Aloha,
I've been pondering the idea of getting chinchillas for a long time, but the time was never really right, until maybe now.
Our local humane society has several chins available, two males (neutered), one female and her young offspring (also female). It is tempting, so just out of curiosity and because I like to be informed and don't want to make wrong decisions, I started reading up on keeping chinchillas.
As a kid and way into my teens I had many guinea pigs, a rabbit, and gerbils, so rodents aren't completely new to me. However, when starting reading all the information I feel chinchillas may be a bit more complicated and many questions arose.
1) 1 or 2? I keep reading contradicting information, some say that chinchillas are grouping animals and should at a minimum be kept in pairs, otherwise it would be cruel. Other sources say that they tend to do better alone in captivity. I'm especially pondering over that female and her young - but then i keep reading that female and female may be even more difficult.
2) Obviously they need a large cage and I'm looking at the ferret nation - would that be big enough for two? I'm also pondering building my own, but I can't really find any info on such an endeavor - but I feel like wood wouldn't be the greatest idea, but how to build it otherwise? Has anyone here built their own?
3) My guinea pigs and rabbits were housed outside during summers, but I read that chinchillas should not be kept outside. I understand that they're prone to heat strokes, but also sensitive towards cold and humidity. Were we live it get's into the 40s in winter, but only at night!, and probably around mid-80s in summer - humidity is low. I guess they still shouldn't be kept outside? The house doesn't have AC and may get warmer than outside during the day.
4) We have three cats and I've been reading up on that and again find contradicting information. None of the cats (indoors) know rodents, but a previous cat didn't bother the guinea pigs back then and they in turn didn't seem to care. Two of them already are older and very chill - the youngest may learn to accept the chins?
I understand that chinchillas are potential prey, albeit technically them being too big for cats. They could have their own room which can be locked, but this would greatly reduce the living space of the cats. Has anyone experience in bonding cats and chinchillas to the point that they can be in the same room when (and only then) the chins are in their cage?
This is it for now, and I'm really still in the early stages of thinking about it and may have to come to the conclusion that I can't provide an appropriate home as much as I would love to have one or two chinchilla(s). I'm sure more questions will arise as time progresses.
Thank you very much for your thoughts :)
I've been pondering the idea of getting chinchillas for a long time, but the time was never really right, until maybe now.
Our local humane society has several chins available, two males (neutered), one female and her young offspring (also female). It is tempting, so just out of curiosity and because I like to be informed and don't want to make wrong decisions, I started reading up on keeping chinchillas.
As a kid and way into my teens I had many guinea pigs, a rabbit, and gerbils, so rodents aren't completely new to me. However, when starting reading all the information I feel chinchillas may be a bit more complicated and many questions arose.
1) 1 or 2? I keep reading contradicting information, some say that chinchillas are grouping animals and should at a minimum be kept in pairs, otherwise it would be cruel. Other sources say that they tend to do better alone in captivity. I'm especially pondering over that female and her young - but then i keep reading that female and female may be even more difficult.
2) Obviously they need a large cage and I'm looking at the ferret nation - would that be big enough for two? I'm also pondering building my own, but I can't really find any info on such an endeavor - but I feel like wood wouldn't be the greatest idea, but how to build it otherwise? Has anyone here built their own?
3) My guinea pigs and rabbits were housed outside during summers, but I read that chinchillas should not be kept outside. I understand that they're prone to heat strokes, but also sensitive towards cold and humidity. Were we live it get's into the 40s in winter, but only at night!, and probably around mid-80s in summer - humidity is low. I guess they still shouldn't be kept outside? The house doesn't have AC and may get warmer than outside during the day.
4) We have three cats and I've been reading up on that and again find contradicting information. None of the cats (indoors) know rodents, but a previous cat didn't bother the guinea pigs back then and they in turn didn't seem to care. Two of them already are older and very chill - the youngest may learn to accept the chins?
I understand that chinchillas are potential prey, albeit technically them being too big for cats. They could have their own room which can be locked, but this would greatly reduce the living space of the cats. Has anyone experience in bonding cats and chinchillas to the point that they can be in the same room when (and only then) the chins are in their cage?
This is it for now, and I'm really still in the early stages of thinking about it and may have to come to the conclusion that I can't provide an appropriate home as much as I would love to have one or two chinchilla(s). I'm sure more questions will arise as time progresses.
Thank you very much for your thoughts :)
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