Chilli's article for September 2004

More Information On Chinchilla Behaviour

Chilli Champion is on holiday, visiting relations in the High Andes, so he has reluctantly allowed Roger to write this month's article!

Behaviour of chinchillas can be problematic in some cases. I will try to cover as much as I can on the subject, using actual calls to the Chinchilla Chat Line as a guide.

Generally your chinchilla will be well behaved if he/she is kept entertained with lots of toys, a good diet - and of course, my 'pet' subject (excuse the pun ) being allowed to exercise outside of the cage. At least three hours a day of external exercise ( where possible ) is ideal.

My chinchillas have their own room ( yes they are spoilt rotten ) so it is easy for me to allow them out of the cage for exercise most of the day. I realise that this is not possible in many cases, you may not have the room to enable this, but  it is no excuse not to let them out for at least a couple of hours every day. I cannot stress strongly enough the beneficial impact time out of the cage will have on your pet's mental and physical well-being. Try to imagine what your chinchilla's life would be like if they still lived in the wild. They may now be domesticated animals, acclimatised to life in a cage but they still have their instincts. They cannot exercise sufficiently inside their cage, no matter how big it may be.

In the past I have had female chinchillas who exercised only hours before giving birth. Most animals ( like humans ) know their physical limits and will stop when they have had enough. The kittens of well exercised mothers seem to benefit enormously from their mother's contentment. This will lead to a more improved adult chinchilla. Large cages with lots of wooden requisites and suitable toys are not enough on their own but certainly help.

Chinchillas are quite intelligent and if they get bored their behavioural problems will worsen. They need to be kept exercised and entertained.

Genetics and stress are other reasons for behavioural disturbances. A badly behaved adult chinchilla may produce a very stressful kitten. It is always possible to change a kitten's behaviour if you have charge of them from about three months of age and carefully reprimand them, but it is always a better idea to find out the nature of the kitten's parents before taking it on.

If a chinchilla is showing stress related behaviour, it may take considerable time to rectify this but will be worth it in the long run. If your stressed chinchilla is a single pet, it's condition may improve with the transitional introduction of another chinchilla, preferably one with a good temperament. Products such as chamomile tea and oil of lavender often help to calm a chinchilla. The chamomile tea should be given orally via plastic syringe, perhaps with a little honey to counteract the bitterness. One or two syringes each day should be enough. Oil of lavender should be dabbed in the chinchilla's sleeping area ( wooden hut or cardboard box/tube )

On rare occasions I have known two opposite sex chinchillas, both with behavioural problems to bond together, thereby cancelling out their bad behaviour. This has been achieved by myself and another owner in the past.

I once had a tragic call from a  very distressed lady . She had two mature chinchillas of the opposite sex and common grey colour. The female was heavily pregnant and very tetchy and the male just wanted to mount her all the time. She came to the end of her tether by biting a hole in his neck and severing his jugular. He was found in a pool of blood, dead. The female's bad moods continued but she gave birth successfully. I had never come across such violent behaviour before and cannot give a concise opinion on why this happened. I can only theorise that some chinchillas do have such outrageous behavioural problems that they have to live alone. in this case, the chinchillas were both well exercised and had a good diet so it would seem sadly that this female's problems, exacerbated by pregnancy were just too profound.

You can never tell straightaway what sort of problems your chinchilla may have. Indeed, many have no behavioural anomalies at all. Being a good, responsible owner can only help. Invent your own pet language and talk to your chinchilla/s, give them lots of love, exercise and attention. Please don't ever neglect your pet. Do the right thing by them and you will get love and dedication in return.

R.C.S.Whear