Initially, the small South American chinchilla rodents were known as valuable fur animals - their fur was highly valued and used for tailoring elite clothing. However, over time, chinchillas moved from the category of fur-bearing animals to the category of pets.
The decision to have a chinchilla as a pet sometimes comes completely out of the blue. It is enough to see these touching animals in a pet store, and suddenly you realize that you want to watch them all the time. But you shouldn't make a spontaneous decision to buy an animal - first you need to have an idea of how to properly care for it.
Chinchilla dwelling
A chinchilla cage, unlike a hamster cage, is quite expensive and should only be bought in specialized stores. The animal's dwelling should be spacious, in addition, special shelves and a wooden house should be equipped in it. If you have enough money, you can purchase other accessories.
The ideal cage size for a chinchilla is 50 by 50 centimeters on the floor, you can choose any height, however, the larger it is, the better. In the cage, in addition to shelves, a drinking bowl (automatic) and a feeder convenient for a rodent should be equipped. I must say that the chinchilla is not averse to frolic, moreover, at any time of the day, therefore, all devices in the cage must be secured in the most reliable way.
The chinchilla's dwelling must be equipped with a pallet, on the bottom of which sawdust or special, liquid-absorbing granules must be poured. Interestingly, it is not necessary to often change sawdust or granules, since the animal's feces are practically devoid of an unpleasant odor.
Feeding
In order to properly feed a chinchilla, you do not need to have any special knowledge, it is only important to exclude any human food from its diet. It is strictly forbidden to give fresh fruits, vegetables, plants to animals, because the use of these products in food can be fatal.
Chinchilla should be fed with special foods available at pet stores. As a treat, you can add a piece of dried carrot or apple, a little oat seeds, a pinch of dry hay to the diet. You can also add a couple of highlights.
Cleanliness is the key to health
The chinchilla is fully consistent with this proverb, since her favorite pastime is bathing. The animal prefers to swim not in water, but in the sand and can do this for hours. This is how the animal takes care of its priceless fur.
In order to provide the chinchilla with all the conditions for taking "sand baths", a special bath must be placed in the cage. The sand for these procedures must also be special; you can buy it in the store. In no case should you use ordinary river or construction sand.
