# Chinchillas.



## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

OK, tell me about them... not for me for someone who works full time and would love a pet for their small daughter. 

Anyone know what they're like, we can read on the internet what it says but, that's different from living with the animals. Are they friendly? Can they live in pairs? Can male / male live together etc. How nocturnal are they? Are they suitable for a sensible 5 year old little girl from a pet savvy family?


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Tbh I would steer them away as they are quite long lived (10+ years) and it’s so common for the novelty to wear off pretty quick 

They also really need quite a large cage.

I would suggest something short lived like mice (2 years) or gerbils (4)


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

rats go for rats, 
best handleable small pets for children bar none
ive kept chins, degus, rats, mice and hamsters and rats have been by far the best


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

Another vote for rats, chins are lovely but they are a long term commitment & they're fast, active & can be flighty.


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## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

OK, they won't entertain rats. I know that, or mice. Not worried about the longevity of the chin, long story short, it's a friend of mine who's husband has left home, leaving mum and little girl. Mum has horses, always had working dogs, so she wants something for her little girl to have... mum's an animal physiotherapist as well as a riding instructor, so not too worried about whether or not the chins. would be looked after, they would, without a shadow of a doubt, but I wanted to know what they were like, whether two boys or girls could live together, we know the cage would need to be big, they've done lots of research on them (sensible people) but, wanted to hear from people who had experience of them. Thanks for your input though guys.


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

chins can be flighty and nippy, 
some take to being handled and some dont
if a child 'grabs' at them or holds them too tightly they can 'slip' their fur, allowing them to escape, but also causing a bald patch which can take ages to grow back and leaves them with a cold spot on their body
Like most rodents, including hammies, they can bite to the bone if scared/nervous
they are very prone to mallaclusion and should not recieve any treats as they are highly likely to become diabetic
they are, in the wild, cold weather animals and can suffer quite badly in even our short spurts of hot weather or centrally heated homes
IF you were to get two , then id definitely go down the route of neutering/speying, my males lived in a little group of 4, all neutered, my girls werent at first, that changed PDQ as hormones do become a thing, after neutering they still lived in same sex groups but freerange time became so much easier
BUT
chins need less than half an hour boing time, they become breathless and overheated very quickly ( think of that thick thick fur and central heating) and need supervision, adult in this case, ALL the time they are out and believe me, you will be amazed at just how high and long a single bound just can be

tbh I honestly believe chins are very much adult animals, I wouldnt recommend them to young children as a pet at all

sorry to be a gloomy gertie


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## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

mrs phas said:


> chins can be flighty and nippy,
> some take to being handled and some dont
> if a child 'grabs' at them or holds them too tightly they can 'slip' their fur, allowing them to escape, but also causing a bald patch which can take ages to grow back and leaves them with a cold spot on their body
> Like most rodents, including hammies, they can bite to the bone if scared/nervous
> ...


That's great thanks, that's a good explanation, what's needed. Thanks.


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## Tiggers (May 27, 2014)

Neutering chinchillas is not something to be taken lightly! It is something I would only consider if life were in danger. Better to keep in same sex pairs than consider this invasive and potentially dangerous procedure.


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## RandomPasserBy (Feb 17, 2018)

To be honest I would not recommend chinchillas. They simply are too much for a 5 year old. I would also vote for the rat (even though I personally would never own one because they terrify me.) Also being a 5 year old, I would assume she would like to spend some time with the chinchilla(s). They are quite fragile and shouldn't be handled by someone (though sensible) of that age. The mother would find her self spending more time with the pet than the girl. As a 13 year old, I have waited a few years to get 2 ferrets and I am yet to own them! Getting them in 2 months, but only because I've spent about a year or more researching about them. IF you are not in control of what she owns, please please tell her to do some research of her own. This will help her greatly and 5 year olds can be a bit rowdy for a gentle animal. She may also underestimate her power.

Maybe guinea pigs? This won't be as long as a commitment as a chinchilla and is much easier (in my opinion) to care for. They also enjoy handling more and are much more sturdy than your regular rat/chinchilla. They are also much less needy than a chinchilla.


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## kirksandallchins (Nov 3, 2007)

I bred chinchillas and kept them as pets for years, and some are better pets than others. Temperaments vary from calm-ish to highly strung. When I had mine I knew which breeders bred for temperament and health rather than just for shows or unusual colours. I bought two show winning males from top breeders but had them castrated as they were too skittish for my liking.

Most are not cuddly or like being handled too much, but they will sit in your hand or take a raisin from you. In the 20+ years I kept them I never got bitten, but I did get squirted with wee a few times.

I also had several males castrated with no problems including a few of my old breeding animals so they could remain with their females. 

Chinchilla females have a reputation for being a bit stroppy, but I found very little difference in temperament. I would always have a minimum of 2 chinchillas, and I have had several groups of 5-6, usually all females or one male with a group of females. I rescued a group of three males and three females in one cage, but it's not something I would recommend doing and separated them into pairs as the males were constantly bickering


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