How to Raise an Orphan Chinchilla

Chinchillas are medium-sized rodents that hail from the Andes Mountains of South America. Their soft, glossy coats have led many people to farm the small animals for fur production. In the last decade, though, chinchillas have become popular and valuable pets. Due to a long gestation period, baby chinchillas are born fully furred and almost ready to walk. They still require some specific care before they are self sufficient.

Things You'll Need

  • Box
  • Shavings
  • Heating pad
  • Towel
  • Water
  • KMR/lamb milk replacer
  • Eye dropper/syringe
  • Baby cereal
  • Hay
  • Chinchilla pellets
  • Dish
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Set up a box for the orphaned chinchilla. Find a small box and put shavings inside it for the chinchilla. Set a heating pad on low and put it underneath the box. The most common cause of death in baby chinchillas is cold, so you need to be certain that you keep it warm. Consider periodically microwaving the shavings for the kit.

    • 2

      Warm the baby chinchilla. Hold it under warm water and then rub it briskly with a towel to encourage blood circulation.

    • 3

      Use an eye dropper or syringe to feed the chinchilla kit warmed KMB or lamb milk replacer (available at pet shops) every two hours. Hold the kit upright in your hand, insert the syringe or eye dropper into its mouth, and feed the kit 3 cc of milk at a time until it stops eating. Maintain this schedule for the first two weeks.

    • 4

      Provide hay and pellets in a dish for the baby chinchilla. The kit will begin to chew on these almost immediately.

    • 5

      Add baby cereal to the milk when the kit is three weeks old. Begin to delay feedings by an hour, and then longer, and feed less to encourage the kit to eat solid food. Provide a dish with water. The kit should be weaned at six to eight weeks, at which time it can go into a cage with the adults.