Chinchillas As Pets – 3 Reasons Chinchillas Make Great Pets
If you're considering getting a small furry friend for a pet, then you're probably wondering if chinchillas make good pets. Or would it be better to get a different type of small house pet like a hamster or guinea pig? It's important to explore chinchillas as pets since they are so unique and different from all the others. Here's three reasons you should consider getting a chinchilla.
Chinchillas As Pets – Reason #1: They Take Dust Baths!
Chinchillas are unlike any creature I've ever learned about. They're a rodent but they have some very unique aspects that make them more interesting and fun than other small pets. One of the coolest things about chinchillas is how they get clean. Instead of most animals who need baths in water to stay clean, chinchillas actually take dust baths.
You wouldn't think rolling around in a pile of dust would make an animal clean, but if you put a chin in water it will make them unhealthy. Their fur is so thick that their skin will never dry out, so you just supply your chinchilla with a special kind of dust that gets into their fur and soaks up oil and dirt from it.
One of the best things to do is put your chinchilla in a clear fish bowl with some chinchilla dust bath dust and let them roll around for a few minutes. It can be very entertaining to watch.
Chinchillas As Pets – Reason #2: They Have A Unique History
Chinchillas weren't always bought and sold as pets, they used to only live in one location in the world – South America. Or more specifically the Andes Mountains. In their natural chinchilla habitat they would scavenge around for fruits, nuts and berries on the rocky slopes of the mountains.
They were perfectly built to live in the cold too, they have possibly the thickest fur coat out of any animal on the planet. Like we talked about earlier this makes them unique in the way they stay clean. They would actually roll around in volcanic ash to get rid of excess dirt and oil from their fur. There are lots of fascinating chinchilla facts to learn about and it makes them very interesting creatures and great pets.
Chinchillas As Pets – Reason #3: Awesome Personalities
If you're looking to get a chinchilla or multiple chinchillas as pets then you should learn about their personalities before making your decision. They can be pretty shy, so they aren't for people who can't devote any time to them. In order for them to be friendly and playful they will need to know you and that you aren't dangerous.
Naturally, chinchillas are pretty skiddish and easy to scare, so you need to keep big animals like dogs and cats away from them to keep them comfortable. If you spend a lot of time with your chinchilla and care for it properly it will grow to love you and become very playful, in and out of the cage.
Chinchillas As Pets – Reason #4: Lots Of Color Possibilities
Unlike their other more distant rodent cousins, chinchillas can come in a wide variety of colors. Since people have been keeping chinchillas as pets for so long, they've also bred them to bring out the coolest colors. The most common chinchilla colors are grey and beige.
Other colors include black, a mix of white and grey, gold, and even some light shades of blue. One of the only setbacks of getting a chinchilla for a pet is that they can be pretty expensive. If you want one of the more rare colors you may have to do quite a bit of research and pay for it.
Overall chinchillas do make great pets, but it's ultimately up to you to make the final decision. I've got a lot of other information on this site, so if you want to learn more about chinchilla care and what they are like just browse around!
