Mini Chinchilla

There are a number of animals that serve as great pets with a majority of the population housing dogs or cats as pets.



However, a lot of pet enthusiasts have also begun to keep chinchillas as pets as they are becoming a favorite among many pet owners. They are small, look extremely adorable and there are a number of reasons as to why they are so popular. Chinchillas originate from South America and are rodents and belong to the chinchillidae family.



They were almost extinct in the 1900’s as they were killed for their fur. The mini chinchilla is very small and relatively easier to handle as compared to big chinchillas. The average lifespan of chinchillas is about 10 to 14 years and varies most of the time depending on how you take care of them.



It is, thus, suggested, that you keep them as pets since they are very small so that you can stay with them for a longer time and build a strong bond with them. Mini chinchillas are very playful and social but initially, might be extremely shy and try to run away from you. Therefore, you will need to spend ample amount of time with them till they begin to trust you. Although limited, it would help to gather all the miniature chinchilla information you possibly can before you decide to house one as a pet.

Also, when you hold them, you need to be very gentle while handling them as they get frightened very easily and if they are scared of you, the fear will remain in their minds forever. They are nocturnal which means they are awake in the night and sleep during the day. You should ideally keep them in a wire cage that has multiple levels so that they can enjoy and have fun playing around. Dwarf chinchillas have a dust bath due to which you do not need to bathe them as they clean themselves by rolling in the dust. This dust consists of a special type of sand that is especially available for the purpose. Also, they love to chew and this is necessary so that they can keep their teeth filed. If they do not chew on anything, their teeth are most likely to grow very long which in turn will hinder their ability to eat. The trays in the cage should also be cleaned and changed once in a week. If you are having more than one pet chinchilla, then, you need to change them more often. Mini chinchilla diet is also very important and primarily consists of pellets and a lot of hay.