Silly Chinchilla Village

"H" is for hammock, a favorite toy for any chinchilla.

Fleece is a favorite cuddle buddy for chinchillas since many live solitary lives. In their natural habitat, chins live in colonies and will cuddle with their family members as they sleep.

For a single chin, a fleece hammock not only provides comfort and reduces stress by providing a comfy place to nap, but it adds another type of leaping toy. As they leap from ledge to perch in their a cage, a fleece hammock provides a contrasting landing zone.

Some rescues and breeders have also switched from recycled paper or ash tree shavings to fleece liners for their cages. Not only are they more economical, as you only need to buy two sets for each cage, but they are easier to sweep out at the end of each day.

Many rescues make and sell a variety of fleece products for chins, like the hammock, and cage liners, but also other fleece toys to keep your chin happy and entertained all night. Some of the cutest ones I have seen are cuddle buddies and hanging hide out houses.

Yes, chins do get stressed very easily. Remember, they are nothing more than a very tame wild animal we are trying to domesticate. Next to a high quality wheel, a wooden sleeping hut and a few leaping ledges a warm and cuddly fleece hammock will be your silly chinchilla's best friend.

This is my little buddy Smoke. He is a crazy little dude who loves to bark at you, but he really doesn't mean anything by it. Nomy - Nomy - Nomy - he loves his hay cubes and carrot oat treats.

A friend of mine has a 2-2-2 rule about feeding her chinchillas and I had never really thought about it until she mentioned it, but it's a pretty good rule to follow. Everyday, one chinchilla (and of course this will vary by the size and personality of your chin) should eat 2 ounces of a high quality chinchilla specific (not rabbit or guinea pig) pellets, 2-3 hay cubes and never 2 much hay.

Chinchillas love their sweets! I am very cautious and controlling with the type of treats my chins get and how often. First thing in the morning, I will hand out either an unfrosted shredded wheat or a banana chip the size of a dime or a penny. This lets me check their alertness and eyes to make sure everyone made it through the night without and bumps or strains. I also give them one hard, crunchy treat once a week, like the carrot oat cookies Smoke is eating in the picture. They are made for horses, so I break each one in half and give each chin a big treat once a week.

The one big caution I have for giving your chinchilla too many treats is that it is really bad for their health. They are very prone to diabetes, fatty liver disease and malocclusion if their diet is not just right. Treats should never be included in their normal, daily diet.

A happy, health chin will thank you with warbles and chitters for an appropriate and balanced diet.