Aibu wanting Chinchillas

[Staasaurus]

Try to talk me out of getting them...

Me and ds are keen dh is not grr

They are nocturnal. So hands off during the day.

How much do you know about them? They are nocturnal animals so will be active at night and asleep during the day. They are wild animals now being bred in, often, horrific conditions for the entertainment of humans. If you are getting one from a rescue organisation and know how to properly care for one then go for it. I'm generally against wild animals being bred for human entertainment, I think it's unethical.

Don't watch this video if animal cruelty and neglect upset, it shows the reality of chinchilla breeding.

Sorry if this is not what you want to hear.

They are not pets, will keep you awake all night. Unless you want to be nocturnal too to tame them then I'd pass.

There life span is quite a bit 15-20 years. Think about the commitment you will be taking on. Do a lot of research on them & how to care for them , if you havent already. also consider cost and vet bills etc...
Personally i wouldn't unless everyone in the household all agreed first.

YABU for wanting a chinchilla. Much better to get either a Quokka or a Did-dik.

How old is DS? They aren’t cuddly creatures, so not good for kids. They are intelligent, inquisitive, and great fun to watch, but usually hate being picked up and held. They also live a very long time - up to 20 years - so are a much bigger commitment than most small furries.

bloody apple auto correct... I meant Dik-dik.

Went into a house with these, kept in cages, very little interaction as they don't like being handled and they stank.

Their fur gets EVERYWHERE! It’s so fine it just floats around, you breathe it in, it settles on every surface… clogs up the hoover, and don’t get me started on their constant desire to roll round in their dust baths and the mess that causes… but damn, they’re adorable!!! My first chin lived for 20 years, she died about 11 years ago and I still miss her! I’m always tempted to get another.. So entertaining, apart from the fluff, they are cuddly, inquisitive, and have very funny little personalities. Mine used to wind up my husband something chronic! I think she knew he had a fear of anything rodenty, and she’d quietly stalk him on the back of the sofa and then just leap off into the middle of his newspaper! Sent him through the roof every time! Mostly nocturnal, and can be a bit noisy at night.. they also chew everything in sight. Great escape artists too!! All worth it though!! They don’t smell like other small pets do either… I’m not sure I’m helping…..

They are hard work. They need a huge living space.

Huge commitment.

Cats are those things too but a billion times easier.

It’s not really kind to the chinchilla to keep it in a cage. They live in big groups in the wild so even getting a pair would feel a bit lonely for them. Also, they can jump really high and so you’d need a huge cage to be able to accommodate their ability. They run fast and so a cage wouldn’t let them do that because it’d be too small. I’m pretty anti caged creatures. It’s just prison for little animals.

Please don't, why? Because they look nice? Poor, poor animals. Leave them where they belong. Get a pet if you must, not an animal that should be in the wild.

They gnaw. Watch the furniture.

DS is 10. Eek 😬 lots of negatives here

Guinea pigs are much better pets. Or rats.

Really not good pets for all the reasons mentioned above.
What about Guinea pigs?

They need a huge amount of space. For 2 chinchillas to live happily you should have an enclosure the size of your average double bedroom. Cages in pet shops are nowhere close to adequate.

They are nocturnal. Sleep all day and awake and active noisy all night. Not usually keen on being handled.

Very long term commitment.

Most vets won't treat them. You need to find an exotic vet and they are usually eye wateringly expensive. Think couple of hundred a visit, easily. More if they have health problems.

What about gerbils? Great pets, interesting seeing them tunnelling. Life span of about 4 years.

If you're after building a relationship with a small pet then I cant recommend female rats (yes plural) enough. They need stimulation and interaction daily though, honestly you get out of it what you put in.
Mice also, though they don't need as much input. Both have lovely little personalities in their own right and they're a pleasure to have if you can cope with regular cleaning out and the odd bit of wee on you (much less likely when you've bonded with them).

God no. They go on forever.

Don't bother..... we had two.
Not the cute furry animals you see.
They are nocturnal, do not like being handled, fur all over, they would pee through their cage bars.
Every night we would let them out for the evening. They needed more watching than a crawling baby. They chewed wires, the sofa and door frames.
We had to rehome ours as pets at home told us two males could live together happily.... well ours didn't. Once they became adults they hated each other and we didn't have room for two cages. We rehomed them through wood green to ensure they went to the right owners.
We in turn re homed a pet Degu. Much nicer animal. He would sit on your knee, loved being petted and would happily go back in his age without needing oven gloves

@Spongeboob

If you're after building a relationship with a small pet then I cant recommend female rats (yes plural) enough. They need stimulation and interaction daily though, honestly you get out of it what you put in. Mice also, though they don't need as much input. Both have lovely little personalities in their own right and they're a pleasure to have if you can cope with regular cleaning out and the odd bit of wee on you (much less likely when you've bonded with them).

I had one and they were lovely. Easily trained to do simple things which they got a lot of stimulation and enjoyment from, easy to clean and look after. Lovely little things. Short lifespan though, which was sad as I got very attached to them.

*I had mice, not one.

I'd also recommend rats, absolutely lovely pets, but if I'm honest, cats are easier and you get more back from them.
I'm not sure caged pets are really a proper part of the home.