Chin Care

Housing
Your chin's home needs to be large, clean and safe. Many chin cages are just too small. A four story cage is best as there is more room and levels for your chins.

Remember chins like to sleep in the day and become active in the early evening and through the night, so place your chins cage in an area where it will not be disturbed too much during the day. Plus, it's cage should not be in the sun or a drafty area. Chins are very susceptible to heat, temperatures should be kept below 80 degrees.

Even though chins need exercise and time out of their cage every day, it is important to make the cage a fun and safe place for them to live in.

There should be lots of shelves and places for your chin to hop up on to. If the shelves are wire it is a good idea to put natural mats on them so the chins feet will have something solid to stand on.

The bottom of the cage should have carefresh or a chin safe litter to catch the urine and poops, and should be changed once or twice a week depending on how many chins you have living in the same cage.

Inside the cage there should be a chin safe wheel for exercise. Chins need to be able to run off some energy while in their cage, and a wheel is the perfect way for them to do this. The wheel should have a solid surface and should not have any spokes on the area where the chin jumps in and out.

A water bottle should be attached to the outside of the cage. The bottle needs to be kept clean and the water should be changed daily. If you find your chins are chewing the water bottle through the cage you will need to buy a glass one.

A small food bowl for pellets should be provided. Some chins will insist on pooping in the food bowl so a small bowl is best to try to prevent this. If you put the food bowl on the top level it may end up on the bottom level of the cage every day. To prevent this you can get a bowl that will attach to the side of the cage. A crock is best - plastic bowls are too easily tipped over and can cause some health problems. Clean the food bowl every day to prevent any old food or mold in the bowl.

Chins love to sleep and nap in little hidy places, so provide lots of them. You can use a hammock as long as your chin does not end up chewing the material. If material is ingested it could cause a blockage. There are all kinds of little chin houses available, some made of wood, cardboard and natural grasses. Do not leave your chins bath in the cage for them to sleep in unless it is free of dust.

Lots of chews and baskets for your chins to chew on are very important and should be replaced often. Some can be placed on the shelves and some can be hung on the inside of the cage.

Diet
A chins diet is a very important part of having a happy, healthy chin. All too often chins become ill due to a poor diet. Their diet is very basic.

Pellets
A quality pellet is very important. Avoid the pellets with nuts, seeds and dried fruit. A plain pellet is all that is needed.

Hay
Hay plays a very important part of a chins diet. Chins can't vomit, so everything that goes in must come out the other end. Hay acts as a fiber and keeps everything moving. Pile Timothy, Oat or a three way blend of hay in a hay basket at least twice a day. A small amount of Alfalfa hay may be given as a treat. A willow hay basket makes a great place to put your chins hay. They will also chew on the basket which is good for their teeth and entertaining for them. Make sure your hay basket is from a reliable source and not treated with anything. Do not use a hay rack as chins will not eat as much hay. Hay cubes are ok and can be used for chewing but not instead of loose hay. Your hay must come from a reliable source too, to make sure it is a good quality and not dusty.

Treats
Because sugar can be very harmful to chins it is important to feed healthy treats. As most people know, chins love raisins, but they are very high in sugar. A raisin or two a day is fine, but be careful not to fall into the trap of feeling guilty when your chin runs over excitedly to you expecting that sugar fix. Instead, choose healthy treats such as dried rose hips, rose petals, dried herbs or a few sprigs of fresh parsley. They will enjoy them just as much and you will have a healthier chin.

Never feed store bought treats such as honey sticks, yogurt drops or dried fruit with sugar.

Grooming
Chins do need grooming. Because of their soft lovely fur a dust bath should be provided three to four times a week. The dust soaks up the oils in their hair and keeps it soft and clean. You can buy chin baths or be creative and use a gold fish bowl, large crock or any kind of safe container they have enough room to roll around in. Many people find it very entertaining to watch their chin enjoy a dust bath. You can leave the chin bath in the cage for about an hour. If you leave the bath in the cage too long the chin will often poop in it. It is important to change the dust for each bath to make sure it is clean. Never leave a bath with dust in the cage for prolonged periods as the dust can cause respiratory problems.

Brushing your chin can be a good way to get to know each other. They often enjoy being brushed with a soft bristle brush. Their skin is very delicate and can tear easily so be very gentle and never us a hard bristle brush or comb.

You may notice that your chins nails are getting long and tend to scratch you a little as they run up your arm to sit on your shoulder. If this is the case gently use an emery board to file them down.

Toys and Chews
Because chins teeth continually grow you must provide safe things for them to chew on. There are all kinds of chews for chins, such as hanging wood chews, willow balls, wreaths and baskets, dried apple twigs and much more. Just make sure you get your chin chews from a reliable source so you know they are chin safe. Never just buy things from a craft store as you will not know if they have been treated or not.

Exercise
Chinchillas get some exercise in their cage by running in their wheel and jumping up and down on all the different levels, but this is not enough. Chins must have play and exercise out of their cage for at least two hours everyday. You must provide a large safe area indoors. Never let your chin outside or in the garage.

Chins can fit into the smallest space, and will. So before you let your chin out to play for the first time there are some things you must do.

First of all make sure all electric and phone cords are hidden or covered. Chins love to chew and will chomp through a cord before you can do anything, which can cause serious injury.

Make sure there are no small spaces your chin can crawl into, like behind the fridge, under the couch, behind the oven, etc.

Other animals in your home may pose a danger to your chin, so make sure they do not have access to each other as it only takes a second for a mistake to be made.

It is a good idea to start exercising your chin in a small bathroom (with the toilet lid closed) until you get to know each other. If you have trouble catching your chin after run about time put a dust bath on the floor. They will often run right into it for a bath.

Are You the Right Home for a Chinchilla?