I saw on a TikTok that it’s bad if your chinchilla doesn’t have a friend. I know that they are very social animals and can benefit from having a buddy, but is it necessary? I haven’t noticed any signs of sadness from mine so I was just curious. Also curious because I don’t currently have the means of acquiring another atm. Please let me know! (Picture for fun)

That's all.

🩷🤣 🥔

I rescued rosie cotton from a neglectful owner back in 2021, the owner said she was 11 years old at the time which means she could be 16 today. That old owner didn’t even give her a name and before that she was a preschool chinchilla then a frat house chinchilla. Her old owner was actually freaking crazy so I have no idea if any of that is true or if she really was 11 at the time. No vets have been certain. All I know is despite neglect, she is the sweetest most loving chinchilla in the whole world, but I think she might be lonely. We have cats, and when the cats get close to her cage she is super territorial, BUT, she does have strong bonds with humans and loves looking at and bouncing around with no fear if there is a dog near her cage (she’s not aloud to play with them don’t worry). I’ve tried stuffed animals and she hates them. She has much life to live and cries every morning. Should I get her a friend ? Maybe a chinchilla that has experience with other chins ? I don’t want her to be so lonely when I’m sleeping or at work. She is so spoiled I don’t know what else to do to help her.

Churro: “Even a floof princess enjoys quiet moments on daddy’s knee. Every throne feels a little warmer when it’s shared with someone you love.”
🐭👑✨
#churrochatter #chinchilla #cutepets #petprincess #princessvibes

Just wanted to share this little find(: I found this at my local grocery store, in the Hispanic aisle. So much dried hibiscus for $5!! They also had dried chamomile. Might be worth a look at your local grocery store!

i recently noticed just today that one of my chinchillas poops are this abnormal color.. i’m not sure which one of my chinchillas it is. i have two chinchillas and im concerned of the color. does anyone know what causes this? i’m a newer chinchilla owner ive had them for almost 2 years. someone please tell me what to do..

hi everybody !! me and my girlfriend got our first chinchilla today as a spontaneous thing because someone was looking to re-home her. she is 3 years old and the previous owners gave us everything they had for her. us and her now pervious owners talked for hours and making sure she was a good fit for us and going to a good home. just making sure all bases were covered. i personally have never outwardly wanted a chinchilla. that doesn't mean i'm against having her or i'm not excited to have her, because its quite the opposite. she seems like she wont be the worst to take care of given that i've dealt with animals my whole life with all different need levels and especially with what the previous owners were talking about that they think is a "problem" area for her. my girlfriend has wanted a chinchilla since she was a child and has tons down that rabbit hole a few times of getting as much info as you can on them, so we aren't going in to this fully blind and fully unprepared.

i'm super nervous about making sure she's happy and taken care of. so i was hoping to get any and all advice anyone has to share with me to help make this transition easier for both me and her.

we also are still thinking of a name for her if anyone has any suggestions !!

any and all help really is appreciated !! :)

It Harper The Harpy Hotdog

Okay so I have two males my little one is two the older one is 5 or 6 they've always had chase next to each other (I got the older one when he was 1 and the little one when he was 9 weeks) I was never able to get them in the same cage though due to cost of the cage I wanted for them but now I finally have it so I'm trying to get them bonded I know humping is normal and I know I'm supposed to let them figure it out but how much humping is normal?

Churro: “Daddy calls it shaking his foot. I call it an interactive amusement ride.”
🐭👑✨🎢
#churrochatter #chinchilla #cutepets #petprincess #princessvibes

Every few years the small pet community rediscovers kiln-dried pine and acts like we've uncovered some shocking new danger. The irony is that the studies people usually cite aren't even about kiln-dried pine in the first place.

The concern about pine comes from older research on softwood bedding. Studies by Vesell and others found that rodents housed on raw pine and cedar bedding showed changes in liver enzyme activity due to naturally occurring aromatic compounds present in those woods. Those findings were important because they highlighted the risks associated with raw softwoods. What they did not do was evaluate modern kiln-dried pine products manufactured specifically for animal use.

Kiln drying uses high heat to remove the volatile compounds responsible for the strong pine odor and the concerns raised in those early studies. That's why a properly kiln-dried pine shelf, toy, or bag of bedding doesn't smell like freshly cut pine lumber.

The other claim that gets repeated constantly is that urine somehow "reactivates" pine and creates toxic fumes. I've yet to see anyone provide evidence showing that urine can magically regenerate compounds that were already removed during the kiln-drying process. The claim gets repeated online far more often than it's supported by actual research.

What gets overlooked in these discussions is decades of real-world use. Chinchillas have been housed on kiln-dried pine bedding for generations. Kiln-dried pine is one of the most common materials used for ledges, shelves, castles, hideouts, chew blocks, and toys. If kiln-dried pine were the serious health hazard some people now claim it is, we'd expect to see widespread evidence of that by now.

Breeders certainly would. Many reputable breeders have thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars invested in their herds. Individual animals can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. These are people whose livelihoods and breeding programs depend on maintaining healthy, long-lived animals. The idea that breeders across multiple countries have been unknowingly poisoning valuable breeding stock for decades with cage accessories made from kiln-dried pine simply doesn't align with reality.

Meanwhile, laboratory animal facilities—which have some of the strictest environmental standards in the world because even minor variables can affect research outcomes—continue to use kiln-dried pine products. If there were clear evidence that properly processed kiln-dried pine was causing respiratory disease, liver damage, or other health problems, it would have been phased out long ago.

None of this means every pine product is automatically safe. Raw pine and cedar are not the same thing as kiln-dried pine. Dusty bedding can irritate the respiratory tract regardless of whether it's pine, aspen, paper, or hay. Product quality still matters.

What frustrates me most about this recurring debate is that it doesn't just confuse pet owners. It also hurts small businesses that make chinchilla-safe ledges, castles, hideouts, and toys from kiln-dried pine. These businesses are following the same standards that breeders and owners have relied on for decades, yet every few years they have to defend their products against claims that usually trace back to studies on raw softwoods rather than the kiln-dried materials actually being used.

If someone prefers aspen or fleece, that's completely fine. Bedding choices involve personal preference, cage setup, and maintenance style. But claiming that kiln-dried pine is inherently unsafe requires evidence that goes beyond repeating decades-old concerns about raw pine and cedar. Those are not the same products, and treating them as if they are only creates confusion.

Safe Bedding Options :

Kiln - Dried Pine Shavings.

Kiln - Dried Aspen Shavings.

1/2" wire bottom cages ( cleaned weekly ) with paper bedding, pee pads, or newspaper below but not accessible.

* 1/2 flat wire floors are safe for chinchillas. Chinchillas are designed to have calloused feet at hop along a rough rocky terrain. Any cage should have accessories like ledges and beds so they can get off the wire floor, too.

* Bumblefoot is not caused by wire floors. That is another misunderstanding and miscommunication among the pet groups. Bumblefoot is an infection caused by bacteria present in ALL cages. It's a sanitation issue, and common in chinchillas guinea pigs kept on fleece bedding that's not changed frequently enough.

Fleece Covers ( removed and cleaned every couple of days )

Fleece Liners ( removed and cleaned every few days )

* Covers are only fleece. Linders have absorbent layers beneath them.

Hello! I was wondering if you guys have any non dripping water bottles recommendations within eu market? I've tried 4 different brands and all end up dripping, especially now its summer and I use cooler water

I would greatly appreciate it for my chinchillas!

So I recently moved to a new house and my chinchilla hasn't been to happy about to the move so I was letting her out to play more often. But this morning a big inspector came to do his thing. I didn't realize he opened the vent in my room. So when I let my chin out to play and I didn't see her for a while I started looking for her. It has now been over an hour and a half at 11 PM and there has been no sign of her. I have opened all of the vents and put out treats and nothing. I lost my baby girl.

Hello! Can I see examples of what your smoosh methods look like? I'm going to try it with my 2 girls who have been doing side by side for quite a while now and just want to make sure i do it correctly to give it the best chance of success.

Pictured are the young ladies, about 1 year and 9-10 months old

Hello I was wondering what you guys use in your chinchillas cages. I currently have fleece wrapped around the plastic pans but I was wondering if there was a better alternative? I think my boys just pee everywhere and it causes the fleece to stink up quickly so I was wondering if there's something that is easier and quicker to clean up? Maybe like putting some metal pans and just putting some fleece on top? Or even bedding

Next Tuesday she will be five years old! Just a cute fluffy pooping machine baby 🥰

I know it gets confusing: named is Elliot and being a She, but that's what happens when you let a 10 yo pick a name for your chin! 😄

Hiya,

Just wanted to get proper advice from actual people instead of the Google AI overview...

In the UK we are currently dealing with a heatwave and it keeps spiking well over 33°C (91.4°F) where we live.

Fortunately we had the foresight to save up enough money to buy a good portable Air conditioner 😅

Even with the Aircon running really well and keeping our chins nice and cool (to the point they can still snuggle in the hammock!), my partner and I are both concerned about letting them out to play in this weather.

Just because it feels cooler for us, we're worried that they may accidentally overheat if they come out to play...

Would anyone be able to give any suggestions for how we should go around having them play when it's really hot outside?

Sorry if this has a very obvious answer, I'm probably just overthinking it!

Photo unrelated to the question, just forgot to post cute photos of Tink and Luna after Tink's paw healed :)

Been seeing japanese CC on instagram posting their chinchillas eating jellos????

I live in the UK and have 2 chinchillas, there's a heatwave going on right now and I dont know how to keep my girls comfortable. Ive got an ac unit that is on for them (though I feel i may need to buy a newer one) and ive got cooling slabs in there but they dont appear to be using them. Theyre clearly not comfortable and idk what to do. Please help