A Few Things to Consider
It is not recommended to have a wild one as a pet but a domestic one is fine. Chinchillas can be pretty small and skittish, so they are not a good choice to for young children to have as a pet. Chinchillas are nocturnal. These creatures have a lifespan of 15 years; if taken good care of, they can live up to 20 years or more. Also, their communication consists of chirping, barking, or squeaking. A chinchilla needs a large cage with shelves, so they can climb. Their cage should be placed in a well circulated area because if the temperature goes above 75 degrees Fahrenheit, they can get a heatstroke. Additionally, you can put wooden toys and a wheel but make sure nothing has a mesh material because their nails can get caught into it. DO NOT put plastic in the cage because if they swallow it, they can get it caught in their intestines. Chinchillas also need a dust bath once a week and this is the only way they can clean themselves. You can get the dust at a pet's store. Make sure you do not bathe your chinchilla in water because it cannot dry itself and may result to molding in its fur.
Taking Care of Your Chinchilla
Chinchillas are quiet and gentle creatures, so they do not need that much care. When you handle the little one since it was young, it will stay docile and calm. You need to be careful when holding the chinchilla because its rib cage is fragile. Moreover, do not let a child hold it because the chinchilla might startle the child causing the child to let go and drop it. When bringing the chinchilla to you, slide your hand under ur chinchilla's chest and cautiously lift its leg with your other hand. Make sure you never grab it by its fur. Chinchillas have a defense mechanism where it just drops it fur which may harm itself. The dust bath should be given to them at least once a week for about 20 minutes each time. As stated earlier, they can be obtained from a pet store. Just set out the dust and let them roll but you may want to move the cage or use a cat litter box containing the dust and set it in a room or outside so your chinchilla can roll freely without you worrying about it making a mess. Furthermore, provide your pet with adequate bedding; do not use pine or cedar shavings because "the phenols in these chips are very strong and can cause serious problems with respiratory, skin, coat and even liver problems."
Feeding your Chinchilla
Chinchillas are herbivores; they eat alfalfa pellets and you can add Timothy hay as well. Limit the amount of certain grains and oats you feed your chinchilla. You can also add treats in occasionally, such as apples, pears, bananas, one or two raisins, and carrots. They cannot each much due to their small stomachs. For vitamins and supplements, only give them if directed by your vet or pet store. They still need water to drink so make sure you have a bottle that will not leak so the water does not get on your chinchilla. Let your chinchilla chew on un-splintered wood treats since its is beneficial to your teeth. The chinchilla will give you a signal for the wooden treat by clasping the cage in its mouth and bang on the cage. Use Aspen chips for its bedding and make sure the chinchilla does not consume them because it will get sick. Moreover, the younger the chinchilla the more fruit it consumes compared to the older ones.
This is not an eshausive research! I encourage you to do more research on your own time so your pet will be a happy pet. :D
Source: http://www.echinchilla.com/
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