4 reasons chinchillas make great pets

Known for their long, bushy tails, luxurious fur and large, round ears, chinchillas make great pets. Here are a few good reasons to introduce one of these adorable rodents to your household.

1. They’re fun to watch. As long as their habitat offers them room to explore, climb and hide, you’ll never get bored of watching your chinchilla. They also benefit from daily playtime outside of their cage during which they’re likely to amuse you by jumping off the walls.

2. They’re easy to care for. Once their cage is set up, you just have to refill their water bottle, feed them daily and tidy their cage once a week. Chinchillas don’t do well with a varied diet and shouldn’t be fed anything beyond some pellet food and hay.

3. They live a long time. Unlike other rodents, chinchillas commonly live for 15 to 20 years.

4. They keep themselves clean. As long as you provide chinchillas with pumice dust, they’ll keep themselves clean. They bathe by rolling around in the dust, which soaks up oil and dirt.

While they have many attractive qualities, chinchillas aren’t the right pet for every home. They’re nervous creatures with a strong need to chew in order to keep their teeth short. People with small children would be better off adopting a different type of animal.