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Choosing your Chinchilla oeSelection of your chinchilla is probably the most important step in chinchilla owning. Which chinchilla you choose to take home with you is a decision that will last for years and years. You want to make sure that you do not have any second doubts or changes of mind about which one you pick. Usually people do not refund moeney or take back a chinchilla once it is purchased, so be aware. Once you have found a few chincillas to choose from, price shop for the best prices, and best quality. I recommend finding a ranch or pet shop that sells chinchillas with pedigree papers. That way, if you breed your chinchillas or you need to know something about their past, you have somewhere to start. A pedigree paper also shows that the breeder cares a little more then the average person. The best way to begin searching for chinchillas are your local pet stores. At least that is a start. I feel that a breeder outside of a pet store is better, but if you have no choice, start there. Then, if you have no luck there, and they have none, ask to see if they know of anyone who breeds chinchillas. Some places will know of a person, some won't, but it's worth a try. From there, if you can't find any, begin searching online for a breeder who will ship their chinchillas to you in the mail, but keep in mind that you should get insurance for transport, and the shipping charges. Now, determine what the chinchilla is for. Is it for a small child? Is it for a grown adult? A gift? Make sure that in any case, the person is ready to take care of another being. If it happens to be for a child, please bring them along to meet the chinchilla. Something else will make a good gift. Along with the initial cost of a chinchilla which varys from pet store to breeder, and from place to place, remember that you will need a cage, food, and other accessories for your pet. I will discuss these in more detail later. Remember that when you go to look at a chinchilla, they are not very active during the day. They are nocturnal, and are awake during the night. The way they act during a day visit is very different from how they will act at night. If you can, make an appointment to see the chinchillas. Many breeders love to take the time to let you get to know a potential purchase. And once again, please examine the chinchilla very closely before purchasing it. Keep in mind the proper way of handling a chinchilla as well. Chinchillas do not like their feet to dangle in mid air, and they like to be held closely if possible. Until your chinchilla is used to you, try to follow these steps. Pet store owners should allow you to examine the chinchilla under their supervision. Many breeders will let you stay with the chinchilla until you are sure that you want to purchase the one you've chosen. Please always remember to ask any questions that come up during the visit or after as well. If they don't know the answer to the question, they should find it for you. Always approach a chinchilla quietly and softly. The scare easily and may get nervous. Put your hands inside the cage and let the chinchilla get to know you. Let him walk up to you and examine who you are. He may walk on you, or sniff you. You should not have to worry about getting bitten at this point, as long as he does not feel he is in harm. Chinchilla like to nibble on brighly colored things. My chinchillas enjoy trying to bite my brightly colored finger nails. They also are attracted to shiny rings and jems. Once a chinchilla gets to know you, you might notice him nibbling on you softly. This is a form of affection, and you should not worry. Be aware about feeding treats, or sticking your fingers in the cage at feeding time. Many chinchillas have a hard time seeing in the light, and the only smell they notice is food, so they may bite you thinking that it is dinner. Be careful when ssticking your fingers in there faces at that time. Chinchillas have a defence mechanism against predators. When frightened while they are being picked up, a chinchilla can purposly shed patches of fur to tempt the predator into dropping it. If you notice this happening, please put the chinchilla down as soon a possible. Many will get large bare patches because of this. When lifting a chinchilla, make sure you put both hands underneath its feet, so they don't scare. A good healthy chinchilla should weigh 1-3 pounds, depending on genetics, and habitat. Remember that chinchillas are fully grown at 8 months of age. Make sure that the chinchilla you are considering buying is fully weaned, which should be 10-12 weeks. A chinchilla that has been weaned too early or that still misses its mother can get get sick easily and in rare cases, even die. If you do purchase a young chinchilla, remember that they cannot eat the same things as an adult. A young chinchilla is good though, because you can watch it grow into an adult. I will get into food later on. Make sure you examine the chinchillas teeth. They should actually be yellow. White teeth is a sign of sickness. This means they are getting enough calcium and nutrients. Try to get a glimpse into the mouth as well. The teeth grown continuously throughout their lives. A chinchilla needs something to chew on constantly, so they can grind the teeth down when needed. Wood is a good object to chew on, but make sure it is not cedar. Chinchillas are allergic to cedar because of the smell and oils in the wood. I will get into more about this later as well. The eyes should be bright, shiney and clear, and free of tears. Watery eyes might mean teeth problems, which is a very serious problem. A chinchilla should never drool or paw at its mouth. Especially while eating. During dinner is a good time to see if a chinchilla will do these things. Drooling is also another sign of teeth problems. Teeth problems can affect eating and even digestion. Look for a different chinchilla if you see these problems. To fix these problems can be very expensive, and can result in death if not taken care of properly. Ask to see the chinchilla's droppings as well. This is a good sign of health as well. Each chinchilla will have different looking stools, depending on what they are fed, and how much they eat. Small, jagged droppings can be a sign of constipation. The stools should be smooth and long. They should be hard and not watery. A slimy, pointed end of a dropping can very well mean digestive problems. The sex of a potential chinchilla is strictly up to the buyer. Studies show that there is very little, if any, difference in the personality between males and females. Females tend to be a little bit larger then the male on average. Chinchillas dislike being wet. There is no need to give them a water bath. Chinchillas take baths in volcanic ash which gets rid of excess oils and dirt from their fur. I'll go into this later. You may give your chinchilla a dust bath daily, but is not necessary. I prefer every 1-3 days, depending on the fur. If you are purchasing a pair, keep in mind that a pair of males or a pair of females tend to not get along. A male/female pair is better. Better yet, a pair that have housed in the same cage is very preferrable. If you do buy two that do not know each other, introduce them very slowly so they have a chance to get to know one another. I think a span of 1-2 weeks is perfect. Set 2 cages next to each other, or put a smaller cage inside of a larger one so they can get aquainted. Otherwise, they will fight, and both can get injured. Remember that 2 different sexes of chinchillas increase the chances of babies. I will talk about breeding later on. The best scenario is to know someone close hand, or someone you can call or email to ask questions whenever you need. Always have a knowledgable vet on hand in your area incase of an emergency as well.
	Enviroment Chinchillas basically need a large cage with food, water and a place for a bed, which can be bought or made out of a cardboard box. Remember, chinchillas need dust baths, make sure you have dust and a box to bathe your chinchilla in. This is all you really need to know when finding an enviroment for your chinchilla.
Look at the fluffyness
	Food To understand chinchillas' dietary needs, it is important to remember where they come from... the arid regions in the high Andes. The food that they are able to find there, to a large degree, consists of dried plants, grasses and seeds. This makes it easy to understand why the key to a chinchilla's diet is that it be nutrient-poor and contain a lot of bulk roughage. While chinchillas themselves are extremely hardy little animals, their digestive systems are quite delicate. In fact, a chinchilla's diet plays a very important role in maintaining a healthy and alert animal. A good Chinchilla diet usually can be thought of as consisting of four parts: Pellets Hay Supplements (including "treats") Water Pellets Most pet owners are able to purchase commercial chinchilla pellets from a pet store or local breeder. While the actual contents of the pellets may vary from brand to brand, the basic ingredients include wheat germ, alfalfa meal, oats, molasses, soybean oil meal, corn, and added vitamins and minerals. Since chinchillas eat with their hands, chinchilla pellets are usually longer than guinea pig or rabbit pellets so that the chinchilla has something to hang on to. An adult chinchilla will eat about two heaping tablespoons of pellets per day. Chinchillas will only eat until they are full, so over-feeding is not usually a problem. Some people recommend that chinchillas be fed twice a day, once in the morning and once again in the evening. Others suggest only once per day, some say morning, others say evening. Whichever you choose, the key is consistency to prevent stress. Pellets can be offered in either a hopper type feeder that attaches to the side of the cage or a small ceramic bowl. The advantages of the hopper feeder are that it can't be tipped over and it's easy to fill from the outside of the cage. If you do offer food in a bowl, ceramic bowls are best because they are heavy enough to prevent being tipped over and they can't be chewed like a plastic bowl. If, for some reason, chinchilla pellets are not available, rabbit or guinea pig pellets can be substituted. Just make sure to get whichever is highest in fiber and lowest in fat. For example, guinea pig pellets may be better than regular rabbit pellets, but low-fat rabbit pellets might be better than guinea pig pellets. If you do have to change brands or types of pellets, keep in mind that chinchillas are creatures of habit and have delicate digestive systems. Make the change as gradual as possible, mixing in the new pellets in with the old. Each day add slightly more of the new pellets to the mix so that the entire change over takes a couple of weeks. A chinchilla may actually discard the new pellets at first, until it gets used to seeing them every day. Hay While pellets may provide most of a chinchilla's nutrition, hay provides the necessary fiber. The hay, either alfalfa or timothy, can be either loose or in small compressed blocks of alfalfa about one inch by one inch by two inches. Chinchillas like both types, so you may offer either or both. The important thing is that the hay MUST be free of chemical sprays and the hay MUST be free of mold. To be mold free, the hay must be fresh and must have been properly dried and cured. To see that the hay continues to remain free of mold, it must be stored in a dry place. Hay cubes can be purchased in small amounts rather than 50 pound bags which is really a more practical way to purchase hay for the pet owner. When offering the cubes to your chin, you may want to break the cubes into smaller pieces so that your chin can grasp them easily and pick them up while eating. Even if left unbroken the cubes are no match for a chinchillas sharp teeth. Loose hay can be offered in a ceramic bowl (separate from the pellet bowl). An adult chinchilla will eat about a handful of loose hay or one pressed cube of hay each day. Besides eating their pressed hay cubes, chinchillas will also use them as play toys to push around their cage. Since chinchillas will only eat as much hay as they want, you don't have to worry about giving them too much. Any other type of "hay" is bermuda grass. If you have bermuda grass in your lawn that hasn't been treated with chemicals or fertilizers, you can wash it off thoroughly and offer a handful to your chinchilla. It is almost a tonic to chinchillas and helps to clear up any digestive problems. Supplements (and "treats") In theory, chinchillas only need their pellets and hay. However, part of the fun of owning a chinchilla is giving it those little special treats from time to time. In fact, there probably isn't a pet chinchilla owner who doesn't give their chins treats. The main thing to remember about treats is the word "moderation." Treats are fine in moderation, but too many can easily upset a chinchillas delicate system. A rich diet with too many treats not only results in a fat chinchilla, but also will shorten the chinchilla's lifespan. It's tough to say "no" to a cute chinchilla who knows how to beg. Just remember that most chinchilla health problems are related to an improper diet which is rich in too many goodies. So, once you've hardened yourself to give your adult chinchilla less than a teaspoon of treats per day (and even less for youngsters), you need to decide what to offer your chinchilla. Chinchillas, like people, are individuals with their own particular favorites when it comes to treats. If there is one treat that nearly all chinchillas love, it is raisins. A half of a raisin can be a great training aid when trying to teach a chinchilla a particular behavior. There doesn't seem to be much a chinchilla won't do for a raisin. Again the rule is moderation, only three or four raisins per week, and even less for youngsters. In fact, for young chinchillas, don't even give them a whole raisin, only a half at a time. An occasional raisin also helps to prevent constipation in chinchillas. Other treats, includes things like a small slice of apple (about as much as the size of a sugar cube), a small bit of orange, a grape, a blueberry, and a small carrot or celery slice. Dried fruit, provided it doesn't have sulfite preservatives, can also big on a chinchilla's hit parade. Rolled oats (and not the kind with the Quaker on the box, since it has preservatives), and spoon size shredded wheat are both very popular and are good if your chin is showing signs of diarrhea from too many rich treats. Sunflower seeds are a great treat and can add sheen to a chinchilla's coat. Buy the raw black oil sunflower seeds available for bird feeding. Some chins learn to take the seed from the shell, while others eat the shell and all, without bad effects. Corn, cabbage, and lettuce are "no-no's" as since they cause gas and are very hard on a chinchilla's tender digestive system. Try different treats from time to time and before long your chinchilla will have taught you its likes and dislikes. Feed treats either by hand, or place them in separate small "treat" dish. If treats are mixed in with a chinchilla's regular pellets, the chinchilla will pull out and throw away the regular pellets looking for the "hidden" treats. Another item that should be mentioned with regards to dietary supplements is wood. Chinchillas are rodents and, therefore, have large , strongly recurved incisor teeth that grow throughout their life. A chinchilla needs to constantly gnaw to keep its teeth worn down. Wood is both soft enough that chinchillas won't damage their teeth, and is yet hard enough to keep teeth worn down to proper size. The best types of wood are white pine and apple. In fact, a large piece of white pine board in a chin's cage can serve a couple of purposes. It can give a chinchilla something to gnaw on as well as a place to sit when a wire bottom cage becomes uncomfortable on the chin's feet. Another nice thing about white pine boards is that they can be found at any lumber store. Certain types of wood are actually poisonous to chinchillas and should be avoided. The "bad" woods include cedar, eucalyptus, plum, plywood, cherry, fir, spruce, or redwood. If you make a house for your chinchilla, use white pine so that it can double as a "chew toy." Some owners provide their chinchillas with a pumice stone, but wood is probably more common. In fact, may pet stores now provide "flavored" wooden chewing blocks for small animals including chinchillas. There are times when a chinchilla's diet does require special attention, such as when very young, pregnant, nursing, or when recovering from disease or illness. These special situations are beyond the scope of this discussion. You can get additional information about these special situations from your breeder or from books about chinchillas. Water Chinchillas need fresh water. Water should be changed at least every other day. If not changed, water can grow bacteria that are harmful to chinchillas. Chinchillas can drink standing water from a bowl, but this really isn't practical. The chinchilla will tend to foul its water or tip the bowl. Therefore, a water bottle that hangs on the side of the cage is much preferable. Water bottles, including the small tube, should be thoroughly cleaned with hot water between water changes. It is easiest to have two water bottles, this way they can be rotated. While one is in use, the other can be washed. A dishwasher provides an easy way to clean water bottles, however, a small brush is still needed to clean the tube. Regular tap water is fine. Some breeders recommend adding vitamins to water others don't. If chinchillas are fed an otherwise adequate diet, additional vitamins should not be necessary. Also, it is felt that adding vitamins might affect the taste of the water and the chinchilla may, therefore, not drink enough water. Vitamins added to water can also speed up bacterial growth. Therefore, it is suggested that nothing be added to a chinchilla's usual water supply unless some additional dietary supplement is actually called for. Conclusion Feeding chinchillas really isn't all that hard and it certainly isn't expensive. A little thoughtful care on your part, and especially moderation in treat giving, can provide your chinchilla a long and healthy life.
aaaaa Chinchilla
	Taming and Training Chinchillas are very clever, intelligent animals with a strong will of their own. However, with training, chinchillas can learn simple commands, to urinate in a litter pan and to come out of the cage to you. The best treats to use are raisins. To make the raisins last, cut them into as small of sections or smidgens as you can. Only feed 1-2 raisins a day to prevent diarrhea. Litter training: Not all chinchillas learn how to use a litter box. It is a skill best taught to chinchillas when they are very young. To start, put your chinchilla in a cage with bedding on the floor. When they urinate in an area, scoop up the wet bedding with a spoon and put it in the litter box. Put the litter box near the wet area. Keep putting all the wet bedding in the litter pan. When you have to change the litter and bedding, this time don't put bedding on the floor and take a scoop of the wet litter to save. Change the rest of the litter, then put the wet litter on the new litter. After a few months of this, your chinchilla should choose to go in its litter pan instead of elsewhere. Never use cat litter in the litter pan. Coming out of the cage: When you first get a chinchilla, you must try to IGNORE it for the first few days (but don't neglect it, just don't try to touch the chinnie). Try to keep the chin up high in a dark, quiet room with a dark hiding box. When the chinchilla is comfortable with your presence, you can put your fingers into the cage. Feed treats from your fingers. Next you can put your hand in the cage. Keep it as still as possible (No touching!) and let your chinchilla investigate you. Put a treat on the palm of your hand and feed it to the chinchilla. If at any time your animal is uncomfortable, go back to the previous step. Remember this process does not happen overnight. When your chin is comfortable with your hand, put treats higher up on your arms. It should hop right on to you. Never force your chin to take its treat. Another good way to get your chin out of his/her cage is to let it get so comfortable with your hand that you can slip your hand under the chin's belly and lift it up. This prevents escaping as well. The worst way to get a chin out is to chase it around the cage. This will make your chin distrusting of you. Nosekisses, come, and other commands: Nosekissing steps: 1) Have your chin cage/body tame. (see above) 2) Loosely hold a raisin or raisin smidgen between your teeth. 3) Get your mouth near your chin's nose and gently breathe the scent of it to them. 4) They will eat it out of your mouth. 5) Everytime you want to feed a treat, feed it with your mouth. 6) Feed it to them in many different locations and they will give spontaneous nosekisses looking for raisins. It's fun when the first thing they do coming out of the cage is kiss you! Come or other commands: 1) Have your treats readily available. 2) Move your chin through the desired motion. (In come it is them hopping up to you) Show the chin a visual signal and make a noise to symbollize the action. 3) Give a treat after moving your chin through the motion. (Be gentle) 4) Repeat steps 2 & 3 at least 10 times. 5) Let your chin free in a small, chinproof area. Make the noise and visual signal. 6) Repeat the signal/noise until the chin obeys by itself. 7) When it finally obeys, give a large treat. Let it loose to try it again. 8) Repeat steps 6 & 7 until it obeys every time. Don't run your chin ragged and do all the steps in one night. This will take months to accomplish.
:)