The Cost of Keeping a Chinchilla

The set-up costs for housing a chinchilla can be expensive, but after that the day to day costs for looking after a chinchilla as a pet are relatively cheap.

Set-Up Costs

The main expense when buying a chinchilla as a pet, other than the chinchilla itself, is their cage and housing. As your chinchilla will be spending most of their time in the cage, it needs to be big enough to accomodate them comfortably. The cage needs to be suitable and safe for them, so there is no way of them chewing their way out and escaping, or catching their feet on wire areas. The chinchilla will also benefit from an area to shelter and rest, whether it be a nest box or a large tube where they can sleep. Hammocks are also popular. The cage will also need to containg a food bowl, water bottle and a rack or large bowl for holding hay.

Running Costs

The regular expenses for a chinchilla consist of food, in the form of chinchilla pellets and good hay. Chew toys are needed to provide your chinchilla with environmental enrichment, providing them with something to shorten their continually growing teeth on.

Unexpected Expenses

It is vital that you have some funds for unexpected vets fees in case your chinchilla injures themselves or falls ill. Being registered with a vet you have confidence in who knows how to treat a poorly chinchilla is a must for any chinchilla owner. Vets fees can vary geographically from area to area. A typical check-up fee will cost around £20, whereas the cost or operations, for example castration can vary vastly from £40 to £70 per male chinchilla.

E.R.