The beautiful Chinchilla is a cute and curious animal that is growing in popularity in homes around the world! It is no surprise why when one considers their unique and active personalities combined with their beauty. The Chinchilla is indeed an entertaining and lovable house pet.

Chinchillas, also referred to as Chins, are attractive as pets as they are very social and inquisitive animals. They do have some special requirements and can be rather costly to purchase. However, after initial investments (purchase of the Chinchilla and necessary equipment), they make affordable pets and are well worth the money. It is best to keep the Chinchilla in a cool, well-ventilated environment (too much sunlight can be bad for the Chinchilla) with a fan if necessary, to avoid heat stroke. Temperatures over 75 degrees Fahrenheit are uncomfortable for a Chinchilla, and temperatures over 85 degrees Fahrenheit can be deadly. For this reason do not place the cage in the kitchen, by heaters, or radiators. A larger cage is better so the Chinchilla has plenty of room to move around in, and it is a good idea to have a smaller house of some type inside the cage for the animal's privacy. Chinchillas are good jumpers, so be sure the cage is secured well. Generally, Chinchillas will get along well with people if they are conditioned to human contact at a young age, although they dislike too much contact. Chinchillas do not like noisy or unfamiliar environments. Each adult Chinchilla should have its own cage. Most same sex adults do not like being housed together. Male-female pairs should only be housed together if the owner plans on breeding them. The pair will, however, need time to get acquainted before they are put in the same cage. One way to do this is to put them in separate cages that are set side by side. This will allow the potential pair to communicate and sniff at each other. Each Chinchilla has its own individual scent, which other Chinchillas learn to identify. For this reason all potential pairs need to become familiar with their scents before they are put in the same cage. Generally speaking, compatibility depends more on personality, and proper introduction procedures. Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures, so be prepared for some late night noise, although as a trade off, they are clean, practically odorless and do not typically host fleas or other common parasites.

Chinchillas are about eight inches long, four inches wide, and four inches tall. They have long squirrel-like tails, long ears, large eyes, and hind limbs that are longer than their forelimbs. A typical adult Chinchilla weighs between 18 and 30 ounces and can live 15 to 20 years with good care. Chinchillas have notably soft, dense, and beautiful coats, which come in a range of colors, including the standard (gray), black velvet, ebony, Wilson white, pink white, beige, violet and sapphire. They can also be seen in mosaic, which usually refers to a blend of white with traces of another color such as gray, beige, violet, etc. Beige and ebony colors can be expressed in either the homozygous or heterozygous states. Female Chinchillas are typically larger than their male counterparts.

The Chinchilla originally comes from the Andes mountain range in South America. They were popular in the early 20th century for their skins and became a staple for the fur trade. Mathias F. Chapman first brought Chinchillas to the U.S. in 1923, although it is not certain whether he intended to breed them for the fur trade or to save them from extinction. As pets, they did not become popular or well known until the 1960s. Today, there are as many as one million Chinchillas worldwide for fur and pet purposes. Though the Chinchilla is still not a widely kept pet. All Chinchillas belong to the Hystricomorph suborder. There are two different species of Chinchillas, laniger and brevicaudata. Though is may be true that the brevicaudata is not commonly kept as a pet in many parts of the world it is important to recognize that there are two different species.

It is important that Chinchillas have pine or spruce shavings for bedding. Cedar and redwood shavings are bad for Chinchillas and should be avoided. It is also important to make sure that any shavings use as bedding not be chemically treated. Chemical treatment can be fatal for Chinchillas.

Chinchillas thrive on a diet of healthy Chinchilla pellets. These pellets are formulated to provide complete nutrition. Small pieces of apple, carrot, or celery can also be given as treats. A normal Chinchilla only needs 2 to 3 tablespoons of food a day, and they should not be given more than that at one time. A pregnant Chinchilla eats about 4 to 6 tablespoons of food a day, and needs one large handful of hay or alfalfa. Over-eating can make your chinchilla fat, shorten its life span, and make it harder for them to breed. It is important to stick to a regular feeding schedule as much as possible, as they do not adapt readily to change. Some hobbyists report that sickness and even death can result if their normal dietary routines are upset. Additionally, when you change a Chinchilla's diet, it is important to mix the old food with the new food. This should be done at a ratio of half and half at first, and then gradually lessen the amounts of the old food until there is none left. Failure to do this can lead to death, because the Chinchilla may stop eating. Fresh water should always be available; they drink from 2 to 6 tablespoons of water daily. When feeding open "J" feeders are not recommended, because when food gets low your chinchilla can climb down the top and possibly get stuck. This situation can be fatal for a Chinchilla. Left over food should be removed daily. Re-using Chinchilla pellets should be avoided, because they can be contaminated with droppings. The cage and all supplies should be cleaned once a week with mild soap and water. All supplies should be allowed dry fully before putting the Chinchilla back into its cage.

Chinchillas shed every 4 months, and it is helpful to comb them during this time. To keep their fur soft and free of matts, the Chinchilla requires a biweekly dust bath to remove excess natural oils and moisture. Dust can be reused until it appears clumpy. If waste appears in the dust, it is important to remove it. After delivery of a litter, female Chinchillas should not be given dust baths for at least two to three weeks. This is to let the vaginal opening heal, some also state that the dust may be harmful to nursing babies, though other sources debate this statement. During summer months Chinchillas bathe as often as 2 to 3 times a week. A Chinchilla's teeth never stop growing, so they need a chewing log to keep their teeth filed down, or else they may not be able to eat and can starve to death.

Some problems Chinchillas may be prone to include; heat stroke, male penis complication, injuries from fighting, loss of appetite, and overgrown teeth.

Before breeding the cages of the male and female should be set side-by-side for at least one week so that the male and female can become familiar with each other. It is never recommended to put a foreign male and female together without an introduction period. After this time, you can gently put the male in the female's cage, but someone needs to be present to watch their behavior, failure to do so, can lead to injury or even death of one or both of the Chinchillas. Be prepared to separate them if one violently rejects the other. Some breeders recommend keeping a pair of leather garden gloves handy just in case they need to be separated. Another technique is to trap one of them in an overturned container, and slowly remove it from the cage.

After they are placed in the same cage, the males are usually more interested in checking out every nook and cranny of the female's cage. He may even chew and eat the female's treats before the male even acknowledges the female. The female on the other hand is usually very concerned about the male being in her cage.

After the male is satisfied with his discoveries he will then turn his attention to the female. A little rough housing may occur, and they might even play tag (chasing each other around the cage). They might stop and nibble on each other's fur. You shouldn't really worry about this, and only separate them if they start biting so hard that blood is drawn, or fur starts to fly, or the female sprays urine at the male.

Sometimes they may need a longer introduction period. If this is the case you can then try to place the male in the female's cage again. If they still continue to refuse one another after a second attempt, one can continue these attempts for up to 6 months. If they still don't accept each other, the more aggressive animal needs to be replaced. Get another male to try to breed with and keep the other male as a pet. Or decide if you really want baby Chinchillas or not.

Chinchillas are sexually mature 8-10 months of age, but a female should not be bred until she is 12 months old. Chinchillas tend to breed most often at night, though this is not always the case. They do not have a set-breeding schedule in captivity and many will breed year round, though some breeders report more success in winter months. The female chinchilla will go into heat every 28 to 35 days, though they should only be bred twice a year to prevent stress on the mother. The best way to tell if a female is pregnant (although there are no easy ways) is to observe abnormal eating habits or refusal to play or roll around in the dust bath. The gestation period is 111 days and they typical litter is between one and eight babies, but the average is two. Baby chinchillas, also called 'kits', are usually fully weaned between 8 and10 weeks of age. Though sometimes it may be necessary to hand-feed baby kits.