Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
Are chinchillas good pets?
Yes, for the right home. They are clean, quiet in the daytime, curious and wonderfully athletic, and the MSD Veterinary Manual describes them as generally calm and rarely biting unless stressed. Watching a pair bounce off the walls of a play room in the evening is one of the joys of small-pet keeping.
They are not a good fit for everyone, though. The RSPCA describes them as shy animals that don't enjoy being stroked or handled and are easily startled by sudden loud noises. Handle them roughly and they can lose a patch of fur on purpose, called fur slip, to escape. If you want a pet that sits on your lap for a stroke, a chinchilla will probably disappoint you, and you will stress it.
The good parts
- Long-lived. 10 to 15 years on average, sometimes 20, says the MSD Veterinary Manual. That is far longer than a hamster or rat.
- Clean coat. Their fur is the densest of any land animal, up to 60 hairs per follicle, and they keep it clean with dust baths rather than water.
- Plant-based, simple diet. Hay, a little plain pellet and water. No fresh-food prep each day.
- Entertaining. They leap, wall-run and "popcorn" (jump straight up) when happy.
- Quiet by day. They sleep most of the day, which suits people who work.
The harder parts
- Heat can kill them. Rooms need to stay at 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F), says the RSPCA, and above 27°C (80°F) they risk heatstroke.
- Big cages. A pair needs at least 91 × 61 × 152 cm (3 × 2 × 5 ft), says VCA, and PDSA asks for much more.
- Evening animals. They wake around dusk and want company and exercise then.
- Not cuddly. Most tolerate being picked up at best.
- Vet costs. They need an exotics vet, and their teeth grow all their life, so dental disease is common.
- Chewers. In a free-roam room they will chew cables, skirting boards and furniture.
How hard is it to keep a chinchilla as a pet?
Moderately hard. None of the jobs is difficult, but there are several every day and you can't skip them. PetMD puts it at one to two hours a day and says chinchillas are not ideal for people who travel often. The MSD Veterinary Manual's daily list is a good picture of what that time is:
- Fresh hay, water and a small measure of pellets.
- Remove old food and wet bedding.
- A dust bath of about 10 minutes.
- About two hours of supervised exercise outside the cage.
- A quick health check: eating, droppings, eyes, fur and movement.
Every week you change the bedding and clean the cage, and once a year you visit an exotics vet. Our complete chinchilla care guide covers each part in detail, and our chinchilla cage cleaning routine lays out the weekly and monthly jobs.
Chinchilla pet facts
These are the facts that shape life with a chinchilla, mostly from the MSD Veterinary Manual, the RSPCA and Chewy's vet-reviewed care sheet.
| Fact | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Come from the cold, dry Andes | Keep them cool and dry. Humidity below 40 to 50 percent (VCA). |
| Body up to 25 cm (10 in), tail about 15 cm (6 in) | Small enough to slip behind furniture in a play room. |
| Can jump over 1.8 m (6 ft) | Tall cage with shelves, but no single drop over 60 cm (2 ft), says the RSPCA. |
| Up to 60 hairs per follicle | No water baths; dust baths instead. |
| Teeth grow all their life | Unlimited hay and safe wood to chew, every day. |
| Live in colonies of 100 or more in the wild | Never keep one alone if you can avoid it (RSPCA). |
| Active at night and dusk | Plan your time with them for the evening. |
| Hide illness | Learn their normal and act fast on changes. |
There are plenty more in our page of surprising chinchilla facts, and our guide to chinchilla behaviour explains what their barks, chirps and teeth chattering mean.
How much does a chinchilla cost?
The animal is the cheap part; the cage, vet care and many years of hay are the real cost. UK rescue Raystede lists a chinchilla adoption fee of £50, as of November 2026. US rescue fees vary, so check with rescues near you. A suitable tall cage is usually the biggest single cost.
People often ask what PetSmart or Petco charge. Store prices change by region and over time, so ask your local store directly. Before you buy from a pet shop, it is worth asking where the animals came from and whether they have been checked by a vet, which the MSD Veterinary Manual advises for any new chinchilla. For a full set-up and monthly breakdown in £ and $, see how much a chinchilla costs to buy and keep, and for rescues and breeders see where to get a chinchilla.
Should you get one chinchilla or two?
Two. The RSPCA says chinchillas must not be kept alone, because in the wild they live in large colonies. A same-sex pair from the same litter or rescue is the easiest start. If you want a male and a female, the male needs to be neutered first. VCA says introducing adults can take days to weeks in cages side by side, and should always be watched, because fights can cause serious injuries.
What does a pet chinchilla need?
Here is a shopping list to have ready before they come home, drawn from PDSA, VCA and the RSPCA.
- A tall metal cage with solid shelves and a solid resting floor (see our chinchilla cage size guide).
- A nest box each, about 25 cm (10 in) on each side, plus one to share.
- Grass hay, a hay rack and a bag of plain chinchilla pellets.
- A glass water bottle or heavy ceramic bowl.
- Chinchilla dust and a ceramic or metal bath.
- Dust-free paper bedding or fleece liners (see our chinchilla bedding guide).
- Safe chews: untreated apple, pear or willow wood and pumice.
- A room thermometer and hygrometer.
- A small carrier for vet trips.
- The number of an exotics vet.
What are some good enrichment toys for chinchillas?
The best toys let them chew, climb, hide and forage. PDSA and Burgess suggest cardboard tubes and boxes, wooden seesaws, ramps and shelters, and hay stuffed into paper bags or toilet rolls. The RSPCA adds pumice and wood chews. A solid wheel with no rungs, at least 38 cm (15 in) across, gives them a safe way to run, says VCA.
Skip plastic toys, which splinter and are harmful if swallowed (PDSA), and hanging ropes, ladders or swings, which can trap legs. Our guides to chinchilla enrichment and the best chinchilla toys go further.
What are good names for a chinchilla?
Something soft, small and a bit bouncy suits most chinchillas. Grey ones suit stone and weather names like Pebble, Ash, Smokey or Misty. Pale ones suit Snowy, Pearl or Mochi. For a pair, try names that go together: Salt and Pepper, Bean and Sprout, Pip and Pop. For something rarer, borrow from the Andes: Killa (moon) and Inti (sun) are Quechua words, and Cusco, Lima or Atacama make lovely names. Our page of chinchilla names has hundreds more in themed groups.
How to choose a healthy chinchilla
The MSD Veterinary Manual says to look for:
- Bright, clear eyes with no wetness or discharge.
- A dry nose and ears with no discharge.
- Teeth that meet evenly, and a dry chin. Wet fur around the mouth can mean tooth trouble.
- A full coat with no bald patches or wounds.
- An animal used to being handled, rather than one that cries and struggles.
It also advises a vet check, including for parasites, before your new chinchilla comes home, and asking whether you can return it if it falls ill.
Questions about chinchillas as pets
How hard is it to keep a chinchilla as a pet?
Harder than a hamster, easier than a dog. The daily jobs take one to two hours, mostly supervised play. The real challenges are a room that stays below about 18°C (64°F), a tall cage, evening time, an exotics vet nearby and a commitment that can run 15 years or more.
How much is a chinchilla at PetSmart or Petco?
Store prices change by location and over time, so check with your local store. As a guide, UK rescue Raystede asks £50, as of November 2026, and US rescue fees vary by rescue, so ask locally. We would look at a rescue first. Our cost guide has full set-up and monthly figures.
What are good names for a chinchilla?
Names that suit a small, soft, grey and very bouncy animal work well: Pebble, Smokey, Ash, Dusty, Pip, Bounce or Mochi. Pairs suit matching names, like Salt and Pepper or Bean and Sprout. Our chinchilla names page has hundreds more in themed groups.
What are rare pet names for a chinchilla?
Names from the Andes, where chinchillas come from, are unusual and fitting: Inca, Quechua words like Killa (moon) and Inti (sun), or places like Cusco and Atacama. Stone and mineral names such as Basalt, Pumice or Quartz also suit their colours.
What are some good enrichment toys for chinchillas?
Untreated apple, pear or willow branches, pumice chews, cardboard tubes stuffed with hay, wooden ramps and seesaws, and a solid wheel at least 38 cm (15 in) across. Scatter food in the hay so they forage. Skip plastic toys, hanging ropes and anything a leg could get trapped in.
Do chinchillas smell?
A clean chinchilla has very little smell of its own, because its dense fur is kept dry and clean by dust baths. Any smell usually comes from wet bedding or a dirty cage corner, so daily spot-cleaning and a weekly bedding change keep the room fresh.
Are chinchillas good pets for children?
They are better as a family pet that an adult cares for. PetMD says children should be supervised with them. Chinchillas are fragile, quick and dislike being held, and a dropped chinchilla can break a leg. Older, calm children can enjoy feeding and watching them play.
