Basic info about chinchillas.

Chinchillas are rabbit-sized, crepuscular rodents native to the Andes mountains in South America. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they belong to the family Chinchillidae.Domestic chinchillas can be kept as pets. Chinchillas are crepuscular and typically do not like to be disturbed during the day, which may make them less favorable as pets to some people. Chinchillas are naturally very skittish creatures and generally do not like to be held, although they can become very attached to their owners if they grow up without a cage mate. Because of their high-strung disposition, they are not usually considered to be good pets for small children. However, chinchillas can be very friendly animals if sufficiently acclimated to human touch as kits, making them excellent pets for patient owners.Chinchillas can be very docile if given sufficient attention as kits.Male chinchillas tend to be easier to handle because they are not subject to temperament fluctuations due to the estrus cycle.Chinchillas make a variety of vocalizations, including chirps, squeaks, and barks. They use these sounds to express themselves, from a calm, loving chirp given to a potential mate to a loud, aggressive bark when threatened. Chinchilla kits often greet their parents with a very high pitch chirp, usually to indicate that they are hungry. Since they are active at night, it is not uncommon for them to vocalize in the early hours of the morning. If irritated or frightened the female chinchillas may cluck loudly and spray urine at the offender.

Feeding and Diet

In the wild, Chinchillas feed on roots, bulbs, and mosses. In captivity Chinchillas eat cubed hay, rolled oats, raisins, nuts, and cookies. Once a week it's good to give your Chin dried or frozen fruit, chewable vitamins, unsalted peanut in the shell, uncooked pasta, or other treats. Pregnant females like calf manna, raspberry leaves, cranberry or other juice. Pay attention that everything in your Chinchillas' ration is in moderation.

Housing

Since chinchillas are very active animals, it is best to house them in a large enclosure, such as a room of their own instead of a small cage. If kept in a cage, the chinchillas need to have a large area replete with shelves or other obstacles on which to play. The cage should be taller than it is wide, as the chinchilla's natural environment is very mountainous. Chinchillas also need other forms of stimulation, such as hanging wooden toys, large wheels (over 16 inches in diameter and not constructed of mesh, as chinchilla legs and toes can easily get caught), or paper towel tubes. Wooden sticks and chew toys are also good options, but conifer woods (especially cedar) should be avoided because of the high content of resins that are toxic for chinchillas. Birch, willow, apple tree or manzanita are all safe woods for chinchillas to chew. Plastic in the cage should be avoided at all times. Chinchillas are often voracious chewers, and any ingested plastic can cause blockage in the intestines. As with most small animals, red cedar bedding should never be used due to its toxic nature. The cage must have good air circulation. The chinchilla lacks the ability to sweat; therefore, if temperatures get above 25°C (80°F), the chinchilla could get overheated and may suffer from heat stroke.
Active and inquisitive by nature, chinchillas need to spend some time outside of the cage (around half an hour a day and always supervised) to exercise and to satisfy their curiosity. Chinchillas will chew on inappropriate items including electrical cords.