Chinchillas are among the most intelligent and fun pets to have. Pelleted diets are better than a mixture of loose items. Foods to Avoid (Benefits/Risks), Can Chinchillas Eat Pecans? Once again, this boils down to the fact that chinchillas dont need the nutrition from fruits to be healthy so they are only a luxury. Dried fruit is often preferred to regular fruit, this is down to the fact that dried fruit offers much less water (which is considered bad for chinchillas) as well as increased levels of other nutrients such as fibre. As you know, chinchillas are plant-eating animals. To be more precise, these furry animals are mainly folivores, preferring a diet made up of vegetation.Some of the food items that make up most of their diet are seeds, grass, grains, nuts, and leaves. Here Are Safe Wood Options For Chinchillas to Chew On: There is often a lot of confusion about if chinchillas actually need water. Please talk to your vet for a detailed diet plan that suits the individual needs of your pet. Cats with a chinchilla coat pattern have white undercoats and tipping on the back, tail, head, and flanks. Dont make sudden changes in their diets as it can upset their stomach. Some comments from a popular forum AGAINST giving raisins include: 1. So here is a list of fruits and vegetables that you can feed your chinchillas. Water should be provided in the form of a water bottle rather than a bowl as this is much more hygienic for your chinchilla. It is an animal that will get you smitten instantly, and its elegance will keep swirling, Read More Can Chinchillas Get Fleas? If you want to get a pet chinchilla, you should take into consideration some important things before buying them. Answer (1 of 2): It is not so much that they are 'fragile', but have different habitat requirements than we are used to. They eat Royal Canin special Persian cat food and the kittens are eating kitten food. You can check out the water bottle we recommend you use in our new cage accessories guide here. Although cats and chinchillas might not coexist peacefully at first, there are ways of promoting this to happen. If you give the chinchilla time to first get used to you and its surrounding before meeting your cat.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'smallpetshq_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_10',191,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetshq_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); This gives your chinchilla enough time to be comfortable with the surroundings, with this especially crucial as theyre very social creatures. You should never feed a chinchilla hamster food, as it is one of the worst blends of ingredients for chinchillas to consume. 2.2 Nutritional requirements. 1.1 Understanding The Chinchilla Diet. Customer: Hi my name is***** and my granddaughter has a chinchilla and I'm taking care of her her name is ***** ***** her chest got wet because her water bottle was leaking and now her hair is kind of clumped a little bit but she's trying to pull it out what can I do to help her and she is so mad at me because I'm trying to take care of it and she's not happy can you give me some good ideas . Take a look at the guide below that details what foods your chinchilla should eat and in what quantities. The good thing is that even though chinchillas dont eat a vast selection and variety of foods, they get most if not all of the nutrition they need from this basic diet. and how to get rid of itContinue. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. After all, it wont cost much and it might even taste good. Much like many other rodents, a chinchillas teeth continue to grow throughout their life, so they need food that will help to stop them from overgrowing. If you want to bring a chinchilla into your home, you could be worried about their diet and general health. Hamster food contains ingredients that are high in fats, including seeds and nuts, which could even be toxic to a chinchilla's system. If you have to leave your chin alone for up to 24 hours, ensure you leave out plenty of food and water to cover the time span. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Once this condition occurs, there is nothing that can be done other than to provide pain medication and soft foods. 2 Human Food Chinchillas Can Eat. The foods below are considered unsafe or too unhealthy to feed to your chinchilla and therefore should be avoided. link to Are Chinchillas Territorial? You can repeat the process for a few days, gradually increasing the time frame. From their increased curiosity and affection to their unmatched affordability, chinchillas will always be amazing pets. The treats that these exotic animals eat are dried rose hips, dandelion, and hibiscus leaves, basically dried fruits, and root vegetables should be given to them. (Benefits/Risks), Can Chinchillas Eat Strawberries? Instead, offer your adult chinchilla timothy hay or other low-calcium grass hays, such as orchard or meadow grass. The most important thing is to provide chinchillas with additional water, especially in summer, and monitor their daily water intake. This will be possible if your cat has a mellow and calm personality and isnt so much interested in hunting, meaning itll most likely ignore the chinchilla. Yes, chinchillas can eat C heerios, . 2.6 No Sudden Dietary Changes. Buy Merrick Dog Food online in Canada from Canadian Pet Connection. So, what exactly do chinchillas eat? Yucca. These adorable kittens are loving , caring and very affectionate. Of course, there are some other food items that chinchillas cant eat as well, so it is best to ask a vet if you are unsure about the food item that you could feed your pet. Monitoring your chinchillas' diet. It is also coarse enough to keep their teeth short and stop them from overgrowing. The short answer is no. Hay should be put in the hay rack in the chinchilla's cage. They are very sensitive animals but can be great friends if you know how to take care of them. If you want to give your chinchilla some treats, then these should be carefully selected. Avoid feeding dried fruits. Chinchillas in the wild tend to consume most of their food early in the morning and late at night. Fruit can cause problems to chinchillas such as. Cavies Know Their Body and Can Regulate Their Guinea Pig Food Intake. Hi, My name is Adam. Both critters should be eating a high quality hay as the majority of their diet. As mentioned earlier, chinchillas' dietary requirements are different from other animals, and therefore, they should not eat guinea pig food or gerbil food. Instead, chinchilla feeds should address the following: Fat: should be between 2% and 5%. In addition, wet cat food is often too salty for chinchillas. so from these numbers alone its clear to see that good quality hay is undoubtedly the most vital part of your chinchillas diet. Chinchillas with these signs should be examined immediately by a veterinarian to have the lodged material extracted. Here is a breakdown of the nutrients your chinchilla needs in their diet and in what percentages. They can easily get an upset stomach and have a limited capacity for digestion. All cats drink filtered water from the water fountain. Chinchillas are also known to love flowers. Like most rodents, chinchillas love to chew things. So, excessive feeding can lead to diarrhea and urinary problems. They are extremely high in fibre while offering low amounts of sugar. C hoosing a pet is not a decision to be taken lightly. This can lead to blockages and other health issues. Gastrointestinal Disorders. Some other healthy treats include rosehips and mountain ash berries. Feeding greens and vegetables in large quantities can upset the nutritional balance of the hay and pellets you are providing to your chinchilla. Chinchillas are South American rodents that have continuously growing, open-rooted teeth to compensate for the wear that occurs from chewing on very abrasive, high-fiber grass and hay. Pets are adorable, but having different species in your home might bring about some issues with some of them incompatible. They have very different nutritional needs. The kittens get lots of attention and handling, so grooming and cleaning the eyes will be easy in the future. What Do Chinchillas Eat: Diet & Food Guide. In the wild, chinchillas are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and meat. What is more, this intelligence defines how much they will learn about their, Read More Are chinchillas Smart? Feeding any type of cat food to your chinchilla is a bad idea, however, feeding them wet cat food is one of the worst things you can do. Package Include: PStarDMoon pet automatic feeder set contains 1 food feeder and 1 water feeder and 1 hay feeder bag, a complete set with large capacity, which can satisfy pets' drinking and eating at the same ; Size: The food feeder can hold 1400ml of food and the water feeder can hold 500ml of water, which can meet the supply of food . Chinchillas will eat plenty of native plants in the wild to give them a good balance of minerals and vitamins essential for optimum health. Guide + Chart. chinchillabreeders.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Most tap water is clean, however, dirty water can contain giardia and would not be suitable for use in your Chinchilla Water Bottle. This leads to problems including diarrhea, weight loss, and stomach ulcers. Hamster food is made largely of things that would be harmful for a chinchilla to eat. In fact, the hamster food is likely to be harmful to them. Reasons Why Theyre Smart. However, this isnt something they enjoy doing. Dry foods are made entirely from grains and other similar products. You also need to make sure your cat has a mellow personality to lower the likelihood of it attacking your chinchilla. Filtered water is ideal for use in Chinchilla bottles. This means it should comprise 35% carbohydrates, 30% fiber, 15% protein, 4% protein, and less than 3.5% fat. There are some things that you should do to have a healthy chinchilla. It's safe to give your chin a raisin-size amount 2-3 times per week. This only happens opportunistically, though. What is the reason why Chinchillas are not allowed to consume blueberries? Why You Shouldnt Feed Cat Food To A Chinchilla, The Risks Of Feeding Wet Cat Food To A Chinchilla, Can Chinchillas Eat Pretzels? Below we have listed the most common greens that your chinchillas can safely eat in moderation as part of a healthy and balanced diet. To make sure that your pet eats food properly, you need to make the feeding time fun. They have very different nutritional needs. Bottles water is safe for chinchillas to use but is an expensive way of providing your Chinchilla with water and some would consider this quite wasteful. Learn more about their diets, below. Fresh Apple. Dont discourage your pet from eating its own dropping, as it is natural for them to do so. Oxbow Essentials Deluxe Chinchilla Food. As for what kind of water chinchillas solid drink, you cant just give them any old water from the tap. The diet for chinchillas should be monitored to make sure they follow it daily. Overfeeding of fresh greens also can lead to soft stool or diarrhea. I'm the main author of Pocket Pets Forever. Chinchilla Diapers: What You Need To Know + Pics, 16+ Different Chinchilla Colors: Pictures + Pricing, How Fast Can Chinchillas Run? Additionally, chinchillas can be fed a small amount (1-2 tbsp/day) of a commercial pelleted diet formulated for chinchillas. Because chinchillas teeth grow throughout their lives, when they are not offered enough hay (and consume mainly pellets), the surfaces of their top and bottom teeth collide inside their mouths with such force as they chew that the roots of their teeth become impacted, like a persons impacted wisdom teeth. Well, you should try to distribute the appropriate amount of food around their cage instead of handing them their feed in a bowl. The food has to be given in a timely fashion and should have wholesome nutrition that can fulfill your pet chinchillas required dietary requirements. This leads to severe pain as they chew, in addition to drooling and possible eye discharge from upper tooth root pressure on tear ducts. Like most animals in the world, chinchillas require a variety of nutrients to be considered healthy and for their organs to work correctly. Laurel. This is because wet cat food contains a lot of moisture and, as such, its difficult for chinchillas to digest. Or, you could hand out small amounts of peanut butter or cheese. You can give these things in moderation but make sure to avoid nuts and seeds as they are way too high in fat content. Eggshells are rich in calcium and, as such, theyre an excellent source of nutrition for your chinchilla! For this reason, we have chosen to list the most common greens and veggies that owners often choose to feed their chinchillas and that we can validate are safe using veterinary sources such as the PDSA. Greens especially leafy greens are a food group that you can and should offer to your chinchilla on a regular basis. Read More The Best Chinchilla Toys (Review) in 2023Continue, This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. On the flip side to this, if your chinchillas have more phosphorus than calcium in their diet then this can also cause health problems with muscle development, bones health and growth. . They also need to have access to fresh water at all times. Chinchillas and cats can get along just fine, but this depends on your cats personality and demeanor. Changing the brand of pellets . We ship to everywhere in Canada, and can deliver your package right to your door! The diet of chinchillas should ideally be high in protein and fiber while containing low moisture and fat content. It is a rich source of Malic acid that is not essential for your Chinchillas. Basic nutrients such as sugar, fat and even calcium can all cause health problems to chinchillas if they are overfed. It is also built with a speaker for remote interaction with pets. As a Chewy & flexoffers affiliate I earn commissions for qualifying purchases. link to How Often Should Chinchillas Have Dust Baths? Its quite possible that if you put cat food down on the floor, your chinchilla will try to eat it. In addition to this, the chinchilla may choose to hide, seeking safety from the cat, thereby making it hard to locate. The only downside to dried fruit is that as nutrients such as fibre increase so does the sugar content and this can elevate the amounts of sugar into alarming levels. Semi-dry foods consist of dried milk and grain. Get practical pet health tips, articles, and insights from our veterinary community delivered weekly to your inbox. However, in this list are food items that you should absolutely not feed your chinchilla and if you do, then going to a vet is the best course of action. Adult chinchillas are recommended to eat timothy hay as this provides all the nutrients your chinchilla needs and in the correct quantities. Just 1 Persian chinchilla left male ( boy ) so playful and friendly and smart, eating dry and wet full trained ,indoor cats living with they parents free all over the house born on new year D.O.B : 01//01/2023 looking for for ever lovely house will b Age Age: 7 weeks; Ready to leave Ready to leave: in 1 week All Things Dog. Actually, a good portion of their diet is already rabbit food. Its always best to check before you offer your chinchilla a new fruit just to make sure its safe and to see just how much you can offer them in one sitting. In this post, we will share the foods your chinchilla should be eating on a daily basis, how much they should be eating as well as what foods they need to stay away from. The hamster food will not be nutritionally beneficial to them. Following this diet routine is to make sure your chinchilla doesnt turn into a malnourished animal. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Every formula uses industry-leading volume of protein, glucosamine, and chondroitin. Dried Cranberries. Therefore, if you own these two pets, its crucial to have them slowly introduced to each other or else risk your cat attacking the chinchilla. As long as your chinchillas are eating plenty of their regular food so that they are receiving the right nutrition, there shouldn't be a problem. The hay should be dry and fresh-smelling with no trace of mold. Therefore, its best if you minimized contact between these two pets. The most crucial behavior factors about cats you need to know about them is that they are: On the other hand, the personality traits of the chinchilla are: With such divergent personality traits, its now evident why your cat and chinchilla might struggle to get along just fine. , they get most if not all of the nutrition they need from this basic diet. This means that chinchillas require a diet rich in protein but low in fat and carbohydrates. These are dried fruits, dried herbs, plantain, and root vegetables. Another important thing that they eat is pellets. Due to their opportunistic nature in the wild, most chinchillas will eat any leaves, seeds, fruits, and nonpoisonous insects that it can come across, and because they are endangered . The bottom line is, chinchillas dont need treats, but if you feel bad or want your chinchilla to be happy, then you can give them treats occasionally. Along with the quality of good that you feed your pet chinchilla, the quantity is just as important. Chinchillas can't eat blueberries for a variety of reasons. The list below contains the fruits that chinchillas can eat in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. If you can imagine for a moment what that would be like, it is much easier to see why they need dust baths instead of w. Are Chinchillas Territorial? Their access to water and hay or grass should be maintained in a way that they never run out. Studying the plants that chinchillas eat on a regular basis was particularly interesting for those scientists. Special emphasis on nutritional support. If you ask your chinchilla what their fave treats are, dried cranberries and raisins are at the top of their list. There are some great hay-based pellets out there on the market that complement your chinchillas hay-based diet and fill in the gaps in your chins nutrition really well. Approximately 75% to 80% of your chinchilla's diet should be made up of fresh hay. our recommended food products for your chinchilla and the best place to purchase them from. Once you do this, you can be sure that your cat wont be able to swipe your chinchilla or its cage as they get used to each others company.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'smallpetshq_com-sky-3','ezslot_21',190,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-smallpetshq_com-sky-3-0'); While you might be excoriated to introduce your chinchilla to your entire family, and this includes your cat, its vital first to make sure it first gets used to you. Chinchillas are so cute and such intelligent animals that make great pets. Chinchillas are very friendly animals. Also, as with people, some chinchillas may not react well to all foods so give new items in small amounts. Purebred Silver & White chinchilla. 2.5 Dried Cranberry And Apple. Just like all other animals, chinchillas need good quality food to survive. Food items that need to be provided to them continuously are hay and clean drinking water. Fiber: should be at least 15%, preferably up to 35%. The best way to safeguard your chinchilla from your cat is by placing its cage far from the reach of your cat. Strong expertise in both dogs and cats. The Chinchillas are often described as adorable, but they're also Is your chinchilla looking a little too plump?