How to Trap a Chinchilla
Your pet chinchilla has gotten out of its designated play area. You might be fearful that your delicate pet may get hurt, killed by a predator or lost forever. A pet chinchilla simply can not survive on its own for long, so you must work quickly to catch your pet chinchilla. Chinchillas are nimble creatures designed to jump, climb and bound through rocky terrain, so you simply can't chase one down to catch it. You can trap your chinchilla without risking injury to your pet.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Find a humane live animal trap. You can purchase these online but you may not have time to wait for shipping, as your chinchilla will need rescue as soon as possible. Some pet retail stores sell humane live animal traps as part of their regular inventory. You can also try farm supply stores and pest control services. If you are still unable to find a humane live trap, call your local animal control office and ask if you can borrow one. The telephone number should be in the blue government section of your telephone book.
-
2
Bait the humane live animal trap. Choose something that you know your pet chinchilla is fond of--possibly fruit, raisins, hay treats or fresh celery. Place enough of the bait into the cage so that it's too tempting for your chinchilla to resist. The bait should be set at the farthest side of the trap away from the trap door.
-
-
3
Set the trap by pulling the door of the trap upward while pushing the inner stepping plate down. Secure the door pin.
-
4
Place the trap near where you think your chinchilla may be hiding. If you don't know where the chinchilla could be, place the trap in an area that is easily accessible to your chinchilla. Disappear from sight and wait for a few hours.
-
5
Chin-proof your house while you are waiting so that when your chinchilla is trapped, you can place it in a safer environment. Preventing escape is the best means of keeping your animal safe and sound. If you know how your chinchilla escaped, remedy the problem. If it escaped through a hole in a window screen for example, replace the screen. Remove all hazards from the area, such as buckets, toxic cleaners, toxic plants, toiletry items and electrical cords. Look around your home for other escape routes. Check all of the windows, screens, doors, vents and ducts.
-
6
Make some fliers on your home printer describing your chinchilla, or add a photo if you have one. You should include your pet chinchilla's name, address and telephone number on the flier. Staple them to telephone poles in the neighborhood and pass them out to neighbors. You might get lucky and someone might see your chinchilla or even capture it. Consider offering a reward for the safe return of your chinchilla.
-
7
Check the trap after several hours. If your chinchilla is still not in the trap, replace the old bait with new bait and try again. Repeat the process of checking the trap every few hours until you have captured your chinchilla or until your fliers were successful and someone brings your chinchilla home.
-
1
