My daughter just loves chinchillas she is ten years old and knows alot about them

Question

I have a daughter who loves and enjoys animals she is 10 and has studied chinchillas on the internet and i want to know if a chinchilla is good for her age

Answer 1

It might be okay but she would possibly need to be supervised by an adult

Moving to a new environment is stressful, even on the most socialized chins. For this reason, time should be taken to allow the chin to get used to their new cage so that they feel that they are safe in their new environment.

There are a lot of new sights and smells in their new home to get used to as well and this is best done from inside a safe cage. The biggest mistake new owners make is taking a chin home and immediately beginning to take them out for play time. Even if the chin seems to be calm, he/she needs time to settle in. This is especially true of homes that have other pets living in them. Chinchillas are a prey species and as such may not show outward signs of stress until it is too late. Smells of other species, especially predatory species can be very frightening to a chinchilla. You may not think your cat is predatory, but the chin has no way of knowing this and will only go by what he/she smells. For this reason, I suggest that new owners give new chins a minimum of two weeks before taking them out for play time. This gives them time to feel comfortable and safe in their new cage.

You can bond with them and interact with them from within their cage. Let them approach you however, do not reach in and "grab" them. If they climb onto your hand, then hold them. This time can be longer, depending on the chins particular personality, but two weeks should be a minimum.I know this is hard for new owners, however, it would be much harder if the chin were to end up dying due to the stress of his/her new environment.

Chinchillas really do not make good pets for very young children unless they are supervised by an adult or an older child. Chinchillas are made of cartilage and can break easily if squeezed, and most children tend to want to squeeze them. So please be very careful.

Facts Average life span: 8-10 years, up to 18 years Environmental temperature range: 60-75 F Body temperature: 97-100 F Gestation: 111 days Litter size: 1-5 (range), with an average of 2 Weaning age: 6-8 weeks

Chinchillas make great indoor pets because they are odorless and their fur is so dense that they can not get pests such as fleas. Chinchillas also have no dander so people who are allergic to other pets can usually tolerate chinchillas without problems. They are very social animals, so if you only have one you will become its family.

Here is a list of things that you will need when getting a Chinchilla. It will help you get started.

1. Large cage, the taller the better since Chinchillas love to climb. (plastic can be toxic to them so try not to buy a cage with plastic)

2. Exercise Wheel to keep your Chinchilla healthy and strong.

3. Bedding ( do not use pine or cedar) Must use Care Fresh or Aspen

4. Fresh Water Daily (best to use bottled water or sterilized)

5. Pellet Food made specifically for Chinchillas (do not use other kinds)

6. Chewing toys to keep the teeth healthy (certain wood can be harmful)

7. Fresh Hay Daily (must use loose Timothy Hay)

8. Dust for a bath (must not be scented)

9. They need an environment that is never too hot (try to maintain less than 75 degrees)

Answer 2

If she can handle the responsibilities of a chinchilla then why not.  If your daughter is just looking for a cute pet to play with then she has to realize that chinchillas are nocturnal and do not like being held very much.  They can also be somewhat messy animals.

Answer 3

No.

Not at all.

She's ten?

Chinchillas live until being TWENTY.

She'll be thirty when it dies, most likely.

On top of that, she's nearly a teenager- soon, she'll be going out, going around friend's houses, studying, working towards college, getting a job...

Ten year olds go through phases. For a ten year old, get a short living animal like a hamster or maybe a guinea pig- a chinchilla is too much reponsiblity. They don't like being handled much, can bite, need a lot of time outside of their cage, and live so long that you'll be responsible for it in a couple of years- if you're not sooner.

Tell her she can have one when she's older. Think about what's going to happen over those TWENTY YEARS. She's going to get older, get interested in friends and a social life and boys (most likely) and then go on to leave home, go to college, get married... etc. etc.

What if she decides to go to college in eight short years and ends up in a no animal dorm/apartment? You'll have to take care of it!

On top of that, until she gets a job at sixteen (at the youngest) you'll be paying for EVERYTHING.

I remember at ten being obsessed with anime.

Do I like anime at eighteen?

No.

That's it, kids lose interest in things. I also wanted to be a vet and now I wanted to be a photographer!

It's not worth it to you or her to get her one now when she won't be able to take on full responsiblity and will- I can guarnate this- lose interest in three years or less.

Answer 4

no shes to young

Answer 5

I've actually had two chinchilla's in the past so I can tell you a lot about the subject. First of all, they require a lot of time and attention if you want them to be social and happy. They also typically live very long lives. Usually kids get tired of having the same animals, and don't like to put in the effort to take care of them. If you think that your daughter can handle that kind of work then she should be fine. However if she can't, then you may end up taking care of the Chinchilla after a few months. They are very affectionate creatures which is a good thing for younger kids. Also, they eat a very delicate diet. Making sure your chinchilla has all of the right foods it needs can be a bit tricky, and often times if you don't do it right the Chinchilla can get sick and possibly die. They also tend to have health problems, so if you want to spare your little girl from heartbreak then I'd say a chinchilla is not the way to go. One alternate to a Chinchilla is a Degu. They are related to one another, and Degus tend to be cheaper and a lot less sensitive. However, properly taking care of either a Chinchilla or a Degu is very time consuming. I would have to say that for a 10 year old, it's not the way to go.

Answer 6

you should get one for her if she is responsible and shows that she can care for it!

Answer 7

no sorry, they are extremely delicate and an excited 10 year old can easily break their ribs while handleing them. not to mention if it gets squirmmy and she drops it, ya it can get seriously injured, i'd wait 5 years or so.