Chinchillas are fluffy, curious, and full of personality — but they also have unique needs compared to more common pets. If you’re thinking about getting a chinchilla or just brought your new furbestie home, this guide will help you start off right.

📄 Essentials to Buy Before Bringing a Chinchilla Home

• Large wire cage, minimum 3ft high with multiple levels - wider is better than taller to prevent falls from height.

• Solid surface shelves, preferably kiln-dried pine, avoid wire flooring or cover with fleece to protect their feet.

• Dust bath container and chinchilla dust, not sand from B&Q.

• Hideouts and tunnels for security and fun

• Hay rack and constant supply of fresh hay

• Chinchilla pellets

• Water bottle, not a bowl, to avoid contamination and stop them getting wet!

• Chew toys, safe wood or pumice stone to keep teeth healthy.

• Cooling stone or ceramic tile, they’re heat-sensitive.

• Bedding, fleeces, and if the cage has a removable tray they cannot access, use kiln-dried pine or aspen shavings.

🧹 Daily Care Routine

• Refill hay and clean out any spoiled food

• Refresh water

• Spot clean the cage, sweep all ledges/surfaces, removing uneaten food and faeces.

• Provide a dust bath 2–3 times a week to keep their fur clean. Some chinchillas like to be brushed (not always for grooming purposes!) but don't force them.

• For adults, offer 1–2 hours of supervised playtime in a chinchilla-proof area. When they are babies, start with 15 minutes and gradually build up over a few months to an hour.

🍓Diet Basics

• Primary food: Unlimited timothy hay. You can incorporate other hays but not as their main source, for example, oat or alfalfa hay.

• Pellets: 1–2 tablespoons per day. Chinchillas can be fussy, if after a few days they are not eating the food, first check for any dental issues, then look at trying a different brand.

• Treats (sparingly): Dried rose hips, oats, dried herbs or dried apple pieces (no sugar or seeds). Avoid treats from the pet store, they are usually high in sugar and fat. Bert LOVES raisins, but he is limited to max 1 per week.

Avoid sugary, fatty, or fresh foods — chinchillas have sensitive digestive systems. 

🏃♂️Exercise & Enrichment

• Large, multi-level cages allow climbing and hopping.

• Playpens for supervised out-of-cage time. Once your chinchilla trusts you, if you have a small room you don't need a playpen, but check for cables or anything they can chew, they LOVE to chew!

• Cardboard boxes/rolls, tunnels, and chew toys for mental stimulation. Some people say don't give them cardboard, but I do with mine when supervised and after 8 years, I've never had an issue, but don't leave it in the cage.

• Safe metal wheel that is big enough, chinchillas are not designed for their bodies to be in this position and it should not be left in the cage. Warning: do your research before buying one for your new furbestie.

• Rotate toys weekly to prevent boredom but more importantly, spend time with them. They can be very social animals and some prefer other chinchillas and some prefer people.

🪥 Grooming & Health Tips

• Never bathe chinchillas in water — use dust baths only

• Monitor teeth as overgrown teeth = vet visit. Chinchillas are pront to dental issues, and can be life-threatening, it is important to know the signs.

• Keep them cool: ideal room temp is 10–21°C. If the room they are in gets hot, look at moving them in summer months or invest in a good air con unit, not an air cooler.

• Check for signs of overheating, lethargy, diarrhea, or fur loss. If they don't like being handled or feel threatened, they will fur slip, this is where they release their fur, it's a defense mechanism that they use in the wild. 

• Vet care: find an exotic animal vet experienced with chinchillas, not all vets are experienced with these rare babies and can be hard to find. 

🧑🏻🧑🏼🧒🏻 Social Needs

• Chinchillas can be social with their own kind, but introductions must be done slowly and no contact for 4 weeks to ensure both are healthy. If they haven't come as a pair, they will need to be in 2 separate cages near each other until you have bonded them. When introducing, do so in a neutral environment. You may read about 'smooshing', but this isn't a nice experience and something we don't like.

• Not ideal for young kids due to fragility and dislike of being handled excessively. 

• If you have other animals, try and keep them away from the cage.

💞 Final Thoughts

Chinchillas are charming, energetic creatures that need thoughtful care and a calm, enriching environment. With the right setup, routine, and love, your new chinchilla will thrive and bond with you for years to come - possibly 20-25 years!