When you have an exotic animal such as a chinchilla, because they’re in the exotic animal family, they need special care.  So if you’re going away, you’ll need someone to take care of your pet.  However, it can’t be the same kind of person who can pet sit dogs or cats.  They have to be [...]

The chinchilla’s process of consuming food is quite different than other animals.  They should have a lot of roughage and fewer nutrients.  One of the things that they must have enough of is pellets.
Chinchilla pellets can be purchased from a breeder or a pet store.  Not all brands contain the same ingredients.  When your purchase [...]

Environmental stress can affect your pet chinchilla in different ways.  This type of stress results in either health or behavioral issues.  Your pet can experience the following:  anti-social behavior that includes biting, fighting, spraying urine, fungus, or irritation of the eyes.  Your pet can also feel angst toward other chinchillas, biting the fur, gnawing on [...]

Like humans, chinchillas need water.  Their water should be fresh and changed daily.  This is crucial because if this is not followed, bacteria can grow and it would affect the chinchilla’s health.  It’s not a good idea to have them drink from standing water in a bowl.  They’ll be sure to catch bacteria that way.  [...]

When an owner is looking for the right veterinarian for their exotic pet, they want someone who can relate to their pet’s special needs.  They must also have the available resources to take care of their pet on an ongoing basis.
Just because they may like exotic animals doesn’t mean that they’re qualified to take care [...]

Chinchilla coats have to stay healthy and clean.  In order to do that, your pet chinchilla must have dust baths on a regular basis.  The dust baths also help to keep their coats silky, shiny and keeps the coats looking thick.  Your pet enjoys these types of baths because they get to roll and flip [...]

Chinchilla dust allows your pet to stay clean.  If they were still living in the Andes Mountains, they would have to use volcanic ash to stay clean.  Oils and dirt stay in your pet’s coat because of the dust.  The dust then causes the oil and dirt to be released from your pet.  This is [...]

Establishing a good working relationship with a veterinarian can be a challenge for any pet owner, but is a special challenge for the exotic pet owner. The exotic pet owner must find a vet who is willing to see their pet, knows something about their pet, and has the facilities, equipment and materials to treat [...]

When you want to discipline your chinchilla, you have to be mindful of how you do it.  Please note that they are not responsive when you verbally berate, hit, or smack them in anger.  The physical actions can result in wounds and abscessing.  The physical actions don’t serve a purpose because your pet already has [...]

Chinchillas are available for purchase from breeders or pet stores.  When you purchase one from either place, you’re probably getting a reputable one.  Beware of those who are amateur breeders.  They try to sell their chinchillas also, but it’s usually in classified advertisements.  Personal preferences decide on whether or not they should buy the pets [...]