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[aprinceton]

Hi, I'm going to be getting 2 chinchillas in about a month from somebody who can't take care of hers anymore. I have taken care of classroom chinchillas at my school, but I'm sure I don't know everything about taking care of them! I just had a few questions.
I know they're nocturnal. Now, I have a hedgehog, and they're nocturnal. For hedgehogs, you must have light 12-14 hours a day to make sure you don't throw off their schedule. Do chinchillas need a light schedule? I'm probably going to get them some sort of lamp since they're going in the basement where it's dark all the time, but do I need a specific time schedule?
Also, I know they need to run free outside of their cage every day/every couple days. I wanted to make them a corner in the basement near their cage, but I'm not sure how to block it off. I know they can jump really high! Does anyone have suggestions for kind of blocking a chinchilla corner in, or do I need to find a small room they can run around? (I'm not sure I can...)

Thanks for your time!
p.s. I know putting them in the basement sounds like I'm shoving them down there because I don't want them, but it's really just the only place that's cool enough in the summer without me running an A/C for them constantly (:

[GrayRodent]

Welcome to our forums and congrats on your new pets. Considering they have not been properly cared for I highly recommend having them checked by a vet who specializes in exotics and make sure they are at a good weight. Dental health is a huge priority with chinchillas and they should have constant access to wood and loose timothy hay. their pelleted diet must be very plain and not be a mixture. My personal recomnendation is Oxbow pellets. Many diets marketed for chinchillas are actually quite toxic to them. Treats should be very limited or not given and must be very specific to the.
Chins are crepuscular animals so they're not strictly nocturnal but they are active mostly at night. I recommend using a light timer 12 hours on and 12 off. The more you interact with them during the day the more they will be awake during the day. Chins used to being in a quiet place, unlike pets in a classroom, will likely stress easily. Minimize interaction the first week you have them and take things slow. Taming chinchillas is a process. I hope it will all go well for you. If you have any questions please ask.

[aprinceton]

Thanks so much! I'll look into getting a timer (:

These chinchillas were taken care of properly, the girl who had them just has to go away to college and can't keep them anymore, sorry for the confusion! To my knowledge they are in excellent health & properly cared for.

I'm so excited! I accidentally spent almost two hours today reading how to take care of them and watching videos about them on youtube... oops!

[GrayRodent]

That's great. I'm sure you've seen some conflicting views on how to care for chinchillas. I'm just going to warn you that there is a lot of goofiness out there. Chinchillas are very easy to take care of but they have very specific needs that must be met. If you have any questions please ask. We have expert volunteers and I'm given a great deal of accurate information from people with experience.

Make sure your basement is well ventilated because chinchillas can be prone to respiratory infections. Such infections usually are not survivable if they are contracted so minimize moisture as much as possible and take great care to avoid causes of respiratory irritation especially chemical cleaners. If you have to use any kind of cleaners take your pets upstairs and make sure the fumes are thoroughly cleared out.

Chinchillas are also very fragile and must be handled carefully. If they fall from your hands they may not survive it. Know how to properly hold and restrain them because they typically don't like to be restrained unless they have been handled frequently.

[jmdebb]

hi and congrats.

i have a good amount of beginner info on my site....   

http://tjschinchillasupplies.com/infopage.html#pet

[aprinceton]

thanks grayrodent! We have a big dehumidifier in the basement to keep it nice and dry, and I have handled chinchillas a lot in my classroom so I know how to hold them (:
We don't usually use cleaners in the basement, I'm just going to clean out where I'm keeping them because it's dirty down there, but I'm not getting them for at least a month so I'm sure the chemicals will be aired out by then (: