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[Maite]

Hi all, I'm new here so bare with me just in case this question has already been posted.

I have a typical normal greyish chinchilla which is in good health (I think) and what I thought was a normal size, he is about 3 years old or maybe a bit more.

The other day I went to a pet shop and there were 2 chinchillas, a grown 2 year old and a baby of less than 1 year, they both are bigger than mine, including the baby, is this normal for my chin to be this small?

Someone told me it grows to suit the cage it's in, I don't think this could be true because he's cage is huge, it's a 7 story cage over 1.60m tall and about 1m wide, he spends most of his time on the top shelve but has to go around to eat and drink so he does use the full cage.

Thanks for your help.

[GrayRodent]

The size of a chinchilla is a genetic trait. A high quality chinchilla from a breeder will typically grow larger than chinchillas from a pet store. Sometimes breeders will sell chins cheap to pet stores because they don't meet their industry standards in size where large is most desirable. Chinchillas bred with no regard to quality will generally turn out to be small as well.

Diet in their developing months can also be a factor but it is mostly genetics. A chinchilla is fully grown usually in less than a year. Smaller chinchillas can be just as healthy as bigger ones. My first chinchilla was from a pet store, about a year old, and weighed about 450g before he got sick. My second is from a breeder, is 3.5 months old and already weighs 350g and is gaining steadily at around 2g per day.

[Maite]

Thanks for the info, I weighed him today, he's weight is just over 450g

[GrayRodent]

I think male chinchillas can get over 800g if they have good bloodlines. Females tend to be larger.