CONTACT US

emails BFFchinchillas@gmail.com

Call or text :

Illinois: 815-922-2474

Washington: 714-745-0484

Best Friends Forever Chinchillas

located in Crystal Lake, IL and Snohomish, WA

for Illinois, text us at 815-922-2474 

for Washington, text us at 714-745-0484

                                                                                                 CHINCHILLA CARE

                             It is best for a chinchilla to have purified water rather than tap water. Tap water can carry bacteria, chlorine, and protozoa that don’t harm humans in small amounts but are deadly and/or harmful to chinchillas. Distilled water is also not a good choice. Distilled water deprives your chinchilla of essential minerals found in water and can cause multiple deficiencies. Check your local area for tap water rules, some cities have such high standards for their tap water that it does not need filtered. If you are on a well, giardia is a common contaminate during the rainy season and it’s good to invest in bottled water or a strong filtration system. The best rule to go by when getting water for your chins is the “if you wouldn’t drink it they shouldn’t have to” rule. 
The chinchillas are part of the rodent family so their teeth are constantly growing. Like any other rodent chinchillas need wood to keep their incisors down. Acceptable woods are Maple, pecan, pear, apple, pine, willow, elm, choya, cottonwood, mulberry, manzanita, and most other woods proven safe for birds. CEDAR IS TOXIC!! Other unsafe woods include peach and other similar trees where the fruit produced has a “pit” seed and also wood from citrus trees. I highly recommend AZchins.com, Twlighlight Chinchillas, Sunshinechinchillas.com for supply and toy needs.
Chinchillas should be given wood to chew. Plastic items shouldn’t be provided for chewing, replacing them with wooden items encourages your chinchilla to grind its teeth down in a healthy manner. Plastic shelving can be taken out and replaced with pine to provide the chinchilla a ledge to jump on that doubles as a chewing item. PVC pipes are safe for chinchillas to play in and chew on. The pipe is too thick for them to really chew off a big piece to swallow and cause impaction. Many breeders and pet owners have used PVC with chinchillas for more than 40 years with zero impactions.
 
Fleece is a chinchilla approved material and many chinchillas enjoy hanging in hammocks. They can also be given fleece buddies or stuffed animals made from and stuffed with fleece. If a stuffed animal is given to a chinchilla it should have no beads and no eyes. Other materials can also be safe for chinchillas, but it's necessary to ensure there are no obvious seams or thin straps.

The chinchilla has no natural parasites because their fur is typically too thick to provide proper housing and nourishment. Thin, sickly chinchillas can house ectoparasites due to thinning fur and overall lowered immune system. While other fur producing animals have a single hair growing from each follicle, Chinchillas have over 50 hairs per follicle, some cases have been recorded of 120 hairs in a single follicle.  Its fur is endowed with resilience and resists breakage (a common problem with other furs): a curious combination of soft and delicate, yet strong and durable. They keep their fur clean by taking a dust bath as soon as it is placed in their cage.  Of all fur-bearing animals, this little animal does not emit any odor. Also because of the density of their fur they absorb heat quickly. So when outside they absorb heat from sunlight (even when it is overcast they can absorb the heat from the sunlight) very fast and the chances of overheating increase. Your chinchilla should never be housed outside and left to brave the elements.


Chinchilla Housing
A suitable sized cage for a chinchilla should be no smaller than 24"x24"x24" and should have no ramps or wire ledges. A chinchilla can jump VERY high so ramps only create an obstacle for a chin to run into and a chinchillas foot can get caught in a wire ledge and break. The cage can be made from 1"x1/2" wire which will prevent injuries in chinchillas of all ages or it can be made out of wood. Make certain to rinse the cage with a solution of water and vinegar to remove any packing or galvanized dust before placing your chinchilla into its new home. As for a suitable litter, pine is the most accepted and safest. However, Aspen is a suitable substitute, though it may not absorb as well and require more frequent cleaning. Again we remind everyone that CEDAR IS TOXIC. It's also important to point out the dangers of Carefresh. Carefresh is the number one bedding recommended by pet stores and veterinarians, HOWEVER, there is a warning label found on the bag. "Caution: As with any changes to your pet's care, you should observe your pet closely for changes in behavior. Potential risk of impaction exists if your pet ingests a significant amount of bedding. If you suspect impaction, discontinue use immediately and seek veterinary care." Carefresh poses a high risk to chinchillas above other rodents and small animals. Chinchillas are known to chew on their bedding and ingest particles from time to time. Because carefresh is absorbent and does not break down in the gut, the risk for impaction is extremely high. In nearly 20 years of the chinchilla business, I have personally witnessed or necropsied over 100 chinchillas that have died from use of this bedding. Do not use carefresh for chinchilla bedding.


Chinchilla Cage Cleaning
Your chinchilla’s cage will get dirty. This will become a mix of hay, urine, dust, poop, treats, dirty toys, etc. Their stomachs and hindquarters will become dirty and they start to feel bad from being so dirty. Chinchillas are clean animals so it follows that they love being clean. The chinchilla’s health will also become an issue when faced with so much filth just as it would for a human. Chinchillas live longer when they are provided with the proper care which includes CAGE CLEANING. Your house will smell better, the chin won’t have a urine like odor, and the chinchilla will actually feel comfortable.
The main problems with not cleaning your cage are ammonia and rot. Ammonia is a harmful chemical. A certain amount of ammonia can kill a human just by being inhaled. So you can just imagine what a small amount would do to such a small animal’s lungs. When shavings become wet they start to rot. Rotting shavings/wood give off ammonia which causes severe respiratory problems in chinchillas. Even if you have a lot of ventilation your chinchilla is RIGHT ABOVE THE ROTTING SHAVINGS. Of course anything that rots becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. The ammonia that the chinchilla breathes in makes it more susceptible to the bacterias breeding in their dirty cage.
This is all easily prevented. How you ask? Simple, you CLEAN THE CAGE. All that needs done to keep your chinchilla feeling, looking, and smelling good is that you change the shavings at least once or twice a week. You also need to clean their food dishes and change out wood toys because let’s face it your chinchilla always finds some remarkable way to pee or poop in the food and water. Every 1 to 3 months you should scrub down the cage with bleach, rinse it, and let it dry in the sun. There should be no excuse not to clean one litter pan once a week.


Temperature Control
Chinchillas originate in the Andes Mountains where it is cool. The room your chinchilla is housed in should NEVER get above 75 degrees. Between 75-80 degrees chinchillas begin to get uncomfortable and lay very still to try to lose heat. Anything above 80 degrees and chinchillas will suffer heatstroke and die in a short period of time. It is extremely important that a chinchilla that is overheating (rolling on its back, pawing at the air, and gasping for breath) is not cooled down too quickly. There isn’t much that can be done other than placing the chinchilla in a cooler room with cool items in its cage to let it slowly cool down. If the chinchilla is not allowed to cool down slowly it will go into shock and die. If you live in an area where temperatures reach above 80 degrees, an air conditioner is a necessary item.

                                    OUR  HEALTH GUARANTEE

We promise that chinchillas are happy and healthy when they leave our care but since we cannot control the care they receive once they leave our facilities all replacements are at our discretion. We do not provide exchanges or refunds. Veterinary report must be provided at time of death (any necropsy performed 48 hours or more after death will be deemed inconclusive) and since the longest gestation for communicable illness is 10 days, we offer an 11 day health guarantee. Rescues, owner surrenders, and retired breeders are exempt from any health guarantee. Animals sold as pets are not provided with a full pedigree and do not come with a breeding guarantee. At time of purchase, you are provided with a care packet. Any deviations from the care packet will result in a nullified health guarantee. The use of carefresh or paper bedding voids this guarantee as does showing up to pick up your chinchilla without a proper pet carrier or arrangements for a pet carrier.
            When you bring your chinchilla home you MUST put them in the cage and leave them alone to adjust for a minimum of 1 week. No playtime, no handling or interactions outside of their new cage and no interaction with other chinchillas during this time period. If you have another chinchilla at home already the new chinchilla will need its own cage for the first 2 weeks to adjust. Chinchillas should NEVER have interaction with other species. Out of cage "play" time should be in small, enclosed, safely maintained spaces for short periods (30 minutes or less) to minimize dangers and serious injury to your chinchilla. Our recommendation is to hold, handle, and interact regularly with your highly social chinchilla to provide proper enrichment and not focus on stretching their legs. Injury and death are extremely common with free running "play" time and we strongly discourage this as a regular activity for chinchillas. Avoid ALL plastic running balls as they lack proper ventilation and are regularly referred to as "death balls" by experienced chinchilla owners and breeders.

Do’s and Don’ts

Social Media Information Please be careful when reading chinchilla groups on social media, forums or even pet store advice. The only forum we belong to and recommend is Ask a Breeder – Chinchillas on Facebook. Other groups are inundated with scammers, so please be cautious with who you speak to in these groups.

Link: https:/www.facebook.com/groups/333577573641985/?ref=share

If in doubt or needing advice, please feel free to contact us. We have over 40 years of combined experience living, breathing, and even researching these amazing little creatures and we are your best and most reliable resource. 

    Chinchilla Behavior

Normal

Refusing to be handled.  Chinchillas are a prey animal and being caught and handled goes against that instinct. Time and patience will go a long ways towards teaching your new chinchilla that they are safe and loved and build a bond of trust between you that will make them more amicable to regular handling.

Not being able to figure out the dust house. Our kits are used to dusting in metal pans (think of a loaf baking pan shape). It may take them a few tries before they get the hang of using a dust house that they have to hop in and out of.

Help! They are not drinking from my water bottle! Our kits are used to a valve type waterer from a gravity water system and not licking a ball to receive water. By taking your finger and running it across the end of the new bottle you create a drip of water. This will encourage them to learn how to use it. If you are too worried and stressed, an affordable water bottle that uses our valve delivery system can be purchased here: Top fill water bottle

Squishy, but fully formed poop. Switching to a new environment, water and cage can cause them to have softer bowel movements. This is no cause for alarm unless it continues for more than six weeks.

Why won’t they use the hammock? We do not use hammocks in our cages and your kit(s) have not been exposed to one. With a little time and patience, they will figure it out.

Barking, chirping or kakking. These are just some of the noises that chinchillas make.  Most are related to not wanting to be disturbed or handled. If your chinchilla “barks” at you this is a warning to “back off” and let them alone. One option for alleviating night time stress sounds is to play background music for them as they are used to this noise from our barns and chore times. 

My chinchilla’s pee is red! Is that blood? No, it is not blood. Chinchillas can have a very high concentrate of urine and it at times can vary from light yellow, brown, orange to dark coppery red. 

 
My chin is so hyper at night.  Why won’t they calm down? Chinchillas in the wild are nocturnal, while most domesticated chinchillas exhibit crepuscular behavior (high activity at dawn and dusk). While most captive bred chinchillas will have peak activity at dawn and dusk, they are still chinchillas and regular nocturnal behavior is normal and expected.

I think my chin isn’t acting normal. They are now at the bottom of the cage and not the top. This is completely normal, chins just like us use all parts of their cage. If they choose to stay in one spot over another, it is not cause for alarm. Often they will have a favorite perch, but leaving the perch for another spot is not cause for alarm.

I see spots on my chin’s ears! Light colored chinchillas especially beige as they age get “freckles” on their ears. This is not a health condition and some pet owners feel it makes their chin more unique.

Abnormal

Overly pink or red ears and/or visible "popping" veins in the ears. This is a sign of overheating which can be caused by excessive playtime, activity, or rising temperatures. Immediately place chinchilla in a cooler environment or room. It is imperative that you not attempt to rapid cool them as this can send their body into shock. Do not place them on ice or place them in a freezer or refrigerator...simply move them to a cooler temperature room or in extreme cases, you can start up your car with cold air conditioning blasting and keep them in there until they return to normal.

Extremely loose or runny poop. This can be a sign of an intestinal issue and is common after receiving fruits or vegetables, which should not be in a chinchilla's diet. Tap water and some well water can contain Giardia which can cause severe dehydration and even death. Extremely burnt, blackened toast or a small amount of activated charcoal can temporarily ease symptoms long enough to seek veterinary assistance.

Any bleeding. Any bleeding from nose, ears, eyes or genitals is not normal. This will require a vet visit immediately.

Heavy or rapid breathing or "panting". This can be a sign of overheating or pain. Chinchillas do not pant like a dog or cat, so this type of rapid breathing indicates a serious health issue or intense pain. Depending on the conditions surrounding the animal, placing them in a cooler environment or seeking immediate veterinary assistance would be the options.

Bald patches or chewed fur. This is called “fur chewing” and can be a sign of stress.  Try to see what may be causing the animal to express stress by chewing on its fur. Limit playtime and interactions to a minim to see if it improves.

Drooling or wet fur under the chin.  This can be a sign of teeth problems. Chinchilla’s teeth grow continually throughout their lifetime. If the teeth are not worn down properly overgrowth can develop (called malocclusion). Left unchecked the chin will be unable to feed itself and death will result as the tooth grows into the skull.

Seizures.  Often caused by excessive playtime which leads to overheating. Any out of cage time over 20 minutes is not recommended as it can cause overheating.

YIKES! My chin has a missing toe or there is a scab on my chin's toe. Chins are very resilient animals and do get injuries to their toes/fingers.  Most injuries will end up healing fine. If you see any swelling or they are unable to use their hand, then it is time to see the vet.

SHOWING

Shows are fun and educational and anyone is welcome to attend. The complete list of shows can be seen on the MCBA site ( http://www.mutationchinchillas.com ) and the Empress site ( http://www.empresschinchilla.com )  

Traveling with your chinchilla
 Use common sense, cars get hot fast, do not leave chinchillas alone in the car as they can easily overheat. When staying in Hotels make sure it is OK with the hotel to have animals. Bring supplies to clean up. Do not leave a mess or the hotel may change the policy. When traveling to a show animals should be in a travel cage. If the show is overnight or if you will be staying somewhere overnight provide feed and water. Do not give water in a moving car. If you feel they need water offer it when you stop and rest. Remember to bring Grooming supplies. Have numbers, names and birthdates handy. Some shows require permanant ID tags in the lower right ear.

PREPARING FOR THE SHOW 
*Good animals are bred, fed and roomed to perfection
* The best age for show animals is 6 months to 14 months. Depending on color.
*Often there are animals for sale at the show
* If you are showing an animal you purchased you must acknowledge the original breeder

6 WEEKS BEFORE THE SHOW 
​ * Select the animals you would like to show
 * Wash the cages thoroughly to remove stains or dirt, make sure nothing in the cage can pull or damage fur.
 * Give dust baths daily.
 * Groom the animals regularly.
 * Provide feed and hay and keep the cage clean

THE LAST WEEK BEFORE THE SHOW 
MONDAY: Give the chinchilla a bath with fresh dust
TUESDAY: Groom all give lighter colored animals dust baths, no more dusting for the darker animals
WEDNESDAY: Give the lighter animals dust baths
THURSDAY : No dust baths
​FRIDAY : Groom the chinchilla and trim the tail
DAY IF SHOW: room each animal and enjoy the show 
Sometimes you may not agree with the judge, Bite your tongue they may see something you don't . Even the best breeders can be "barn blind" 

MCBA SHOWS
 Chinchillas are judges based on fur quality. Each animal is places in a small show cage and looked at by a judge while the show cage is sitting on white paper· Over the paper is a rading light, which is a natural daylight bulb. The MCBA uses 6ESP65 at shows.
 The entry form, classification and show itself go in the following order, the colors are broken down further to color phases light to dark.
 * White 
 * Sapphire
 * Violet
 * Beige
 * Naturalle (standard) 
 * Black velvet
 * Ebony Entry forms are filled out by color in the above order, in some shows a separate form is used for the standard/Naturalle 
 Tables have numbered spaces from one to however many chinchillas are there. Each breeders animals are grouped together in consecutive numbers no matter what color they are
 * you cannot show more than 20 animals in each color
 * To be an official show there must be at least 50 animals 
 Chinchillas are devided by color, then color phase ( light, medium, dark etc) 
 * Class 1 males males under 7 months
 * Class 2 females under 7 months
 * Class 3 Males 7 months or older
 * Class 4 females 7 months or older
 Trophies that are awarded are
 * grand champion of show
 * reserve champion of show
 * champion male of show
​ * Champion female of show 
 * Reserve Champion male of show
 * Reserve champion female of show
There are also Trophies for color breeder at some shows 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 
 To win a color breeder trophy you must have 5 animals entered in that color group and there must be 10 animals in that color group. You must earn a minimum of 15 pts (average 3rd place) 
 RIBBONS- are awarded to each chinchilla. More than one animals can place in each place, for example if 6 standardsare first place quality the will all place first and if none of them first place quality first place will not be awarded. The very best will be awarded 1A, 2nd best will place 1B. 

CHINCHILLA COLORS

Whites; are white with markings the pattern of markings will vary from animal to animal. The color of the pattern will depend on the type of white 

MOSAIC; this is a white with grey markings. these chinchillas will have black eyes

WHITE EBONY: this chinchilla is similar to the mosaic but with the ebony gene   

PINK WHITE: is white with beige markings this chinchilla will have red eyes. This chinchilla is sometimes mistaken for a albino

TAN WHITE is a pink white with the ebony gene. the markings may be from a light beige to dark tan in color

SAPPHIRES; are a gunmetal blue/grey with a white belly. They are a recessive color so both parents must carry the gene   
 SAPPHIRE WRAP; is a sapphire with the ebony gene. instead of a white belly the color will wrap all the way around the body

TOV SAPPHIRE: also known as a SAPPHIRE ROYALLE this is a sapphire with the black velvet gene. It has a darker sapphire veiling that spreads down the head, neck, shoulders and back. The sides are lighter sapphire and the belly is white

VIOLETS: are grey with a violet hue. They have white bellies and like sapphires are a recessive color                
VIOLET WRAP: has the ebony gene. The violet color wraps all the way around chinchilla. This chinchilla will not have a white belly

TOV VIOLET: isROYALLE. This is a violet with the black velvet gene. there is a darker veiling on the back of the chinchilla with lighter violet sides and a white belly.

BEIGE: is often described as champaign in color and often you will find back yard breeders using this term to sell a chinchilla. Slight variations of the shade exist. All should have a clear white belly . This mutation has red eyes.

BROWN VELVET: is a cross between beige and black velvet. it has dark veiling across the head, neck, shoulders and back. The sides of this chinchilla are beige and the belly is white. This chinchilla will have red eyes                  TAN ; is a beige with the with the ebony gene. they can range from a very light beige to a dark tan wrapping around the whole body. This chinchilla will not have a white belly and will have red eyes  

STANDARD GREY : is a bluish grey on their head, neck, shoulders and back, lighter along the sides hip and tail, they will have a white belly. They may or may not have an agouti pattern 

BLACK VELVET: has a black head, neck, shoulders and back that spreads down the side and gets lighter before it meets a white belly          

EBONY: is an overall black or grey. Thecolor ranges from a charcoal shade to a true black, it rarely has the intensity of a black velvet black

TOV EBONY : this is a mix of the Black velvet and the ebony. It has the appearance of black velvet but with a grey or black belly, instead of a white belly. 

Newer Mutations Include,

GOLDBAR/CHAMPAIGN

ANGORA

LOCKEN/CURLY

BLACK PEARL

Chinchilla Supply Sites

http://www.mycritterstore.com

​https://www.twilightchinchillas.com/

​https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083120029478

​ **LIST OF CHINCHILLA SAFE FEEDS**
Mazuri Chinchilla                                  
​Oxbow Chinchilla
​Science Selective Chinchilla Food
Purina Rabbit Show Chow
MannaPro PRO Rabbit Feed
MannaPro SHO Rabbit Feed
Tradition/Hubbel Life Specialty Feed
Ace Hi Show Rabbit 
Blue Seal Show Hutch Deluxe
Modesto Milling Organic Rabbit Feed
Brytin Chinchilla Feed
​Beaphar Plus

**If a feed is NOT listed, it is deliberately not included and is not a safe alternative. Kaytee brand feeds are some of the worst nutritionally and we highly recommend avoiding Sherwood as we personally know breeders who participated in the testing of their formulas and will attest to the harmful nature of this feed.

Veterinarian Listings

US- Illinios

Midwest Exotic hospital 
7510 W North Ave 
Elmwood Park IL 
708-453-8181

Animal House of Chicago
2752 West Lawrence Ave
Chicago IL 60625
773-878-8002

Algonquin Animal Clinic 
10412 IL rt 31
Algonquin IL 60102
​847-658-3626

Animal 911
3735 Dempster st
Skokie IL 60076
847-673-9110 US- WASHINGTON
 Evergreen Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital
12930 NE 125th Way, Ste B130
Kirkland WA 98034
425-821-6165