Behavior

So now that you know a little bit about the basics of what a chinchilla is, it's time to tell you more about how they behave.

Are they cuddly pets? Not really. They don't like to be held for more than 10 seconds at a time, and you'll never be able to have them sit in your lap while you pet them. They'd much rather hop all over you. They'll climb in your hand, on your shoulder, sit on your knees, or even perch on your toes. But don't expect them to stay there for too long.

Do they enjoy being petted? Some do and some don't. Some will sit there and be petted (in the chinnie world we call them "scritches") for hours. Others don't want to be touched at all. Yuki is slowly letting me pet her more and more every day, and Momo gives me dirty looks when I even attempt to touch her.

Do they jump? Yes! Chinchillas jump and they jump very high! It's hard to completely chinchilla-proof a room because they can jump 4 feet in the air over most barriers. They can also squeeze through tiny holes. And they are definitely mischievous, so they can and will get into just about everything.

Will there be the occasional chin that doesn't conform to these basic chin behaviors? Of course there will. A chin comes along every once in a while that actually enjoys being held and loves cuddles. But it's not the norm. So if you're looking for a docile, calm, cuddly pet, a chinchilla may not be the right pet for you.

Dust Bath?

If you've heard a thing or two about chinchillas, you've probably heard they take dust baths. You may have thought to yourself, "what the heck IS a dust bath?"

In the wild, the way a chinchilla cleans itself is to roll around in volcanic ash. The ash penetrates their coat and keeps it clean, healthy, and gets rid of excess oils and dirt.

Chinchillas should never be bathed in water. The water will remove the natural oils in their skin that keeps their skin healthy. The dust sold at stores mimics the type of dust wild chinchillas roll in. The dust is placed in a bath house, which is usually a small enclosed container that's large enough for the chinchilla to roll in.

Dust baths are very enjoyable for chinchillas. They love them! This is why its necessary to only allow your chinchilla to take a dust bath 2-3 times per week. Over dusting can cause their skin to be dry and itchy.

So, to sum things up, the dust bath keeps chinchillas clean, they enjoy it, and they look extremely cute while they're doing it!

Here's a video of my chinchillas getting their first dust bath in their new home.

What exactly is a chinchilla?

I bet some of you have seen their adorable faces before, and have no idea what exactly a chinchilla really is. Is it a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit?

Well, no. Chinchillas are rodents from South America. They live in burrows and crevices in the Andes Mountains. Their closest relatives are actually guinea pigs. They are actually believed to be the softest animals in the world, and they make up a huge portion of the fur industry. It takes 100-200 chinchillas to make a single fur coat. As you can imagine, due to over hunting for their fur, chinchillas were made almost extinct in the early 1900's. It is now illegal to hunt or trap wild chinchillas. Their population hasn't fully recovered, and they are still endangered in the wild.

The domestication of the chinchilla first started in the 1920's when Mathias F. Chapman trapped 12 wild chinchillas and brought them back to California as breeding stock for fur. All domestic chinchillas are said to have come from these original 12 chinchillas. While fur farms still exist, the chinchilla has also become a lovable, popular pet.

Getting to Know Them

Yuki and Momo have very different personalities. Yuki is more laid back, and she'd love nothing more than to chew her lava ledge all day and munch on her hay. Momo would rather spend her day with her hands on the bars begging to come out of the cage.

Every chinchilla has their own personality. Some love to be petted and others hate to be touched. Some love to climb all over you, and some would rather have no contact with you at all. Some love to be held, and others can't stand to be held for more than 5 seconds.

I'm blessed to have two wonderful girls that are very social, love my company, and even let me pet them once in a while. They have such fantastic personalities and are so different from each other. It's really amazing.

A Bit About This Blog

While I'm not the best writer in the world, I hope to share a little about my journey with my two chinchillas Yuki and Momo. I'll be posting pictures, stories, helpful information about chinchilla care, and anything else chinchilla related that I can think of.

Yuki and Momo are 4 month old mosaic females. I brought them home on May 30th, and while I've only had them for less than two months they've enriched my life immeasurably. I hope you enjoy hearing about them because I most certainly enjoy talking about them.

Yuki - after picking her up. Love at first sight!

Momo - her first time being in her new cage

Their new cage! It took a lot of work to make it safe and fun for them, but it was worth it.

Please stick around and join us on our adventure!