Chinchilla magazine articles

PAWS 4 RESCUE - September 2002 issue

Small copies of the 2 pages spread

The Chinchilla

The chinchilla as a pet is growing in popularity, but many people are still unaware of what a chinchilla looks like or even what it is. Chinchillas originate from the arid and rocky regions of the Southern Andes in Bolivia and Chile, where they generally tend to live at elevations of between 800 to 6,500 metres in communities within the rock crevices or burrows. In the wild, chinchillas appear to be active above ground in the morning or late afternoon and can be seen feeding on seeds, grains, fruit, herbs and moss. As water is quite
sparse in their homeland, they have adapted to survive on the little moisture they get from the dew that forms on their food.

The appearance of the chinchilla is generally described as either a long tailed rabbit with smaller ears or a fatter version of a squirrel.
Their body length is on average around 10 inches and they have a tail around 7 inches. One of the appealing features of this rodent is it's soft dense fur coat, which can have up to 80 hairs per follicle and was originally dusty grey in colour. The fur on the chinchilla's tail is a lot coarser than that on it's body, and the tail is used as a balance aid whilst jumping around on the rocks etc.
Chinchilla fur became known in Europe after the Spanish had conquered South America in the sixteenth century and this led to the intensive trapping of the animal which almost led to the extinction of the chinchilla as over 100 pelts were required for just one fur coat.
Attempts to breed captive chinchillas throughout the following centuries were unsuccessful and it wasn't until the early 1920's in California when American mining engineer, Mathias Chapman, successfully began breeding from approximately a dozen chinchillas that had been imported from Chile. This led to the extensive 'ranch breeding' of chinchillas throughout Northern America and following World War 11, It spread to Europe. The captive breeding programmes also led to the mutations in the chinchilla's colour, and today a wide variety of colour are on offer from the standard grey to white, beige, black and even violet amongst others.
The growth of social conscience regarding the wearing of fur garments led to the chinchilla breeders needing to look elsewhere to make profits from their animals and with this, the chinchilla as a domestic pet was born. Although chinchillas are classified as exotic pets, they are generally easy to keep as long as you abide by a few ground rules.
Perhaps the most important of these rules is the diet of the chinchilla. being from such an arid area, the chinchilla evolved on a very bland diet, which has resulted in domestic animals suffering from changes in the diet. Commercially produced 'Chinchilla pellets' are designed to provide the majority of chinchilla's nutritional requirements and should be fed with plentiful supply of hay and some fresh drinking water. chinchillas have the uncanny ability to beg for treats, and if you relent to your little friend's cute "please sir, may I have some more!" face, you could literally kill them with what you think is your kindness. Raisins provided as occasional treats are acceptable, but items such as nuts and sunflower seeds can cause a build up of fat that is impossible for chinchillas to 'burn off' and can result in death.
Chinchillas should be provided with a cage that is large enough to run around in happily and has room for shelves to put in at different heights for the animal to jump on, mimicking their rock hopping instincts. A 'house' of some form should also be provided to allow the chinchilla to hide away whenever it feels the need. The home also needs to have a plentiful supply of objects for the pet to gnaw on, as being a rodent, chinchillas' teeth are continually growing which can result in the painful condition of malocclusion, which again can lead to death.
Exercise is another important part of a chinchilla's life, as without it, chinchillas can suffer from constipation. One way for the animal to gain some exercise it through having it's daily bath. A chinchilla does not like water and in the wild bathes in volcanic dust. For domestic chinchillas, a commercially produced fine chinchilla sand must be purchased and you will soon see how much your pet enjoys spinning in the sand. The safest way to exercise your pet out of the cage is in a supervised and confined area. The area must always be 'chinchilla proof' before the animal is released as they are not fussy about what they chew! The most important thing to prevent your chinchilla from chewing are electrical wires and anything that may result in poisoning. By observing the general rules, the pet chinchilla can live on average for 10 to 15 years. It may be partly due to their lifespan that has resulted in so many chinchillas being offered re-homing or even abandoned.

Chinchillas to home

Chinchillas 2 Home is a newly established voluntary organisation that has evolved from the need for re-homing unwanted pet chinchillas. based in Camborne, Cornwall, members of the organisation have successfully rescued and re-homed every chinchilla brought to them during the last 18 months, a total of over 150. Chinchillas have been brought from as far away as Leicester and have been re-homed as far as Glasgow and with another team member being based in Halifax, Yorkshire, it is hoped that the majority of the country can be covered. the team not only re-home homeless chinchillas, but also offer basic advice to chinchilla owners with regards to general information, housing and dietary requirements, but are not qualified to give medical advice. Any queries of this nature should be immediately referred to a reputable vet.
The majority of chinchillas that have been brought in for re-homing were in satisfactory condition, but there are occasions when animals are in need of veterinary treatment. The main cause for veterinary attention is due to dental problems, generally caused by poor diet.
To learn more about Chinchillas 2 Home and their work, you can visit their website or contact the team members

from 'Your Weekend reader' by Marie date (one of our chinchillas2home team)

Some people have no idea how adorable chinchillas are. They are rodents which originate from the Southern Andes in chile where they live at heights between 800 to 6,500 metres. Wild chinchillas were persecuted almost to extinction for their luxurious fur, which is thought to be the densest of any animal in the world. A chinchilla has fur so thick that no fleas can survive in it.
I began with just one 'Chinnie' which gave birth - a surprise as I was told it was a male when I bought it
Sadly, Milly my original, passed away with fluid on her lungs, but left me a memory of herself via her bouncy daughter Beano.
I now have five (two of which are rescues  which were abandoned in a house when the owners moved)
Chinchillas are adorable pets and very cute, but they are not 'cuddly pets' and not the easiest of animals to handle, so i would not advise them as pets for children. They are exotic creatures so need special care, they need to 'bathe' in 'dust baths'. You can buy special dust from most pet shops which mimic the volcanic ash a chinchilla would use in the wild. They ideally need these up to four times a week and take great delight in rolling and flipping in the dust. Chinchillas need a big cage to live in with plenty of wooden shelves, toys, branches, a calcium block, cuttlefish and a sleeping house. Supervised exercise outside their cage means they can run and play. their diet consists of pellets, hay and special chinchilla grass with the occasional treat. Anyone considering buying a chinchilla should think very seriously about their decision, chinchillas live up to 15 years. Can you offer a good, loving home for this long? Will you make those trips to the vet if your chinchilla is ill?
They can suffer from tooth problems if not provided with plenty of gnawing toys, As with all rodents, their teeth are growing continuously
 and need to be kept short through gnawing
I belong to a newly-established voluntary group called chinchillas2home, and during the last 18 months more than 150 chinchillas have been re-homed
The organisation is based in Camborne, Cornwall, and offers basic advice on caring for these wonderful animals

'Limited edition' - Local Cornwall magazine page spread - May 2003

Man's best friend?
The recent decline of the fur industry has led to the chinchilla's rise in popularity as a household pet Stephen Ivall looks at an organisation devoted to the welfare of these unusual animals.
A Cornish established organisation called Chinchillas 2 home is offering advice and information on the best practices of chinchilla care and will re-home unwanted and rescue chinchillas. Chinchillas 2 home is a voluntary organisation with the majority of dedicated helpers based in Camborne and Redruth areas of Cornwall, and more based in Plymouth. Their main aim is to offer advice and assistance in the best practices of chinchilla care and, where possible, to re-home any unwanted chinchillas to homes where it is felt they will be cared for with the love and commitment they deserve. says Carolyn Gill, one of those responsible. The re-homing of chinchillas is coordinated in Camborne and although the organisation was only set up in August 2002, local members have been involved in the re-homing of approximately 200 chinchillas in the last 3 years. Foster carers look after the chinchillas until a suitable and permanent home can be found.