But most of us want to make sure our pets are happy and healthy.
We would never want to keep a pet if doing so was cruel to the animal.
That’s why I often get asked if it is cruel to keep a chinchilla.
And the truth is it can be. In fact, it often is.
But that’s because many chinchilla owners (and pet owners in general) do not treat their pets well.
If you provide your pet the proper care, you can usually be sure it is not suffering.
And that goes for chinchillas too. Keep reading for all the details, including what you need to do to ensure your little chinchilla is not suffering a cruel life.
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Is It Cruel To Keep A Chinchilla?
No, it is not cruel to own a chinchilla. Chinchillas have been domesticated for a long time and can currently be adopted from reputable chinchilla breeders.
With proper care, a large habitat, and the ability to socialize with you, your family, or other chinchillas, they can make for excellent pets. Give them proper care and it is not cruel to keep a chinchilla.
That answers the basic question of the day. But it does not do much to provide any advice on how to keep a chinchilla properly, to ensure you are not treating it in a cruel manner.
But because I know that you might have additional questions, I will break this topic down even more for you below.
Give me about 2 minutes, and I’ll explain why it is not cruel to keep a chinchilla, and how to raise a chinchilla in the most ethical manner in order to keep it happy and in peak health.
Why It Is Not Cruel To Keep A Chinchilla
Raising any pet, including a chinchilla, requires that you know how to provide a safe home and the best care possible.
There is doubt about this, and chinchillas are no different.
Even though chinchillas are endangered in the wild, they continue to be bred domestically as pets and sold in local pet stores such as PetSmart.
You can also adopt and purchase chinchillas from local and reputable breeders near you. In fact, this is generally better. Many pet stores do not source their chinchillas ethically and treat them badly to boot. For more, read our article entitled: Why Shouldn’t You Buy A Chinchilla From A Pet Store?
Clearly, if this is the case, someone thought at one point in time that chinchillas can make for the ideal pet and that it is 100% possible to keep a chinchilla happy as a domesticated pet.
This is true, and I 100% agree that chinchillas can be kept as a pet, and it is not cruel in any fashion to keep a chinchilla as a pet.
However, for this to hold true, it is important that you understand how to raise a chinchilla correctly and what exactly this entails.
First and foremost, it comes down to ensuring that you are providing a great home for your chinchilla, which starts with providing your pet one of the best chinchilla cages.
I want to touch on that topic next.
Providing The Perfect Habitat And Environment
To ensure that you provide for your chinchilla in the best manner, you need to purchase an awesome chinchilla cage.
Do not worry. It is a one-time purchase that happens at the beginning of the process, and then it is over. If you buy a great cage from the start, there will be no need to upgrade to a better one later.
I highly recommend chinchilla cages that are large and have plenty of space that you can use for ledges, tunnels, and other interactive necessities.
A cage needs plenty of room to place the best chinchilla toys inside. You also need the ability to attach all the best and necessary chinchilla accessories.
Additionally, chinchillas need the ability to jump and climb just like they do in the wild. Chinchillas move around quickly and freely when you have an adequately sized cage.
Without a doubt, the cage is one of the most important things you can provide a chinchilla to ensure that it is not cruel to keep a chinchilla as a pet.
Put simply, if you want to adopt a chinchilla, you need to plan on providing a great cage. I highly recommend the Critter Nation 2 Dual Level Cage.
It checks every box necessary and can provide your chinchilla exactly what it needs. You can read my full review of the Critter Nation Cage at that link above. It is the cage I use for my chin, because it was by far the best cage I tried out.
Do Not Neglect Your Chinchilla’s Social Needs
In addition to providing a great chinchilla cage, you have another extremely important factor that you need to consider.
You need to be provide some form of socialization for your chinchilla. And it should happen every day.
In a perfect world, this means that you are going to interact and do things with your chinchilla every day, even if it is just something small.
In fact, sometimes this will be for a few minutes, and sometimes you will be able to provide 30 to 60 minutes for your chinchilla to be out of the cage and spend time with you.
The exact duration is not nearly as important as the effort.
Chinchillas are social creatures and crave the ability to be around you and/or other chinchillas.
If you provide this to them in the same fashion that they would receive in the wild, there is nothing cruel about keeping a chinchilla as a pet.
If anything, it is better than not adopting a chinchilla, considering you are also providing safety from predators, bad weather, and other dangers these delicate creatures face in the wild.
Chinchillas Make Wonderful Pets
Chinchillas are a pet that is growing in popularity. They are good pets, and you should give them serious consideration, if you are currently in search of a low-maintenance, small pet to add to the family.
They are clean animals that do not require much, apart from a safe and adequate home, in addition to some social interaction.
Cruelty Of Keeping Chinchillas: Final Thoughts
If you are currently on the fence about adopting a chinchilla, I highly recommend doing so. They are entertaining and loving pets that you and the children can enjoy.
With proper care, some prior research, and a great cage, there is nothing that makes owning a chinchilla as a pet cruel in any fashion. Unless you raise chinchillas to eat them or to skin them for their fur, of course. Please don’t do that.
Chili and I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming journey, and thanks for reading.
Share your thoughts.
Do you believe that it is cruel to keep a chinchilla as a pet?
Do you have any further recommendations for the Planet Chinchilla community?
Be sure to share those thoughts, stories, and concerns by dropping a comment below.
As always, Chili and I appreciate you stopping by. We will see you next time.
Greg says
I have a chinchilla because my sister didn’t want him anymore and he’s in a two level cage that seems comparable to the one you showed.. I still feel like he doesn’t have enough space to run around so occasionally I bring him downstairs. The problem is he poops EVERYWHERE and bites cables so I have to be cautious about what’s around for him to chew. He has ledges connected to a gate that’s around his cage that gives him some extra space but I don’t think he gets enough socializing. I wish I could give him a friend but everyone seems to think they’ll fight. Idk what to do.. I feel terrible for him. They really aren’t low maintenance, their cages get disgusting and they don’t become a real member of your family because they’re locked away. I would advise someone thinking about getting a chinchilla to think really hard about it. I think they live a sad life in captivity. Get them a friend if you do get one and try to let them run around as much as possible.
Greg says
P.S. Get a customizable cage if you can, they’re just kindve expensive
Carmen Mazon says
It is very cruel and wrong to keep animals at home. Animals deserve to be free, in their habitat. The needs and natural behaviors of animals cannot be met in our homes. A life at home limits an animal’s natural behavior and puts its mental and physical well-being at risk. You are literately keeping an innocent being in prison for life, it is very sad.
Josh says
If you are a good pet owner, you can give your pet a much better life at home than in the wild, where they are under constant threat of starvation, freezing, overheating, becoming something else’s food, and countless more.
diane j jones says
in cori last week they showed cilla yje chinchilla in a tiny cage no wheel sand bath or toys and then killed by dog it was disgusting to show the irisponsabl l it showes there is no reserch at all on tv
Josh says
I hate hearing stories like that. Heartbreaking.