Features of the content of chinchilla at home

In today's world, people are increasingly acquiring pets. If earlier it could only be dogs and cats, now many prefer rodents living in cages. Most people believe that these pets are picky, do not require special attention and high costs of care. However, this is not at all the case.

A striking example is the content of the chinchilla - a rodent with unusually soft and rich fur. It is known that they are famous for their cleanliness and measured, mostly nocturnal, lifestyle. But this does not mean that small pets do not require special attention. Even as required! The cost of their content is quite high. Therefore, before acquiring the animal, it is important to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances.

First of all, it is necessary to note the main features of the content of the chinchilla relating to living in close proximity to a person.

It is important to understand that the chinchilla is an exotic animal with a rather fragile physique and not very strong nervous system. Therefore, it can not be subjected to any stressful situations, as this can lead to problems with the health of the animal. For this reason, it is necessary to think carefully when buying an animal as a gift for a child under 12 years old.

Chinchilla fur is recognized as safe for people with allergies or asthma.

Many wonder if a chinchilla can “walk” around the apartment. Experts do not advise to get involved in such a procedure, because in a human dwelling of a fearful little animal there are a lot of dangers: these are wires with electricity, poorly stable furniture, and various containers with liquids. Moreover, fast running is also unsafe for the animal: a chinchilla can have a fever that can even lead to a stroke. And then, a chinchilla is a rodent, so it’s better to keep all wires and valuable items away from it. For the state of the rodent in the cage you can definitely not worry, the main thing is to take care of the comfort and availability of entertainment.

Dividers do not recommend leaving chinchillas alone for more than 1.5 days. Of course, the animal can easily cope without you a little more than a day, he had enough left water and food. However, it is important to consider the restlessness of the animal and possible damage in the cage. It often happens that a rodent breaks the drinker and wets feed, which can be a problem if he is alone at home.

If we talk about living together, then Ideal - female and male, as a last resort, you can settle alongside two males of one litter, but do not forget that same-sex animals get along on the same territory quite hard. In animals of this type is always a lot of cases, therefore, living alone, they just will not be bored. Breeding chinchillas is a rather complicated matter: it is necessary to have two cages, and within six months after giving birth it is necessary that the male and female live separately.

Also worth considering the fact that veterinarians specializing in the treatment of rodents such as chinchillas, there are only in large cities. A doctor in an ordinary hospital may simply not have some knowledge of this type, and even injure. It is important to be prepared for the fact that many issues relating to the health of the animal, you will need to decide on their own.

When keeping chinchilla in an apartment, it is important to consider the following features:

• the temperature in the room where the rodent lives should be between +14 and +25 degrees in order to provide the animal with conditions as close as possible to the natural one;
• the cage should not be under direct sunlight, it must also be protected from drafts, and the presence of nearby heating devices should be avoided;
• Chinchillas are especially sensitive to loud sounds, so using noisy appliances in this room is undesirable.

The cage is home to a chinchilla where she spends almost her entire life. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the dwelling is as comfortable as possible and adapted for the existence of a rodent in the apartment. There are several factors to consider when choosing a design.

• The size. Of course, the cage should be spacious and high, so that the animal can safely move, play and have fun as it suits him.
• Bars from reliable material. Chinchilla is a rodent. Therefore, the animal is accustomed to everything and always taste it. The bars in the cage will not be an exception; he will definitely try to gnaw through wooden or plastic slats in order to risk escaping to freedom. For this reason, the best material for rods will be metal, which, of course, is beyond the power of pets.
• The gap between the bars. Chinchillas are extremely mobile and flexible animals. They will easily climb through the most seemingly narrow slits. In order to prevent rodents from entering an undesirable freedom for the host, it is necessary to choose a cage with a distance between the rods of at least 1.5 centimeters.
• The quality of the material used. This criterion should be given special attention. Make sure that the cell walls are not covered with any paint or varnish. When ingested chinchillas, such substances will cause severe irritation that can lead to poisoning, and even death of the animal.

For the maintenance of chinchilla in the apartment there are two types of cells, each of which has both obvious advantages and visible shortcomings.

The owners often prefer just such cells with rods. First of all, they are easy to clean and well ventilated, the products of vital activity of rodents are easily extracted from them.

As a disadvantage, you can consider a low level of noise insulation, more precisely, its complete absence. As you know, chinchillas are predominantly nocturnal, that is, the most active period for them is the dark time of day when people are sleeping. In a metal cage, every action of the animal is audible to the owners, asleep, for example, in the same room. Of course, this causes a lot of inconvenience.

Due to the activity of the chinchilla can throw out the remnants of feed or filler "overboard" cells. Obviously, through the bars all this easily flies to the floor. Therefore, the area of ​​cleaning increases - you need to take care of the cleanliness around the cage.

This type of housing for chinchillas is a wooden structure, several walls of which are made of metal mesh or glass. In comparison with the first option, the showcase definitely wins in the issue of noise insulation - the animals in it are not audible at all. Also, food and filler do not fly out of the frame, as it is made of solid material.

A serious disadvantage is the fact that it is inconvenient to wash the windows, wood absorbs odors, and may swell due to excessive moisture. In order to comply with sanitary standards, such housing should be periodically changed.

A variety of cells does not affect its components. Inside there must be several shelves, suspended at different heights.

Obviously, not only the dimensions of the cage and the materials from which it is made are important, but also the inner filling of the dwelling for your furry pet. Consider the basic accessories, which are often preferred by the owners of chinchillas.

• Perhaps, it is necessary to start from the bottom of the cage, which should be as safe as possible and not traumatic for the animal's paws. You can choose a thick carpet, or prefer chip or hay. In order for a chinchilla to be always busy, a variety of sports equipment must be present in the cage, which will also help the animal to keep fit and endurance. This is all kinds of stairs, running wheel, mazes, tunnels.
• Separate house, necessary for the privacy of the animal. In it, a chinchilla will be able to spend a little time with itself, take a break from constantly looking at her eyes and enjoy solitude. In the afternoon she will be comfortable sleeping there. The house can be purchased at a pet store or made independently of wood.
• Moreover, for recreation, a pet can be equipped with a hammock area, which is exactly to his taste. A hammock is purchased at a pet store and hung from the ceiling or cage walls.
• Bath with sand poured into it. It is attached to the walls of the cage so that the mold does not turn over due to the active life of the rodent. It can also be made with your own hands using a plastic bottle cut in half or even a canister. High quality sand can be bought at the pet store, then poured in a layer of about 0.5 centimeter. In order for it to always be clean and bring pleasure to the rodent, it is important to change it once every two weeks.
• Drinking bowl Perhaps this is one of the first items in the list of necessary chinchilla accessories. Drip trough is ideal. It must be suspended 10 centimeters above the floor of the cage. Water should be changed as it is polluted and, of course, as soon as it ends. It is best to use bottled or boiled liquid.
• Feeding trough. You can give preference to the floor, but then it must be made of heavy material so that the animal does not drag it from place to place and does not nibble. Or choose a mounted trough, securely attaching it to the cell wall.

It is necessary to foresee the location of each of the accessories in accordance with the dimensions of the cell. It is important that each object is necessary and useful for a pet, and not just take up space and give the animal anxiety, settling into an already close cage.

For an active animal, there is nothing worse than constant boredom. Of course, the owners should take care that the chinchilla had something to do in his cage. Otherwise, the rodent begins to pull out its own fur, which gives him psychological and physical pain.

Consider the main types of toys that can attract a chinchilla.

• Tunnel. The animals especially like to wade through wooden and plastic pipes, playing hide and seek. In order not to lose the accidentally rodent asleep, as is often the case, you can buy a transparent tunnel. Make sure that the diameter of the device was more than 30 millimeters, otherwise the chinchilla will get stuck.
• Hammock. In pet stores, customers are offered rag, wooden or plastic structures for animal rest. They can also be with several tiers, which, of course, will be even more interesting for a pet.
• Shelf. A device that is attached to the bars of a cage at a height of about 80 centimeters so that the animal does not suffer if the jump is unsuccessful. Several installed shelves will provide constant physical activity active rodents.
• Ladder Small designs are great for the constant development of the legs of the animal or sharpening the teeth. The perfect do-it-yourself option is a wooden stick set vertically and leading from the shelf to the bottom of the cage.
• Suspended toys. They are most often equipped with various noisy details that cause unprecedented delight in chinchillas. Animals can play with them as they want, but at night, of course, it is better to remove such things from the cage.
• Wheel. A good trainer that helps your pet to keep fit and be constantly busy. It can be made of plastic, wood or metal. The ideal option is an aluminum wheel, however, it has the highest price on the market for pet products.
• Ball. This design is necessary for walking around the room. The animal climbs inside and, turning over with paws, rolls on the room. From the experience of many owners it is known that such entertainment is not always safe for the rodent, as it may not have enough air. Then it is better to remove foreign objects and allow the animal to walk around the room without any balls.

Food for chinchillas is not only the satisfaction of physiological needs, but also a kind of ritual, getting real pleasure. They adore all sorts of treats for rodents, however, it is important for owners to know the measure and feed their charges correctly so as not to overdo it in relation to the fragile body of fluffy pets.

Since the animal is active at night, food intake should also occur in the dark. The chinchilla quickly becomes accustomed to the food it offers, and eventually loses its appetite. Therefore, it is necessary to change the diet once every six months.

Of course, the menu of chinchillas depends on the age, sex, physical condition of the beast, and even on the season. It is important to constantly take care of the presence of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids in food, otherwise the pet will not have enough useful elements, which will lead to various diseases in the beast and pathologies in its cubs.

In the year one chinchilla requires 10 kilograms of combined feed and 7 kilograms of hay. The daily intake of food per adult chinchilla is approximately 60 grams. Of these, about 25 grams account for combined feed and hay, 5 grams for vegetables and herbs, not more than 4 grams for delicacies, and 20 milliliters of water should be used.

Food needs to be bought in specialized stores so that all proportions are observed in its composition. Any violations lead to pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. For the more favorable development of chinchilla, it is fashionable to give her additional vitamins from nature. You can pick up hay from legumes and cereals, cornflower, chicory.

For feeding you can refer to the help of fresh grass. For example, chinchillas are very fond of freshly gathered nettles, dandelion, rhubarb or the leaves of trees, hawthorn fruits, and even dried fruits. The main thing - to comply with the measure.

It is forbidden to feed chinchillas with food of animal origin, as they will not be able to digest the protein contained in it. High-calorie nuts are also undesirable. There are also obligatory elements which are constantly necessary for rodents. This is a chalk stone with any vitamin supplements and salt lick.

Chinchillas are known as one of the cleanest animals. At home, they constantly take care of their fur themselves. However, in the care they still sometimes need human help, which is not difficult to do at home.

Once a week the rodent is required to swim in the sand. As mentioned above, for these purposes, you need a specially purchased pet store or a hand-made bath in which you need to pour clean sand.

Let the little animal into the bathhouse, he himself knows what to do. And you can watch the happy creation, which gets incredible pleasure from sand baths. The bath is better not to leave more than 30 minutes, because chinchillas love to fall asleep in the sand, and it dries the skin. Appeal to the help of baths more than once every five days is not necessary.

It is strictly forbidden to wet chinchilla wool, as it takes a lot of time to dry it, and the animal can catch a cold. Moreover, water can get into the ears, and this is a direct path to the inflammatory process, which is very bad for a fragile animal. In case of severe contamination of fur, the breeders are advised to use a wet towel and a clean comb.

Chinchillas are the exact opposite of dogs and cats, it is almost impossible to tame them, to teach them to be submissive. They love loneliness and are willing to spend most of the time alone with themselves. Of course, there are exceptions, and the rodent is ready to go into the hands of the owner, to submit to tenderness and affection.

In order for the chinchilla to be more tame and docile in the future, from the very childhood it is necessary to take care of its taming. At first - about 3 weeks after the acquisition of a chinchilla, let it settle in a new place, get used to an unfamiliar environment.

After a certain period of time, you can make contact with a new family member. Start to approach the cage, open it, pull palms towards the animal. Most likely, the chinchilla will be interested, will sniff, and even bite his fingers. Well, if the pet jumps into your arms, however, it is important not to scare him. Do not pull the chinchilla out of the cage, but, on the contrary, give more time to adapt.

In the next few times, you can try to call a rodent from his home, invite him to his knees or shoulders. At this time, the pet should be gently addressed and called by name. Any success is necessary to consolidate the delicacy.

At the next stage of contact with chinchilla, you can proceed to scaling. The most pleasant places for her are: behind the ear, over the breast or neck. But it is better not to touch the backs, barrels and tail, it can cause a feeling of fear.

Experts strictly prohibit taking chinchilla with force, it can react to this by scratching or biting. This is allowed only if necessary: ​​if the animal needs a medical examination. If you catch her often, your hands will seem to her as a danger signal, then the contact will definitely be lost.

Based on feedback from breeders, It is worth making a detailed list of what exactly can not be done in relation to the chinchilla:

• let her out of the cage into a room that is not free from various dangers;
• to let out, an animal can catch a cold, get some kind of infection, and even run away;
• bathe in the water.

In fact, there are no special difficulties in keeping a chinchilla. Of course, it is important to take into account many aspects so that the pet will successfully grow and develop, but it will be quite easy for someone who really loves animals.

On the features of the maintenance and care of chinchillas, see the following video.