Chinchilla Care Guide

Chinchillas are rodents from the high, dry slopes of the Andes, with fur so dense that 60 to 90 hairs grow from each follicle (RSPCA). That coat makes them easy to overheat and hard to dry, so a chinchilla’s home has to stay cool, dry and dusty rather than warm and cosy. They live 10–20 years, sleep through the day and rarely enjoy being held, which makes them a better fit for patient adults than for young children.

Care requirements

Need	What to provide
Enclosure	Tall, multi-level wire cage: at least 3 × 2 × 3 ft (91 × 61 × 91 cm) for one, 3 × 2 × 5 ft (91 × 61 × 152 cm) for a pair, with solid resting floors (VCA)
Temperature	Ideally 50–64°F (10–18°C); never let the room reach 80°F (27°C) (RSPCA; VCA)
Humidity	Keep below 40–50%; damp, humid air is dangerous (VCA; RSPCA)
Lighting	Normal room day/night cycle. They are active in the evening and at night, so give them a quiet room to sleep in by day (RSPCA)
Diet	Unlimited grass hay as the bulk of the diet, plus 1–2 tablespoons of grass-based pellets per chinchilla a day; dried herbs as treats (RSPCA)
Lifespan	10–20 years (RSPCA)
Social needs	Keep with at least one other friendly chinchilla: same-sex pairs or groups, or a neutered male with a female (RSPCA)
Legal notes	No common restrictions; check local rules.

Heat is the main killer

Wild chinchillas live in rock crevices at more than 13,000 ft (4,000 m) (RSPCA). The RSPCA recommends keeping pet chinchillas indoors at about 50–64°F (10–18°C) in a dry, draught-free, well-ventilated room. VCA gives a comfort zone of 50–68°F (10–20°C) and says the temperature should never get as high as 80°F (27°C). High humidity makes things worse: VCA notes chinchillas “can quickly die from overheating” in humid conditions.

In practice:

• Pick the coolest room in the house. North-facing, away from radiators, sunny windows, conservatories and kitchens.
• Put a thermometer by the cage. Room thermostats elsewhere in the house tell you little about one corner on a July afternoon.
• Plan for summer before you buy. If your home regularly passes the mid-70s°F (mid-20s°C), you will need air conditioning in that room. A fan only moves warm air around. Chinchillas can’t sweat it off.
• Never house them outdoors or in a garage. The RSPCA advises keeping them indoors.

Dust, not water

Chinchillas keep their coat clean by rolling in fine volcanic-type dust, which soaks up skin oils. Without it the fur mats. The RSPCA advises offering a shallow tray of chinchilla dust or fine sand every day. VCA suggests a box at least 6 × 6 × 9 in (15 × 15 × 23 cm) with 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) of dust, offered for 10–15 minutes and then removed. Sieve or change the dust weekly because they soil it.

Don’t bathe a chinchilla in water. The RSPCA warns that chinchillas become ill in hot, wet, humid or dirty conditions, and a coat this dense holds water close to the skin. If your chinchilla gets soaked by accident, dry it gently with towels in a warm (not hot) room and speak to your vet. A chinchilla with wet fur under its chin is a different problem: that usually points to drooling from dental disease.

Hay first, for the teeth

A chinchilla’s teeth never stop growing; VCA puts it at 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) a year. Only constant chewing on abrasive hay wears them down evenly. When they don’t wear evenly, the back teeth form sharp spurs that cut the tongue and cheeks. VCA lists drooling, eating less, weight loss, eye problems and pawing at the face as signs.

So the diet is simple and dull on purpose. Unlimited good-quality grass hay makes up most of it (RSPCA). Add a small, measured portion of plain grass-based pellets, not a muesli mix. The RSPCA suggests 1–2 tablespoons per chinchilla a day. Keep treats to small amounts of dried herbs, plantain, dried fruit or root vegetables, and skip nuts and seeds, which are high in fat. Change foods gradually, because sudden diet changes can make chinchillas very ill (RSPCA). Water should come from a bottle you check twice a day.

Space to jump, and gentle handling

Chinchillas are built to leap. The RSPCA says they can clear over 6 ft (1.8 m). They need height, ledges and solid platforms, but no uninterrupted drop of more than about 24 in (60 cm), to prevent injuries (RSPCA). Wire floors make cleaning easy but cause sore feet over time. Cover at least part of the floor with solid wood or plastic (VCA). A solid-surface wheel of about 15 in (38 cm) diameter suits them (VCA). Give supervised time out of the cage in a chinchilla-proofed room, with cables out of reach.

As prey animals, chinchillas freeze, bolt or wedge themselves into gaps when frightened. Let them come to you for a treat rather than chasing them, and if you must lift one, support the body gently but firmly. Never grab it by the scruff. Rough handling causes “fur slip”, where patches of coat come away (VCA).

Gotchas

• Underestimating summer. A room that is pleasant for you at 78°F (26°C) is already close to the limit. Heatstroke can kill a chinchilla quickly, especially in humid weather (VCA).
• Leaving the dust bath in all day. It gets soiled with urine and droppings. Offer it for 10–15 minutes, then remove it (VCA).
• Keeping one alone. In the wild chinchillas live in colonies of over 100, and the RSPCA says they must not be kept singly. Introduce new pairs slowly, in neighbouring cages first, because fights can cause serious injury (VCA).
• Using pet-shop medicines. Many antibiotics, including penicillin and erythromycin, can be lethal to chinchillas (VCA).
• Buying a seed or fruit mix. Chinchillas pick out the sweet, fatty bits and eat less hay, and their teeth suffer for it.

Avoid

• Rooms that reach 80°F (27°C), direct sun, damp rooms and outdoor housing
• Water baths
• Cedar or untreated pine shavings, which irritate the airways (VCA)
• Galvanised wire cages, which contain zinc that is toxic if chewed (VCA)
• Plastic toys and plastic-coated cage parts; give wood, rope, cardboard or pumice instead (RSPCA)
• Cotton wool or “fluffy” bedding that separates into strands (RSPCA)
• Nuts, seeds and sugary treats (RSPCA)
• Dogs, cats, ferrets or large birds in the same room when the chinchilla is out (RSPCA)

Signs to see a vet

Chinchillas hide pain, and because they sleep by day you may miss early signs (RSPCA). Check them in the evening, when they should be active. See a vet the same day if a chinchilla stops eating, if its droppings get smaller or stop (RSPCA), or if it is drooling or has wet fur on the chin (VCA).