If you are looking for an interesting and unique little pet, consider a chinchilla. The chinchillas have been around in the wild for many years, and today you can find chinchillas as pets in many homes around the world.
What Is A Chinchilla?
The Chinchilla is a very small and cute rabbit sized rodent, with big mouse like ears, and a long tail. Its face is simply that of a mouse or hamster. Mainly it looks as if someone bred a mouse and a hamster together. Chinchillas are in a class of exotic animals, but they have become popular as pets. Chinchillas have been around for many years, going as far back as the fifteen hundreds from a tribe in Peru called the Chinchas tribe. This tribe would wear their fur as clothing and ate the chinchillas as a food source. These little creatures almost became extinct because many people were hunting them. Chinchillas became valuable and hunted for the value of their fur, especially for the fur industry during the 90′s. Many years ago, chinchillas lived in rock crevices or burrows made by them. This would keep them protected from scavengers, also from people. Chinchillas are small so they are very prone to certain animals of prey, such as cats, dogs and hawks. Many hawks will eat them in the wild; this is why they live in burrows. Chinchillas’ will share burrows with each other. These creatures will also look out and protect one another in the wild as well. Many of these creatures need to be in cool places, for one reason – chinchillas could die from heat stroke. There are two types of chinchillas, one is a long tailed chinchilla, and the other is a short-tailed chinchilla. The short-tailed chinchilla also have a thicker neck and shoulders, and shorter ears. Chinchillas have a natural variety of colors, from gray to beige, white and ebony. Chinchilla babies, called kits, being born fully haired and able to see are unique creatures. Most babies born from other animals will not have their eyes open when they are born. Chinchillas as pets have grown in popularity in the last several years, and thanks to some wildlife researchers, Chinchillas are back in a new fashion – as pets on the market, not a fur coat. Now you can have the pleasure of these unique looking animals in the comfort of your own home.
Chinchillas as a Pets
Chinchillas can make wonderful pets for the right person, especially for kids. The more a chinchilla is handled from birth, the better pet it will make for your child or family. Your baby Chinchilla will be tamed and bond with its owners. Pet Chinchillas are very active little creatures. They will be more active at night. Since they are so active and playful, pet chinchillas need a roomy cage for exercise as well as a daily playtime. Chinchillas like tall, roomy spaces to live in. The general rule is the larger, the better for your pet. The more platforms they have to jump onto, the happier they’ll be. Your pet Chinchilla needs time outside of the cage to run. It is essential to a chinchilla’s well being. Even if they have a wheel provided in which to run or a large cage, it does not compare to the enjoyment they get from running free. Pet Chinchillas kept single, usually will do fine as same sex pairs, especially if they are litter- mates. If you choose to breed your pet chinchillas once the babies have been born, you will want to separate the male and female Chinchilla. A chinchilla female can become pregnant at a young age or soon after the birth of a litter. Chinchillas as pets require a lot of roughage, and the diet is made up of good quality grass hay along with pellets made for chinchillas. You can find this type of hay at your local feed store. They are more delicate than many palm pets and do require their own food. The chinchilla has a very sensitive digestive system that has evolved through the frugal high fiber diet of grasses, fruits, leaves, bark, roots, and stems, insides of cacti and available bugs and grubs. Pet Chinchillas need feeding every day. A good quality heavy, earthenware food bowl is essential to keep the food dry and clean, and prevent the chinchilla from tipping the food on to the floor of the cage. Your pet chinchillas also need fresh vegetables and fresh hay every day to provide them with the fiber, vitamins and minerals they require for good health. They also need a gnawing block and safe twigs to chew to help wear down their teeth. It is always easier to encourage your pet chinchilla to eat a good diet from birth. Therefore, if the pet has the different ingredients correctly at a young age, then the likelihood of it selectively feeding later in life will be greatly reduced. Pet Chinchillas are adorable as well as the softest creatures on the planet and they really can make wonderful pets, despite what many people believe. It is no wonder that chinchillas as pets are ever growing in popularity. Once a kid or adult sees a chinchilla that a friend has for a pet, they want one of their own. They are completely capable of bonding and feeling affection for an individual or even an entire family. They are fun to watch, but do have a few unique needs that need to be met. They can be given lots of attention or very little and seem to do equally well. They are too hard and cute to resist, so enjoy and take care of your new furry little friend.