Emma Jones
No matter how you house your chinchillas, eventually, every cage and every enclosure will become boring. Therefore, once your pets are tame, they should be allowed to roam the house every day.
Chinchillas are intelligent little adventurers who love movement and variety. However, not during the day. The nocturnal animals only wake up in the evening. That’s why you should allow your darlings to run free for at least an hour in the evening hours. Chinchillas are incredibly curious and will scrutinize everything. In addition, they enthusiastically gnaw at everything that does not flee in time. It is hardly possible to make an apartment absolutely “chinchilla-safe”.
That’s why freewheeling is best done under your supervision. If you observe your rascals every day, you will get to know them very well and quickly notice when something is wrong with them. At the same time, the animals get used to your presence more and more and become very trusting. So it is quite possible that you will be converted into a climbing frame.
The safe apartment
Before the curious rascals can go on a discovery tour, you have to eliminate potential sources of danger. It is best to keep indoor plants out of reach. Chinchillas will chew on anything, including plants that may be poisonous to them. Cleaning agents, medicines, and other chemicals should also not be accessible to the animals. They can very easily get poisoned by it. Cupboards, drawers, and washing machines should always be securely locked so that the nimble animals do not accidentally get trapped. Windows and doors must also not be left open, otherwise, the chinchillas will quickly escape. Cables lying around are very dangerous. If the animals bite through them, they can get an electric shock. For this reason, sockets should also be protected by child safety devices. Drowning and burning are other dangers. Don’t let the animals near a full bathtub or a lit candle. Be sure to also secure all valuable furniture, carpets, and books. Chinchillas are rodents and nothing is safe from their little teeth.
Disappeared
Chinchillas are incredibly quick and agile. Despite all caution, it can happen that an animal escapes through a gap or a door. Now it’s time to keep calm! If the fugitive is still in the house, the emergency plan is as follows: Immediately close the room into which the chinchilla escaped. Also close the windows, all drawers, and cupboards. Seal niches and gaps behind furniture. Also, remember that chinchillas can jump very high, even closet roofs need to be secured. If the pen is in the same room, open it up and place a treat right by the entrance. If the cage is in another room, provide the animal with another den. This can be a sleeping house or a transport box. Put some of the usual bedding and food inside. Then leave the room and give the animal rest for several hours. When you check in the morning, chances are your pet is sleeping peacefully in its den. If the chinchilla escaped into the open, the chances are worse. Don’t chase after the runaway, it will only scare him more. Make sure it is quiet, provide the animal with a den with food and wait a night. If the chinchilla is not found in the burrow the next morning, notify your neighbors as well as nearby animal shelters and veterinarians. Maybe someone saw your little friend.