Various Chinchilla Owner Polls
Table of Contents
We've gathered various poll results from around the web (mostly from the Chins & Hedgies forum (formerly Chins & Qiulls) and consolidated them here. These are the ones we found interesting and hope you do too.
Our vote for each question appears bolded.
1. Do your chinchillas have a hammock?
Yes and they hate it: 7%
Yes and they love it: 66%
I don't have one: 27%
Total votes: 62
2. What is your chinchilla's favorite treat?
Fresh Apple: 2.25%
Plain Cheerios (1 or 2): 3.44%
Dried Cranberries: 8.74%
Plain Shredded Wheat (1 tiny square): 5.17%
Raisins: 52.32%
Organic Cranberry Juice: 0%
Prunes: 0.66%
Fresh Grapes: 0.93%
Bran Flakes Cereal: 0.79%
Dried Apples: 2.78%
Frozen Grapes: 0.13%
Banana: 3.05%
Uncooked Elbow Noodle: 0.66%
Wheat Germ: 0.40%
Peanut (unsalted in the shell): 1.06%
Other: 17.62%
Total votes: 755
3. What type of pellet food do you use?
Briskys: 0.33%
Alice Kline: 6.06%
Kaytee: 8.49%
L & M: 2.76%
Mazuri: 57.33%
Other: 25.03%
Total votes: 907
4. What type of water do you use?
Always tap water: 38.31%
Only bottled water: 23.38%
A Britta filter (or similar): 34.42%
Both tap & bottled water: 3.90%
Total votes: 154
5. How long did your chin take to start using its wheel?
Less than a week: 78.38%
2 – 3 weeks: 12.16%
3 – 4 weeks: 2.70%
More than a month: 6.76%
Total votes: 74
6. What is the worst aspect of owning a chinchilla?
The mess they make: 15.13%
When they have health problems: 14.42%
Cleaning the cage: 9.69%
The noise they make especially at night: 1.18%
The expense of taking care of them: 2.36%
Behavioral problems e.g. biting, spraying: 3.31%
Their daily care needs and time commitment: 1.18%
They chew on everything: 11.35%
You can't leave them alone for days: 2.84%
Having them die on you: 18.68%
Birthing problems (for breeders): 0.71%
Always worrying about them: 6.38%
They don't like being touched and/or held: 8.98%
Other: 3.78%
Total votes: 423
7. What kind of bedding do you use?
Carefresh: 25.83%
Aspen: 21.19%
Pine: 41.72%
Cell-Sorb: 1.32%
Other: 9.93%
Total votes: 151
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Also, in a cage with bars about 1.5/4 of an inch apart, is it possible for a chinchilla to bite another through the bars? If I already let two chinchillas run together and one bit the other (the bitten chinchilla did a fur-slip and was not harmed, although obviously she was removed immediately), do you think the aggression could also mount to biting off fingers and toes if they were poked through the bars?
Yes, thats possible. in which case use clear plastic (perspex is ideal), for a separator.
I've heard that you are not in fact supposed to feed them nuts because it is bad for their digestive systems, which are sensitive. I've never actually tested this because I figure, even if the information is false, why take the chance when there is other good stuff, like rose hips or cheerios, you can use as treats?
Yeah well, that information is false, but kind of true at the same time, there is a long list of nuts they cant have. But they also like Raisins, and dried apricots, and toasted muesli (have to careful with this one), cranberries, ... huge list of things they like and then fall out of favour with, ... just like people :P
Peanuts around 5 give or take a bit a day is ok, for them nuts are like high sugar food for us, so you need to watch the intake carefully.
I have had many chinchillas over the years and to tell you the truth the best thing for them is pellet food such as mazuri timothy hay and a rasin and some oats everynow and then..anything else is not nessesary and they do not require a big diet and it can make them sick. Give them lots of attention and make sure they have a nice sizw cage and they do love to be in pairs.Always have fresh water for them and clean their cage at lest once a week. The only beeding you should really use is aspen ir kiln dried pine...NEVER us cedar it will kill your chinchilla in the end.Make sure you give them a dust bath at least once a week and let them have an hr or so of out of the cage play time. They are pretty simple pets to have but alot of research is good to have when owing one of these amazing pets..Have fun with your chinchilla and give him lots of love, and remember there are no 2 chinchillas that are the same, they all have very different personalities.
I have had many chinchillas over the years and to tell you the truth the best thing for them is pellet food such as mazuri timothy hay and a rasin and some oats everynow and then..anything else is not nessesary and they do not require a big diet and it can make them sick.
>your actually quite wrong. It isn't nessesary for humans to eat meat, but alot of us do. And in the same way that it isnt nessecary for chinchillas to have dried apple, or dried apricot, or whole unshelled un salted peanuts, ...... but ours is loving it and he's over 6.5yrs old now so while excess can kill them, moderation doesnt.
Give them lots of attention and make sure they have a nice sizw cage and they do love to be in pairs.
> ours loves attention, on his terms. agree with the huge cage, but in pairs, ... he hates other chins, some people just like to be alone, chinchillas are the same.
Always have fresh water for them and clean their cage at lest once a week.
> er, . water sure. but atleast once a week, well that depends on the size of the cage, remember chinchillas need minerals from a certain kind of poo they make so if your cleaning all those out, they miss out on that, we clean our cage around once a month but then again it's 2mtrs tall, 750mm deep, has 6 levels, and is 1.8mtrs tall, it has one chinchilla in it, and from what we can tell is the right size.
The only beeding you should really use is aspen ir kiln dried pine...NEVER us cedar it will kill your chinchilla in the end.
> ok, now your just being a know-it-all. hay is fine too. so are pine shavings, and a range of other things,
Make sure you give them a dust bath at least once a week
> our chinchilla has dust bath in the bottom of his cage at all times, once A week would be far too long for him, would you shower once a week ? seriously stop reading websites and stupid books and think for yourself.
and let them have an hr or so of out of the cage play time.
> the larger the cage, the less the need, ours gets out about once every 2-3 days for around 30mins, but again we have a huge cage he can run around in and build up speed.
They are pretty simple pets to have but alot of research is good to have when owing one of these amazing pets.
> well I dont agree with that at all, they arent simple, the dietary requirements are complex and do require knowledge,
.Have fun with your chinchilla and give him lots of love, and remember there are no 2 chinchillas that are the same, they all have very different personalities.
>
No offence, but it's people like that you that cause more problems than they solve, you dont know as much as you think you do, your half right, and half wrong and frankly thats dangerous.
Nigel I am a new owner to Chins and been research them to get balanced overview for care and you seem to be knowledgeable through experience, am I correct? I just had to rebuke `Amanda for saying all chinchillas are diabetic but its a sort not to worry about?! I tried to find corroboration and couldn't so I pulled her on it. Diabetes they can develop apparently and someone advised me not to feed raisins for this reason. I(s this correct? And is that why some dried fruits are better? Have you any publishings concerning chinchillas as you seem to exude a very re-assuring confidence and that rare on the NET. Please contact me paulharding2009@gmail.com
I'm just beginning to do some research on becoming a chinchilla parent/ owner. I thought the information Olivia provided was insightful and helpful. It's one of many interesting opinions. I thought Nigel's defensive response showed his personal insecurity and a degree of disrespect and hostility. Labeling Olivia a "know-it-all" is clearly a projection of himself onto her.
Perhaps a moderator should intervene here. This aggressive behavior reflects poorly on the site and undermines the social exchange element that makes it user/ visitor friendly.
I have had many chinchillas over the years and to tell you the truth the best thing for them is pellet food such as mazuri timothy hay and a rasin and some oats everynow and then..anything else is not nessesary and they do not require a big diet and it can make them sick.
>your actually quite wrong. It isn't nessesary for humans to eat meat, but alot of us do. And in the same way that it isnt nessecary for chinchillas to have dried apple, or dried apricot, or whole unshelled un salted peanuts, ...... but ours is loving it and he's over 6.5yrs old now so while excess can kill them, moderation doesnt.
*actually YOUR wrong. chinchillas have sensitive digestive systems, the simpler their diet the better. too much variety CAN and WILL eventually cause health problems down the road. and i dont get what the big deal is- your chinchilla is 6.5 years old? so, they can live up to 30 years, although 15-20 years is more common. yours isnt even middle aged buddy. he's still considered young.
Give them lots of attention and make sure they have a nice sizw cage and they do love to be in pairs.
> ours loves attention, on his terms. agree with the huge cage, but in pairs, ... he hates other chins, some people just like to be alone, chinchillas are the same.
Always have fresh water for them and clean their cage at lest once a week.
> er, . water sure. but atleast once a week, well that depends on the size of the cage, remember chinchillas need minerals from a certain kind of poo they make so if your cleaning all those out, they miss out on that, we clean our cage around once a month but then again it's 2mtrs tall, 750mm deep, has 6 levels, and is 1.8mtrs tall, it has one chinchilla in it, and from what we can tell is the right size.
* you only change your cage once a month? thats seriously not healthy and its disgusting. you're right about them eating their poop however most of their nutrients come from their food and hay, not their poop. their get all the nutrients they need from eating week old poop. plus you keep mentioning "well would you want to do this and that?" same applies here. the chinchillas dont benefit from living in a filthy cage anymore than we would. its also unhealthy because the chinchilla will sit and walk around in his own urine and feces, this can cause him to get fungus, matted fur, and bummblefoot. just because it hasnt happened wont mean it wont.
The only beeding you should really use is aspen ir kiln dried pine...NEVER us cedar it will kill your chinchilla in the end.
> ok, now your just being a know-it-all. hay is fine too. so are pine shavings, and a range of other things,
* how is that a know it all? shes just stating a fact. hay is not prefered because they pee and poop on it and then they try to eat it, obviously not good. normal pine is bad. the moisture and chemicals in it is poisonous and the fumes that come out of it when the chinchilla pees is harmful and can cause resperatory problems, a lot like cedar. the pine MUST be kiln dried.
Make sure you give them a dust bath at least once a week
> our chinchilla has dust bath in the bottom of his cage at all times, once A week would be far too long for him, would you shower once a week ? seriously stop reading websites and stupid books and think for yourself.
*once a week is too little but all- access is too much. chinchillas should have a dust bath 2-3 times a week. more than that and their skin will get dried out. you probly give him all access because he is walking around in his own filth and its the only way to keep him from smelling like urine. -rolls eyes- the only appropriate dust to use is blue cloud or blue sparkle, all other dusts are crap, plain and simple. they dont work nearly as well and they irritate the skin. i think you need to stop "thinking for yourself" and do some research.
and let them have an hr or so of out of the cage play time.
> the larger the cage, the less the need, ours gets out about once every 2-3 days for around 30mins, but again we have a huge cage he can run around in and build up speed.
*play time is more than just exercise, its a bonding experience for both your chinchilla and yourself.
They are pretty simple pets to have but alot of research is good to have when owing one of these amazing pets.
> well I dont agree with that at all, they arent simple, the dietary requirements are complex and do require knowledge,
*knowledge you have failed to show. they require research and when you are first learning it can seem over whelming, but once you have it down its pretty simple.
.Have fun with your chinchilla and give him lots of love, and remember there are no 2 chinchillas that are the same, they all have very different personalities.
>
No offence, but it's people like that you that cause more problems than they solve, you dont know as much as you think you do, your half right, and half wrong and frankly thats dangerous.
* "No offence, but it's people like that you that cause more problems than they solve, you dont know as much as you think you do, your half right, and half wrong and frankly thats dangerous."
you're talking about yourself as much as your talking about her. from what she said and what you said, she knows more that you, even if it is just the basics.
if you want to learn more go to: chins-n-hedgies.com
this site is full of the biggest and most successful ranchers, breeders. and also the most knowledgeable petowners and rescues in the chinchilla community.
Given that Emily's opinions are so far completely wrong, I'm quite happy ignoring her advise and thoughts. Moreover because her thoughts here are an example of PET-CARE-NAZI, its that concept of pet care that ignores variances in animals, people who care for them, and need. To extol absolute rules to deal with variances is rather similar to Extremist Absolutism, those mindset give rise to bigotry, discrimination, suffering, and unnecessary arbitrary 'truths'
There are NO hard fast set in stone rules for caring for; and how, you treat you animals, your gut and a genuine best effort along with some good knowledge will do you right.
Her opinions do appear to based in some experience but I'm quite happy consider her experiences with products and information as being localized to her needs, available suppliers, and limited knowledge base.
I would spend the time to explain the how care of Chinchilla is specific to the animal, just like children, and how if your Chin pee's everywhere and rather than in one spot perhaps hay is not ideal, but the facts are most owners, even most animals are smart enough to work out what they can and cannot do; and thus keep themselves healthy, however this is not always true.
Some people do not bath very often, just like some animals dont drink when you take them to water.
* how is that a know it all? shes just stating a fact. hay is not prefered because they pee and poop on it and then they try to eat it, obviously not good. normal pine is bad. the moisture and chemicals in it is poisonous and the fumes that come out of it when the chinchilla pees is harmful and can cause resperatory problems, a lot like cedar. the pine MUST be kiln dried.
>>>> the above is false. your pine does not need to kiln dried, however if you 'must' oven bake is fine.
* "No offence, but it's people like that you that cause more problems than they solve, you dont know as much as you think you do, your half right, and half wrong and frankly thats dangerous."
you're talking about yourself as much as your talking about her. from what she said and what you said, she knows more that you, even if it is just the basics.
if you want to learn more go to: chins-n-hedgies.com
>>>>>>> This website appears to be a business, you mention it alot, are you in some way connected to it ? If you are I think given the quality of the information you provide people would be wise to avoid it.
*play time is more than just exercise, its a bonding experience for both your chinchilla and yourself.
>>>> the is false; it depends on your chinchilla, and you, and the environment and well, its up to you, our chinchilla doesnt want a bar of us during his run most of the time, sometimes he's on my leg, and sometimes he's actively hiding us under some couch playing with something
*knowledge you have failed to show. they require research and when you are first learning it can seem over whelming, but once you have it down its pretty simple.
>>>>>>>>>>> personal comments .. odd .. kind of sickening .. ??
*once a week is too little but all- access is too much.
>>>>>>>> this advise is false, 24/7 access depends on the animal, it should work, watch the eyes they shouldnt be getting 'clogged up'
chinchillas should have a dust bath 2-3 times a week.
>>>>>>>>> this advise is false, it depends on the animal ... would you shower 2-3 times a week ?
more than that and their skin will get dried out.
>>>>>>>>> this advise is false, Chinchillas have fur, and the correct dust will not dry out exposed parts at all.
you probly give him all access because he is walking around in his own filth and its the only way to keep him from smelling like urine. -rolls eyes- the only appropriate dust to use is blue cloud or blue sparkle, all other dusts are crap, plain and simple. they dont work nearly as well and they irritate the skin. i think you need to stop "thinking for yourself" and do some research.
>>>>>>>> I see that somewhere a village idiot has been given internet access.
* you only change your cage once a month? thats seriously not healthy and its disgusting.
>>>>>> this advise is false; a very large cage will support considerable gaps between complete cleans, and in fact chinchillas will clear a level in there cage as part of their own daily habits. Obviously a very small cage does not support this.
you're right about them eating their poop however most of their nutrients come from their food and hay, not their poop. their get all the nutrients they need from eating week old poop. plus you keep mentioning "well would you want to do this and that?" same applies here. the chinchillas dont benefit from living in a filthy cage anymore than we would. its also unhealthy because the chinchilla will sit and walk around in his own urine and feces, this can cause him to get fungus, matted fur, and bummblefoot. just because it hasnt happened wont mean it wont.
>>>>>>> The above advise is correct, apart from the personal slight which is kind of strange.
*actually YOUR wrong. chinchillas have sensitive digestive systems, the simpler their diet the better. too much variety CAN and WILL eventually cause health problems down the road. and i dont get what the big deal is- your chinchilla is 6.5 years old? so, they can live up to 30 years, although 15-20 years is more common. yours isnt even middle aged buddy. he's still considered young.
>>>>>>>> The above advise is half correct, (the buddy part is not, I've no idea who Emily is)
Chinchillas (the rodent) do not commonly live that long, even in the wild, 12yrs is a general good rule of thumb, 20 has been heard off.
Chinchillas have sensitive digestive system, you can make significant changes with gradual introductions of foods which are appropriate (see massive list of ok foods, and equally massive list of not ok foods).
Emily is a good example of a opinionated well meaning person posting half true, half false information on the internet with the best of intentions.
Great advice for newbies who need a stripped down, short list of what to get and what to do, Olivia.
Thank you so much for your compassionate, factual insight.
I have a boy chinchilla named Wisdom who is about 6 months old and who goes crazy over penuts. I want to know what is the right amount of peanuts per day where its not bad for him . Also I had his wheel in his cage with him and after two months he didn't take to it so I took it out , do you have any suggestions of any toy or exercise thing that maybe he would take too.
O yea my chinchilla doesn't bit to harm he may nibble a little bit but clearly not to be mean I think that they are neat animals and I am a proud owner.
get a really big cage, makes a huge difference, eg 2 meters high, 2.3 wide, 750mm deep, many levels, made of untreated pine so he can chew on it an mark his domain. with places to hide in.
2-4 peanuts per day at that age (salt will kill him, so unsalted only)
put hay in his cage, that will keep him busy for a while.
nuts are bad for chinchillas due to the high fat content.
With respect Emily, your wrong.
Peanuts are fine for chinchilla's, as long as they are unsalted, and they love them in the husk, toasted is good (less germs).
My girl chinchilla had a litter of SIX, however, two were stillborn, and one didnt make it (it was the runt). One baby, affectionately named Meatwad, is a total lover. he sits contentedly on my collarbone snuggled with his butt to my chinchilla and watches tv. if he gets distracted and starts to get up and go, i put my hand in front of him, and he is reminded to stay put for another two to ten minutes. neither of his remaining brothers are so docile, nor his parents. i am convinced that his good behavior comes from his personality, i cant think of any other explanation.
yeah, it will be a combination of his personality, your gentle nature, which has resulted in him trusting you. Neat bond. it must be very rewarding.
i feed my chinchilla tap water with special vitamins meant for chinchilla water mixed in, is that okay?
it's not really needed (the vitamins), but sure, I cant see a problem with that. As a side note, ours loves pineapple juice, we leave it in a bowl for him to drink from when he feels like it, I think it's very important they have a choice between water and the juice if you chose to give them that. I guess apple juice would be fine too, orange wouldnt be, neither would mango, or anything else you can think off, just those two
further more on the pineapple juice, later learned he was leaving it to ferment (produce alcohol naturally) and then drinking it all in the space of a day or so. So we put a stop to that. Didn't realize for about a week or two, so he must have gotten himself a wee bit drunk a few times out that .... opps.
tap water is bad. it contains giardia which can be deadly to chinchillas. you should get a pur filter (only filter that filters out giardia) or use reverse osmosis water instead. the vitamins are not nessasary as long as you are giving him/her a proper diet.
Tap water is fine, but it depends on where you live. Some house water supplies are not so good, look at it like this, if you wouldn't drink it, dont give it to your pets either.
7mths is very young, he's just scared. Think of it from his point of view, a HUGE GIANT TOOK HIM FROM HIS SAFE PLACE OUT INTO THE WORLD OF MOUNTAINS !!!.
Chins are pretty timid, our one his about 5 years old, there's a number of great storys about how our one is arrogant or aggressive (even mean & cruel!), and yet the first thing he does every night we let him out is he runs straight under the couch. (without fail). Sure 2-3mins later he's running from his hiding places at rocket speed, and after about 10-20mins of run time he's just out in the open.
NEVER feed chinchillas sugar coated anything, it will probably cause diabetes (sp?), no b/s, peanuts skin on are good, eg plain ones. (no salt that WILL KILL THEM, they have no gal-bladder to process salt so it's like drying out from the inside, it causes seizures 100% sure of that, so that means no drift wood in the cage), died apple, fresh apple(very wet so small amounts), died apricots (watch for sugar they can be hard to find without the sugar), NO ALMONDS EVER. dried raisins the dryer the better (eg hard as). no cashee nuts either.
Hay is a big one, they love that, its also part of being healthy for them too.
They also love clover and a bit of fresh grass,
Typically speaking the bigger the cage the better, ideally 2-3 mtrs squared is about right (yep thats huge),
oh um .... they live for about 12-20 years, ... I hope you know that.
First i have to say that this website is great i've learned so much......thanks everybody.
I bring my chin. out every night with me on the couch he's only 7 months i know now that they don't like being held....but when i bring him out all he want's to do is hide and runs back and forward till he find a place...All I'm wondering is if that could be a behavior problem, his age or is that just the way they are. also is it ok if i feed him sugar coated dried fruit and plain popcorn????
P.S---I don't have any toy for him what do you think is the best also I heard they can't eat nuts is that true?????
Thanks so much
Shay
the oils in the nuts aren't good for their digestive
peanuts, unsalted, with the skin (not the husk) don't any issues what-so-ever.
Kristy I'm not sure where you learned that, it might be true for some types of nuts but not all the information out there for chinchillas is actually true or accurate, even in books and from so-called-experts, .. it's like most things people are just wrong sometimes.
id buy a wheel/flying saucer, a nesting box, and let him run around in a chinchilla proof room often.
ours has runs each night, he has a huge cage, it's 6ft high, and 750 deep, by two meters wide, but still each night, he wants out lol, .. I think he's checking his other domain
no dried fruit!!!! it contains sugars, sugars cause dental diseases in chinchillas. all fruit has sugar in it that is bad for them, dried fruit, fresh fruit, sugar free dried fruit. i would say no popcorn, never heard of it being fed so i wouldnt take the chance. yes its true, no nuts. they are high in fat which, of course, is not good for them.
to learn more go to chins-n-hedgies.com
Emily, I'm sorry to say that your well and truly mislead.
Dried fruit is fine for Chinchilla's, but it's a moderation thing, around one dried apricot (2cms roughly diameter) is about right, per day, a chinchilla wont eat it all anyway. Nuts are also fine, our one has been eating about 6 peanuts a day for years and he's completely fine, but again it's off set by the large size of his cage, it's many levels to run around on, and the fact he gets a substantial run each day.
Again, popcorn is also fine, in fact they love it, and it's ok for them, in moderation, perhaps 5-8 pieces a day, and again ABSOLUTELY NO SALT IT WILL KILL THEM.
I think, there are alot of people out their that 'think' they know what they are talking about, but haven't actually looks anywhere other than the internet and a few books which are researched on the internet.
my boyfriend and i have had our chinchilla for about 4 months. we recently moved and i think that stressed her out a bit, but she recently started urinating on us. it seems like she's using it as a defense mechanism... she backs away from my hand, stands up on her hind legs, thrusts her pelvis out and sort of does this little jump, and squirts a stream of urine all over my hand! i'm so confused about it. i can't find any info about it either.
We are having the same trouble with one of our chinchillas. We recently adopted two and only 1 does this act, it makes it difficult to go near the cage because it is not very pleasant. It is a new home for them so I am she will adjust in time, but I would love to know more about this defense?
This is very common for chinchillas when they get stressed out. I've seen my chinchillas do it too.
oh yeah, Hay = good; chinchillas will pretty much eat that stuff all day, you can feed them alfa too,
Make sure its TIMOTHY HAY ...........
Alex, dont use mineral chew toys they contain salt, will kill the chinchilla pretty fast. Chinchilla's dont have a gal-bladder cant process salt, salts causes seizures and fits in chinchillas,
diarrhea can be caused by a number of things, I've had chinchillas that had it for no obvious reason, and from eating to many raisins in one day (chuckle that one is greedy though),
for chew toys I tend to use, untreated wood, eg coffee stiring sticks, and specialized chinchilla chew stones,
oh, chinchillas love dried apricot, dried apple, and fresh apple in very limited doses (summer time for us), and ice in there too (little bits, and summer only).
Teri,
We're not sure what supplies are available in Canada, but poll #3 above seems to indicate that not many people like L&M.
We'd recommend distilled water rather than a Brita.
Hi,
My bf and I got a new 3 mos old chinchilla yesterday. First off I want to know if this feed is any good. I have LM Animal Farms Vita-Vittles. Is this a good brand of food?
I have yet to purchase hay. Any kinds that are better than others?
I'm in Canada if it helps on suggestions.
Also, is Brita water okie for their sensitive stomachs?
Thanks for the Help
-Teri
Hey!
Thanks for all the advice. I ordered Mazuri pellets and a grain supplement, which should be coming in shortly. I took all of the other things out of the food besides the pellets and Dusty has not had diarrhea all day! She is eating quite a bit of hay, which I think is helping. I just really hope that she stays healthy and the extra hay prevents diarrhea.
Thanks for all your help!
-Alex
Hi Alex,
Congratulations on your new chinchilla!
Not sure what you mean by mineral chews. We don't have any of those.
Diarrhea can be caused by stress and a change in food. Hopefully all is better now.
Most chinchilla owners who have been at it for a few years avoid Kaytee food. We do too. We have no idea if the other food is healthy or not since you didn't provide a name. However, if your chinchilla is eating more than a couple of tablespoons a day, there may be something wrong with it i.e. more like a treat than food.
Good luck!
I am a new chinchilla owner and I have a couple questions that hopefully I can get some answers to!
Are mineral chews OK to leave in the cage?
She has diarrhea, but it seems to be getting better. Was this from the stress of moving to my home or should I bring her to a vet? O gave her some plain yogurt from a syringe and it seems to be helping.
I bought two different kinds of pellets, the kaytee brand and a brand with dried carrots and some little things in it. My chinchilla wasn't really eating the plain Kaytee pellets so I mixed some of the other pellets with extra stuff in it and she is eating them like crazy... Are these other pellets OK? They don't have raisins or anything like that.
I know that I have a lot of questions, but i just want to make sure that I'm doing everything right and if I'm not O want to fix it because I've absolutely fallen in love with my little chinchilla!
If someone could please help me out I would appreciate it greatly!
-alex
The rose hips and apple are fine. We haven't heard anything about spinach. Having said, we suggest sticking to "regular" chinchilla food until you've had her for a while. At this time you can't determine what's normal for her when it comes to eating and digesting foods. As such, you won't be able to tell if any problems are related to the foods you're feeding her.
Last night was the first night that I had Lacie. She's four months old. This morning I gave her some freshly picked rose hips and red apple without the peel and some spinach. Are these good fresh foods for her?
Monee,
Sorry, but we haven't heard anything about cactus. We don't know if it is good or bad.
I was reading a owners guide to Chinchilla's today and it says that they eat cactus! Is cactus good for chinchillas?