Chinchilla is a very popular pet. If you pay attention to its appearance, it is worth noting that it has a large head and beautiful expressive eyes. It has small paws and a very long tail, which is slightly rounded up.
Species features of chinchilla
This cute animal weighs between 400-700 grams. The length of the body is 20-35 cm, and the tail is 10-15 cm. With proper care, chinchillas can live up to 20 years. They have a soft, smooth and dense wool ash color. An exception is the white abdomen. These animals almost never bite. They gladly go to the hands of the owner, they sit on his shoulder, hands, head. They like to explore clothes, jewelry, hair. You should treat chinchilla carefully, because they also have a different character and can show discontent towards strangers or if they are often squeezed like a kitten. Do not forget that chinchillas live in families and they need to communicate with their own kind. So think about buying a heterosexual couple, which later will bring offspring. If you only bought one animal, then you should pay much attention to it, otherwise it will simply be bored and discouraged.
Chinchilla - home care
Before buying the animal itself, it is worth thinking about where he will live. It is necessary to prepare a bright, dry, warm room with good ventilation. The contents of the chinchilla in the apartment should provide for the presence of a cage or aviary, as well as proper care that will ensure a high life expectancy. If in the future, you plan to breed chinchillas, it's worth noting that high cells are dangerous for kids' health, since after birth they can climb up and, if they fall, hurt themselves. Features of the content of several chinchillas imply the presence of a spacious cell: 90x70. The height should be at least 50 cm. For one individual the permissible size will be 70x50. The height remains the same. It is worthwhile to provide for the presence in the cage of a sliding pallet, in which it is necessary to pour sawdust and small shavings. Chinchilla is a very clean animal, and therefore the conditions of detention must be observed scrupulously, the litter should be changed once a week. In the cage you can install wooden shelves, stairs, tunnels and a chinchilla rest house and small cubs. In the nest house you should create a twilight that will remind them of a natural refuge. On the front part is to install a feeder and a drinking bowl. The most suitable - feeding troughs for parrots.
Chinchilla is not fastidious in food, but proper care and maintenance provide for the mandatory presence of hay. For this purpose it is necessary to install an additional feeder. Feeding chinchillas is very similar to feeding rabbits. It is worth to buy food in the pet store, and also to diversify the diet with fruits, seeds, breadcrumbs. In winter it can be drying, twigs, hay. The hips have beneficial properties and vitamins. Do not forget about the constant availability of water, preferably boiled.
To the hair of your animal has a healthy appearance, you must also arrange her sand baths. In pet stores sold ready-made baths or you can use any available container with fine clean sand. This procedure should be carried out on average 2 times a week, setting a container with sand in a cage for half an hour. Chinchilla should live in a clean, well-ventilated room, the temperature of its contents can vary from 5-25 ° C. The ideal option is 18-20 ° C.