A chinchilla is a small rodent native to South America in the Andes Mountains. I often describe them as looking like “fat squirrels with big ears.” They were originally imported to the United States for their thick, unbelievably soft fur, which was used to make expensive coats (and still is today).

Chinchillas are nocturnal, so they don’t make good pets for those who are light sleepers.

A chinchilla’s life span averages between 10 and 20 years, so if you’re looking into owning one, make sure you can dedicate that much time to a fuzzbutt.

Chinchilla teeth are CONSTANTLY growing, so they need plenty of things to chew on. If given nothing to chew, they will find their own toys to chew, and you won’t like it. Windowsills, baseboards, shoes, books, and other items will fall victim to a chinchilla’s never-ending need to chew.

Chinchillas thrive on a diet of commercial chinchilla pellets (Mazuri and Tradition are two of the very best) and timothy hay. They do backflips (sometimes literally!) for the occasional raisin treat.

Many people house chinchillas in wire cages. I prefer making my own out of melamine, as it’s easier to clean. My chinchillas have a nice layer of kiln-dried pine shavings as litter. DO NOT use cedar! Cedar is bad for a chinchilla’s health.

Chinchillas should be kept comfortable in a room with low humidity and temperature. Temperatures in excess of 80 degrees can KILL a chinchilla!

Chinchillas should NEVER have a water bath. Instead, they take “dust baths,” in volcanic ash to absorb the oils in their fur. It’s very entertaining to watch.