Chinchilla: content at home

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Chinchilla - a whole family of domestic rodents, in which there are 14 breeds and 12 interbreeding mixtures.

They differ mainly in color. Descriptions of chinchillas typical colors:

Gray - natural "wild" color
White velvet is a white body with dark stripes on its paws, a dark head,
White Wilson - the edges of the ears are dark, the fur is from white to slightly grayish,
Beige - a white belly, the rest of the torso and head are beige, and ears are pinkish,
Brown velvet - pinkish ears, head brown, belly white with brownish tint,
Homobeige - cream hair, pink eyes,
Black velvet - the body and head are black, with stripes on its paws, white belly,
Purple velvet - back and head gray with a purple tint, stripes on the paws,
Violet - gray fur with a slight purple tint, white belly,
Violet ebony - uniform dark purple color,
Sapphire - the color of fur with blue tint,
Blue diamond - color with lilac-blue tones,
White-pink - white fur, light pink ears,
White-pink velvet - white fur, light brown stripes on legs, pink ears, dark head,
Charcoal - dark with a brown tinge, belly gray,
White ebony is a white chinchilla, but there are dark spots on the body and head, the ears are almost black,
White-pink ebony - white color, pinkish ears,
Chocolate - light or dark brown, beige ears,
Pastel is colored brown, the belly is slightly lighter,
Velvet pastel - brown color, stripes on paws, cream or pinkish ears,
Homobeige pastel - chocolate brown color, uniform,
Velvet ebony - the color of the animal is dark, almost black, but the sides are slightly lighter,
Homoeboni - color completely black, wool with glitter,
Heteroeboni - uneven dark color.

Crossbreeding

Chinchilla breeds were bred by crossing. If animals of the same color participate in it, all offspring will be the same. If the color of the parents is different, there may be interesting colors. They may not even be like mom or dad, but more distant ancestors.

When crossing domestic chinchillas, you can achieve a variety of shades, because recessive genes can manifest themselves.

It is very important to know what genes the animals have, because you cannot allow the combination of two lethal - black and white. In such a combination, born babies do not survive, and the female that bears can also die.

Usually they do not cross chinchillas, if one of them does not have an ebony gene, and the other has it, because in the end it can produce offspring that have an impaired color.

It is forbidden to cross animals with kinship.

Home Content

The maintenance of chinchilla at home does not cause much difficulty. The only thing that can be a problem is providing a comfortable temperature condition. Chinchillas do not tolerate heat at all: temperatures above 25 ° C cause overheating, and over 30 ° C can cause death.

Chinchilla lives long - up to 20 years. Therefore, deciding whether to buy it, it is important to think well.

Animals are active at night, so do not put a cage in the bedroom.

Caring for a chinchilla involves bathing, but animals do not brush their fur in water, but in the sand, like some other rodents, such as degu. For sand baths you need to prepare a tank with high walls. Sand for chinchillas need special - zeolitic.

The main beauty - fur - usually does not need special manual care, which favorably distinguishes the chinchilla from other furry pets, for example, the Dutch lop-eared rabbit.

Cage equipment

Before buying the animal, you must first take care of the house - a cage for chinchilla. Basic requirements for the arrangement:

The size of the cage in height must be large. For example, dimensions 50x50x will do. There must be at least two levels that you can navigate using ladders. The cage should be framed approximately as if a ferret lived in it - a large one and with manholes.
Locks, latches and latches must be strong so that the dexterous animal could not accidentally open and escape them.
It is important to put the cage in a cool place, but without drafts. The room should not be with high humidity. The temperature is needed stable, without jumps.
The bottom is lined with sawdust. To teach a chinchilla to go to the toilet in one place is practically not a real task, therefore it is necessary to clean the sawdust often.
It is advisable to buy a feeder and a bowl of water so that they can be hung or securely fixed. This will prevent contamination because chinchillas easily tip over bowls.
For active games you need shelves and a wheel.
For the rest of the house is useful - a kind of mink.
Chinchillas need to grind their teeth, for this purpose mineral premixes, limestone stones are placed in a cage.

Advantages of chinchillas

Beautiful fluffy pet is popular because:

Care and maintenance of chinchillas does not cause difficulties
There is no unpleasant smell, because animals have no sweat glands,
The animals are peaceful. It is very rare that they bite a person
Beautiful fur and active behavior give joy to the owner,
Rarely get sick
Wool is hypoallergenic, so chinchilla can live in people who are prone to allergies, and they need not be limited to a bald rat,
They live long - up to 20 years, so you can buy a child without worrying about the tragic situations that occur with hamsters,
Night-night life is convenient for owners who work during the day,
Feeding once a day is not burdensome,
The animal does not need to walk outside the cage.

disadvantages

Like all pets, chinchillas have drawbacks:

A large cage requires space
Sand baths cause dust
An animal released from a cage can bite the wires,
Animals are active at night and can make noise
Sensitive to high temperature and high humidity,
Keeping a pet requires frequent cleaning.

Animals have a sufficiently strong health, and the appearance of ailments is mainly possible with improper care and maintenance of chinchillas: inadequate cleaning of the cage, poor nutrition.

From the prevention of diseases and timely treatment depends on how much live chinchillas. At the first sign of discomfort, you should take the pet to the vet. What should be alerted:

loss of appetite,
hair loss
weight loss,
discoloration of the teeth or skin,
hard belly
odor from the mouth.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are easily diagnosed and can be treated mainly with diet. When constipation changes not only the feces, but also the behavior: the animal sits in a corner of the cage and rocks. For treatment give laxative food, liquid paraffin and laxative. Indigestion and diarrhea are treated with activated charcoal and dietary restriction. When swelling chinchilla loses activity, the temperature drops. Also cut with coal.

Diseases of the teeth are evident in their changed color, excessive salivation. Vitamin deficiencies are compensated by nutrition. Improper bite treatment doctor.

A common eye disease is conjunctivitis. It is treated with medicines and compresses of herbs.

Chinchilla can become infected with fungal diseases and deprive. The disease begins with peeling of the skin, the appearance of bald patches. With these signs, you need to stop swimming, so as not to spread the disease, and immediately contact a veterinarian.

Food chinchillas

What to feed a chinchilla? Animals are herbivores, they eat only once a day and in very modest portions. Suitable for food:

ready-made feed for chinchillas, sold in the pet store (whole and granulated),
hay (especially from legumes),
herbs (lettuce, spinach, celery, wormwood, strawberry leaves, plantain, dandelion, burdock),
branches of trees (willow, willow, birch, apple, linden),
grain feeds (oats, buckwheat, barley, wheat, millet, corn),
vegetables (pumpkin, potatoes, sweet peppers, squash, tomato, zucchini),
fruits (pears, bananas, apples, peaches, apricots),
sukhoporukty (raisins, dried apricots),
berries (barberry, wild rose),
nuts (in small portions - almonds, peanuts, walnuts),
sunflower seeds (sunflower, pumpkin).

Water should always be fresh. Ideally - spring, not boiled.

Sometimes it is permissible to replace specialized feed with a mixture for rabbits, since their nutrition is very similar.

An approximate daily ration should be:

25 g store feed,
30 grams of hay
5 grams of fresh herbs or vegetables
5 grams of dried fruit, berries or nuts,
20 g of water.

It is important before introducing a new feed to make sure that chinchilla can be given. The list of prohibited include:

not raw nuts and grains,
bakery products,
animal products
food from the table of the owner.

Grooming and bathing chinchillas

In nature, the animal cleans wool in volcanic dust, at home, the chinchilla “bathes” in zeolite sand. You can not use another (for example, river), as this may threaten skin diseases and ugly fur.

To "bathe" a chinchilla, you need to pour a layer of sand about 5 cm into a container with high walls, run the animal there and leave it for about an hour. When "bathing" the sand will fly in all directions, so the procedure is carried out in a cage.

Sometimes it is useful to add antifungal agents to the sand to prevent skin diseases.

Wool should be periodically inspected. Lumps that fall together are gently combed or separated by fingers.

If the pet is one, you need to comb out the excess wool. When living a few individuals do not need to do this, as they comb each other.

Chinchilla breeding

Breeding chinchillas can begin when they reach the age of 8 months. The ability to reproduce is maintained up to 10 years.

Healthy breeding animals with a mass of not less than 300 g are chosen for breeding. Animals are kept in pairs by male-female or harem, where there are 3-4 females for one male.

In the first case, it is likely that the female may injure the male when living, as she is noticeably larger. If animals are kept like this, they are put in one cage only for some time before approaching. The female is interested in him for 2 days every 28-35 days.

Chinchilla gestation lasts 111 days. Care and maintenance of a pregnant female involves feeding rich in vitamins and minerals, frequent change of litter.

Toddlers are born with sparse hair, sighted, with teeth. They feed on mother's milk for up to 8 weeks.

Price of home chinchilla

The answer to the question how much a chinchilla costs depends on a number of factors:

Color The less it is and more difficult to obtain, the higher the cost of the animal. It also takes into account saturation, uniformity and compliance with the standard.
Body features. Form, proportion, length, weight, etc.
Fur. Thickness, silkiness, length.
Floor. Females usually cost more.

On average, the price of chinchillas varies from 1,000 to 10,000 rubles, but there are also more expensive ones.

Chinchilla home

Chinchilla is a rodent from the chinchilla family, resembling a cross between a rabbit and a giant mouse with an admixture of a squirrel. The homeland of chinchillas is southwest of South America, where in the nature of these animals there are quite a few. There are two types of these animals - short-tailed chinchilla and mountain long-tailed. It is the second people are bred as fur animals and pets.

On average, chinchillas grow to 20-35 cm in length (excluding the tail), while females are larger than males. The animals have a very thick and pleasant to the touch fur. Animals have rather big ears-locators and whiskers. Both help the chinchilla to navigate in pitch darkness. Since these animals come from highlands, they creep along any vertical surfaces that you can catch, as evidenced by numerous amateur videos about chinchillas.

As pets, chinchillas are valued for their cute and slightly amusing appearance. In addition, they have a very gentle disposition. While cats, dogs, ferrets and minks, being natural predators, sometimes behave aggressively enough, chinchilla is a small peaceful and non-conflict animal. She almost never bites or scratches unless provoked. The animal, which you raised "from the cradle", will be absolutely tame and completely faithful, like a puppy. In addition, chinchillas are smart enough, they can be taught to return to the cell by the team after a walk around the room.

Under the right conditions, chinchillas are quite unpretentious. In nature, they live in flocks or colonies, so people get used to society fairly easily.

At home, chinchillas live a little longer than cats and dogs - up to 20 years. Some individuals live to 25 years or more.

Conditions for chinchilla

Keep a chinchilla at home is quite simple, but you still need to follow certain rules.

Even if you prefer to let the animal walk freely around the apartment while you are at home, it is still better to close it to the cage while you are away. It should be spacious enough - at least 50x50x60 cm. Preference should be given to cells with metal rods, but in no case with laminated ones. The distance between them should not exceed 1.5 cm. In this case, the cage should have a deep pallet with a grill above it, or the cage itself should be put on such a pallet.

Inside the cage for chinchillas you need to install several shelves in 10-15 cm wide. And they should be at different heights. Also in the cage should put the "house", automatic watering and feeding trough. It is important that all this was securely fixed, because otherwise the chinchilla will have fun rattling these objects all night long.

What do chinchillas eat?

In the wild, chinchillas feed on herbaceous plants, primarily cereals and legumes, as well as shrubs and bark. Also sometimes eat insects.

With domestic care, there is one main rule regarding what chinchillas eat, or rather do not eat: these animals cannot be fed from the table, like a cat or a dog. Besides the fact that it is not a predator and not an omnivorous animal, the chinchilla also has a very sensitive digestive system, which simply cannot cope with the wrong products.

For those who have decided to start a chinchilla for the first time, for the first time you should limit yourself to ready-made concentrated pet food from the pet shop and those recommendations given by the chinchilla seller. In general, all permissible food can be divided into three types:

ready food for chinchillas,
cereals,
greens and dried fruits and vegetables.

Having taken a chinchilla into the house, you should buy several types of ready-made feeds in order to decide which pet will be the most to your taste. This is important because the finished feed in any case should form the basis of the diet of indoor chinchillas. They are the most nutritious and easily absorbed by the animal.

Purchased feed already contains the necessary types of grain, but if desired, chinchilla can be given separately wheat grain, barley, millet and corn. Also to the question of how to feed a chinchilla, it is worth adding that the animals willingly eat beans, lentils and peas. As "snacks" you can treat your pet with dried fruit and dried vegetables (carrots, raisins, dried apricots, apples). But everything must be dried and in small quantities.

Along with the finished food in the diet of animals must always be high-quality hay. Without it, the animal will be sick and may die. Hay is also recommended to buy ready-made at the pet store. At least the first time, until you get comfortable with what you need to give chinchilla.

Also in the cage should always be a dry sprig of a tree or shrub. This is not food, the chinchilla will grind its teeth about wood, which it grows without stopping.

Feed the pet should be once a day, and better in the evening. The water in the cage should always be fresh.

Chinchillas with other animals

Since the chinchilla is kept in a cage most of the time and is let out for a walk only under the supervision of the owners, there is no particular problem of coexistence with other pets. Nevertheless, we can note that the chinchilla is best of all at home getting along with other animals of the squad of rodents, for example, with hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.

With cats, chinchillas usually maintain a moderate neutrality, although conflicts are possible. Especially in the first time, while animals get used to each other.

Chinchillas are usually friendly with dogs (non-aggressive breeds), but, as in the case of cats, while chinchilla is small, caution should be exercised.

How many chinchillas live

Many people are surprised when they learn that domestic chinchillas live longer than cats and dogs. It is believed that in the wild, chinchillas live on average to 6-7 years, up to a maximum of 10. But this is under the constant threat of hunger, cold, predators and poachers.

If we talk about the maximum life expectancy of chinchillas at home, it turns out quite different terms. Of course, a lot depends on how well the owner cares for the animals, and in some cases on the chinchilla breed. But on average, these animals live to 15-20 years. Also, a certain percentage reaches the age of 25 years. Некоторые источники утверждают, что отдельные особи преодолевают даже 30-летний рубеж.

Шиншилла — за и против

Despite the fact that the interest in keeping chinchillas at home is constantly growing, it is safe to say that they will never make a real competition to cats and dogs as the most popular pets. Due to their natural features, as well as due to the fact that, unlike the mentioned cats and dogs, they did not go through the millennial path of adaptation to life next to a person, chinchillas cannot become a full-fledged four-legged friend. But the role of a decorative pet, they are quite fit.

So, here are a few reasons why you should or should not get a chinchilla. "Behind":

Chinchillas feel great in a human dwelling if elemental living conditions are created for them - a suitable size cage for chinchilla, normal nutrition, etc.
These animals by nature do not have an unpleasant smell. Even the natural excretions of chinchillas barely smell. If there is always enough hay in the cage, then the fur of the animal will be given precisely by hay.
Chinchillas have a very good disposition and are generally not inclined to show aggression even against strangers. Guests can always offer without the slightest risk to hold a chinchilla and take a photo with her in her arms.
Chinchillas are very smart, can perform some commands and respond to their nickname.
Do not be surprised when you find out how much chinchillas live. Getting a little animal, you can not worry that he will die and thus break the heart of your child.
Chinchillas combine a very beautiful coat with a rather silly expression of the muzzle, which makes them more charming.

These are nocturnal animals that run all night long in a cage-house for a chinchilla, gnaw something, rustle and generally make a lot of noise. Because of this, chinchillas are not suitable for those who have a very keen sleep and do not have the ability to remove the cage to another room.
Chinchillas can only bathe in the sand, which inevitably crumbles around the "bathroom", because of which the apartment has to be cleaned more often than usual.
Although the size of the chinchilla itself is relatively small, a large, spacious cage is required for comfortable maintenance of this animal. You should not start a chinchilla in a one-room apartment, where even without that every square meter of area counts.
It is pleasant to hold chinchillas on hands, but animals themselves do not always willingly agree to such treatment. As in the case of cats, many individuals prefer to be admired from the side, without touching them.
Since these are quite rare animals for our country, caring for a chinchilla at home is complicated by the fact that sometimes it is very difficult to find a qualified veterinarian or even just a pet shop with the necessary goods. It is especially difficult with this in small provincial cities and towns.

Maintenance and care of chinchilla at home

So, how to keep chinchilla at home, for example in an apartment? The life of a chinchilla at home of this cute rodent can be 25 years or more, which distinguishes it from our usual hamsters and guinea pigs, living no more than 5 years.

Chinchilla is best bought at 2 months - the animal will get used to the new environment and owners faster than it is already mature and mature.

If you purchased a small rodent and wondered if it could be tamed, then of course you could. In the first days, just leave the animal alone - it will get used to the new house, the smells and you.

Gradually start taming it, in your own hands. - go to the cage and in the palm of your hand in front of the open door of the cage, offer the chinchilla a treat, for example a piece of sweet apple.

The animal will surely take it from his hand, even if not immediately, so in a few days - a tamed chinchilla will often sit on your shoulder and happily respond to your attention to his person. Believe me, it is not so difficult to care for her.

With regard to the selection and arrangement of the cell has its own rules and recommendations. At the very beginning, the size of the cage per animal is 60 by 50 cm, 60 cm or more in height. All locks and bolts are strong, best of all not metal, but metal, since chinchilla rodents and soon from wooden rods can remain only some sawdust.

It is best to place the cage away from the central heating radiators, while the temperature in the room should be within 20-22 degrees, without a draft and away from direct sunlight.

Chinchillas of different colors

The animal bathes in special sand, but not in the water - it is not recommended to put a font with sand in a cage, but it should be kept separate, arranging the animal a so-called “bath day” with a frequency of 2-3 days.

What can not be done to extend the life of the animal?

The first thing to remember is that bathing chinchillas in the water is prohibited, since there is special sand for this, in which the animal splashes with pleasure. You should not keep it in a close, small cage - it is an active rodent and a sedentary lifestyle will lead to obesity and death.

Wherein for chinchilla it is important to move exactly up, movement from the top to the bottom shelf and vice versa, and therefore it is optimal to choose a high cell shape rather than an elongated one.

You should not let out this handsome man walking around the apartment on his own - as a result, damaged furniture, wiring and books are provided for you.

Also, do not give chinchilla often have a lot of nuts and fresh food - the optimal diet is just granulated food, hay. Nuts, fresh fruit, seeds should serve as such a delicacy, rather than a daily diet.

If you purchased a pair of chinchillas, then never plant a female to a male, especially if the boy is older and the girl is less than 6 months. At this time, the female is not yet ready for childbirth, and therefore early pregnancy will only lead to problems with her health.

The organization of the site for chinchilla

Try to travel less with chinchillas - for them the slightest noise, vzryazgi and travels are another stress that does not in the best way affect your pet.

Chinchilla does not tolerate cold and therefore keep it indoors, where below 14 degrees is deadly, although it is also not necessary to overdo it with heat, since these rodents are very sensitive to overheating, as well as the sun's rays, which can lead to heat or sunstroke.

What to feed a chinchilla and how many times a day?

Chinchillas belong to the order of herbivores, they are real representatives of the family of rodents - at home this point should be taken into account and the appropriate diet should be chosen.

In relation to food - in the shops for chinchillas today there will be no problem choosing a dry, granulated food, made up taking into account the preferences of the rodent and with the composition of macro, microelements and vitamins it needs.

Many experts do not recommend buying and giving chinchilla vitamins separately, although during pregnancy and feeding the offspring the female can be transferred to a vitamins-enhanced diet.

In the diet of chinchilla should be present and hay - it can be harvested independently, collecting in the field such herbs as clover, dandelions, alfalfa. If you buy hay in a pet store - it should be dry, clean, without unnecessary odors of mold.

As an additive, you can enter the branches of birch or willow, crimson twigs or apple, currant or linden. In no case do not give branches of oak and cherries, as well as trees that produce resin - pine, spruce.

Pure, boiled or filtered water must be present in the cage - in nature, chinchillas get it from food, but due to the fact that at home the animal receives dry food, moisture is simply necessary for it.

Proper Chinchilla Nutrition

You can feed the beast with flax seeds or corn kernels, leaves of fresh and young nettle, or dandelion, strawberry, and also periodically give her a piece of dried sweet apple and a carrot, a pear, and several raisins. But to enter into the diet fresh apple, cabbage and nuts - is undesirable and even contraindicated.

Speaking of what should be excluded from the diet of the chinchilla, then in addition to all the above, never give your pet roasted seeds and seeds, nuts - they are served fresh, but not fried. Do not give food from your own table. Bread and biscuits - optimally give wheat crackers and that rarely.

Diseases and their prevention: how to care for a sick animal?

Many ask the question - what diseases are inherent in chinchilla and what control measures, prevention should be used to prevent? In the list of the most common diseases, veterinarians identified the following:

Gastrointestinal disorder. The root cause is poor-quality food, expired, incorrect feeding mode, when there is an excess of dry or juicy food, a sharp change in diet and diet. As a result, the animal is diagnosed with constipation or diarrhea, inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, when the feces come with blood patches. Without fail, show the animal to the doctor - he will examine your pet, recommend a course of treatment and a diet.
A chinchilla gnaws its fur, or if there are several small animals in a cage, then each other. The reasons for this behavior are different - itchy skin or harmful insects, lack of certain vitamins in the diet, especially protein. Show the animal to the doctor, who will conduct an examination and take tests, or change the diet, introducing vitamin supplements into it, and also clean the cage more often.
Dystrophy of liver cells due to its obesity - here the liver cells are replaced by fatty tissue. The reason - it is rancid, poor-quality food, when the body of the chinchilla does not absorb carotene, excessively greasy food, a large number of nuts and seeds. The animal simply fed up - reconsider the diet, minimizing fatty foods, choosing only high-quality, fresh food, and also put in the cage wheel for sports activities of your pet.
Stone formation in the genitourinary system - The cause may be improper diet. You can identify the stones by ultrasound - if they are small, when it’s more like sand, it will come out of the body itself, if its size is larger - they are removed surgically.
Sunstroke or hypothermia - there are reasons for the wrong temperature regime of the animal. Accordingly, remove the animal from the room too hot for it, from the sun, or transfer to a warmer room. With such a problem, the animal will constantly lie, his breathing becomes intermittent and difficult, loss of consciousness - if this does not help, then it is worth showing the chinchilla to the veterinarian, who will prescribe drugs that increase blood flow and respiration.
Conjunctivitis - inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes of the chinchilla. The reason may be injury or chemical irritants, bacteria - show the animal to the doctor who will prescribe the treatment. In addition, clean the cage and treat it with antiseptics, and as prevention and treatment, eye rinsing with a 3% solution of boric acid, or with chamomile broth, plus drops, which include antibiotics, is prescribed.
Qatar nose - this disease in chinchilla manifests itself when the weather changes, with sharp fluctuations in temperature, if the room has a strong draft. In this case, mucus from the nasal pathways of the animal will leak, the eyes water, and white or yellow discharge will accumulate in the corners, the chinchilla eats little, frequent breathing and temperature increase aggravate its condition. In this case, the animal should be kept in a dry room, rinsed with boron acid solution, given vitamin C rich foods, and consulted with a veterinarian.
Wounds that result from injuring animals between themselves during a fight, or in contact with the sharp edge of the shelf in a cage. If the wounds are superficial - they heal on their own, without assistance, but if this is a deep wound - consult a doctor, for washing and processing, in order to avoid infection and the inflammatory process.
Dental problems. As the animal grows, chinchillas may have problems with their teeth - their excessive growth and periodontal disease. The growth of teeth and the lack of the ability of the animal to grind them, leads to problems with bite and nutrition, chewing food and as a result - problems with the digestive tract. Remember that chinchilla teeth have an open root - so they grow constantly with them, and if there is a lack of vitamins A and D in the diet, calcium, the teeth will grow too fast. In this case, it is worth carrying out the correction of the teeth - just cutting them in the medical institution and constantly giving the animal hard twigs and products for grinding teeth.

Breeding animals at home in the apartment

How to keep chinchilla at home? If you want to keep a family of chinchillas and start breeding them, you should take into account a few points and rules. Firstly - matriarchy is pronounced in chinchilla families, the supremacy of the female is recommended, therefore, the female should be placed on the male in its territory, but if the sharing occurs in its territory, the pair should be given time to get used to each other, so to speak.

In this case, for a couple of days, put a cage with a male near the cage with a female and only after you sit them together. If the animals behave aggressively - dissolve them in cages for a while and so on until they peacefully live together in a pair. The main thing is to carry out everything under their own control so that the animals in the fight will not hurt each other.

The male reaches puberty at the age of 8-9 months, the female - at 7-8while the duration of the sexual cycle in the female is about 40-50 days, estrus lasts 3-4 days. The female bears offspring for 105-110 days - during this period it is recommended to give her an enhanced diet, especially if the animal is pregnant first.

1-2 babies are born, less often - 3 or more, and in caring for offspring the male shows himself to be quite a caring dad. But if you do not want the chinchilla to become pregnant again - for the period of care by the female for the offspring, it is recommended to move the male to another cage.

Chinchilla in a properly equipped cage

Babies are born already covered with wool, open eyes and can move themselves - their weight varies from 30 to 70 grams and the weight depends on the number of calves in the litter.

If the female has given birth to 2, then feeding them is not necessary, but if 3 or more - artificial feeding from the pipette with milk mixtures will allow to keep the babies. For, so that the female has more milk, let's give 1-2 raisins a day, and after a 2-month period, babies can be removed from the mother.

As you can see, caring for a chinchilla at home is not so difficult. Chinchilla in the house, care for her and reproduction - an occupation, the power of each. And the joy of caring for a small, fluffy animal you get a lot.

Cage and everything you need to stay

Most of the time home chinchilla spends it in the cage. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the organization of its residence.

The cage must be at least 60 cm long and 50 cm wide for one animal. It is preferable to make the showcase high, as the chinchilla has strong hind legs, designed primarily for jumping up.

The material for the display case may be different: metal, wood, glass. The main requirement is safety for the rodent. The showcase with the animal should not be located near the heating elements, under direct sunlight. It is installed in the coolest place, and where drafts are excluded.

In order for the chinchilla to hide and rest, it is necessary to put a house in the cage. All kinds of shelves, stairs, tunnels rodent actively uses movement and jumping, which helps him to keep fit. If the size of the window allows, you can fix the wheel for running in it. Chinchilla is quite cheerful and mobile beast, so the presence of wooden toys for daily entertainment is welcome.

Usually chinchillas at an early age are trained to use the toilet. As a toilet, you can use the usual cat tray small. Fill it with wood pressed pellets of sawdust. If the chinchilla was not accustomed to the toilet, then sawdust is scattered at the bottom of the cage and change them once a week or as needed.

Also one of the obligatory rituals for these rodents is swimming. They clean their thick fur coat of chinchilla in special sand of fine fraction or volcanic dust. It is not allowed to get water on the fur of a rodent. Since they lack sebaceous and sweat glands, it is very difficult for them to recover heat after wetting. There is a chance that the animal will freeze and get sick.

For feeding chinchilla you need a whole set of special accessories.

Bowl for food. It is carried out in several options: suspended or floor. It is recommended to choose a heavier feeder, which the chinchilla will be hard to knock over.
Special drinker. As a rule, attached to the cage outside, has a nipple device for supplying water.
Sennitsa. Каких-то определенных требований к форме или устройству этого дополнительного аксессуара нет. Главное – это удобство использования и безопасность для грызуна. Их обычно делают в виде деревянного ящика, сферы или цилиндра из металлической сетки.
Минеральные камни. Незаменимый помощник для сохранения здоровых зубов у шиншилл. Они с удовольствием грызут камни и тем самым стачивают отрастающие резцы.

The content of the chinchilla must be treated with all responsibility. After all, its health, mood, and how the animal will relate to its owner depend on proper care.

How to feed a chinchilla

The main constituent element of a balanced chinchilla diet is granulated feed. It consists of cereals, leguminous plants, oats, dried vegetables and fruits. Pick up the mixture so as to provide the rodent with all the necessary nutrients and trace elements.

For better digestion of food, meadow hay is added to the main feed. You can prepare it yourself or buy at the pet store. Pre-worth studying what plants can give chinchilla, and which are poisonous and can harm health.

As a encouragement and to raise the mood of the rodent, you can give treats: dried apple slices, carrots, raisins, rosehips. You should not get involved in them - the chinchilla's body does not produce insulin to break down sucrose.

All recommendations on feeding can be combined into several rules:

Feed and hay are always available for the animal.
Treat yourself to the best.
Only specialized food.
All that a chinchilla uses should be in a dry or dried form.

Chinchilla behavior and communication with them

Chinchilla is a very curious rodent, always ready to communicate. But it is almost impossible to teach her to sit on the hands. Possessing a wayward character, she does not tolerate obsession in her address. Chinchilla is a pet for contemplation, not for games. Therefore, for children it is better not to start them.

To win the trust and love of a chinchilla, you need to communicate with her gently and without sudden movements. If the pet is guilty, it is necessary to strictly and confidently scold him for bad behavior, but in no case do not scream.

Chinchillas fear loud noises. When greatly frightened, they can shed shreds of wool. If the rodent feels aggression in his own way, he can defend himself by standing on his hind legs and releasing a stream of urine at the enemy.

If you follow these simple recommendations, then a fluffy pet will always be healthy, cheerful and friendly with its owner.

Features of the content of chinchillas at home

Chinchilla at home, it is not just a tender emotion a funny rodent, but a pet that you need to take care of. And each owner should know what are the features of the content of chinchillas and how to provide them with the most comfortable conditions.

Chinchilla in the apartment: tips and tricks:

in the wild, these animals live in the rocks and highlands with a dry and warm climate. AND comfortable temperature of keeping chinchilla at home should not exceed 25 degrees and fall below 14,
the location of the rodent cage should be chosen so that it is protected from drafts and direct sunlight,
Animals are very afraid of loud sounds and noise. Therefore, it is impossible to turn on the TV at full capacity or loud music in the room where the chinchilla lives. Strong fear of fright can be fatal.
for ornamental rodents is very important diet. Feed the animals once a day at a strictly defined time. The portion for one individual should not exceed two tablespoons,
These animals drink little water, but fresh water should be in their water all the time. Water is changed once a day,
all shelves and accessories in a chinchilla cage must be securely attached to the walls of their home. If a rodent falls from a great height, then it will inevitably face death due to damage to internal organs,
Do not forget that the chinchilla is a rodent. And, if you allow your pet to freely walk around the apartment, he will undoubtedly ruin furniture, wires, wallpaper and other objects, trying everything "to the tooth." Therefore, it is advisable to release the animal for a walk in a specially designated room, where it will not have access to wires and valuable things,
also it is not allowed to let the chinchilla go for a walk without supervision if there are other pets in the house (cats or dogs). After all, these predators will not fail to take advantage of the moment and arrange a hunt for a helpless rodent, which is fraught with the death of a small animal,
These are night animals, and during the day they mostly sleep or rest in their house. And having got a chinchilla, the owner should prepare for the fact that at night the animal will mess around in its cage, eat and rattle with a feeder or drinker. In order for the rodent not to interfere with the owners to sleep, it is recommended to equip its home in another room or to carry the cage with the pet to the kitchen for the night.

If you sleep with a chinchilla in the same room, it is better to get a shop window, not a cage

Choosing a cage for chinchilla

The cage is the personal space of the chinchilla, the place where the animal spends the bulk of his life. Therefore, the owner should carefully and seriously consider the choice of housing for a fluffy pet.

The main criteria when choosing a cell.

The dwelling of chinchillas should be spacious and high, because moving and active chinchillas need a lot of space for free movement and jumping.

Safe and high quality material

It is unacceptable that the interior and exterior parts of the dwelling be covered with paint or varnish. Once in the body of the animal, these harmful substances can cause severe food poisoning.

For the care and maintenance of chinchillas at home, there are two types of cells: ordinary metal cells and the so-called showcases. Each of them has both advantages and disadvantages.

Metal cells

Many owners choose metal cages, as they are inexpensive and easy to clean and clean. Among the shortcomings of this dwelling can be noted poor sound insulation. When the animals start fussing at night and start running around the cage, they make too loud noises, making it difficult for their owners to sleep. Another disadvantage is that they scatter the remnants of food and filler in all directions and will have to carry out daily cleaning of the area near the cage.

Minus metal cage - scattered debris around

Storefronts are a dwelling of wooden frame and walls of glass and fine mesh. The indisputable advantages of the showcase is that it conceals the noise of pet's fuss, and the garbage from it does not fly all over the room. The drawbacks of the window are that it is inconvenient to clean it, the wooden frame absorbs odors, and the walls and floor swell from moisture. Therefore, this housing will have to be periodically changed.

Important: regardless of the type of cage, it must be equipped with several shelves, suspended at different levels, which serve as simulators for rodents and satisfy their passion for jumping.

The minus of a wooden display case is absorption of odors and, as a result, the need to replace it.

Items and accessories for cage equipment

To make chinchilla maintenance at home convenient and comfortable, another crucial step for the owner is the correct equipment of the pet's cage. It is important to know what items you need to buy for a chinchilla, and what accessories you can do without.

Chinchilla cage should not be cluttered with accessories

feeding trough
drinking bowl
sennica,
shelter house
bath for bathing,
mineral or salt stone for grinding teeth,
toilet tray with a filler.

hanging ladders and hammocks,
mazes and tunnels
running wheel,
ladders,
toys

Important: if the cell is small, then you should not clutter up its space with unnecessary objects. The animal should move freely around the house, and not cling to unnecessary and useless accessories.

Choosing pet food

The health and well-being of a fluffy rodent directly depends on a proper and balanced diet. It should be remembered that the chinchilla at home should eat the same food as its wild tribesmen in natural habitats.

The main feed of the rodent should be high-quality cereal or granulated mixture. The composition of feed produced for chinchillas, taking into account the characteristics of their digestive system, includes cereals, dried herbs, seeds and dried fruits. Premium foods also contain additional elements and vitamins, vegetable oils and plant extracts (echinacea and alfalfa).

In addition to the main feed in the cage of chinchilla should always be hay, improves the digestion of animals.

Do not forget about the additional lures and treats for pets. Homemade chinchilla is given fresh or dried leaves of dandelion, plantain, spinach, clover and lettuce.

As a delicacy, the animal can sometimes be offered a slice of dried apple or carrot, raisins, seeds and nuts (just not fried).

Chinchillas and twigs of trees, such as an apple-tree, linden, willow or birch, are given.

Important: it is strictly forbidden to treat pets with sweet and flour products, fresh vegetables and fruits or leaves of houseplants.

Rodent Care

Chinchillas do not swim in the water! Moreover, water procedures are dangerous for the health of a fluffy pet, because animals do not have sebaceous glands, as a result of which their fur coat gets wet through. And this can lead to the fact that the rodent will catch a cold and die from pneumonia.

And so that the luxurious iridescent fur of a chinchilla always looks well-groomed, they arrange sand baths.

For this purpose, once or twice a week a bath filled with special bathing sand is placed in the animal's cage. After the chinchilla is bathed, the tank with sand should be removed, otherwise the sand gets into the feed or water of the animal.

Cell Care Rules

In order for a pet to feel well in its own home, these rules must be followed:

cell surface cleaning is carried out two or three times a week,
household chemicals cannot be used to clean the rods, pan and cage walls,
General cleaning of the chinchilla’s home should be done at least once a month,
in a cage it will be much cleaner if you put a special filler in the pan. For this purpose, sawdust, straw or granulated wood filler is used. Shreds of newspapers, cellophane and fabric as bedding are not suitable.

How to tame a chinchilla

Chinchilla is not a dog and not a cat, therefore it is useless to train the animal. These rodents are very independent and independent and you should not expect that the pet will be happy to sit in the hands of the owner and favorably perceive human touch.

But it is still possible to make friends with a pet, and if the owner wants to gain the trust of a fearful little animal, he will have to be patient and build a lot of effort for this.

Many owners, bringing the chinchilla home, on the first day begin to stroke and hug the pet, and this is their main mistake. After all, do not forget that these animals are very shy and for them the stress is that they were taken from their usual cage and carried away somewhere. Chinchillas need a lot of time, not only to get used to the unfamiliar environment, but also to the voice and smell of the new owner. Therefore, the first two weeks it is better to minimize communication with the pet and let it settle in a new place.

When a rodent adapts a little to his surroundings, you may occasionally approach his dwelling and speak with him quietly. You can open the cage and put your hand in it, giving the animal an opportunity to sniff your palm and even lightly bite. Perhaps the chinchilla itself will even jump into your arms to get to know each other better. If this happens, do not scare the animal with a sharp movement and make an attempt to pull it out of the cage, as this will permanently discourage the pet's desire to approach you. Let the chinchilla get used to your hands and the fact that you do not pose a threat to it.

After a while, try to lure the pet out of the cage with his favorite delicacy. Substitute an open palm with treats when leaving the dwelling, and let the animal decide for itself whether to get on your hand or to drag a treat into the cage. With proper patience, the animal will soon get used to you and stop being scared when you stretch your hand to stroke it or scratch your neck.

Scratching is what chinchilla loves!

But do not forget that the behavior and character of chinchillas depends on the individuality of the rodent. Therefore, do not despair if, despite all the efforts, the animal has not learned to trust you and refuses to go into your arms. Just surround the rodent with attention and love, and perhaps with time he will respond to you in return.

Chinchilla and baby: is it worth buying a rodent for children

Many parents think that a cute and friendly chinchilla will be the perfect pet for the baby. After all, these animals are not characterized by aggression, they do not bite, and the child will be able to independently take care of his little pet.

But actually keeping a chinchilla in a house where there are small children is not such a good idea. Experts generally do not recommend buying a fluffy rodent for children under ten years of age.

Young children find it difficult to cope with caring for chinchilla

And for good reason:

being nocturnal, the rodent will sleep during the daytime, so it is unlikely that the child will be interested in watching the constantly sleeping pet,
chinchillas are very shy animals. And noisy children's games in the room where the animal cage stands can greatly scare and injure the fragile psyche of the pet,
Children love to squeeze animals, carry them on their hands and lift them by the tail. And most chinchillas do not tolerate when they are touched and picked up. In addition, the baby can squeeze the animal severely and cause him injury,
a small child can leave a chinchilla's cage open and the animal will use it to escape and hide in a secluded place from where it will be very difficult to reach,
feed fluffy rodents should only special food and treats, and not food from your own table. And a child unknowingly can accidentally feed a chinchilla with a prohibited product, which will provoke problems with digestion in a pet, and in some cases even cause the animal to die.

Chinchilla in the house: owners reviews

If you just can not decide whether to start this cute rodent, read the reviews of the owners about the care and maintenance of chinchillas at home.

Anastasia: I am very glad that this fluffy little lump of happiness lives in my house.

A chinchilla was presented to me for my birthday. And honestly, I never had to regret about such a wonderful gift. They say that it is troublesome to keep chinchillas, but I take care of such a pet easily and simply. Walking it is not necessary, with feeding problems also does not arise, in general, it is a pleasure to care for a chinchilla. And the main plus is that the rodent does not smell at all.

Sergey: never get chinchilla

Yielded to the requests of his wife and bought a chinchilla. Yes, the rodent is cute and cute, but this is where its merits end. From chinchilla at night so much noise that it is impossible to sleep. With us, she gnaws at everything — the bars of the cage, the shelves, the house, and even the feeder, although she bought a special mineral stone for grinding her teeth. Walking the animal around the apartment, generally a separate topic. If you let a chinchilla out of its cage, consider that the end of furniture, wires, baseboards and wallpaper has come, because it will nibble everything it can reach.

Elena: these are the most wonderful and delightful animals.

For two years now we have a couple of chinchillas, Homa and Larik. They are very playful, affectionate and tame, they gladly go into their hands and give themselves to stroke. Care of them is not difficult and there is practically no smell. And how interesting it is to watch them swimming in the sand. If you decide to start a decorative rodent, then feel free to choose a chinchilla, these are wonderful and amazing pets that will not give you any special trouble in the content.

Chinchillas do not require special conditions, like some exotic pets. But this does not mean that they do not need care and care from the owner. The animal will have to pay a lot of time and attention, because after getting a fluffy pet, the owner takes responsibility for the health and well-being of the little animal. And so that chinchilla will delight you with its well-groomed appearance and activity for many years, it needs to ensure a comfortable and happy life.