Chinchilla Care

Chinchillas are soft, springy, long-lived, and gloriously particular. Get their environment right and they're wonderfully low-drama companions — here's the whole picture, from housing to health.

Photo slot — a grey chinchilla holding a piece of hay, alert and healthy

Housing comes first

A chinchilla's home should be tall, multi-level, metal-and-wood (never plastic), and kept cool. That's a guide of its own — see chinchilla cages & enclosures for the full spec.

Keep them cool

This is the one that catches people out. Chinchillas wear the densest fur of any land mammal and overheat dangerously above ~25 °C. Keep the room 15–21 °C, out of direct sun, with good airflow — and in warm climates, that means air-conditioning in summer.

Diet

Fibre first: unlimited grass hay, a measured amount of plain chinchilla pellets, and fresh water. Treats stay rare and simple — a little dried rosehip or a few plain oats. Skip sugary fruit, nuts, and anything fatty; a chinchilla's gut is built for grass, not snacks.

Dust baths

Chinchillas clean themselves by rolling in fine dust, not water. Offer a dust bath in proper chinchilla dust two or three times a week for 10–15 minutes, then take it out — leaving it in permanently can irritate the eyes and skin.

Handling & temperament

They're gentle but quick, and they bruise easily on trust. Go slow, let them come to you, and support the body fully when you lift — never grab the tail. Most become confident and curious with patient, regular contact.

Health

Watch the teeth (they grow constantly — provide safe wood chews), the gut (fibre keeps it moving), and the coat. With good housing, a cool room, and the right diet, chinchillas commonly live 10–15 years, so they're a genuine long-term commitment.