My favorite character trait of the chinchilla is that they like to burrow. This is great for me. I also like to burrow. They are also very cute. Very very cute and soft, and especially prone to needing love. I like to give love.
Chinchillas are native to the Andes, named after the Chincha people of the Andes. Chinchillas have an interesting history. Look them up and learn a little. However, I'm most interested in what it means to me. It's very hard to breed chinchillas in captivity. They like to do their own thing, on their own time. I'm sure they probably can't even get out of their own way. Hmm. They're also elusive. Despite those two things, they have become household pets, although they still live in the wild. I'm not interested in glorifying the chinchilla, nor romanticizing on its virtues.
I'm endeared to them, probably because the remind me of things I like to think about, and that make me laugh:
- In their native habitat, chinchillas live in burrows or crevices in rocks. They are agile jumpers and can jump very high, up to 5 ft (1.5 m). Chinchillas have a variety of defence tactics including spraying urine and releasing fur if bitten. In the wild, chinchillas have been observed eating plants, fruits, seeds, and small insects, though this diet could irritate the digestive system of a domestic chinchilla whose diet should be primarily hay-based.
- In nature, chinchillas live in social groups that resemble colonies but are properly called herds. Chinchilla females are significantly bigger than males. Chinchillas can breed any time of the year.
- Chinchillas are naturally very skittish creatures and generally do not like to be held, although they can become very attached to their owners.
- Chinchillas make a variety of vocalizations, including chirps, squeaks, and barks. They use these sounds to locate each other and 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 pitched 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.
- Chinchillas require extensive exercise.
- Active and inquisitive by nature, chinchillas need to spend some time outside of the cage to exercise and to satisfy their curiosity.
- A wet chinchilla must be dried immediately with towels and a no-heat hair dryer. The fur is so thick that it resists parasites such as fleas.
- Chinchillas eat and digest desert grasses and cannot efficiently process fatty foods, high protein foods, or too many green plants.
- Sweets and dried fruit treats, such as raisins should be limited to two or three per week. Chinchillas also eat and drink in very small amounts, therefore, overfeeding is easy.
I love my chinchilla.
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