats good for them they are wire cages coz wood isnt good
but loads of new toys they love and cardbored will keep them happy i notice having my boys u need to change things in they cage coz they get bored easy also they need chinchill sand for they lush fur u can get this in bottles or bulk bags in pet shops.

they love sleeping in hammocks i got mine a little nest boxs all they done was chew it and pee in it, they not the smelly animals they dont smell much but keep them clean they will love you for this. i read that males tame more to humans than females but i dont think if this is ture coz i only got two boys mine are not neutured and i havnt got them done becuase they okay and happy with eachother and i dont have females chins to make them go crazy, but they love to live in pairs and giving them 30mins of play time in the room watching them at all times and chinchilla proofing your room is great.
also they can die from temps over 25c i think it is soo make sure u got a cool bedroom if not and its warm in the summer get a big pop bottle full it up with water and put in the frezzer and once its gone put ontop of the cage and it keeps it cool for them.

if i missed anything else let me know but any questions please feel free and ask.

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I used to own chnchlas and at one point had over 20 (including babies). Looking back I don't know how I managed

Chinchillas need a sand bath most days - they love it and the sand goes everywhere. They are quite messy - poo and food get thrown all over, so they are not the pet for somebody who is houseproud.

They are social animals and are best kept in pairs - 2 females or 2 males wil get along fine if introduced properly.

This is one of the best stes around for chinchilla informaton
Cheeky Chinchillas

thanks for the info was a great help

been doing some research on the websites etc and also looked at peoples videos of their chinchillas on youtube (sad i know!!) and i think i will definately be getting one or probably 2 in the future.... cant believe ive never noticed them before theyre gorgeous!

Chinchillas are great, and quite low maintenance as pets - they also don't smell as bad as other rodents! Remember though, they can live up to 20 years (normally around 14-16!) which is a lot longer than other rodents. They are nocturnal, and can make a lot of noise at night, so best not to keep them in your bedroom. They are great pets though - once they are used to you they are very loving and fun to keep.

Not sure if these will help, but might be worth a read.

Chinchillas as Pets
Chinchilla Facts

Let us know how you get on!