What do chinchillas eat at home. What do chinchillas eat at home - lists of allowed and prohibited foods

1. You can not bathe a chinchilla in water just like that.

Water procedures will not lead to anything good. Not only can a chic fur coat suffer, the animal can simply catch a cold and become seriously ill. It is impossible to wet the wool of chinchillas, only in the most extreme cases. Each chinchilla should be able to take sand baths 2-3 times a week. Moreover, the sand for such baths should not be quartz (it is too coarse for a delicate chinchilla coat), but special (the so-called "volcanic dust").

2. You can not keep a chinchilla in a small cage.

Chinchillas love to move and jump. At the same time, freedom of movement vertically (jumping from shelf to shelf) is very important for them. Therefore, cages for pigs or rabbits are absolutely not suitable for chinchillas, in which the space is not vertical, but horizontal.

It is undesirable to keep a chinchilla without a house in a cage. The inability to hide in a suitable wooden house is a great stress for her, the chinchilla loves minks and tunnels, needs the opportunity to retire in a calm, darkened place. Minimum cage dimensions for one chinchilla: width 60cm, height 50cm, depth 40cm. Shelves: at least 1 shelf. The chinchilla can jump sitting still to a height of 20 cm. The layout of the shelves should be in a Z-shape so that the chinchilla does not hit its nose. High cages (showcases) are divided into 2 floors, so that the chinchilla would not be able to jump higher than 30-50 cm, in order to avoid fractures. If a chinchilla lives in a rabbit cage for a long time, this will have a bad effect on its digestion, psychological state and development in general ...

3. You can not let chinchillas walk around the apartment without supervision.

Chinchillas are rodents that like to try anything that catches their attention with a very sharp tooth. They are easy to crush or step on.

And half the trouble if the animal just ruins your wallpaper, coffee table or favorite book. The chinchilla has no idea about the dangers of electric current and will not stop at the wires connected to the network. In case of oversight on a walk, they can spoil furniture or equipment with their teeth, they will gnaw at everything that lies badly and try to crawl into any gap ... It is better to allow walks in only one room: a hall or a bedroom. There are a lot of smells in the kitchen, and in the hallway we change shoes and there is an opportunity to infect the chinchilla with protozoa ...

4. You can not give a chinchilla to eat nuts (this is not a squirrel) and a lot of fresh food (this is not a pig).

The main food of a chinchilla in captivity is high-quality pelleted food and good hay. Nuts, as well as an excess of fresh vegetables or fruits, can harm the animal's delicate digestive system and internal organs. You can not feed chinchillas with treats alone, although they themselves do not refuse them. After all, you will not feed a small child with sweets alone. Treats should remain treats, that is, those that the animal receives occasionally, for example, as a reward for the executed command. Chinchilla is a herbivore, and their liver is not designed for nuts and seeds in large quantities,

Better - eliminate them from the diet altogether. It is also not advisable for a person to eat fried potatoes once a week, especially those who have a weak liver.

The owner of the chinchilla decides what his chinchilla will eat and what not.

5. You can not cross relatives. This item applies to any animal.

Why is inbreeding dangerous? In offspring obtained from close relatives, negative characteristics (defects, predisposition to diseases) increase. Sometimes breeders take risks to reinforce some quality (eg color, body shape, etc.). But this is a risk, often a very serious one. After all, the desired quality may not appear at all, and the defects that appear will darken the life of both the animals and their owners.

6. You can not put the female to the male (especially if he is older), if the female is younger than six months.

Each species of animal has a period when the individual seems to be ready for the birth of offspring, but childbirth is not yet desirable, since the body of the female is still growing and developing. Early childbirth can lead to illness (or even death) of both the offspring and the female. If you want to start a couple at once, you will have to raise the animals in separate cages until they grow up, get stronger and gain their weight, by about 7-8 months, or even longer. The female must weigh more than 500g to sit next to the male.

7. You can't expect a chinchilla to be tame like a cat.

Chinchillas are quite independent. They do not tolerate "familiar" attitude even from the owner. But with skillful taming, they calmly sit on their hands. You can’t take a chinchilla with you, like a Yorkshire dog, for these animals any moving is an extra stress.

8. You can’t let chinchillas out in the country to walk on the grass.

There are a lot of attractive things in the earth for the animal, which it absolutely cannot eat. For the same reason, they should not be allowed to gnaw at home flowers. They will taste the earth from the pot and the flowers themselves. Many house flowers are poisonous even in small quantities.

9. You can not keep chinchillas in the cold (below 14 degrees) and in drafts.

Although the chinchilla has a chic fur coat, it does not save the animal from the cold. But you can not overdo it with heat. If the room temperature is too high (+25 and above), the animal can get a heat stroke. You also need to avoid direct sunlight on the cage with the chinchilla. In winter, do not allow to the battery (you can cover it with a blanket) in order to avoid overheating.

10. You can not expect a chinchilla to go to the toilet in a special tray.

It is worth remembering that these animals poop involuntarily. You can teach a chinchilla to pee in a tray, but there is no guarantee that your animal will be so neat.

11. You can’t leave a chinchilla in a room where it’s very noisy.

For example, if you want to throw a house party, make sure that the rumble of the home stereo system is as far away from their paw ears as possible.

12. It is undesirable to leave chinchillas, even in a cage, unattended with other larger pets (cats, dogs), even if they get along well.

A cat or dog may begin to show aggression towards a chinchilla, which can frighten her very much. Fright is stress, which leads to a decrease or loss of appetite, a decrease in immunity and fearfulness even to the hands of the owner.

13. You can't change your diet drastically.

The intestinal microflora of the chinchilla is very sensitive to food changes. If it is necessary to transfer to another food, it must be added to the old one, starting with a small amount, and gradually increasing. It usually takes 7-14 days to switch to a new food.

14. You can’t catch chinchillas and grab them sharply!

They get very stressed out about it. Frequent stress leads to a stroke or cardiac arrest in the chinchilla.

If the chinchilla is released around the room, for the duration of the walk, it is better to put the cracks under the sofa, behind the cabinets, so that the chinchilla runs in plain sight, and does not sit under the sofa and possibly scream from stress.

15. Do not use oak shavings as bedding, because. fastens the animal, which can lead to death (constipation).

It is undesirable to use a filler with odors, chinchillas are allergic. It is undesirable to use sawdust with dust and dust, because. sawdust can be scattered and the fur coat of the animal will not be well-groomed. Watch out for litter litter, sand can also be used by the chinchilla as an opportunity to take a bath.

16. You can not wake up a chinchilla intentionally during the day when she is supposed to sleep.

For a chinchilla, this is stress and a decrease in immunity. People sleep at night, and chinchillas during the day. How does lack of restful sleep affect the body? Bad... If there are children at home, educate them to respect and take into account the needs of animals.

17. You can not leave things dangerous for the chinchilla around the apartment., she tries everything on the tooth and can not gnaw it, but swallow it. Absolutely without a second thought, she can eat food, which is a real poison for her. For example: chocolate, indoor flowers, foil, beads, polyethylene, lacquered wood, thread, paper (napkins, newspaper, magazines), etc.

This is if the chinchilla is released from the cage to run around in the room.

18. You can not walk a chinchilla on a leash on the street !!!

A chinchilla is a nocturnal animal, and even if you walk it at night, it still will not behave like an obedient dog. Maybe he won’t eat what he doesn’t need (a cigarette butt, a bag to gnaw), cut his paws on glass. The chinchilla eats with its paws, so it is desirable that the floor in the apartment be clean, but on the street, especially in cities, they do not belong. Chinchillas get sick with protozoa and can die from them. Chinchillas have very fragile bones and it is traumatic to pull them with a harness!

19. You can’t put a chinchilla in a sphere (a walking ball).

The ball is really a torment for them, you can’t even jump there normally ... and it’s sooo easy to get injured with it, they don’t have time to slow down, and BABAH happens ... It quickly becomes stuffy in the sphere, so the chinchilla can overheat any minute. Most often, such walks are stressful for the animal. The person thinks that the animal likes to be there, in fact, the chinchilla is trying to find a way out and run out. The best option is a spacious cage, and while cleaning the cage, transfer the chinchilla to an acceptable carrier (enough air supply, stable and not too tight). It is important for a chinchilla to jump, not to walk like a hamster.

20. No fresh apples.

There are chinchillas that have softening boluses from fresh apples and digestive problems from a couple of chinchilla bites. There are much fewer problems from dried apples, so dried apples are recommended in the general recommendation. Fresh apples contain a lot of organic compounds (which increase the acidity of gastric juice) and a high content of sugars, which is bad for the health of shunshas.

In a small amount (no more than a slice), they can be used as a source of water. For example, on the road, when the shushka is transferred from one city to another, and there is no way to put a drinker. Or if constipation is suspected (when the boluses are dry, hard, there are few of them and the chinchilla is sluggish), you can also have a little fresh apple to defecate ...

22. Do not give twigs of stone fruit trees such as: plum, cherry, apricot, peach, lemon, sweet cherry, etc. where is one bone. They contain a higher content of hydrocyanic acid, which can eventually cause poisoning in the chinchilla. It is better to give branches of apple, mulberry, willow.

23. You can not give a chinchilla a drink of not settled tap water, this can cause gastrointestinal upset. Better - filtered or bottled water WITHOUT GAS!!! You can not drink tea, coffee, milk chinchilla. Milk is digested in nursing chinchillas, i.e. up to 2 months.

24. Babies under the age of at least 3 months should not be removed. If you pick up a chinchilla at 2 months of age, this will lead to problems: the chinchilla will feel bad (it’s the same as sending a child to school at 3 years old), perhaps eat poorly, scream and cry night and day, she will need MAXIMUM Your attention, not being able to swim in the sand and take care of yourself. Chinchillas are planted from their mother at 3-4 months from the date of birth.

25. Don't take too many flash photos of your chinchilla!!! It blinds them and causes stress. It is better to take pictures in daylight, or in the light of a bright bulb with a ceiling (so that it does not blind your eyes when the chinchilla looks up).

26. You can't yell at a chinchilla. This frightens them very much, they perfectly understand the intonation of a person. Scream/noise causes stress in the chinchilla, and stress shortens life.

Chinchillas can make a lot of noise in the cage at night, it depends on the nature of the chinchilla and the existing cage and the presence of objects in it. There are quiet chinchillas, they themselves do not like to make noise, and some - on the contrary. You should never yell at a chinchilla, especially when she is sleeping. By nature, she is curious (tastes everything) and nimble (moves quickly and loves minks), almost like a child.

27. You can't chase a chinchilla she needs to sit down and rest for a while. Thick fur quickly warms them during intense running.

28. You can not plant a new chinchilla on the first day to the one already living with you. Otherwise, this leads to stress for both chinchillas, possible injuries and illnesses. It is advisable to quarantine for 30 days. Each chinchilla in its cage, the new "tenant" settles down and gets used to the changes, and the already living animal gets used to the "guest" by smell. There is no guarantee that they will get along after quarantine. Two chinchillas = two cages, in case they fight among themselves, or someone gets sick. It is advisable to examine chinchillas for the presence of protozoa in the body, at least once a year to take bolus tests to a good laboratory. Coccidiosis is common in chinchillas and rabbits. If there is a lot of coccidia in the body, this leads to constipation/diarrhea if proper nutrition and cell hygiene are observed. Methods of infection: hay contaminated with rodents from the "wilderness", a sick fellow in the cage, intrauterine infection from the mother, etc. Helminths also enter the body in about the same way, and it’s also possible from other pets (if you have them), and you just could bring some bad from the street home on shoes, and on a walk the shark could eat it (this is in that case if you practice free walks around the house).

29. It is undesirable to keep a chinchilla in a cage with other animals. such as: mice, hamsters, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles.

... it's something like racism in people, i.e. little good will come of it. Each of these animals has its own smells and characteristics of behavior, nutritional needs, as well as character. Yes, guinea pigs and rabbits get along well, but are there so few chinchillas that they can’t get a fellow chinchilla ???)))

30. Chinchilla should not be allowed to lick off medicines that are not intended for internal use and carelessly treat dosages for treatment or prevention. Learn more about the drug you have been prescribed. If there is a need to lubricate a bruise or wound, gently hold the chinchilla in your hands so that it is comfortable for her and she cannot lick off the ointment (wipe off the remnants with a bandage). Take care of the life of a chinchilla, their weight is small (it is important to know the exact weight and weigh the chinchilla at least once a week or a month), so a couple of drops of anything from medicines can be critical for them when you need to drink or inject something. It is necessary to clearly calculate the dosage of the drug, it is advisable to use the one already tested on other chinchillas and know their well-being, but taking into account the situation of your chinchilla. Prevention and treatment - that's the difference in dosage, but any treatment must be treated responsibly !!!

Special thanks to the chinchilla

Chinchillas not so long ago, but already firmly, have won a place among pets. And if earlier these animals were bred only because of valuable fur, now they are also bought as companion animals, and here the question arises of what feeds the chinchilla. Like cats or dogs.

Where do chinchillas live

These rodents came to us from distant South America. Back in the 20s of the last century, they were adapted to life on the plains and at home.

And in nature they live in the mountains, in the Andes. But due to the fact that at one time they were hunted a lot, the number of chinchillas was greatly reduced and has not yet recovered. The area of ​​their habitat in the wild has also greatly narrowed. They have long been listed in the international Red Book and are protected by the state. But even now they are considered very rare animals.

What do chinchillas eat in the wild?

Chinchillas are rodents. The nutrition of chinchillas depends on the conditions in which they live in nature. First of all, they eat plant foods, what grows in their native highlands. And these are grass, cereals and legumes (quite wild specimens), mosses, shrub branches, etc. Chinchillas also gnaw bark from trees and even cacti.

Food for chinchillas is not only grass or cereals, they do not disdain to eat insects. As, however, and many other herbivores.

In nutrition, they are not picky and in the wild they eat little. But provided that the food will be high-calorie.

The issue of nutrition is one of the most important for any living being. Both the appearance and the quantity (and quality) of the cubs depend on proper and balanced nutrition. Both health and longevity.

It should be noted that chinchillas are long-lived, unlike many other rodents, such as rats, hamsters and even rabbits. Chinchillas live for 20 or 30 or even more years.

So properly adjusted nutrition conditions can improve the quality of their life and significantly extend it.

But before we talk in detail about what or not to eat, remember one piece of advice: these animals do not tolerate a sudden change in food very well. If they are immediately transferred to a new food, they can get sick or even die! Moving to a new home is already stressful for the animal, and then there is another food. By the way, the animals are not very stress-resistant, they do not tolerate noise, travel, moving. So do not aggravate their stress with unfamiliar food.

So, when purchasing a pet, ask in detail how to feed the chinchilla, what she loves and what she is used to. And start feeding exactly the way she is already accustomed. All other changes can be introduced only gradually and not immediately.

Chinchilla food is sold in many stores. there you can also buy vitamin supplements and get advice on feeding and care.

Do not forget that these animals are nocturnal. So in the evening their activity increases significantly. So feed should be given to them in the evening. And the food must be fresh. Spoiled food should be discarded, otherwise the animal will get sick. Feeds enough once a day, or rather, in the evening.

You also need to change the water every day, it should always be clean. But it’s not needed for them, because of moisture, their fur instantly gets wet. So they do not like water and do not know how to swim. And they "wash" in nature - in sand or volcanic ash. And in cellular conditions, they should have the same sandy "bath". By the way, they love to “wash” with sand like this and they definitely need to provide this “service” so that they are healthy and happy with life. Sand helps to clean their skin and relieves stress.

First of all, this is a specialized feed, concentrated for chinchillas. This is the basis of their diet. But it is necessary to add various additives to the base so that the food is varied and balanced.

1. Grains and grain crops.
2. Various greens.
3. Goodies.

These are the main components of the feeding of these rodents. Next, we will consider in detail all the categories of feed. All components of chinchilla nutrition are equally important, without any one component, the animal can get sick or die, because on its own it cannot make up for the lack of necessary elements.

1. Tomatoes, celery, cucumbers, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini.
2. Apples, pears, melons (very few), berries, bananas (very few), wild roses, hawthorn, raisins (very few because sweet). In general, fruits or berries that are too sweet should either not be given at all, depending on the health of the animal, or their use should be significantly limited.
3. Tops of carrots, peas, as well as clover, dandelions, burdock leaves, plantain, strawberry leaves, nettles. As well as germinated cereals. Especially cereal sprouts are relevant in winter, when there are problems with fresh herbs.
4. Dried bread, namely croutons or crispbread. A small amount of.
5. Different delicacies - you need to give them a little, but constantly. It can be dried fruits, berries.

Many fruits and vegetables should not be given, only in the form of a small supplement to the main feed. Otherwise, the sensitive digestion of the rodent will be upset. Fresh leaves should be dried a little before serving, and carrots and other root crops must be washed. It is not recommended to give a lot of beets. In nature, of course, animals eat branches and roots unwashed, but domestic animals, moreover, bred in captivity and never living in the wild, digestion is more delicate than that of wild relatives. Therefore, they are very sensitive to dirty or spoiled products. But even with proper care and proper hygiene, they live much longer than their wild counterparts.

But this list is far from complete. There are also differences of opinion among experts. So it is better to clarify the diet of the pet in advance.

By the way, you need to feed the animal once a day, at a certain time, preferably in the late afternoon. And if it breaks the food and scatters, it is worth reducing the portion a little. The food must be eaten completely. Water should always be fresh, and experts recommend that it be boiled or distilled.

Now let's figure out what else you can feed a chinchilla. For proper development and grinding of teeth, twigs, sticks, driftwood should be given to gnaw. But there is a whole list of tree species that should never be given! They are poisonous to chinchillas!

These are trees like:

1. Maple.
2. Cherry.
3. Plum.
4. Elder.
5. Apricot, peach, nectarine.
6. Almond.
7. Oak - good for diarrhea, but in healthy animals it can cause constipation.
8. Pine and pine cones.
9. Spruce and fir cones.
10. All citrus.
11. Mango.
12. Sandal.
13. Cypress.
14. Such an exotic tree as a sequoia, etc.

In general, experts consider the branches of all stone fruits poisonous for these rodents! The list is far from complete, so you need to be very careful not to poison your pet. And try to check all tree species in advance before treating the animal with branches.

How to feed a chinchilla to grind her teeth painlessly? We should also not forget that chinchillas, like all rodents, have teeth growing all their lives. In nature, they grind them down on their own. At home, the owner should take care of this. Beech is highly recommended for grinding teeth - it has a hard wood that can replace stone.

If there is no suitable hard wood, then they give a stone to gnaw. Naturally, it should not be taken straight from the ground and dirty. For pets, all foods and items should be washed thoroughly before consumption.

We have analyzed in general terms what conditions feed on. Now consider what they should not eat.

In addition to desirable and mandatory products, there is a whole list of undesirable. Sometimes owners really want to feed their pets with something tasty and healthy. From the owner's point of view, of course. But some of these products that are beneficial to humans can be harmful and even dangerous to the animal.

So before you feed, you need to immediately study the list of what chinchillas cannot do. To avoid health problems.
It is necessary to immediately determine what can be eaten by chinchillas occasionally, and what should never be given.

What to feed a chinchilla list of do's and don'ts

1. Never give food that is expired, rotten or moldy. If there is uneaten food left in the feeder, it should be discarded and the feeder cleaned before adding fresh feed.
2. You can not give dirty fruits, it is in the wild that they do not wash food. And at home, they can get sick if vegetables or fruits are caught with dirt.
3. You can't overfeed treats. Just as small children should not be given a lot of sweets, so animals should be limited in treats. In general, it is better to underfeed an animal with a little goodies than to overfeed.

By the way, there is no single list of treats for all chinchillas. Some people like one thing, others another. Their tastes are individual.

1. Dried fruits are too sweet for chinchillas, it is better to give them some dried apples.
2. In general, it is better to collect and dry any dried fruits, vegetables, grass or leaves on purpose, because. purchased can be treated with chemistry. And it's bad for the animal.
3. You need to understand what a chinchilla eats at home is not at all what a person eats. Therefore, feeding her from your table is not only unnecessary, but also harmful.
4. Honey is given only to the sick and only the very drop. Lick.
5. Cottage cheese for chinchillas is harmful, oddly enough.
6. Animal products, such as sausages or sausages, are definitely not suitable for chinchillas to eat.

Can chinchillas have seeds?

Sunflower seeds destroy chinchilla liver. You can't give.
Can chinchillas have nuts?

Chinchilla, though a rodent, but not a squirrel. Nuts as well as seeds kill her liver. You can't give.

Can Chinchilla Cabbage?

No, it causes gas in the intestines. As well as sweet pepper, it also should not be given.

Can chinchillas have peanuts?

This is also a walnut. You can't give.

What grass do chinchillas eat?

It must be said right away that chinchillas eat both fresh grass and hay. See what you're used to. But this does not mean that you can give chinchillas grass both fresh and dry at the same time. It is better not to mix hay with fresh grass. And if you retrain an animal, then do it gradually, accustoming his intestines to a new food.

Hay can be bought at pet stores, but if possible, it is better to collect and dry it yourself in order to know for sure that it is clean and free of harmful impurities.

Food for chinchillas

And you need to know exactly what to feed the chinchilla mother at home, so that the kids develop correctly and grow up healthy.

During pregnancy and feeding babies, you should try to make her food more nutritious, add the necessary vitamins. It is at such a crucial moment that it is necessary to ensure that her nutrition is correct and balanced.

At first, the mother chinchilla feeds the cubs for several months. Then the little chinchillas are taken away from the mother and gradually begin to feed additionally. If there is not enough mother's milk, which happens if there are several cubs, then it is necessary to feed them. It is better to take a ready-made special formula for feeding, then you will not be mistaken with the dosage.

For full development, they need to be given additional nutrition. Greens begin to be given in small portions. It must be collected in a clean place, be sure to rinse well and dry. Grass for babies (and adults as well) is given dry, not wet!

You may also be interested

Recently, people are increasingly choosing exotic animals as pets. Among rodents, cute and fluffy chinchillas are gaining more and more popularity. Before you buy an animal and bring it into your home, it is important to get as much information about it as possible, and most importantly, find out in detail what the chinchilla eats at home so as not to harm its health with malnutrition.

Description of the animal

Chinchillas belong to the genus of rodents in the chinchilla family. By external signs, the animals are similar at the same time to squirrels, mice, and rabbits. The birthplace of chinchillas is South America, but now they are practically not found in the wild, and they are bred artificially in nurseries as pets and on fur farms to obtain valuable skins.

Adults grow up to 25-35 centimeters (excluding tails), while females are always larger than males. The main distinguishing feature is dense, thick and soft fur.

The small muzzle of the animal is crowned with rather large ears, which it needs to navigate in space at night, since chinchillas are animals that lead a nocturnal lifestyle.

The character of chinchillas is friendly, but if the animal is offended, it will respond with a bite or scratch. Chinchillas grown as pets are devoted to their owners, they are happy to be picked up and respond well to training. It is possible to train a pet chinchilla to return to the cage on command, and does not require complex care.

In nature, chinchillas are pack animals, so they constantly need company. If you provide the animal with proper care and nutrition, then it will live up to 10 years.

Worth knowing! The cost of chinchillas is quite affordable, and ranges from 1500-3000 rubles, depending on the quality of the fur and color. The most expensive are beige and white chinchillas, the cheapest are dark gray. Males are always cheaper than females, as more of them are born.

natural diet

In their natural habitat, chinchillas eat any plant food. Which can be found:

• cereals and legumes;
• tree bark;
• cacti;
• shoots and shrubs;
• herbs;
• succulents;
• nuts and fruits.

Worth knowing! Chinchillas live in the same zone with chinchilla rats - animals that dig holes and store supplies, so they often steal food from rats.

In their natural environment, chinchillas eat a lot of greens and succulents, drink dew and eat plants with astringent properties to get the necessary fluid. Therefore, they rarely suffer from digestive problems.

Nutrition at home

Nutrition for a domestic chinchilla should be balanced and varied, in addition, it is necessary to ensure that products that are harmful and dangerous to her health do not get into the chinchilla's menu. In addition to food, the mode of the animal and the dishes from which it eats are of considerable importance.

Feeding regimen and utensils

Given that chinchillas are small animals, they need very little food, up to 30 grams per day of prepared food and hay. At the same time, each little animal has its own daily norm and it may well be satisfied with a smaller amount of food. Feeding chinchillas is carried out according to the following rules:

1. Due to the small portion size, it is difficult to maintain the balance of vitamins and trace elements necessary for the chinchilla, therefore, most often it is fed with ready-made feeds.
2. To determine the exact volume of a serving, you should observe the animal, counting the amount of food it eats.
3. In addition to food, the animal's cage must always contain an unlimited amount of hay, the uneaten residue of which it uses as bedding.
4. The animal should be given food once a day, taking into account its natural regimen (chinchillas are nocturnal animals, so they should be fed food in the evening at about 18-22 hours).
5. The leftover food from the previous day should not be used for feeding, and give the animal a smaller portion next time.
6. The minimum daily dosage of food for a chinchilla is 12 grams.

There are two types of chinchilla feeders:

• suspended;
• floor.

In the case of choosing hanging dishes, it is important to ensure that it is securely fixed to the wall of the cage.

Worth knowing! Floor bowls should be located at the bottom of the cage, as when placed on a shelf, the animal can knock them over. The weight of the food container must be large enough, otherwise the chinchilla will use it as a toy and drive around the cage.

Dishes for chinchillas can be made from:

• glass;
• plastic;
• ceramics;
• metal.

The main disadvantage of floor bowls is the high probability of debris and animal excrement falling into the bottom. In addition to the bowl, do not forget about the need for a cup of water for the chinchilla.

Approved Products

Given that the chinchilla is a herbivore animal, herbs, vegetables and fruits will be the basis of its diet, in the summer you can give the animal fresh greens, and replace it with hay in winter.

The animal at home should receive a varied diet:

• rough food;
• juicy products;
• grain mixtures.

For a complete and balanced diet, chinchillas should be given ready-made granulated feed.

Rough dry food, daily necessary for a chinchilla is hay. This type of food is an important component of the animal's diet and saturates its body with fiber, essential vitamins and trace elements.

Worth knowing! Chinchilla teeth grow constantly and they need hard food to grind them down, in addition to hay, you can give the animals twigs.

It should be ensured that the hay is absolutely dry and of good quality, has a pleasant smell and is cleaned of sticks and debris. You can buy this food at the pet store or make your own.

When self-collecting, you should mow various herbs:

• alfalfa;
• Clover;
• dandelions;
• cereal stalks;
• meadow grasses;
• moth plants.

Important! Every day a chinchilla needs at least 60-70 grams of hay.

In the article "" you can read about the differences in feed for different animals.

As an additional hard food, it is allowed to add young branches to the hay:

• apple trees;
• lindens;
• currants;
• raspberries;
• birch;

Juicy foods that can and should be given to chinchillas are:

1. Vegetables:
   • celery;
   • tomatoes;
   • carrot;
   • lettuce leaves;
   • spinach
   • cucumbers;
   • pumpkin;
   • zucchini.
2. Fruit:
   • apples and pears;
   • melon;
   • banana;
   • various berries;
   • grape;
   • dried fruits.
3. Herbs and greens:
   • sprouts of oats and wheat;
   • Clover;
   • carrot tops;
   • peas;
   • dandelion leaves.

Worth knowing! Fresh foods can cause indigestion in chinchillas, so they should be given infrequently, but regularly, alternating with each other. After introducing a new product into the menu of an animal, one should follow the reaction of his body.

In addition to dry and juicy food, nutritional mixtures should be included in the diet of domestic pussies, which can be purchased ready-made or made independently.

The composition of such mixtures must include:

1. Cereal crops:
   • meadow fescue;
   • Sudanese;
   • wheatgrass;
   • timothy.
2. Cereal plants:
   • oats (can be up to 75% of the mixture, as it contains a large amount of proteins. Fats and carbohydrates, but does not cause obesity);
   • corn (added to the mixture in small portions, as it causes bloating);
   • barley (a very hard crop. Add to feed which should only be ground);
   • wheat (high-carb component for animal activity).

Commercial formulas can be whole, often with pieces of dried fruit added, or granulated. The latest manufacturers additionally enrich with vitamins and minerals.

Important! You can not give chinchillas only one type of grain or cereals, for food they need mixtures or a constant alternation of products. If the owners are not sure that they can provide the animal with a balanced diet on their own, it is better to purchase a ready-made mixture.

Considering that when fed at home, a chinchilla receives much less juicy food than in nature, there must be fresh and clean drinking water in the cage. Filtered or boiled.

Prohibited Products

Given that captive-bred chinchillas have extremely sensitive digestion, they are strictly forbidden to give certain foods:

1. Ready meals from the human table (especially smoked, salty, spicy and fatty foods).
2. Meat and products from it (chinchilla is a completely herbivore).
3. Bread and pastries.
4. Flour products.
5. Cabbage (causes bloating).
6. Sweets (chocolate, sweets, cookies).
7. Eggs.
8. Nuts (roasted).
9. Dairy products.
10. Fast food.
11. Stale and spoiled food.

When harvesting hay on your own, you should pay attention that it does not contain plants that are poisonous and dangerous for the animal:

• fern;
• rush;
• field horsetail;
• dope;
• black nightshade;
• cornflowers;
• crow's eye
• rye (poorly digested by animals);
• branches of oak and coniferous trees.

Important! Human food is categorically not intended for feeding chinchillas due to its high calorie content and danger to health.

goodies

In addition to the main food, treats should be periodically offered to chinchillas. Animals will be happy:

• dried apples;
• dried apricots and raisins;
• calamus root (no more than 1 cm per week for the prevention of spasms);
• carrots (to improve fur and heart system);
• nuts (can only be given raw and in small quantities);
• legumes;
• seeds;
• a small piece of beets;
• clover and dandelion leaves.
• barberry and rosehip berries (one berry per week to strengthen immunity);
• viburnum (contributes to normal digestion. you can give up to 2 berries per week);
• corn (a couple of grains a day to improve well-being, due to the high content of calcium, potassium and magnesium in the product);
• plantain (a couple of leaves per quarter to regulate the digestive tract).
• medicinal herbs (nettle, chamomile, oregano, calendula, parsley, mint in small quantities);
• branches and young shoots (mulberry, clear. Willow, Apple tree, birch are allowed).

Worth knowing! All self-harvested fruits, branches and herbs should be thoroughly washed and, if necessary, crushed before serving to chinchillas.

The best food for chinchillas - rating

At home, the easiest way to feed chinchillas is ready-made dry granulated food. For an adult chinchilla, a pack of 400 grams is enough per month. Such food contains in its composition vegetables, cereals and herbs in the ratio necessary for the normal development of the animal. In addition, such feed mixtures are quite hard and allow the animals to grind their teeth.

Important! You should constantly feed the chinchilla with food from one manufacturer, and when changing the finished mixture, introduce it into the diet gradually, adding it to the usual food. With frequent changes in diet, digestive disorders can occur.

Before purchasing food for a domestic chinchilla, you should study the composition of the purchased mixture and check it for the presence of components harmful to the animal (preservatives and artificial flavors).

The most popular and highest quality chinchilla foods are:

1. Vitakraft (Vitakraft). The composition of the kibble contains cereals, fiber, vegetable oils, insulin and malt (prebiotics for stable digestion).
2. Beaphar care (bifar kea). The feed contains a high-quality cereal mixture of barley and oat wheat, alfalfa, legumes, echinacea extract (to increase immunity, dried vegetables (in a small amount).
3. Jr farm (jere farm). The mixture consists of grains of corn, oats, wheat and herbal mixture (mint, thyme, lovage). An additional component of the feed is yucca extract, the use of which significantly reduces the smell of chinchilla secretions.
4. Versele laga chinchilla nature (Versele laj). The composition of the feed is dominated by whole grains and dried peas. Necessary for grinding teeth. The food is additionally enriched with vitamins, microelements and plant extracts necessary for animals, it is absolutely natural and helps to increase the immunity of the animal.
5. Little one (little van). Popular with breeders and relatively cheap food, consisting of granulated grains and herbs, corn flakes and carob.
6. Berkel (Berkel). Balanced food for chinchillas with legumes and cereals, bran, alfalfa and linseed.
7. Animals. Granulated feed of a domestic manufacturer from grass flour, cereal seeds, alfalfa and brewer's yeast. Additionally enriched with vitamins and minerals.

Important! Chinchillas can only be given high-quality certified food, refusing to purchase bulk food of dubious origin.

Purchased food should be poured from the original packaging into an airtight container to ensure its freshness and safety.

Additional vitamins

In some cases, chinchillas require additional vitamins and minerals:

• if the animal feeds on self-prepared feed and there are doubts about the correctness of its diet;
• with weakened immunity and after illnesses;
• during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• in young years.

Vitamins for chinchillas are:

1. Tableted.
2. Powdered.
3. Liquid.

The easiest way to give your chinchilla is liquid vitamins that can be added to water or food. The tablets need to be crushed, and the animal may refuse to eat the powder.

Worth knowing! Chinchillas feel a lack of certain microelements in their body, therefore, mineral and salt stones should always hang in their cage, which the animal will gnaw as necessary.

Most ready-made chinchilla foods already contain vitamins in their composition, they can be recognized by such components as:

• pumpkin;
• nettle;
• carrot;
• rose hip;
• Rowan.

Occasionally, dry yeast (no more than 2-5 grams) can be added to chinchilla feed to make up for the deficiency of protein and vitamin B.

With proper nutrition and a balanced diet, additional fortification is not required for chinchillas.

Feeding a pregnant female

During the period of bearing offspring, special changes in the diet of the female are not required. Veterinarians recommend during this period to increase the amount of protein in food.

During pregnancy, chinchillas begin to eat and drink more. However, the amount of food received by the animals should be controlled in order to avoid obesity of the animal.

You can supplement the diet of the female with the following products:

1. Sprouted grain to normalize reproductive function.
2. Specialized feed of animal origin (contains the necessary protein).
3. Calcium (the developing fetus takes this element from the mother's body, causing its deficiency).
4. Apples.
5. Perga.
6. Alfalfa, strawberry leaves, calendula flowers, oatmeal (positively affect the upcoming lactation).

Do not give a pregnant chinchilla the following herbs:

• mint;
• thyme;
• lemon balm.

Worth knowing! Chinchilla pregnancy lasts 110-118 days, and babies are born with open eyes and teeth.

Newborn chinchillas feed on mother's milk for the first two months after birth. During lactation, a nursing mother should receive a complete and healthy diet.

If the season allows, fresh herbs should be included in the diet of a nursing female:

• dandelions;
• nettle;
• leaves of burdock and plantain;
• fresh carrots;
• apples.

In winter, fresh herbs are replaced with sprouted oats.

Important! During pregnancy and feeding offspring, there should always be a sufficient amount of water in the chinchilla cage.

Chinchillas are very cute and funny animals. With proper feeding, they will live in the house for quite a long time, delighting the owner in gratitude for the full care.

When a small fluffy animal appears in your house, you need to think over the diet so that the animal pleases you with restlessness and enthusiasm. Let's look at how to organize the nutrition of chinchillas at home.

Features and diet of chinchillas

For the pet to feel well, it is necessary to properly organize the feeding of the animal.

In nature, chinchillas eat mainly plant foods, in small portions and often enough, so you need to make sure that the cage is always present:

• concentrated feed,
• fresh hay,
• water.

Food for chinchillas should be varied and necessarily fresh, natural, balanced, contain the necessary vitamins and minerals. It is advisable to occasionally give your pet treats.

It is desirable to feed the homemade chinchilla at the same time, preferably at 5-6 pm, once a day.

Approved Products

Foods allowed for chinchillas can be divided into three main groups.

concentrated feed

This group includes cereals and legumes. Peas, lentils, beans are rich in amino acids and will be very useful for your pet. Barley, millet, corn - have enough nutrients and minerals for chinchillas.

Such mixtures are sold at any pet store, when choosing food, be sure to pay attention to its composition, it must contain at least 5 different components. You can also prepare the grain mixture yourself, but then you will need to get very high-quality grain.

Greens and hay

Chinchillas are herbivorous animals, so for excellent health they need to consume hay and greens year-round. Freshly cut grass must be dried, otherwise it can cause malaise and poor digestion of the pet.

Here is an example of how to feed a chinchilla at home:

• greenery of young dandelions,
• horse sorrel,
• sprouts of wheat, oats,
• plantain,
• burdock,
• strawberry leaf,
• nettle,
• timothy,
• meadow fescue,
• meadow mint.

goodies

You can please your pet with the help of dried fruits, fresh dried vegetables and nuts.

People often ask, is it possible to give chinchilla food of animal origin? If we are talking about milk powder, insects, then such a diet is even recommended for young animals and pregnant females.

Prohibited Products

When compiling a diet for a pet, it is worth remembering what you can not feed a chinchilla. Grocery list:

• poisonous plants (datura, St. John's wort, buttercup, horsetail). Do not collect plants that are unfamiliar to you or you are not sure if they are not poisonous.
• pine nuts and brazil nuts (high in fat and can cause indigestion)
• raw potatoes and cabbage, beets, peppers, persimmons,
• give sprigs of oak, cherry, plum, coniferous species as complementary foods,
• animal products (fish, meat, milk).

Feeding a chinchilla at home is not difficult, you just need to watch what you feed your pet.

Mineral supplements and vitamins for chinchillas

As vitamin supplements for chinchillas, you can use:

• branches of birch, willow, raspberry, linden, currant,
• specialized vitamins for chinchillas, which are sold in pet stores. They should be selected depending on the needs of your pet, and they should be given in the autumn-winter period.

But the most useful vitamins for an animal will be those found in vegetables and fruits:

• Vitamin A- they are rich in red carrots, rose hips, bananas, spinach.
• B vitamins- rich in cereals.
• Vitamin C- vegetables, fruits, berries, especially rose hips and sorrel.
• Vitamin E- wheat germ, soybeans, spinach, almond kernels.

For excellent vision, enrich the chinchilla's diet with vitamin A, strong teeth with soy, apples, which are rich in calcium, and for silk-like wool with vitamin C.

Rules for feeding a chinchilla after childbirth

One of the most difficult stages in the maintenance of chinchillas is the birth of offspring. If a pregnant female should be intensively fed, vitamin and mineral supplements should be added to the feed, then this should not be done after childbirth.

The question of how to feed a chinchilla after childbirth can be answered by analyzing how the offspring grows. If the babies gain enough weight of 2-4 grams per day, then mommy does not need to feed. But if the babies fight, run after their mother, and then become lethargic, then there are all signs of a lack of milk. In this case, you can purchase a special supplement to increase lactation.

Chinchilla babies are born completely ready for adulthood, but they must feed on their mother's milk for at least 7-10 days. If the woman in labor has little or not enough milk, then the baby chinchillas will have to be fed with a mixture. Many breeders prefer to use infant formula for newborns. Artificial feeding is organized from a pipette or an insulin syringe, every 2 hours for the first 7-10 days. Then they gradually begin to introduce an adult diet, add seeds, hay, compound feed. Already by a month, chinchilla babies are ready for independent life.

Love your pets, watch their diet, and they will give you many minutes of joy and pleasure!