Chinchillas
live to be 10-15 years old on average, which must be taken into
consideration before adopting. Having a chinchilla join your family is
a long-term
commitment.
Chinchillas
can be noisy and talkative animals. They delight in making noise by running
in their exercise wheels, shredding paper, chewing wood, and simply bouncing
off their cage walls. Since chinchillas are nocturnal, most of this activity
takes place at night, which means that you may not want to have the chinchilla
cage in a room in which their activity might disturb someone's sleep.
If you are
looking for a companion for another chinchilla, we can give suggestions
for introducing new and old chinchillas to future playmates. However
keep in mind that, in most cases, we do not spay or neuter chinchillas,
so if you already have a chinchilla you need to choose the gender of
a new chinchilla carefully. Most rescued animals are of unknown parentage
and history, therefore it is recommended that they not be bred.
Chinchillas
are sensitive to heat and can die from heat stroke. If temperature (in
degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity add up to 150 (e.g. temperature is 90
degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is 60%, the sum equals 150) then that
is dangerous to the chinchillas. The chinchilla comfort zone is 65 degrees
to 80 degrees Fahrenheit tops. Humidity should be around 30% to 40%.
Remember, if you are uncomfortable from either heat or humidity, your
chinchilla will also be uncomfortable. If you live in a hot humid climate,
a chinchilla may not be the best pet for you.
Chins can
and do bite. Even well-mannered pets will give warning nips if unhappy
or mishandled by their owner. This is one reason that we do not recommend
chinchillas as pets for young children.
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