Diet

Chinchillas should be fed on a staple diet of chinchilla pellets and hay. These foods are needed to keep them healthy. Treats should be an occasional extra only, and should only be fed in very small amounts e.g. 1 or 2 small bits per day. Chinchillas can also be fed occasional green foods, but these too should only be fed in very small amounts.

Pellets

Plain pellets are preferable to those with treats mixed into them, as chinchillas may eat the treats only and not the pellets that they need to stay healthy. The pellets should be stored in an air-tight container. Chinchilla pellets are available from pet shops and mail-order.

It is recommended that chinchillas should not be fed rabbit food or guinea pig pellets. Nor should they be fed nuts or many seeds. These foods are generally too fatty for chinchillas and don't contain the right balance of nutrients that they need.

A typical daily allowance is 1 heaped tablespoon or 2 level tablespoons of pellets.

Hay

Hay can vary in texture, from being quite course like timothy hay, to quite soft like meadow hay. Seed hay is grown from seeds of specific grass types. It usually has the seed head of the grass attached, is often hollow and airy and harbours little dust.

Some people find that the dust from the packed hay triggers an allergy for them. Life can be made easier with hay that's compressed into biscuit-like blocks or discs.

A typical daily allowance is approximately 1 handful of hay per day or as needed.

Water

Chinchillas, being used to desert conditions, do not drink a lot but still need access to fresh water daily. Tap water is fine. Pay attention to washing out the water bottle at every water change to prevent algae from growing. Algae in the water will make your chinchilla ill.

Possible Treats

Chinchillas can happily survive on pellets, hay and water only, but do like to have treats now and again. Any treats that you give a chinchilla should be low in fat and oils and low in salt. Nuts and seeds are usually very high in fats and oils, so should only be used really sparingly. Many people avoid feeding nuts and seeds as there are many healthier treats available for chinchillas.

Treats should only ever be fed in small amounts. Chinchillas are no strangers to emotional blackmail and will use it on you in order to try to get more treats! If you cut the treat food up into even smaller pieces the chinchilla will think it is having more treats.

E.R.