The chinchilla is a crepuscular rodent native to the rocky mountain slopes of the Andes in South America, belonging to the family Chinchillidae. There are two living species: the Short-tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla chinchilla) and the Long-tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), the latter being the species almost universally kept as a pet. Wild populations are listed as endangered, but domestic chinchillas have been bred in captivity since the early 20th century and are now widely available from reputable breeders across the UK. They are sometimes informally called Chins.
Chinchillas are noted above all for their extraordinarily soft, dense fur — each hair follicle produces between 60 and 80 individual hairs, compared to a single hair in most mammals — which made them the target of intensive trapping during the 19th century. As pets they are active, playful, and curious animals that bond well with patient, gentle owners, though they are not ideally suited to young children due to their speed, fragility, and dislike of rough handling. They require a large, multi-level cage, regular dust baths using specialist volcanic dust to maintain coat condition, and a diet based on high-quality chinchilla pellets and unlimited timothy hay. Chinchillas are long-lived for a small rodent, with well-cared-for individuals commonly reaching fifteen to twenty years of age.
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We are looking for a loving, forever home for our beautiful male chinchilla 🩶 📅 Born: 27th July 2025 🐾 Gender: Male 🌟 Super fluffy, inquisitive and absolutely adorable 🏡 Used to being around a b
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Beautiful chinchilla boy . Had to move to a spare cage was fighting with other male all of a sudden . Even though they were a bonded pair from young . Could sell with cage for extra , cage needs plas
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2 White Male Chinchillas – Twin Brothers – £280 🐭🤍 South Wales, Porth area. Sadly looking to rehome our 2 beautiful white male chinchillas due to needing to travel more often. They are 4-year-old
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We have a lovely adult male grey chinchilla available, with a distinctive white chest and a big personality. Gordy is about 4 years old and a good breeder. He is comfortable with people, although c
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We have three beautiful chinchilla kits available from our much-loved family pets. Both mum and dad can be seen (photos included). They are incredibly friendly, affectionate, love sitting on shoul