Terrific Tips for Taming and Caring for Chinchillas
Caring for chinchillas (a.k.a. chin) properly is a very involved subject. They need to be feed, groomed, and tamed properly, and this takes quite a bit of work. However, it can be made simpler when you apply some of the following tips:
Feeding Tips
Make Sure You Feed Them The Right Food Pellets:
In order to ensure that your chinchilla receives the proper diet you can feed them food pellets. If you do, remember that you need to feed them ones especially made for them. You cannot feed your chin rabbit, gerbil, hamster, or other rodent food and expect it to have the same effect as chinchilla food. Feeding them the right food pellets is the best way to provide for them the proper food and nutrition they need to grow up healthy and strong.
Note: In the event you run out of chinchilla food, you can feed your pet rabbit or gerbil food until you order or purchase some more. It can be hard to come by. However, the point is to remember that chinchillas are better sustained for the long term on food that has been created just for them.
Provide The Right Nutritional Balance:
One of the most important aspects in choosing feed for your chin is to make sure it contains the right the right nutritional balance ratios. For example, it is important that the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio fed to your pet is two parts to one. You also need to know which vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to a chin’s diet. Some of the other nutritional requirements of chinchillas include Protein (approximately 20%), Fiber (approximately 12%), and Digestible Energy (about 11.30 mg/KG). They also need vitamins such as Vitamins E, A, D3, K, B1, B2, and B12, and a variety of other minerals such as copper, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and iron.
Besides food pellets, chinchillas can also eat certain vegetables, grains, and grasses. Not only does your pet like them, but they also aid in supplying all of the nutrients that it needs. One of the most important “foods” to offer your pet chin is free-choice grass hay, which provides fiber, an essential digestive ingredient. Types of hay that you can feed your pet include that of oats, orchard, brome, or timothy. Hay not only is good for the digestive system but also helps keep your pets teeth healthy, because they like to chew-a lot! You can also feed your pet veggies such as romaine or red leaf lettuce, carrot tops, and dandelion greens as a snack in limited quantities. Some of the herbs they eat include cilantro, mint, basil, oregano, and thyme.
Taming and Caring Tips
Choose Captive-Bred Chins Over Wild Chins:
If you want to be sure that your animal will be safe enough to live in your home-especially if you have small children or other pets-you will want to invest in a captive bred species. They will be less likely to hurt or harm anyone in your household and will be less likely to carry unknown or known foreign disease agents.
Purchase Already Tamed:
The best way to know if your animal will be tamed is to just let a professional do it-unless this happens to be a hobby of yours. If you know how to properly train your pet you can do it yourself, otherwise, it is best to have a pro do it for you, or just purchase one that has been domesticated already.
Never Force Yourself on the Animal:
If you have ever heard of the old time cliché that says you can lead your horse to water but you cannot make it drink you can apply that same principals to training and taming chinchillas. The animal needs to take the initiative on its own to want to follow your orders. If you push your pet too hard that pet will want to rebel against you, or at least just do the opposite of what you tell it to do. This is very similar to the way people train their children, and is a good principal to follow-try to allow the animal some free will when training (taming) it.
Coax Your New Pet With A Treat:
If you want your pet to come out of the cage and you want to hold it, then you can feed it a small treat. One recommendation is to hand your pets some raisons. Soon the chinchilla will want to hop right into your arms and bond with you.
Hold Your Chin Properly:
When you carry your pet chinchilla you need to remember to grip it steadily by the tail. You don’t want to lift it like that, but if you hold it by the tail it could prevent your chin from falling.
Keep In The Cage When Unattended:
If you want to make sure other household pets and children are kept safe and disease-free you are advised to keep the animal in the cage when you are not home. You should also keep it in the cage when you are at sleep at night or preoccupied with any other household activity. Furthermore, you should always be present when your pet is let loose around your children.
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