#1 Please let you chinchilla settle into its new home, before getting it out to play!!!!!!!
At least 7days!!!!! (If you get the out to early, they can associate you with being stressed, and
you don't want that)

#2 Never chase your chinchilla, to catch it to get it out of the cage, or to get it to put it back in
after play time!!! (they have excellent memories and will not forget)

Food: I suggest that you feed a high quality chinchilla pellets like: Tradition, or Mazuri, or Oxbow, or you can click on
our food link to get the info of the food that we are feeding (we have it custom made in TN).
One heaping table spoon of these pellets. Never feed rabbit food!

Only feed a very small amount of the grain supplement. About 2 pinches(you can Ordered it from www.lonestarchinchilla.com)
I tell everyone if you remember one thing from me please keep them on a high quality pellet and the grain supplement.
(You can order like 5lbs of it and keep about 1lb out to feed from every day and put the rest in your freezer)
The grain gives extra vitamins that the chinchilla needs.

Unlimited hay or alfalfa cubes.

You will need to have a separate food dish for each (pellets, and grain)! Preferably two ceramic dishes.
(If you did put the grain with the supplement Your chinchilla will through out the pellets to find the grain.)


Treats: One treat per day. I suggest one shredded wheat a day.(No frosting, only plain)
or rose hip once a week, is what I suggest.
Never feed fresh fruit, or vegetables, these can cause diarrhea and could kill a chin!
Nuts are too fatty.
And raisins are high in sugar. (my baby's have never had a raisin ever!! After I had some one tell me that they are
finding out that people that give raisins every day are causing their chinchillas to get diabetes from the sugar. They
don't have raisins in there natural environment so why not just give them a healthy treat.)

Water: Do Not used Distilled Water!!! I do not suggest using City Water directly out of the tap. Make sure you water
is well filtered. Or buy Spring Water.

Water bottle: if you can get a glass one it is better, you can order one from lonestarchinchilla.com also. Clean the
bottle and spout weekly.

Dust baths: 2-3 a week. Use your judgment on how often. For about 15Min's.
(Do not leave the dust in there all the time, you can dry out their skin to much and cause irritation problems)
Only use pet store dust! (NEVER use regular sand it will ruin their coat by cutting it up, and could get in its eye scratch
it and cut it.)
I would not use the chinchilla sand in the pet stores. I highly suggest the dust.

Heat Stroke: DO NOT LET YOUR CHIN GET TO HOT!! 68 degrees or less is best. And limit the
amount of time that you let your chin exercise (20-30 min) or less if your chin will not take a break from running
around. USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT.
THIS IS A MAIN KILLER OF CHINCHILLAS!
A lesson from us all to learn by:
When I sell my baby chinchillas I go over a list of stuff that you should do and not to do. I warn every one not to let
your chin out to long. I had one of my baby chins that I sold lose its life because of this. The chin ran around for over 3
hours. Then the chinchilla went into heat stroke, they will become limp, not move act like they are dying. By holding
the chin after it is in heat stroke makes them hotter.
What to do:
Immediately, take the chin to a cooler place, like open up a refrigerator or freezer door, and lay the chin near by. But
make sure that it is not to cold. They may have seizers during heat stroke, but you will be able to tell the difference
between, them and shivering from being cold. Now all you can do is just hope for the best and wait.
Do not hold your chin, lay it down, you do not want to transfer your body heat to it and make it hotter.

Marble: I suggest that every one go to a hardware store, and get a piece of Marble, they come in 1 ft. By 1 ft.
Squares. They cost about $3 (which will not fit in a regular cage, so you can have them cut it in half for less then a
$1). And you will have two really nice pieces, I put the shinny side up and it worked great for me. The chinchillas would
go on it when they wanted to and, some do not like it, but it is nice to know that it is there to cool them down.

Bedding: I only use Pine Chips. NEVER USE CEDAR!!!

Handling: Never pull on their hair. They will release it, in your hand. It is a defense that they have. For in the wild,
that when an animal gets a hold of them, they let a puff of hair and get away.

SUPERVISE AT ALL TIMES WHEN YOUR CHIN IS OUT! Also do NOT chase your chinchilla
getting it out of the cage or when trying to put back in the cage.

Dangers: Ashtrays (ashes will kill), wires, chemicals/plants, make sure to wash off any disinfectant you may use.
Cedar furniture, stuff that they can get behind, windows and heaters. And any thing else that you think could be
dangerous. It is your responsibility to keep your chinchillas safe. Please also see our Dangers link we are adding more.

Wheels: it has happened many times that chinchillas have broken their leg from a wheel. Find one that is chinchilla
safe, there is one called the flying saucer wheel and it is safe. I personality do not use any wheels.

Pumice Stones: Chinchillas teeth never stop growing, so you will need to have a gnaw stone available at all times.
I suggest drilling a hole in them, and hanging them up on a Critter Ka-bob. It is just wonderful when you hang them up
and other chews on them. Why I hang mine up it prevents them from peeing on them and ruining them. If they get pee
on them they will not chew on them, also I suggest every once and a while throwing it away and giving them a brand
new pumice.

Chinchilla TEETH: Healthy teeth are a yellow/orange color. Baby's will get more yellow/orange with age.
White teeth means that they are not getting enough calcium. Please put your chinchilla on a grain supplement.

Cuttle bone: Some say to give them Cuttle bones to chew on which is extra calcium. And could be used for a chinchilla
that has white teeth or a calcium deficiency. I would suggest talking to your vet first, Chinchillas can also have calcium
seizures, which I think can be caused from to much calcium. I will have to check on that a little bit more.

All of this information is from my experiences, and what I have learned. It is not necessarily right in every circumstance.

CAGES- CHIN CAGES AT www.martinscages.com

I am not a vet and these are my opinions and personal suggestions, they are not necessarily right in every
circumstance, please contact your chinchilla vet with your questions.
All rights reserved.
Chinchilla Care Sheet
(this is the info on our care
sheet that comes with purchase      
  of a chinchilla)
"Rouge"
White ebony
as a baby and
as an adult.