I want a chinchilla so bad!!! I've always wanted one how much would the average chinchilla be all together with a cage bedding food and actual animal? Are they easy to care for? Are they fun?
Do your research. Too many people buy them then realize they aren't the pet they thought they would be. To get a chinchilla and all the proper supplies, you shouldn't be surprised if it costs around $1000. The cage alone costs around $200, and this is something that shouldn't be cheaped out on. Ferret Nation and Critter Nation are the best.
They can live up to 20 years if you take good care of them, and they should live about 15. They are exotic so you NEED an exotic vet in the area. They are high maintenance and nocturnal, they need an hour at least out of the cage each night just to play. They don't cuddle and many hate to be touched.
I would also like to point out that you cannot use newspaper in chinchilla cages. The ink is toxic, and if they eat the paper, they could get an intestinal blockage. They also DO get fat if you feed them improperly. They can't have too many pellets. They can have lots as babies, but at 8 months, they can only really have 2 tablespoons a day and all the TIMOTHY hay they can eat. NEVER feed them seeds or nuts or they WILL get fat, but it can also kill them from liver damage. Also don't feed treats like raisins or those horrible yoghurt drops..too much sugar. No fresh fruits or vegetables whatsoever or they could get bloat.
They sell chinchillas for around $99-$150 depending on the color. Grey ones are the cheapest because their more common. However the other colors are actually genetic defaults so they don't live as long and usually die of some health problem. A cage will be anywhere from $100-500 depending on what kind of cage you get. If you get a smaller cage just le prepared to let the chin out to run around every day. Saw dust and some other bedding for small animals isn't good for their feet and it can cause respitory issues. I always used newspaper. You have to clean the cage more often but they can sit on the newspaper no problem. O also the cage can't have mesh wire on the bottom and it can't have plastic. Mesh wire is bad for their feet and they will eat right through plastic. They also need a dust bath about 3-4 times a week. A little hut for the dust is around 10-15 and dust is pretty cheap and will last a long time as long as the chin doesn't poop or pee in it. The food is pretty cheap too. I would say its probably around 5-10 a month to feed them the pellets and another 5-10 for hay a month. They are pretty easy to care for. You just have to know how to properly care for them and handle them. They need a full water bottle and fresh hay at all times. I would feed mine pellets once a day and it would last her all day. Chinchillas don't really get fat so they can have food all the time. They aren't really much fun. They can get cranky and be very tempermental. If someone or an animal would walk in my room she would pee on them. And trust me.. they have very good aim! Lol. Also they can live a long time. Mine lived around 9-10 years. I for her when I was 14 and I didn't think she would live that long. I had to take her with ne when I moved out of my parents house. One last thing.. when I would let mine run loose in the hallway she would bounce off walls when she was younger. She stopped when she got older but it was pretty funny to watch.
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Do your research. Too many people buy them then realize they aren't the pet they thought they would be. To get a chinchilla and all the proper supplies, you shouldn't be surprised if it costs around $1000. The cage alone costs around $200, and this is something that shouldn't be cheaped out on. Ferret Nation and Critter Nation are the best.
They can live up to 20 years if you take good care of them, and they should live about 15. They are exotic so you NEED an exotic vet in the area. They are high maintenance and nocturnal, they need an hour at least out of the cage each night just to play. They don't cuddle and many hate to be touched.
I would also like to point out that you cannot use newspaper in chinchilla cages. The ink is toxic, and if they eat the paper, they could get an intestinal blockage. They also DO get fat if you feed them improperly. They can't have too many pellets. They can have lots as babies, but at 8 months, they can only really have 2 tablespoons a day and all the TIMOTHY hay they can eat. NEVER feed them seeds or nuts or they WILL get fat, but it can also kill them from liver damage. Also don't feed treats like raisins or those horrible yoghurt drops..too much sugar. No fresh fruits or vegetables whatsoever or they could get bloat.
They sell chinchillas for around $99-$150 depending on the color. Grey ones are the cheapest because their more common. However the other colors are actually genetic defaults so they don't live as long and usually die of some health problem. A cage will be anywhere from $100-500 depending on what kind of cage you get. If you get a smaller cage just le prepared to let the chin out to run around every day. Saw dust and some other bedding for small animals isn't good for their feet and it can cause respitory issues. I always used newspaper. You have to clean the cage more often but they can sit on the newspaper no problem. O also the cage can't have mesh wire on the bottom and it can't have plastic. Mesh wire is bad for their feet and they will eat right through plastic. They also need a dust bath about 3-4 times a week. A little hut for the dust is around 10-15 and dust is pretty cheap and will last a long time as long as the chin doesn't poop or pee in it. The food is pretty cheap too. I would say its probably around 5-10 a month to feed them the pellets and another 5-10 for hay a month. They are pretty easy to care for. You just have to know how to properly care for them and handle them. They need a full water bottle and fresh hay at all times. I would feed mine pellets once a day and it would last her all day. Chinchillas don't really get fat so they can have food all the time. They aren't really much fun. They can get cranky and be very tempermental. If someone or an animal would walk in my room she would pee on them. And trust me.. they have very good aim! Lol. Also they can live a long time. Mine lived around 9-10 years. I for her when I was 14 and I didn't think she would live that long. I had to take her with ne when I moved out of my parents house. One last thing.. when I would let mine run loose in the hallway she would bounce off walls when she was younger. She stopped when she got older but it was pretty funny to watch.