The Beautiful chinchilla

by Kitty the Great

Chinchillas originated in South America and at one time they were in SERIOUS danger of extinction! They were hunted for their beautiful soft pelts and because they are very very small little animals a LOT of pelts were needed to make ...*gulp*... fur coats for humans. In 1918, a gentleman by the name of M.F. Chapman started trapping them to bring to the United States. He wanted to raise them for pets. But, because they were SO scarce, it took his party of 23 men THREE YEARS to capture just 11 little chinchillas. They brought them to the United States, and Mr. Chapman began breeding them. When they were first put on the market, they sold for $3200.00 a pair - and you could ONLY buy them in pairs! Now you can own a single chinchilla for about $100. They are adorable little rodents with the body and head like a rabbit, but large ears like a mouse and a tail like a squirrel. An adult male averages about 600 grams. (normal is between 400-800 grams). Their fur can be many different colors - they come in black, grey, white, tan, brown, red, or a mix! Chinchillas are a verrrrrrry sociable little animal and require a LOT of love and attention. It is best to keep two of them unless you have a LOT of time to spend playing with your little one. They are very affectionate and love to snuggle. They are not hard to keep or to feed -- they like pellets and timothy hay and -- sort of like our crunchies with a little catnip. For treats they like seeds and things of that nature. They don't like meat. They are very very clean and they don't smell a bit! I'm hoping mommy might buy ME a chinchilla one day!