Chinchilla behaviour and body language explained

Chinchilla sounds and what they mean

Chinchillas are a chatty species. Burgess says they communicate with soft, high-pitched grunts, chirps, squeals and barks, which act as social messages within the group. Wild chinchillas live in colonies of more than 100, so a sound system for "all fine", "look out" and "back off" makes sense. Here is what each one usually means, from our sources:

Our sources describe the broad meaning of each sound but don't give a fixed dictionary, and individual chinchillas vary. The rule we would use: soft and occasional is fine; loud, sudden or repeated means look at what changed.

Chinchilla small squeaks: are they normal?

Yes. Small, quiet squeaks while your chinchilla eats, explores or sits with its cage mate are the commonest sound you will hear. Some owners say their chinchilla sounds like a squeaky toy, and that is a fair description of these soft chirps. A bonded chinchilla may also squeak when it sees you coming with a treat.

The time to worry is when squeaking changes. A chinchilla that squeaks when touched in one place, or squeaks while sitting hunched, breathing hard or not eating, may be in pain. Our chinchilla health guide lists the signs that need a vet.

Chinchilla body language

A lot of chinchilla talk is silent. These are the postures and habits to know:

What is normal chinchilla behaviour?

A healthy chinchilla sleeps through the day and comes alive at dusk. The RSPCA says chinchillas need about 12 hours of darkness and long periods of undisturbed daytime sleep, and are most sociable at night. VCA describes them as quiet and shy but fast and agile, and they love to climb and jump. Burgess says they can jump more than 1.8 m (6 ft) from a standing start.

• Chewing everything: chinchillas explore with their mouths (RSPCA).
• Eating their own soft droppings, called caecotrophs, to get more goodness from food (Burgess).
• Rolling in a dust bath with obvious delight.
• Grooming their faces and whiskers, and each other.
• Feeding mostly early in the morning and late in the evening.
• Shedding fur every 3 to 4 months, starting at the head, says Wood Green.

Abnormal chinchilla behaviour: signs of stress

The RSPCA lists these as signs a chinchilla is stressed or afraid:

• Barking or whistling.
• Hiding much more than usual.
• Chewing its own or another chinchilla's fur.
• Patches of fur coming away when it is handled.
• Changes in eating or toilet habits.
• Drinking a lot, or playing with the water bottle.
• Not wanting to move.
• Repetitive movements, such as racing back and forth along the cage floor.

Stressed chinchillas are more likely to become ill, the RSPCA says, and a change in eating or droppings can be illness rather than stress. See a vet first, and if the vet finds nothing physical, ask about a clinical animal behaviourist. Common fixes are more space, a cooler, quieter room, more to do and a companion. Our chinchilla enrichment guide has ideas.

Chinchilla fur biting and fur chewing

Fur chewing, also called barbering, is when a chinchilla chews patches of its own fur or a cage mate's. PetMD lists it among the common problems vets see in chinchillas, and the RSPCA counts it as a stress sign. The fur looks short, uneven and chewed, often on the sides, flanks or near the tail.

If one chinchilla has chewed patches and the other doesn't, the clean one may be the chewer, which points to tension in the pair. If both are chewed, look at the whole set-up: cage size, boredom, heat and noise. VCA lists fungal infection (ringworm) and hair loss alongside fur chewing as problems that need a vet, so get any bald patch checked before you assume it is behaviour.

Biting, spitting and spraying

Biting is rare. The MSD Veterinary Manual says chinchillas seldom bite, usually only under stress, and Wood Green says biting is relatively rare. They give plenty of warning first: barking, spitting and spraying urine. Wood Green's advice is to leave the chinchilla to settle and spend more time socialising. Supreme adds that offering treats through the bars can teach a chinchilla to nip fingers, so offer them through an open door instead.

Behaviour between chinchillas

Chinchillas are sociable, but they can be aggressive, especially when first introduced, says the RSPCA. Wood Green gives clear signs of how a pairing is going:

Split them before a fight turns into injury, and have any wound checked by a vet, however small. Every chinchilla needs its own hide and a way to get away from the other, says the RSPCA.

How to tame a chinchilla

Slowly, with food, on its terms. Let a new chinchilla settle for at least a week, then sit by the cage each evening, talk softly and offer a treat from your open hand. Wood Green suggests 10 to 20 minutes each evening, and Supreme says taming can take two weeks to two months. Never grab or chase, which can cause fur slip and set you back. Our step-by-step guide on how to tame a chinchilla covers every stage, and the complete chinchilla care guide covers everything else. For fun extras, see our chinchilla facts.