Know Your Chinchilla Facts

Before buying a chinchilla, has it ever crossed your mind that you have to know what you are getting yourself into? Having a chinchilla as a pet is not easy, and you'd better know the basic chinchilla facts, than get confused later for apparently knowing nothing or too little about chinchillas.

First, differentiating the male from the female chinchillas can be a challenge, as it usually is with most rodents. One clear giveaway in telling a pair of chinchilla couples is the size. Given the same diet, the female chinchilla is usually bigger than the male. The latter can be as heavy as 400-500 grams, whereas females are about 400-600 grams. Looking at the organs might not be very helpful, as the penis of the male chinchilla only shows usually after three months. By the third month, a chinchilla will have reached puberty. By the 8th month, it is ready to breed.

As for female chinchillas, they can be pregnant for as much as twice a year. Since the gestation period normally takes 111 days, a time allowance in between two pregnancies is recommended. To make sure that a pair of chinchillas will not breed, separating their cage is the most advisable thing to do. A mother chinchilla will give birth to a litter of 1 to 3 kits, the name for baby chinchillas. Once born, a kit is already fully developed and does not need intense caring from its parents. The normal weight of baby chinchillas is 35-40 grams.

Upon growing, chinchillas will develop stronger teeth. As it does, you have to supply its cage with a lot of wood and toys that they can chew on. These objects will help them sharpen their teeth and ensure that they don't get too sharp.

Chinchillas will also develop their own personalities as they grow up. Although its unique traits should be observable upon birth, they will be more prominent upon growing up. Take note of these key traits as they will not only help you differentiate chinchillas from each other but will also help in communicating with them.

A claim to fame of these rodents is its highly valuable fur. Considered endangered for its expensive fur, chinchillas had been viciously hunted until the end of the 19th century. With 150 to 250 chinchillas, a stylish coat made of chinchilla can be made.

Because of the uncontrollable rate at which chinchillas were being hunted and killed, something had to be done with the situation. This explains the presence of many chinchilla farms around. These provide a healthy breeding environment for chinchillas, which was meant to supply the increasing demand of chinchilla fur for clothing. However, with the times changing in favor of animal rights and against the killing of chinchillas for clothes, these animal farms began to serve an altogether different purpose: providing an unconventional alternative to pets like dogs, cats and other rodents.

Chinchillas are a breath of fresh air. Very few people have them and once they do, they simply cannot help but love them. Martha Stewart, in fact, confesses her love for the creatures and even owns as much as 15 of them! With the distinct nature of chinchillas, there is every reason why you should have them as your new pets. Knowing your chinchilla facts can be a enlightening experience.

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The Lowdown on Chinchilla Care

Do you want your chinchillas to reach its optimum age of 20 years? Chinchillas can last that long, but only if you care for it well enough. A lot of people have no idea how proper chinchilla care should even be done and end up relying on their own instincts. Chinchilla are delicate creatures and relying on "gut feelings" to know how to take care of them will only compromise its health and ultimately shorten its life. If you love your pet chinchilla, you surely want neither of that.

Moderating the Temperature

The function of sweat glands is to release the heat in the body in liquid form. This way, your body can adapt to increasing temperature without causing a breakdown in your system. Ever notice how your body starts sweating when you're just too tired or the heat is becoming too much to bear? That's your sweat glands at work.

Unlike you, your chinchilla doesn't have sweat glands. Obviously, this means that it doesn't have an ingenious way of adapting to increasing temperatures. Once the temperature becomes too much to take, it will most likely suffer of heatstroke. The threshold of chinchillas when it comes to handling temperature is much lower, partly due to its lack of a complex immune system and tiny body. The ideal temperature is 65-70. Anything beyond will be harmful for your chinchilla.

Also, if you think its thick fur will protect it from the cold, you are alarmingly mistaken. Immediately beneath its thick layer of fur is its skin. In other words, the only thing protecting your chinchilla from harsh temperatures, including the cold, is its fur. If the environment gets either too hot or too cold, your chinchilla will have undesirable complications and may even die.

Finding a Vet

Though chinchillas make perfect pets, they are classified as exotic. This doesn't just mean that they are endangered and are not allowed to be used for animal clothing. In pet lingo, this means that they're much harder to care for and required much more attention that your average domesticated pet. Unlike cats, you can't simply leave food for them and expect them to get through the day. Chinchillas must be taken to the veterinarian regularly.

How do you find a veterinarian for exotic pets? Consider it a challenge that you will have to go through. Don't settle for just any vet who claims to have an experience with rodents. Make sure you get someone that actually knows how to deal with chinchillas.

The price you will be paying the vet for your chinchilla should be no more than what you'll pay for other pets, like dogs or cats. You want the best chinchilla care, but be careful about getting overpriced services. It all boils down to how well you look for a vet that 1) has a specialization in exotic pets such as chinchillas and 2) knows how to name the price right. With both bases covered, you will have found a veterinarian that will do everything in his or her power to extend your pet's lifespan to its optimum age.

Moderating the temperature and finding the perfect vet are just two of the many ways by which you can show your pet chinchilla love and affection. Consider these two steps as a positive start to a long life with your adorable rodent.

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