Chinchillas, how do you keep them?

Ok two years ago i had two chinchillas in under three weeks.


The first one was named Holly but she had a hernia and died in operation.


Then the second one was Lily, but I woke up one morning to find her dead. I dont know what she died from... and ever since then i never want another chinchilla. Even though i love them!


How do you look after them? I had the food, the sand, the water. I dont know what i did wrong with the second one- or are they just really hard to keep?

Chinchillas, how do you keep them?
I'm really not sure why Lily would have died. Chins are delicate, but hardier than say, a hamster-- after all they have ten times the lifespan of a hamster, and come from the Andes-- so they don't typically just up and die the way hamsters tend to.





Where did you get your chinchillas? They may have been bred under unhealthy conditions, and Lily may have had some pre-existing issue. Or, perhaps she had hurt herself badly in some way that wasn't superficially undetectable, or she wasn't eating/drinking for some reason, and you didn't notice?
Reply:I've never kept one, but I recall reading that chinchillas must not be kept in a room where there's a TV because the sound it emits (not the volume, but the TV itself) is distressing for them.
Reply:Well, chinchillas are nocturnal...so you will always need things for them to jump, climb, crawl through, and run in. They are like big hamsters...





Secondly, i dont suggest sand, because the can eat it. Sand is not digestable by a majority of animals. In fact, sand itself is usually what you get from crushed shells/coral and parrotfish poop.





Use regular bedding, or even fake grass. Heck, you REAL grass if you can.








And always feed them dried raisin snacks. once ro twice a day to keep them healthy. Regualr food. Regualr water..
Reply:CHINS NEED LOTS OF CARE THEY ARE NOCTERNAL. THEY ALSO NEED A SPACE TO RUN THEY LIKE TO CLIMB AND JUMP THEY ALSO LIKE FRUIT AND CRACKERS AS TREATS. THEY NEED TO BE BATHED THEY HAVE A SPECIAL DUST BATH THEY SHOULD HAVE AS THEIR COATS GET GREASY FROM ALL THE HANDELING THEY HAVE A FLOATING RIB CAGE SO YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN PICKING THEM UP IT IS BETTER TO GRAB THEM BY THEIR TAIL AND THEN PUT THEM INTO YOUR HAND SO YOU ARE NOT GRABING THEM AROUND THEIR RIBS
Reply:I think you may have gotten your 2 chins from a poor source. I am sorry you have had those terrible issues with chinchillas.





It could have been stress related, due to poor house prior to you buying them, or just bad breeding practices by BYB.





Chins are not really that hard to keep, if you meet the few needs as far as air/temps/conditions, food/water and proper cages. Breeding and bad habitat are the only things that I can think of that could have played a part in your problems. These were not caused by you, and making different choices next time, if you decide to get another chin, should make a big difference. Find a reputable breeder in your area. I would be happy to help.



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