Buyer question
Is a chinchilla good for beginners?
It can be: our Animal Library rates the Chinchilla 3 out of 5 for beginners (long, careful commitment).
Source: the Standard Gray chinchilla page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Chinchilla in the Animal Library
The detail
Standard gray is the natural chinchilla color, blue-gray on top with a white belly, and the base of every mutation. It is also the hardiest line, but every chinchilla lives 10 to 20 years, overheats easily and needs dust baths.
- Best fit
- Long-term, cool-home owners
- Handling
- 2 out of 5 (Dislikes being held)
- Care load
- 3 out of 5 (Dust baths, cool room)
What to weigh
A commitment of up to twenty years to an animal that overheats easily, dislikes being held and needs chew-proof space. Teeth grow for life and can fail.