Today, keeping a chinchilla in a house is no longer as rare as it was a decade ago. This funny fluffy animal, similar to a squirrel and a rabbit at the same time, came to Russian apartments from South America, where it lives in nature, and won the warm sympathy of animal lovers. Chinchillas take root well at home. But in order to provide an exotic pet with a comfortable existence, you need to take care to keep it according to all the rules.
Instructions
Step 1
Find the right cage or aviary for your chinchilla. Since this animal belongs to rodents, a dwelling for it must be purchased from metal. The house should be warm and dry, with good lighting and ventilation. Choose the size depending on the number of animals. For one, a cage 50 by 70 cm and a height of up to 50 cm is suitable, several pets need a larger aviary. If you are going to engage in breeding, do not buy a cage that is too high, because the cubs that appear will definitely begin to climb up and can fall and damage themselves.
Step 2
Equip the cage with a pull-out iron tray, so it will be more convenient to clean it. Pour clean sawdust onto the pallet. They will have to be changed about once a week, since the chinchilla is a clean animal, the smell from it is minimal. To ensure your pet can rest comfortably, place several wooden shelves inside the cage. Ladders, along which the chinchilla will climb, and tunnels, where it will hide, will not interfere. An obligatory element is a small house measuring about 30 by 15 cm and 15 cm high. The feeder and drinker are attached to the front wall of the cage. Moreover, it is better to put two feeders (one for hay, which must be present in the chinchilla's diet).
Step 3
It is vital for chinchillas to clean their fur in the fine river sand. Buy a special transparent bathing suit measuring 30x20x20 cm, fill it with clean sand and put it in the cage where the chinchilla lives for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times a week. It is very interesting to watch the animals taking a sand bath. After such cleaning, their fur becomes fluffy, the mood improves markedly. But you don't need to leave the container with sand in the cage for a long time - the chinchilla can shit there.
Step 4
You need to feed a chinchilla in about the same way as an ordinary rabbit. Buy ready-made food from a pet store or market. In the summer, treat your pet to fruits and carrots, plant seeds, dandelion leaves, and lightly dried clover. Chinchillas love dry bread crusts. In winter, be sure to give them dried fruits, rose hips and barberries. Do not forget about hay - it must be present in the diet. To grind your teeth, put a stone, a large piece of chalk, and wooden ingots in the cage.
