Why do people say such bad things about Chinchillas?

Question

When someone asks for advice about buying a Chinchilla for a pet, people usually try to talk them out of it. They say that you can't really play with Chinchillas or hold them, and that they bite a lot.

My Chinchilla will let me open the cage and stick my hand in there to pet him or play with his ears and rub his cheeks. Then he slowly climbs up to the door so I can take him out. I let him run all over my room while I'm on the computer and he even jumps from the bed to my desk and climbs on me. Also, when I play my guitar he'll stare at me and climb on the neck and bite the strings :p I have to stop him cause I think he will get hurt.

Am I just lucky to have him (I feel lucky either way) or are Chinchillas really "that bad"?

Answer 1

A bad personal experience with chinchillas is why. If someone had never  come in contact with one, and it bit them, or it didn't like to be held, they're going to say these things. People are stupid, they don't do the research that needs to be done, and just spew out personal experiences.  When I answer a question about chinchillas, I let the person know the downsides and possible cons to owning a chinchilla. These are important things to know if you're going to have a pet for possibly 20 years. Chinchillas have different personalities, and some, if not most, don't know this. This is another reason for why people say "such bad things" about them. This also goes back to what I said about personal experience.

I love my two boys to death, they are the chinchillas that like to be scratched and held, that follow me around my room, that know their names when called. But there are also those chinchillas out there who are the complete opposite. So you could consider yourself lucky for happening to get one with a personality like he does.

Answer 2

i had a chinchilla that was pretty cool............untill it started to shoot pee at me...yeah that was his ticket out the door

Answer 3

They arent "that bad".

You just have to understand that just because a certain pet is good for you, it may not be good for everyone.  There are ups and downs to every pet and both have to be considered.  Some people only look at the ups and then buy the pet and realize that it may not be the pet for them.  You have to be aware of both before buying any pet.

So you may be happy with your chinchilla, but that doesnt mean everyone will be.  

Answer 4

My brother had a chinchilla, and it used to bite him, no matter how hard we tried to handle it, and teach it not to..

But thats just one case, not all of them do it.

Chinchillas are cool pets, dont listen to what other people say.

Answer 5

its not that they are bad, its that they live a long life and have certain care aspects (special food, not to hot, very fragile) and  that other small pets like a hamster would be more "idiot proof" since people who ask these questions usually do not know what they are doing like the other poster who got rid of his chin when it pooped, did he think they never go potty in their 20 years on earth?