hey darby, i'm going to answer these the best i can:
1. Do they smell? no. but there are associated smells - hay, bedding if you use it, sand bath
2. Would my bedroom with limited noise be a suitable place for my chinchilla cage? - yes but you need to remember that they are awake at night a lot and they can make quite a racket on the wheel
also, the room needs to be kept at quite a low temperature so you may need an aircon running if it's warm out.
2a. Would it be best to close the bedroom door or leave it open? i keep the door of the room where the chins are closed simply because they should not be exposed to drafts, they also react to noises so with the door shut they may feel safer. however, if your house is draft free and there are no new noises occurring every day, i don't see why you couldn't leave it open, they would get used to whatever's happening on a daily basis
3. If supervised, could I let my chinchilla run around my room for play time? yes, if you're not particularly bothered about having your wallpaper and furniture nibbled. some people have chinchilla proofed rooms (some use bathrooms), in my old house they were in the library and they did eat the wallpaper and some books although thankfully never attempted cables. you'll have to keep a close eye on them when they're out.
4. Do chinchillas like to hide when they are let out to explore like rabbits? yes. it's a good idea to prevent them from doing that as they could start eating something unsuitable while hiding and if you can't get them out then it's not great. but they do enjoy running around and explore the room, using you as furniture if you sit on the floor, they will climb onto you, it's very cute
5. Do chinchillas like to be held and cuddled during play time? from my experience, no. i have one boy that actively asks to be picked up but hates being held (go figure) so you pick him up, he wrestles with you, you put him down, he asks to b picked up again.
mae, my rescue girl will happily be held but if you gave her a choice, she'd prefer you didn't cuddle her. the rest tolerate being held but certainly don't enjoy it. what they do like, however, is tickling and scratching around their head, some like stroking down the back - it varies for each. i think if they're on the floor, it doesn't feel as much as them being carried away by a predator.
6. Would the wood toys, even the colored wood, be a suitable toy for my chinchilla? yes and they love them. you need to be careful - and this goes for food, treats and everything else - there is no legal requirement for manufacturers to make sure a pet product is suitable for the pet it's labeled for and often they are not so you have to check yourself. there also is a lot of contradicting info out there. i find that my chins don't particularly like the wooden blocks but they like sticks and balls etc. quite often, i order stuff for them and they go absolutely crazy for a new thing so i order lots and lots next time and they go 'er.. mother.. not too keen on these anymore'
7. Where is a good place for buying quality toys? there are some good internet shops - i'm in the uk but i'm sure our us members will give you some info!
8. When I first bring my chinchilla home, how should I go about introducing it to myself and getting it used to it's new home? generally you would leave him/her alone for the first couple of days just so he/she can get used to the environment without a person nosing around. then, it very much depends on the chin how quickly you get friendly with one another. best thing is to put your hand in the cage and let the chin come to you. giving a bit of food (if it's younger than 6 months treats are not a good idea) and hand feed builds confidence. they will nibble on your hand and you have to make sure you keep moving it slightly, otherwise they bite down too hard - quite painful!
9. What is the best chinchilla food to feed them from petco or petsmart? i feed a mix of beaphar care+ as some of my chins have teeth problems and science selective chinchilla food, i don't think these are available in the us but i think lots of people feed mazuri or oxbow over there. and timothy hay. the important thing to remember is to feed high quality pellets and not chinchilla mix.
10. If the chinchilla is bonded with me, would it be friendly toward other family members that live in the house? probably but it will depend on the effort other family members make! my first chin absolutely loved me and disliked everybody else!
11. How much time is recommended to spend with my chinchilla each day to keep it happy and healthy? it varies. if they're in your bedroom, you'll probably spend enough time. i find that my chins are awake at different times of the day. the boys you don't even see during the day, they're in their snugs/tunnels and would get really grumpy if i tried to wake them up. girls are always alert. they sleep but they also wake up as soon as you walk into the room.
12. Would my chinchilla be okay if its cage is somewhat close to a window? yes but it needs to be draft free and they cannot be in direct sunlight.
13. With my cage, I will need bedding at the bottom and in the nesting box, correct? bedding - if you choose to do bedding, it shouldn't come in contact with the chinchilla as they would get soiled bits onto the fur. i don't use bedding as i use fleece pads instead - this is not suitable to all the chins as some may chew it. nesting box is good, any housing is good as they enjoy hiding
14. When I clean the cage, will I need to take every toy and shelf out and clean it or do they pick on corner to go to the bathroom in? I will obviously change the bedding anyways and in the nesting box but just don't know what to expect. you will need to clean the shelves but you won't need to take them out for it. they tend to go in a corner but sometimes they decide to pee on a shelf.
oh, one more thing - have you considered getting a pair of chinchillas? they do much better in pairs and they will love you just the same. but you will have to make sure that they are the same sex (triple check! lots of people who sell them don't sex them correctly!)
