What can you feed a chinchilla at home? Is it possible to feed a chinchilla fresh fruits and vegetables?

For Shushi, food is the main pleasure in life. He is ready to do anything for food. In general, it is easier to feed a chinchilla than a husband, since the diet of the animal (I mean Shusha) is standardized and has great variety. However, if the husband’s stomach is able to digest everything, then the chinchilla cannot be fed everything.

Our friend Shushik is a picky fellow, but we were able to find the key to his stomach and we hope that he is pleased with us, although he is silent. Looking at how much energy he has in the evenings, when I personally can barely move my legs and get stuck on every thought, you involuntarily begin to think about trying food for chinchillas.

Features of feeding chinchillas

Before telling you what chinchillas can and can’t do, I would like to focus on the feeding habits of chinchillas.

1. Their bowl should always contain concentrates in the form of a grain mixture or ready-made food for chinchillas in an amount of about two to three tablespoons per day for adult animals. Well, to be completely honest, I put in two zhmeni, because Shusha spits out half anyway.

2. Hay and fresh water must be present in the cage at all times. Shushik drinks about 100 grams. water per week and eats several bundles of hay. I noticed that he loves Belarusian hay the most, apparently he feels his native meadows. He also likes to steal hay while I clean his cage. Shusha quietly creeps up from behind, pulls a straw out of the bag, hides under the sofa and sharpens it. It tastes better this way.

3. Additional food and treats are offered at extremely high rates. small quantities. In general, I noticed that Shushik has a well-developed sense of satiety. For example, he senses very well when I eat a banana, runs up, quickly takes a couple of bites and runs away, full and satisfied. Never overeats.

4. When feeding, you should take into account the nocturnal lifestyle of the animals. That's why we give our chinchilla food before we put him in his cage. This makes our life enormously easier, because as soon as Shusha sees that the bowl of food is already in the cage, he happily runs there himself in anticipation of a meal. This way, we don’t have to go through additional tricks to lure him there.

5. It is rare to see a chinchilla greedily pounce on food. Most often: he will eat a seed, jump, look, eat a seed, jump around the cage and run to the plate again.

6. A stable diet is also important for a chinchilla’s well-being. You should not change the food to which your chinchilla is accustomed too often, and it is better to switch to new food within one to two weeks.

7. There is always a mineral and salt stone hanging in Shusha’s cage, which is gnawed as needed.

What to feed your chinchilla: Ready-made food - granules and grain mixtures

We buy ready-made Polish-made food for Shusha. It is not particularly praised on the forums, but Shushik eats it with pleasure. He tasted the more expensive German and Belgian analogues and refused to eat them. Our chinchilla food includes grains, legumes, seeds, cereals, dried fruits, bone and grass meal, corn flakes, and granular supplements. Shushik nervously throws many components of this food out of the bowl, but on the whole he eats the mixture willingly.

It’s also worth always checking the food when purchasing for the presence of any ugliness and mold.

The following grains are suitable for chinchillas: oats, barley, corn, millet, wheat. Sprouted grains, which contain a lot of vitamin E, can be successful. You can also give raw cereals: rice, buckwheat and barley.

Food for chinchillas: Legumes, seeds, nuts, dry berries and fruits

All of the following foods can be given to chinchillas in very limited quantities.

Seeds. The food we buy already contains raw sunflower seeds, but in too large quantities. So I pick them out and throw them away. Despite the fact that the seeds contain a lot of fatty acids that have a good effect on the condition of the coat, they are extremely harmful to the liver. You can't give them too much because of their high fat content. About once a week Shusha receives an additional pumpkin or sunflower seed. He, like a big man, with an important look, peels it from the husk, and only then eats it. During the watermelon season, he happily eats watermelon children.

Legumes. Chinchillas can be given peas, lentils, soy and beans.

Nuts. There is conflicting information about nuts. Some people do not recommend giving them at all, others write that you can give almost all types of nuts. But knowing the delicate structure of a chinchilla’s digestion, I give Shushik a quarter of a hazelnut once every two weeks. A nut is for Shushi like valerian is for a cat. After eating the nut, he jumps after me for a long time and faithfully looks into my eyes, hoping for more. The main thing here is to show fortitude and, in joy, not to feed the animal everything you have.

Dry berries and fruits. Shusha loves dried rosehip and hawthorn, dried apples, bananas, and he is crazy about raisins, dried apricots, and prunes.

What to feed a chinchilla: hay, twigs, bark

Do you love dead wood as Shushik loves it? Chinchillas need to be given roughage. This is hay, twig food, tree bark.

The most suitable hay for a chinchilla is legume-cereal hay, containing a lot of clover, alfalfa and other legumes. There must be hay good quality, clean and dust-free. Chinchillas rarely eat large amounts of hay, but it should always be kept in the cage. Dry nettle brooms are very useful and contain many vitamins.

It is useful to hang branches of apple, pear, linden, and aspen in a cage for grinding down teeth. Oak and willow branches are useful for mild diarrhea. Shushik chews twigs well, but prefers cage bars for grinding down his teeth, and is probably planning a big escape.

Chinchilla nutrition - Juicy food

Juicy food is a variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs. I spent a long time watching what Shushik liked best.

Chinchillas can be given cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, and lettuce. Fruits - apples, pears, figs, bananas, grapes. Plus some berries - rose hips, hawthorn. Large fruits should be divided into several servings. Our fluffy eats wheatgrass, clover, dandelion, nettle, alfalfa, carrot tops, turnip tops, Jerusalem artichoke, peas, and fruit tree branches with leaves with pleasure.

You also need to be careful when feeding grass. For greater safety and better storage, it is advisable to slightly dry it.

When the summer season comes, we prepare fresh herbs and twigs for Shushika, and pick dandelions. It’s good for Shusha, and we’re ridding the garden of weeds. At the end of the summer season, we dry apples and pears, rosehips and hawthorns, and sometimes we stock up on some hay.

What not to give to chinchillas

Chinchillas should not be given anything baked. Twice Shushik snuck onto the kitchen table and stole first a liver the size of his butt, and then a piece of candy, not just a simple one, but a chocolate one, Aeroflot. Fortunately, we noticed in time and prevented sabotage.

Chinchillas should not be given white, red, cauliflower, red beets, persimmons, peppers. These foods may cause gastrointestinal illness. Rye is very poorly digestible by all animals.

Poisonous herbs: bindweed, buttercup, spurge, crow's eye, horsetail, sweet clover, lily of the valley, henbane, hemlock, etc.

Unsuitable trees: almond, apricot, black acacia, any conifers, cedar, cherry, plum, chestnut, citrus, cypress, elderberry, eucalyptus, myrtle, nectarine, peach tree, plum, walnut wood. Chinchillas should never use branches from stone fruit trees.

Excessive fresh vegetables or fruits can also harm the animal's delicate digestive system. You can’t feed chinchillas only treats, no matter how desperately they demand them.

Make sure your furbabies don't eat houseplants- most of them are poisonous to chinchillas. Our Shushik loves window sills very much. Therefore, the first thing that suffered was our orchids. And once, back at his previous place of residence, Shusha ate all of his mother’s seedlings, which she carefully stored on the window for transplanting into the greenhouse. It’s even scary to remember what happened. No, well, everything was fine with the little animal, but mom couldn’t come to her senses for a long time.

In general, be careful, and if you are in doubt about what and how much to give, and what is possible and what is not, it is better to look on the Internet once again.

Choosing a chinchilla: boy or girl?

If you decide to get one chinchilla, then it is worth considering that girls and boys have slightly different characters. Females are big bosses with a temper. They are more capricious and can even release a stream of urine at the enemy, that is, at you, if they don’t like something. So, they are actively rebuilding their borders. Chinchillas have a matriarchy, so the girl will quickly take the place of the mistress and dictate her terms.

Boys are more peaceful and inquisitive. Not a single new product will pass by our Shushik and not a single room will remain unvisited. As soon as he sees the door opening, he flies towards it and bursts into the room, no matter how hard you try to hold him back. If you decide to get a male, remember that they have one feature - the hygienic procedure of washing the main organ of the chinchilla, which is hidden most of the time, but if necessary reaches a great length. And the way they wash it can raise uncomfortable questions among children and unprepared persons.

If you decide to have a couple, be prepared for the fact that they will not communicate with you as actively as bachelors. They will be focused on playing with each other, and you will have the role of observer. If you have a different-sex couple, this will entail additional troubles. The cage should be larger, with the possibility of being divided into two halves in case the female is expecting offspring or gives birth. It is also worth considering what you will do with your offspring. My friend couldn’t part with her chinchillas for a very long time, not because there were no people willing, but because she was afraid of giving them into the wrong hands.

In general, much in the character of chinchillas depends on their parents and heredity, and they are all very funny.

Chinchillas are cute, funny and very cute creatures that are very popular today. The animals quickly get used to their owners, become tame, and do not require large financial costs for maintenance. The main thing when caring for animals is to organize comfortable conditions habitat and adhere to the principles of correct, balanced nutrition. Let's look at what to feed a chinchilla at home and what cannot be used as food.

What can you feed a chinchilla?

Proper nutrition for a chinchilla it is a guarantee of health, well-being, vigor and longevity of the animal. If there is a deficiency in the diet useful components, vitamins and minerals, a pet begins to weaken and hurt.

Grains, seeds and nuts

In a city apartment, grain mixtures, seeds and nuts will be indispensable food for pets. The following grains are suitable for feeding:

• oats- this cereal makes up approximately 75% of all grains in the mixture, it contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, fiber, nutrients that have a good effect on digestion, improve metabolic processes, and strengthen the immune system;
• corn- given several times a week, in small portions; when consuming corn, you need to monitor the dosage, since it can cause digestive problems, in particular, bloating;
• wheat- useful for the growth and development of the animal, contains required amount proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
• barley- has a positive effect on the general condition of the animal, promotes normal life, recommended for feeding adult chinchillas (the grain must be ground before use).

Important! The animal is fed in the afternoon or evening. This is due to the peculiarity of the lifestyle of these animals: chinchillas are awake at night and consume food during the same period.

• flax- due to the content of Omega acids, they improve the condition of the fur, making it shiny and smooth;
• pumpkins- cleanse the body of harmful substances and toxins, improve structure skin, strengthen the hair follicle;
• sunflower- are sources of calcium, strengthen bone tissue, support the functioning of the heart muscle.

Several times a week you can pamper your pets with nuts:

• almond: strengthens immune system, increases the body's resistance to various infections;
• cashew: has high nutritional value, saturates the body with energy;
• peanut: helps improve digestion and the functioning of the reproductive system;
• hazelnut: strengthens bone and muscle tissue, promotes normal functioning of the digestive tract.

Important! It is forbidden to include all nuts or seeds in a chinchilla’s diet at the same time. Due to the high fat content, it may cause damage digestive system animal.

Greenery and tree branches

Chinchillas' menu must include dry food, in particular, twigs and tree bark. It is preferable to treat the animal with twigs of apple, linden, pear or aspen. They are hung in the cage so that it is convenient for the pet to get them. It is not recommended to feed animals with oak and willow branches, as they can provoke the development of diarrhea. The use of tree branches allows the chinchilla to grind down its teeth, thereby promoting the proper development of the dental system and preventing the formation of dental hooks.
Pets are partial to various greens: leaves and shoots of hazel, acacia, raspberry, rowan, birch, chestnut. Tree greens are rich in vitamins and minerals and contain fiber necessary for normal digestion.

Important! Fresh greens are given to the animal only after it has been lying in the shade for at least 3–4 hours.

Vegetables and fruits

It is beneficial to feed your chinchilla fresh vegetables and fruits. For animals under 8 months, it is recommended to give only an apple or carrot, cut into small slices. After this age, the menu can be diversified with pumpkin, pear, squash, grapes, figs, zucchini, bananas, peaches, and apricots.
A new product should be introduced into the animal’s diet in small portions. It is recommended to alternate treats: if today the animal received an apple, then tomorrow it is better to feed it pumpkin or another vegetable.

Did you know? Chinchillas have the densest fur of all animals, which helps them survive even the coldest winters. In addition, animals do not have sweat glands, so individuals living in apartments do not leave an unpleasant odor.

Hay

One of the most important components of a chinchilla's diet is hay. Many experts believe that it should be constantly present in the cell. Dried grass contains a large amount of fiber, which promotes good digestion and cleansing of the body, prevents stagnation of food and its fermentation in the stomach. In addition, hay is rich in a large amount of minerals, vitamins, and proteins.
The animal should be given only fresh, dry hay, without signs of rotting or musty odor. It must not contain foreign debris, sticks or other foreign components. The best option for pets, hay made from various herbs is considered: alfalfa, legumes, clover, buckwheat, salsify, etc. Herbs should be collected during their flowering period and dried in the shade. It is recommended to give chinchillas from 20 to 80 g of hay per day.

Water

A chinchilla needs water, so it should always be present in the drinking bowl. The water must be fresh, without signs of flowering. It is recommended to give the animal spring or bottled water. The boiled product is not suitable because during the boiling process it loses a number of useful elements.

Differences in feeding

Proper nutrition is key good health and well-being of chinchillas of any age. However, at some points in their lives, they need a balanced feeding especially acutely.

Pregnant chinchilla

During pregnancy, the chinchilla's body experiences heavy stress and needs increased nutrition. Feeding during this period has a number of features:

• diversity;
• increased content of vitamins and mineral salts;
• balance in proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
• reducing the percentage of roughage by 25% and, accordingly, increasing by 25% grain mixtures, vegetables, herbs and animal feed, in particular cottage cheese and egg whites.

Food is given to the animal in small portions several times a day. It is recommended to introduce rose hips and hawthorn into the animal’s diet, which will help strengthen the immune system and increase the body’s resistance to various diseases.

Throughout pregnancy, chinchillas are offered the following products:

• oats and barley in crushed form - they contain vitamins A and E, which are necessary for the full development of the fetus; their deficiency can lead to miscarriages or congenital defects in babies;
• fresh apples - they should be given 20 days before the expected birth;
• specialized store-bought food with a high protein content;
• calcium in tablets (¼ tablet per day) - if you do not provide the female with a sufficient amount of calcium, the babies will take the mineral from the mother’s teeth and bones, which will negatively affect her overall health;
• almonds - considered excellent food additive for feeding pregnant and lactating females.

A few days before giving birth, it is recommended to exclude mint, lemon balm and thyme from the animal’s menu, as they negatively affect the quality of milk.

Did you know? The animals do not shed seasonally, which makes them the most hypoallergenic animals for home keeping. They shed their fur only under stress or as a defensive reaction.

After childbirth

During the lactation period, the chinchilla needs to be provided with complete, enhanced nutrition, which will maintain a good level of milk production. To do this, enter into the animal’s menu:

• sprouted grains, which have a high concentration of vitamin E;
• green herbs: nettle, alfalfa, calendula, rose hips, strawberry leaves, which improve lactation;
• milk granules, which are a source of proteins;
• bee bread - the recommended dosage is 2–3 balls per day.

The diet of chinchillas while feeding babies is almost identical to the diet during pregnancy. The only thing is to enrich the diet with protein of animal origin (cottage cheese, egg white), and you also need to ensure that the animal always has fresh, clean water in its feeder.

Little ones

In the first days of their life, chinchilla babies feed on their mother's milk.

Important! The female has only two pairs of mammary glands out of three in an active state, so if there are more newborn babies than nipples, then you need to make sure that each of the cubs receives a sufficient amount of milk.

If babies behave restlessly after feeding and look for the nipple, then perhaps the mother does not have enough milk and breeders need to feed them themselves. An infusion of chamomile mixed with condensed milk in the ratio: 2:1 is perfect for nutrition. Before serving, the mixture must be warmed to room temperature, given in small portions, from a syringe without a needle, very carefully so that the babies do not choke.
In the first seven days, babies are fed every two hours, starting from the second week - every four hours, from the third - every six hours. By the end of the fifth week, babies can gradually be transferred to solid food.

What not to feed a chinchilla

There are a number of foods that absolutely should not be present in an animal’s diet, since they can provoke various ailments. These include:

• cabbage leaves: cause bloating;
• raw potatoes: contains the toxic substance solanine, which can cause chinchilla poisoning;
• food from a person's table: pickles, smoked meats, spices, sweets, confectionery, baked goods, etc., such products can cause severe intoxication, even death;
• roasted nuts and seeds;
• any fermented milk products: causes problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
• meat: causes digestive system disorders.

As for grass food, it is necessary to exclude: fern, rush grass, cornflower, dope, raven's eye.

Important! It is necessary to ensure that animals do not gnaw on indoor houseplants, since almost all of them are poisonous to the pet.

The best food for chinchillas

If you have any doubts about what you can give your pet and what you should refuse, then you can use ready-made specialized food. Fortunately, there is no shortage of food for chinchillas in pet stores today. Manufacturers offer two types of such nutrition: regular and granular. The latter is more economical to use, since animals like to choose “goodies” from regular food, and the rest has to be thrown away. When fed pellets, animals are forced to eat everything.
Among all ready-made feeds good feedback We received the following from chinchilla breeders:

Feeding chinchillas at home is a serious and responsible stage in their care. In general, organizing meals is not difficult, you just need to adhere to the main principles, which are as follows: menu variety, balance of minerals and biologically active components, stability of the diet. Only by receiving all the required components will your pet grow up healthy, strong, reproductive and able to please you for many years.

They are herbivores, so most of their diet consists of grasses. Chinchillas also eat fruits and vegetables, but not more than 30 g per day. They are given carrots, apples, celery and parsley. In spring and summer, remnants of greenery must be removed. In winter, instead of greenery, the animal eats hay. Up to 60 g are consumed per day, the remains serve as bedding.

Chinchilla at home eats greens, grain feed, vegetables and fruits

To ensure your animal grows healthy, add granulated food to the feeder. A tablespoon of this nutritional mixture is consumed per day.

Meals at home:

1. Rough food. This is well-dried hay from cereals and meadow grasses, as well as moth plants.
2. Juicy food. These are grass, vegetables and fruits. The rodent loves alfalfa, lettuce, spinach, raspberries and chicory, as well as oat and wheat sprouts. Alternate plants so that the animal does not get used to one. Don't give cabbage, it causes bloating.
3. Nutrient mixtures. The food is sold in pet stores, or you can prepare it yourself. This is a mixture of cereals enriched with vitamins and microelements. It contains oats, wheat, barley, buckwheat, peas, corn, as well as flax seeds and wheat bran. You cannot feed one type of grain.

There are grain feeds with dried fruits, whole or granulated.

Grains and vegetables are important for normal digestion. The granules contain easily digestible carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber. To improve metabolism, give twigs of birch, oak or pear.

What can chinchillas eat besides regular food?

Animals love to eat. In addition to the main food, animals are given the following products:

• dried fruits (raisins and dried apricots);
• dry apples;
• legumes;
• seeds;
• bread;
• barberry and rose hips;
• cracker;
• nuts (in small quantities);
• clover and dandelion leaves.

Before serving, the products are crushed and washed if necessary. Don't feed too many potatoes and beets, even though your chinchilla loves these vegetables.

A chinchilla is an animal that can make you fall in love at first sight. Such delicate and soft fur and large expressive eyes, a chic mustache that is in constant motion can be admired endlessly. But let's talk about what chinchillas eat.

What do chinchillas eat?

Despite the fact that the chinchilla is a rather exotic animal, creating a “menu” for them is not difficult. Unlike most rodents, they are exclusively herbivores, but some individuals can independently catch and kill an insect. The easiest way is to buy food for chinchillas at a pet store. The special food contains a mix of grains, pressed grass granules, dried vegetables, fruits and even popcorn. Sometimes the composition includes some sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

List of foods that chinchillas can eat:

• Hay. This is one of the main “dishes” that can be given to an animal without restrictions and every day. You shouldn’t put a lot of it in the feeder; if it turns out to be too much, the chinchilla will scatter it around its home. Scattered hay is, of course, not bad; it will work as bedding. Hay has a good effect on the animal's digestion. You can prepare it yourself, but it is better to buy it in a specialized store, because the cost of hay is low. When buying hay, take a closer look at its quality: it should be green and smell good. If the hay is damp and has a smell of blossoms or something else unusual for hay, look for a quality product in another store; a low-quality product can harm your chinchilla.
• Alfalfa. It can also be given to a chinchilla without fear. This annual plant refers to legumes, accordingly, it contains vegetable protein that is useful for animals and is well absorbed by the animal’s body.
• A mixture of grains: wheat, oats, buckwheat. It is better to give unhulled oats. The grain must be of high quality, without harmful substances, without flowers and insects. You can give cereal flakes; there are many of them on sale today, but whole grains are preferable. If you are not sure about the quality of this food, it is better to abstain and give the food that you are sure about its safety.
• Corn. You can feed your chinchilla corn, but in limited quantities, it is hard on the stomach. One or two grains per day will be enough for the animal. Corn can also be given in the form of popcorn, which is often present in special foods for chinchillas.
• Peas, lentils, soybeans. They are good for replenishing protein in the chinchilla's body.
• Porridge for chinchillas. Cooked without any additives or salt. They can be cooked from grains or legumes. They are especially suitable for young children. Unfinished porridge must be removed immediately so that it does not decompose in the animal’s “house”.
• Fresh carrots, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, kohlrabi. They can be given dried. Fresh ones should be cut into thin slices; in this form, chinchillas eat them more willingly.
• Greenery. It also needs to be given carefully and little by little. Some chinchillas tolerate it well, but sometimes it has a bad effect on the animal's stomach. This requires a competent and individual approach.
• Nuts (hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts) and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin). You can give them as a treat; animals love them very much. This food is very fatty, so you should not treat your pet with it often. The permissible fat content in food consumed per day is 6%.
• Granular feed (granulate). It is crushed and compressed into granules different shapes food containing essential for healthy and proper feeding chinchillas useful natural products. Granulate is sold in specialized stores. You should buy granulated food intended specifically for chinchillas, and not for rodents in general.
• Fruits and berries are treats for chinchillas. Their consumption must be limited due to their high sugar content. Before giving fruit or berries, they must be washed and dried. Allowed: apples, pears, figs, bananas, grapes, rose hips, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, currants, strawberries, banana. It’s hard to list everything, but you shouldn’t give citrus fruits because of their ability to cause allergies. Fruits, like vegetables, are best served dried. It would be good to dry them yourself, but if fruits are purchased (dried apricots, prunes, raisins, etc.) they should be thoroughly washed and dried.
• You can give a little bread crumbs from ordinary white bread, the animals love them. But only a little!
• You can give your chinchilla branches of certain trees and bushes; they are very useful for the animal’s constantly growing teeth. By gnawing on dry twigs, the chinchilla wears down its teeth. You can give branches: pear, apple, raspberry, mulberry, linden, birch, rowan, currant. You should not give your chinchilla branches of coniferous trees. You can also treat your pet to leaves from trees from the list of permitted ones.
• Water is necessary and vital for your pet. It must be fresh and clean. You can use filtered or non-mineralized bottled water. It should be changed in the drinking bowl every 2-3 days.
• A salt roller, mineral stone, and pumice (a stone for sharpening teeth) must be present in the animal’s cage so that it can sharpen its teeth.

What not to give to chinchillas

List of foods that you should not feed your chinchilla:

• Cabbage, beets, potatoes, rye. They have a bad effect on the chinchilla’s digestion and can lead to fatal consequences.
• Citrus fruits (tangerines, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and various citrus hybrids). Their branches and leaves can cause allergic reactions.
• The branches and leaves of stone fruit trees contain hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous to animals.
• Branches of coniferous resinous trees. They are also poisonous.
• Food for rats, mice, hamsters. These mixtures have a different composition, individually balanced for other rodents, which are mostly partially carnivorous.
• It is prohibited to feed unwashed fruits, vegetables, herbs, branches and leaves.
• It is prohibited to collect fruits, berries, nuts, herbs, greens, branches and leaves from environmentally polluted areas. Feeding them to an animal is dangerous; the pet may get sick.
• Animal protein (meat, dairy products) are contraindicated. Chinchillas are vegetarians.
• Stale hay, alfalfa and other chinchilla foods can cause various diseases.
• Fresh bread and other baked goods are not suitable for chinchillas to eat. The bread is too hard for digestion, the composition is different bakery products unknown and may harm the animal.
• Roasted sunflower seeds and nuts are also dangerous and can cause irreparable damage to the liver.
• Confectionery and sugar are contraindicated for chinchillas; the consequences are difficult to predict.
• Tap water may contain harmful substances or bacteria and can harm your chinchilla's health.

Boiled water is “dead”, it is devoid of useful substances and microelements, drinking exclusively boiled water can cause their deficiency in the animal’s body.
You should not feed your chinchilla food rich in protein for a long time, as this can cause poisoning. Excess fatty foods can damage the liver, and this also applies to fat-soluble vitamins. Excess carbohydrates can cause obesity in an animal.

How to feed a chinchilla correctly

As we have already found out, the chinchilla feeds exclusively on plants. The diet can be very varied, and for this there is no need to rack your brains about what to feed your favorite animal, fortunately, all the components in the chinchilla “menu” are available.

But still, feeding rules exist, and if you love your animal, you need to know how to feed a chinchilla correctly.

Advice from a chinchilla breeder on what the food composition should be:

• carbohydrates should make up approximately 50%;
• protein - 16-20%;
• fiber - about 13%;
• fat - 2-6%

When purchasing a chinchilla, ask what it was fed before. If you decide to feed the animal differently, it is not possible to feed it the same, switch to another food gradually. When you first give food that is unusual for an animal, give it a little at first, gradually increasing the portion. If new food causes diarrhea, give a little oak bark as a medicine (you can’t have too much of it either) or a little dry black tea.

Chinchilla breeders feed them rabbit feed and guinea pigs— feed No. 122 or feed No. 90 intended for feeding young rabbits. Finding it on sale is not a problem, it is certified and tested by experienced chinchilla breeders. When purchasing this food, make sure that it is of appropriate quality and has a good shelf life. As previously said, you should start giving it with small doses, and if there is no disorder, the animal feels well, you can continue feeding it with this food. By the way, please note: this food should not contain fishmeal.

IN last years It has become very popular and fashionable to keep chinchillas at home. This cute pet furry animal has become a real favorite of both children and adults. If you already have a chinchilla in your home, or you are just going to get to know one better, here are a few useful recommendations regarding how to care for this animal at home...

First of all, let's figure it out what kind of animal is this chinchilla... The chinchilla belongs to the order of fur-bearing animals; its maximum height can reach thirty-eight centimeters, and its weight can be up to five hundred grams. Chinchillas have very beautiful fur of a wide variety of colors, from white to velvety black. At proper care these small animals live from fifteen to twenty years.

So, we already have a general idea about the chinchilla, now let’s talk about how to provide this pet with the most comfortable living under the same roof with a person. A chinchilla, like any domestic animal, needs its own home. A chinchilla’s home can be a spacious metal cage (the approximate dimensions of such a “house” are 70x50x70). For ease of cleaning, it would be nice if the tray of the cage is retractable. Many chinchilla owners let their animals roam around the house or apartment, but even with this regime of free movement, the animal needs a home where it can rest or hide from prying eyes.

Chinchillas love sawdust. Therefore, stock up on these. The tray in the cage is lined with sawdust. Sawdust can be anything except oak. It is necessary to change such a carpet in a chinchilla’s house as needed, but the more often you do this, the cleaner it will be in your pet’s cage and in your home.

Now, about what must be in the cage... This is a special drinking bowl, which should contain clean drinking water (it is better to change the water twice a day), a plate for food, a “bathing bowl” or bath and a shelf or special elevation on which your chinchilla will sleep. Wet cleaning of the cage (but without using chemical cleaners - replace them with ordinary soda) should be done twice a week. Then the chinchilla will not bring any smell, no garbage and no microbes into your home.

We mentioned that the cage should have a special bath - a “bathing bath”. But don’t rush to fill it with water. This can cause irreparable harm to the animal's health. Fill the bath with special fine sand. It is sold in specialized pet stores, or you can take ordinary sand, sift it and calcinate it. After such sand procedures, the animal’s fur shines and shimmers. You cannot bathe a chinchilla in water!!! Zoologists explain this intolerance to water by the fact that the chinchilla’s homeland is an arid climate zone with low humidity. Therefore, high humidity can cause chinchillas to become ill and even die. Chinchilla owners are advised to take care to provide their animal with a suitable temperature and humidity regime. The most optimal and useful indicators for a healthy and happy life for a chinchilla are considered to be temperatures not lower than twenty degrees Celsius and not higher than twenty-five degrees Celsius, the humidity level should correspond to fifty-five to sixty percent.

Despite the fact that the chinchilla is an affectionate, sweet, domestic furry animal, Don't pick him up too often– this can cause harm to your pet’s health. Try to express love and care in other accessible ways.

The diet of this animal should consist exclusively of plant products.– grains, herbs, vegetables. You can give your chinchilla crackers to chew on. Chinchillas love to chew branches of trees and bushes, so pamper your pet with such a delicacy for him. The chinchilla not only receives nutrients from the branches, but also sharpens its teeth. Speaking of teeth... Your chinchilla's cage must contain a special stone with which the animal will grind down its teeth. IN otherwise Dental problems and various diseases can shorten the lifespan of a chinchilla.

How many times a day should a chinchilla be fed?

Veterinarians and specialists in breeding these animals at home come to a common opinion on this issue - one meal a day for a chinchilla will be enough. By overfeeding an animal, you do not benefit it; rather, on the contrary, it causes harm.
In order for a chinchilla to look luxurious, its fur needs to be looked after. If she is able to carry out the sand procedures herself, then you should definitely help her with combing the fur. Special combs with long teeth are perfect for this.
Don’t also forget that your pet is a nocturnal animal that is used to being quite active at night and, on the contrary, sleeping quietly during the day. Therefore, you should not place a cage with a chinchilla in the bedroom or in the nursery, of course, if the rustling of the chinchilla does not have a soothing effect on you.

People who are allergic to animals and small children should not get a chinchilla. The latter must grow up a little more in order to understand that a chinchilla is not a toy, but a living creature.

Any pet in your home means responsibility, care and care, but it also means joy and positive emotions.

Shevtsova Olga