There are two studied species of chinchillas in the wild: Chinchilla chinchilla (formerly Chinchilla brevicaudata), the short-tailed chinchilla, and Chinchilla lanigera, the long-tailed chinchilla. Our pet chinchillas are descended from C. lanigera, who are native to only north-central Chile, and were thought extinct until the late 20th century. C. lanigera remains an endangered species in the wild, alongside C. chinchilla.

I mention where our pets originate in order to provide foundational knowledge on their species adaptations for their environment in the wild, which translates to their needs in captivity. By understanding the wild chinchilla, we can better understand and provide more optimal food, habitat, husbandry, and overall care for them in our homes.

For more information on the status, the history, and the ongoing conservation efforts of the wild chinchillas, I urge you to check out Save the Wild Chinchillas.

Feeding Your Chinchilla

Two main points to keep in mind when feeding your chinchilla:

1. NEVER LIMIT PELLETS

2. Food should be pellets only, no extra “bits”

Think of your chinchilla as a toddler: if they can get their mouth/teeth on something, they are going to chew it, which is both a precautionary bit of advice, and a warning. If you offer a child a bowl of Lucky Charms, they are happily going to eat every marshmallow in the bowl, and eschew the plain wheat bits, but if you offer them Honey Nut Cheerios, they will eat the whole bowl without noticing they are missing anything. Pellets are the primary source for appropriate nutrition and necessary tooth wear, and should always be the foundation of your chinchillas diet.

Why do I say to never limit pellets? Many bags of commercially produced chinchilla specific food will have the instruction to provide “2 Tablespoons of food per day”, which is not only bad advice, it is harmful. The GI tract of a chinchilla is constantly in motion, and for healthy function, they “graze” throughout the day, waking up to nibble some pellets multiple times. They do not come to the bowl and ingest a single large amount at a time. By limiting their available pellets, there is a risk of gorging behavior, weight loss, and failure to thrive. A healthy chinchilla that is provided with a full bowl of appropriate pellets will not overeat, will not become overweight, and is at less risk for intestinal stasis.

The following foods are acceptable to use for your pet chinchilla:

• Blue Seal Bunny 16

• Oxbow Essentials (red bag only)

• MannaPro Pro Rabbit

• Mazuri Chinchilla

• Supreme Science Selective

• Nutrena Rabbit Feed 16%

• MannaPro Sho Rabbit

• Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe 17 - This is what I feed at Cygnus/Maine Chinchilla Shelter

In addition to pellets, it is a good idea to provide hay for your chinchilla to chew. Hay can be in loose form or compressed cubes, and most hay is safe for chinchillas. When choosing, look for greener as opposed to straw-colored, and always sift through the loose hay you feed to remove any impurities that may have been gathered along with the hay. Remember that this is an agricultural product harvested and baled in fields, so some odds and ends may wind up in with the edible bits. I have found desiccated frogs, rodents, bailing twine, twigs, and leaves.

Safe Hay Types:

• Timothy

• Alfalfa/Lucerne (There has been misinformation that chinchillas cannot have this due to the calcium content; this is due to outdated studies done on other rodent species.)

• Meadow

• Orchard

When feeding hay, I find it is easiest to place a pile on the cage floor next to the food dish because that is where it is going to wind up. If you choose to attempt to keep it contained, I recommend an external hopper to reduce the risk of injury to your chinchilla.

NEVER USE HANGING HAY FEEDERS! These products have been known to cause serious injury and even death in chinchillas!

If you or someone in your household has a grass allergy, compressed hay cubes are an excellent alternative to loose hay. It reduces hay dust and airborne allergies.