Chinchilla Home
Before you buy your Chinchilla and bring it home you should consider carefully where you will put your Chinchilla cage. Your Chinchilla is likely to be nervous, stressed and worried when it arrives at your house for the very first time – settling your Chinchilla into its cage in a perfect location in your house will smooth the moving process.
Chinchilla Home
Cages for Chinchillas should NOT be placed in your kitchen: Placing Chinchilla cages in kitchens is a very bad idea. Mainly this is due to the wildly fluctuating temperatures in kitchens – your Chinchilla does not like this and will not thank you for it. Steady constant temperatures are best for your Chinchillas health. Chinchillas cannot cope with temperatures in excess of 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Chinchilla s cannot sweat so they are unable to withstand high temperatures. The ideal temperature should be between 65 and 75 degrees. In addition the scents and smells that are produced from cooking will really mess with the Chinchilla’s metabolism as well as being potentially dangerous and toxic.
Chinchilla Housing
Try also to keep your Chinchillas cage in an area where the temperature is likely to be fairly constant, in other words keep the Chinchilla cage away from an area that may be drafty such as near a front door or back door. Do however make sure you don’t put your Chinchilla cage in say a closet where there is a lack of fresh air. Also don’t place your Chinchilla cage in direct sunlight; your Chinchilla does not like this.
Chinchilla House
Do not place your Chinchilla cage in a bedroom, especially not in your children’s bedroom because Chinchillas are nocturnal creatures. This means they sleep during the day and come out to play at night! Your kids will get a terrible night’s sleep. Aside from this your Chinchilla is not likely to build the bond and trust that you should be looking to achieve with your Chinchillas. If the cage is tucked away in a bedroom your Chinchillas are hardly likely to feel ‘part of the family’.
Chinchilla Health
Because Chinchillas are naturally nervous it is best to place the Chinchillas cage next to a wall instead of in the middle of the room. The Chinchillas instinct in the wild is to be wary of being attacked and killed by other predators so if it can only be approached from one side or two sides of the cage it will feel safer and more secure. In the long term this is better for your Chinchillas health and well-being. If possible it is a good idea to place your Chinchillas cage on a table to raise its height. Imagine how things look from your Chinchillas point of view. It is very small compared to a human being so you appear even taller if the Chinchillas cage is situated on the floor. It is likely to be frightening to your Chinchilla and also if you have other pets such as cats and dogs then they will also appear to be frightening and they may well be tempted to bark, scratch or touch the Chinchillas cage.
Make sure also that you make your Chinchilla a happier pet by letting him out of the cage on a regular basis.
Chinchilla Health