Mine has blessed my family with endless fun and joy.
These rodents need at least an hour a day of playtime outside the cage. It never seems like a chore.
Someone in my family is always ready and excited to spend time with Chili.
At first, we weren’t quite sure how to play with a chinchilla.
But now, we have a bunch of games we all enjoy together.
Keep reading for our favorite ways to play with our chinchilla. All of these games are simple and involve things you should already have anyway, so there is no need to buy anything extra.
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How To Play With A Chinchilla
Playing with a chinchilla is blast and you can invent all kinds of fun games to enjoy with your pet. Different chinchillas will have different favorites. The 8 fun games below will get you started.
Ball Roll
This is a simple way to play with your chinchilla, and it is a good way to keep it physically and mentally alert. Balls always make for great toys chinchillas love to play with.
Materials
- A ball
Steps
- Sit with a ball on the floor in a playpen.
- Roll the ball between your hands while your chinchilla is looking at you.
- You can also try rolling the ball toward your pet.
- Your chin might ignore you or run away.
- In any case, stop, and try the game again once or twice a day.
- Allow a few weeks for your chinchilla to catch on.
- Soon it will be rolling the ball back to you.
Toy Toss
This is a great game for chinchillas that love to toss their toys. It is like a game of fetch that you play with a dog. The difference is that, in this case, you are the fetcher!
Materials
- Chinchilla-safe toys
Steps
- Sit inside an enclosure with your chinchilla.
- Place several chinchilla-safe toys, wood blocks, etc. next to your pet.
- If your buddy tosses the toy, bring it back and place it at its feet.
Magic Carpet (Blanket) Ride
This is a cute game to entertain your chinchilla.
Materials
- A small blanket
- Stuffed toy (optional)
- Treats
Steps
- The first few times, you might have to show your chinchilla what a “ride” entails. For this, place a stuffed toy on the blanket. Drag the blanket across the floor with the toy on it. Make sure your chinchilla is watching you.
- Place the blanket on the floor in front of your chinchilla.
- Have your chinchilla hop onto it. You may add some treats to entice your chinchilla to do so.
- Let your chinchilla have the treat. You can say a warning phrase such as, “Let’s Go!” or “Here We Go!” and pull the blanket slowly across the floor.
- Your chinchilla might hop off the blanket – which is fine.
- After a few days, your pet will get the idea of this game.
- You might even be able to get it on the blanket with the phrase and without any treats.
Digging Time
Chinchillas love to dig, and encouraging them to do so is one of the best ways to promote their natural instincts.
You can play this game outdoors if you use potting mix (since it can get messy), or you can stick to the indoors and use chinchilla-safe clean bedding material. In any case, make sure the digging area is chinchilla-safe.
Materials
- Potting mix or chinchilla-safe bedding
- Treats
- Digging box
Steps
- Create a digging area or dig box. It should be at least three to four times your chinchilla’s length when it lays down.
- Add the digging material: potting mix or clean bedding. Make sure that the digging material is at least 4-5 inches deep
- Place your chinchilla in the dig box. Assess its body language. If it seems anxious or nervous, remove it and try again later.
- If it helps, place a treat on top of the digging material.
- After a few days, you can bury the treat in the digging material.
- If your chinchilla does not catch on, show it where the treat is buried.
Toy Chase
Most chinchillas love this game.
Materials
- A chinchilla-safe toy
- String or a piece of rope
Steps
- Attach a string to a toy and drag it over the floor. Walk by your pet.
- Most chinchillas will love to chase the toy.
- If needed, place a treat on the toy.
- Instead of dragging the toy, you could also dangle it in front of your pet.
Obstacle Course
You can create an obstacle course using empty toilet rolls or pipes. These days, you can also buy ready-made obstacle courses like suspension bridges and tunnels for your chinchilla.
Materials
- Tubes, cardboard boxes, tunnels, branches, and old pipes
- Treats
Steps
- Arrange the items to create obstacles.
- Place treats on different levels of the course.
- This will encourage your pet to jump and climb.
Mountain Climbing
This is an excellent game to play with a chinchilla that is accustomed to being handled by humans.
Materials
- Treats
Steps
- Sit with your legs crossed or lie down on the floor
- You are the mountain, and your chinchilla should climb you.
- If needed, use treats to encourage your pet.
- This is a great way to bond with a new chinchilla. Being petted will make it feel safer around you.
Teach It Tricks
One of the best ways to entertain and play with your chinchilla is by teaching it tricks, just like you teach pet dogs.
- Stand: To teach your chinchilla to stand, simply hold a treat over your pet’s head. When it stands on its hind legs, say “stand”, praise, and treat it. Repeat several times.
- Jump: Start by having your chinchilla stand on its hind legs. Hold the treat a little higher over your pet’s head. Move it up and down and say “Jump”. When your pet jumps, give it a treat right away.
Are Chinchillas Fun To Play With?
Playing with a chinchilla may not be as fun and interesting as playing with a dog or cat. However, when done right, games and playtime with chinchillas can bring a lot of joy to your entire family.
Chinchillas are curious and intelligent animals. They love to explore, dig, climb, and jump. They love toys and show curiosity by holding and licking them.
Most importantly, chinchillas love interacting with humans. They are social animals, and they need company. It can be of their own kind as well. They love playing with each other.
If you have just one chinchilla, you must play and interact with it every day. This is important for your pet’s mental and physical well-being.
How Do You Entertain A Chinchilla?
To entertain your chinchilla, you can provide it with an hour or two of daily playtime outside its cage, preferably in a safe enclosure or playpen.
You can also entertain your pet by interacting with it. This includes playing games with it or teaching it some cool tricks.
You also need to provide your buddy with fun chinchilla toys to play with, chewing blocks, and a running wheel. Make sure there are plenty of levels, branches, pipes, hammocks, perches, tunnels, and digging areas inside your pet’s enclosure.
This is because chinchillas love to climb, jump, and dig, so you need to come up with different ways to encourage these behaviors.
Chinchilla Play Time: Final Thoughts
You will learn how to play with a chinchilla over time. You will discover your pet’s favorite games and which games it does not like so much. The games above are a good way to get started with chinchilla playtime.
Your pet’s excitement will guide you from there. If it really gets into a certain game, play that game more often. And come up with some fun variations. Seeing your chinchilla play and have a blast is what makes playtime fun for us humans too. It is one of the best aspects of chinchilla care. Everyone in my family just loves it!
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