Knowledgeable About Chinchillas? Good Pet For A Young Teen?

Question

Someone I know needs to rehome a chinchilla ... (leaving for college, can't take with, parents don't want to care for ...). This person is asking $50 for the animal, cage, food, all supplies. Sounds pretty reasonable to me ... is it?

My son is 13 and has long wanted a pet "of his own" ... something that can live in his room and he can take care of. Is a chinchilla a suitable pet ... something he'd be able to manage on his own? Is there any compelling reason NOT to acquire this pet?

Of course, I realize that I need to research this, and would not buy or adopt a pet on a whim, but I'm hoping some of you with experience will give me your thoughts.

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

$50? That's a GREAT deal! Chinchillas live to be 10-15 years old, so make sure you have a plan for the chinchilla when he goes off to collage. I say you get him the pet :)

Answer 2

I think it's a good idea! My friend has a younger sister, about 13 like your son and they got her a chinchilla. I might be wrong, but I think they're like hamsters (sleep during the day, run around at night). If that's true, it could pose a problem if it's in his room but you'd have to find that out.

Answer 3

I've had chinchillas before. I honestly think that a 13-year-old would get bored of it. They're tamable, but they're still pretty shy creatures.

Though, they are quiet, and cannot scratch, and typically aren't biters.

All they really require is fresh water, food, bedding, and a dust bath at least two times a week. Which are fun to watch!

I'd think a young boy would rather have something more "handleable".

For example, a leopard gecko is a pretty cool pet; that or a bearded dragon. They make awesome pets. Plus, you get to feed them crickets. Which is pretty fun to watch for a kid.

Anyway, if you have any questions about them, just ask.

Answer 4

They require a lot of responsibility and research.

I think a 13 year old would get tired of it.

They aren't the most handable creatures, some like to be handled, some don't, they are like a cat really.

www.chins-n-quills.com is a good place to research BEFORE you get them.

Don't get it if you don't know about it, they can raise the vet bills pretty quickly from what I've seen on that site in the year and half that I've been there.

I don't think a 13 year old could manage a chinchilla on his own, then again honestly it depends on the maturity of him, someone who's 14 on chins-n-quills takes wonderful care of her one chinchilla.

Make sure it has a decent size cage and good food(Tradition, Mazuri or Oxbrow), don't use Charlie Chinchilla or any yucky brand like that, it equals up to about as junk as Mcdonalds.

You will definitely need an A/C and if you decide to keep the chinchilla in the basement you'll need a de-humidifier.

75F+ can cause heat stroke, its best to keep the temperatures around 65-70F.

They NEED hay to live be sure you can get it.

I agree they need stuff to chew on, not junk from the pet store either.

They need 2-3 dust baths a week with good quality dust(Blue Cloud).

They are nocturnal and should NOT be try and turned into a dinural pet, they are nocturnal and like to be up at night, that's the way it is.

And to who said they are rare, they aren't, a lot of people just don't own them because their care is a bit more complicated and difficult to keep up with unlike some rodents(hamsters, gerbils, etc).

Chinchillas can be great just research and be sure that he's ready to take care of it, if not be prepared to take care of it if it gets boring to him.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have mixed emotions about this. I think anyone can take care of a chinchilla, but as your son grows up, is he still going to want to spend 4+ hours a night taking care of it? Chins need a lot of time outside of their cage a day.

Also a factor you should think of is allergies. While your son may not be allergic now, he could develope some with constant exposure to the things like dust, and hay. If this happens, what do you do?

Another thing I'd like to say is that chinchillas are very expensive to care for (if you care for them properly). They can't eat things like any other rodent would. Things like fresh veggies, or fruit, or nuts, can actually be fatal to the chin over time. They need special chinchilla pellets, and hay. That's it. And those can get pretty expensive. They also need a constant supply of wood to chew on. And not just any wood. Most wood is toxic to a chin so you need to be careful.

What about in the summer? Can you keep a chin at a constant 75 degrees or lower in the peaks of summertime? Are you prepared to have a/c on 24 hours each day?

While I believe they make great pets there is just so much you need to be wary of when getting one. However, if you as a parent (you know your son best) believe that your son can truly do this every night for the next 15 years, then go ahead. But chins do need a lot of attention. They can't just be put in a cage and poked at every once in a while, you know?

I'm 18 and I've had my chins for years and I know that when I was in school and his age I didn't want to spend so much time playing with the animal. The excitement of having them wore off in about a week and I realized that these animals were with me forever. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my kids to DEATH, and I spoil them rotten, but I personally just wish I would have waited until I was older.

Again, you know your son best, so yo make the final decision. Just think it over a lot. And if you choose to get one, congrats and have fun, they're a riot!

By the way, that IS a great deal. Chins alone usually cost between 60-300 bucks alone..Without any supplies, cages or anything.

Good luck!

Answer 6

EXCELLENT choice of pet. We have one, he is almost 2 years old, and I'd choose him over a cat or dog any day. It takes less then a week to get trained to your sent, and after that, they LOVE you. We let ours (his name is Rocco) crawl around the house and he just goes back to his cage when he's done. They don't stink, they are small, they clean themselves and eat just a LITTLE food. Plus they are cute. My son is 2 and he enjoys him so Im sure your teenager would. Plus they are rare pets so not everyone has them. You should take the offer. ((They usually sleep during the day and play at night, but it doesnt take long before you can train them to be opposite. Just give them attention during the day and keep it well lit, and they will sleep through the night))

Answer 7

Depends on the original owners. Is it happy to sit in your lap or does it try to haul ***?  They need special "dust bowls" so they can take a dry bath, are you prepared to pay for the material?

Are you prepared to clean up the messes?

They aren't the most loving pets unless you have had them their entire lives. Also, many rodents are nocturnal and will keep your kid up all night gnawing or scratching etc.

Start out with something like a baby rat (if you think you son is responsible) they can be very loving if you give them attention and don't require the special feed, bathing materials etc.

Answer 8

I'm still a teenager, so I'm not sure if I can be of much help, but when I was 12 I almost got a chinchilla. My friend was moving to china, and couldn't take her two chinchillas with her. My mom's not a big fan of pets, so she was somewhat reluctant to accept their offer to give it to me. I researched it for a little bit, and I fell in love with the two rodents. We lived overseas, though, and air-conditioning was very expensive. Chinchillas need a constant temperature of about 75 degrees, and my mom decided that it would be too expensive to keep up with.

If I were you, I'd do some research about it, and also have your son do some of his own research. In my experience, having your child do a lot of it on his own will help him to take better care of the pet later on. Also, be aware that a chinchilla is sort of like a dog, from what I know. They need a lot of attention, and to be taken out of their cage and played with a lot. My friend had her bathroom rigged out with a bunch of toys and stuff, and she let them play around in there with her supervision. Plus, he's not going to care for them completely on his own. You'll probably take on a lot of the responsibility as well.

They are very sweet animals and would probably make an amazing pet for your son. :] I know what wanting a pet of your own can feel like, and I think he'll be really happy if you let him take home a chinchilla.

Oh, and 50$ is a very reasonable price, I think. A lot of cages cost that much (or more) on their own. I'm not quite sure of the average cost of a chinchilla, but I'm almost positive that it would be more than that.

Answer 9

They are too much work for a 13 yr old to take care of on their own, you will probably be the one doing most of the work.  They do make great pets but require a lot of attention, as well as a large cage.  They need to be kept cool in the summer, they can't get wet and they literally p**p constantly...If you think your child is up to the task then go for it, but I do not suggest it.

Answer 10

i love chinchillas they are so fun and cute i would say get a chinchilla