Chinchilla Food

Chinchilla Cages – Food for Chinchillas

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The Background of Chinchillas
By Abel Chua

Chinchillas are rodents that are a little bigger than the ground squirrel. They are nocturnal by nature and are very active at night. Inhibiting the cold mountains of Andes in South America, chinchillas were named after the people of Chincha, a native tribe of the Andes. Chinchilla literally means ‘little chincha’ and were hunted by these people for their dense and beautiful fur. These small creatures became a rare species when they were hunted for their fur by the end of the nineteenth century. Most of them were used by the fur industry to produce coats and other fashionable accessories.

These small rodents usually live in burrows or rock crevices. They are very agile and are very high jumpers. They are known to jump up to six feet high. Many other animals in the wild seem to find them enjoyable as a meal. These predators include birds of prey, skunks, felines and canines. However, chinchillas have several defensive tactics that help them survive in the wild. A few examples are spraying urine and releasing their fur if they are bitten. Chinchillas are known to consume plants, fruits and small insects in the wild. In their domestic homes, chinchillas usually have a diet that is hay-based.

Chinchillas make very good pets and companions. They are sweet, gentle and docile animals that love the companionship of humans. As a pet, a chinchilla should have extensive amount of exercise. They should be allowed to run around a room under close supervision as they may chew on toxic substances, electric cables or even your wooden furniture. A large exercise wheel with a solid surface should also be put in their cage so that they can work of their tremendous amount of energy. Wire-mesh wheels are not recommended as their limbs may get caught in the mesh running surface. Chinchillas should be given wooden sticks and pumice stones to satisfy their huge need to chew as their teeth constantly grow throughout their lifetime. However, you should be careful not to let them chew on conifer or citrus woods because of the high content of resins, phenol and oils that are toxic to these rodents.

Chinchillas come in a variety of colors such as standard grey, white, ebony, sapphire and many others. They clean their fur by rolling in volcanic ash and pumice dust. The dust removes the moisture and dirt from the chinchilla’s dense fur. They should not be showered as moisture will cause fungal infections and fur rot.

Their diet should mainly consist of hay and pellets that has a high content of fibre. Chinchillas should not be given fresh fruits that have high moisture content as it will cause bloat that can be fatal to them. Nuts should also be avoided due to its high content of fat and oil.

These small rodents are very easy to care for and lovable. You will definitely find great pleasure from their companionship if you take care of them properly.

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