How to Buy a Chinchilla

Chinchillas are fast becoming a popular family pet. Pet stores are starting to stock them more, but are they the best option? What can you expect to pay for a chinchilla? Should you buy just one or should you buy them in pairs?

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Money
• Internet connection
• Patience

1. The first thing you need to do when purchasing a chinchilla is to make absolutely sure that this is the pet you want. They are not easy to take care of and they can live up to twenty years. They are are a very long-term commitment and you need to be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to keep a pet chinchilla.

2. If you have decided that you want to buy a chinchilla, the next step to consider is where from? Many pet stores have plenty of chinchillas on hand, but the animals tend to be unhealthy, unfriendly, and cost a lot. A breeder is your best option. They tend to carry high quality, healthy, docile chinchillas, have more varieties in color, and cost much less than a pet store will charge.

3. To find a good breeder, you'll need to get online. Go to your favorite search engine and search for chinchilla breeders in your area. While chinchillas are becoming more popular as pets, they are still pretty rare and you may need to travel a bit to find a good chinchilla, but the difference in a breeder chinchilla versus a pet store chinchilla is well worth the extra travel.

4. If you have found a breeder (or breeders), you will need to contact them to see how many chinchillas they have available and what their prices are. A good breeder will want you to visit the chinchilla to make sure it will be a good fit. When pricing a chinchilla, you can expect a standard gray (the kind in the picture for this article) for roughly $75.00 to $100.00 and the price will go up from there for the different color varieties, with varieties like violet, velvet, and mosaic costing the most.

5. If you have found a breeder and know they have good prices on their chinchillas, you face another big question. Should you buy just one chinchilla or more than one? In reality though, it does not matter that much. A chinchilla can do just fine on its own if you give it plenty of attention. However, if you know that there might be days you will not be able to play with it, you should consider buying multiples. If you choose to buy multiples, it is always best to buy cage-mates, siblings, or mom-daughter/dad-son pairs. The most important thing with buying multiples is to buy them all in the same sex. Males are not territorial unless there is a female present and females get along well with each other as well.

6. Once you have found a breeder, have agreed on a price, and have decided whether or not to purchase multiples, you will need to make a visit with the breeder to choose your chinchilla(s). If you find a good match, you can take your chinchilla home. If you do not find a good match, do not worry. Just find another breeder or wait until this breeder has more chinchillas available.

7. Just be patient. It may take a few days or a few months to find a chinchilla. It will happen eventually though, so take heart in that fact and keep trying.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not rush things. It is better to get a good chinchilla that you will get along with than settle for one that you will not be happy about.
• Be wary of breeders that do not want you to visit with the potential chinchillas or encourage you to make a purchase before you have seen them. If they want your service and if they are legitimate breeders, they will want to make sure that it is a good fit before allowing you to make a purchase.

[CWilliams]

on 12/17/2008 Great Tips!+5