 Exercise and training
Chinchillas are nocturnal, so will sleep most of the day. They are most active in the early evening and this is a good time to get them out for a run although you need to be confident you can catch them again. Make sure they are supervised as they tend to explore everythingwith their teeth, including electrical wires. Chinchillas can become very tame with a little time and training. Use raisins (a favorite treat) and offer them from your hand. When your chinchilla comes forward, stroke it gently under its chin. Don't try to catch it the first time it does this, just give it the treat and let it go, so it doesn't associate you with always being caught. Do take care, because a frightened chinchilla will stand on its back legs and spray urine in the face of any potential threat! To pick up your chinchilla, support its whole body on your hand and gently restrain it by holding the base of its tail. Never pick a chinchilla up by its tail, as this can cause pain and serious injury. A frightened chinchilla that is being too harshly restrained will shed handfuls of fur so, if this happens, you are being far too rough.
Feeding
Chinchillas are herbivores and in their native South America most of the vegetation is fibrous and dry. They eat grasses and other low-growing green stuff and chew the bark off of trees. Fortunately, there are specially prepared chinchilla foods available to buy in pet shops. The pellet type is best as with mixes your chinchilla may pick out its favourite bits, resulting in an unbalanced diet. These pellets are not sufficient on their own though; your chinchilla also needs a constant supply of good quality hay. Feed the hay in a small rack, and refill it each day. The pellets you feed your chinchilla should be rationed, except for females that are pregnant and lactating or for very underweight animals. A healthy adult chinchilla needs about a heaped tablespoon of pellets each day. Raisins and sultanas are ideal occasional treats. Some chinchillas will also enjoy small quantities of fresh vegetables, such as a slice of carrot.
Dental care
As with all rodents, chinchilla teeth grow continuously, so they need plenty of hard material to eat and chew on. Chewing toys such as a piece of apple wood or rodent toys from petshops will help prevent dental problems.
Fur chewing
Fur chewing may be a sign of stress, boredom or poor diet. If you have just one chinchilla,you need to spend lots of time keeping it entertained through grooming, playing and handling. Chinchillas that are not given hay may start to chew their own fur or that of their companion to make up for the lack of fibre in their diet. If you move house or move your chinchilla to a new location it may also result in stress-related fur chewing. Whatever the underlying cause fur chewing is a difficult habit to break so prevention is better than cure.
Dust baths
Chinchilla fur is dense and luxurious and requires special care. Fortunately, your chinchilla is able to provide this for itself as long as you supply a dust bath. Chinchilla dust can be purchased from most pet shops. In the wild, chinchillas use very fine sand to keep their coats clean and in good condition. The bath needs to just deep and large enough for your chinchilla to roll around in without injuring itself. The dust should be about 3-4 inches deep. Your chinchilla should be offered a bath once a day, for about 20 minutes. If it is left longer than this, it may become soiled and your chinchilla will not want to use it. Change the dust at least once a week. If your chinchilla is quite tame, you may want to give the bath outside the cage, but beaware it does make a mess
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