Importance of Playtime for Chinchillas
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An important consideration before getting a chinchilla is whether you have the time to provide supervised out of cage playtime most nights a week. Regular out of cage exercise is paramount for a chinchilla's emotional and physical well being.
Unfortunately there are some damaging misconceptions surrounding playtime and this has caused some owners to believe it's not necessary or fear letting their chinchillas out in case it harms them. This is totally false and some of the most common myths and the truth behind them are covered in more detail here. Saying a chinchilla does not need playtime may make them seem more appealing and require less effort, but this is NOT in the chinchilla's best interests. However playtime doesn't have to be seen as a chore! Not only is it great for your chinchilla, it can also be very rewarding for the owner and provides a great opportunity to interact and bond with your pet. |
Credit: Chintopia - The Home of Mysti and Shima Hodges on Facebook
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NEVER take your chinchilla outside, use a harness or exercise ball:
As well as being easily able to overheat or escape, being outside would expose your chinchilla to lots of dangerous bacteria they're not immune to.
Harnesses and exercise balls are totally unsuitable and unsafe for chinchillas. A chinchilla can easily break their ribs in a harness and exercise balls force the chinchilla's spine into an unnatural position and means they are made to run rather than adopt their usual hopping position. The enclosed environment means they can easily overheat, get their toes caught in the gaps and not to mention they become covered in their own urine and poos. These have become commonly known as chinchilla death balls because they're so dangerous.
As well as being easily able to overheat or escape, being outside would expose your chinchilla to lots of dangerous bacteria they're not immune to.
Harnesses and exercise balls are totally unsuitable and unsafe for chinchillas. A chinchilla can easily break their ribs in a harness and exercise balls force the chinchilla's spine into an unnatural position and means they are made to run rather than adopt their usual hopping position. The enclosed environment means they can easily overheat, get their toes caught in the gaps and not to mention they become covered in their own urine and poos. These have become commonly known as chinchilla death balls because they're so dangerous.
Creating a safe playtime environment
This is absolutely vital and with careful planning almost all accidents can been avoided. Please "chinchilla proof" your area with the same care and attention that you would for a small child.
Chinchillas are naturally inclined to chew anything they can get their paws on and can squeeze through the smallest of spaces. To keep your chinchilla safe and to protect your furnishings from chew marks, a playpen is usually the best way to offer playtime in a controlled environment.
Chinchillas are naturally inclined to chew anything they can get their paws on and can squeeze through the smallest of spaces. To keep your chinchilla safe and to protect your furnishings from chew marks, a playpen is usually the best way to offer playtime in a controlled environment.
Ingredients for the perfect playtime:
Large playpen: At least 120cm/48” high with bar spacing smaller than 1 inch. Chinchillas can jump up to 6ft so the taller the playpen the better. If your chinchilla tries to jump out you can attach a sheet over the top of the pen to prevent this. An adult chinchilla can easily fit through a gap wider than 1 inch, so bar spacing must be smaller than this. If you're struggling to find a playpen with small bar spacing then you can always cover up the gaps on the bottom rows with fleece, wire or other similar material. Multiple playpens can often be joined together to create a larger area for your chinchilla. You can find out where to buy suitable playpens on the where to buy chinchilla accessories page.
Free access to the cage: Allow your chinchilla to come out for playtime on their own accord and return to their cage as they please. This ensures your chinchilla is enjoying playtime as it's their choice to come out and also allows them to eat, drink and rest during the session as they please.
Room temperature no higher than 20C/68F: Chinchillas can overheat easily and must be kept at a safe temperature, particularly during playtime when they may be moving around more. If the temperature exceeds 20C/68F then you must use air conditioning during playtime. Click here to find links to buy air conditioning.
Places to hide and safe toys: The security of having somewhere to hide is important for chinchillas who are naturally prey animals. Wooden boxes, tunnels and also houses made out of seagrass are a great option as they're chinchilla safe and lightweight for storage. Other toys can also be made of safe wood - if you're struggling to find these in pet stores then you can make your own using the safe wood guide here.
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Playtime area must be TOTALLY FREE from: |
Wires: Chinchillas can chew through these in a second before even the fastest owner can stop them and can result in instant death from electrocution.
Plastic: This can cause fatal internal blockages when ingested.
High falls: Chinchillas will jump first and think later, so please ensure there is nothing a chinchilla could jump or fall from. Falling from anything higher than 40cm/16” can cause very serious injuries.
Water or other liquids: Chinchillas shouldn't get wet unless for special medical treatment, so please ensure there is no opportunity for this to happen during playtime. An open toilet lid during playtime in a bathroom is a unfortunately a common occurrence where this avoidable accident can happen.
Other pets: Chinchillas must not come into contact with any other pets, no matter how tempted you may be. Cats and dogs can accidentally injure a chinchilla, plus the chinchilla's fast, sudden movements can trigger the natural predator instinct in even the most loving pet. As well as cats and dogs, any other species including rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and reptiles, can carry bacteria that whilst is harmless to them, can be deadly to chinchillas.
Plants, unsafe food or anything else that could be toxic: Remember chinchillas will try to chew anything, please do not leave anything in their playpen that isn't safe for them to digest.
Being picked up: Sitting in the playpen is a great way to interact and bond with your chinchilla, however this should be their free time to explore as they wish. Your chinchilla should not be forced to come out to play if they don't want to and it should be a calm, quiet environment for them. Trying to catch your chinchilla in an open area will cause them considerable stress, which is very bad for their health. You can work on picking up your chinchilla and building their trust on other occasions, as described in the Handing Chinchillas page.
Being chased: Chinchillas are prey animals and being chased is terrifying for them. Chinchillas will literally run for their lives causing extreme stress and is one of the situations where chinchillas could suffer exhaustion from over exerting as they are running because they have to, not because they want to..
FEET!: Take extra care not to step on your chinchilla during playtime. They are very fast and seemingly attracted to feet, unfortunately resulting in some being seriously injured or killed from being stepped on. Move slowly if you need to walk around their playpen and always keep an eye on where they are to avoid them getting hurt.
Consider every possibility!
The above list isn't exhaustive so please consider any other hazards carefully before letting your chinchilla out to play.
Most mishaps are due to using the wrong sized playpen, not providing a secure area free from hazards, or letting the area get too warm. The good news is that with prior preparation all of these dangers can be easily avoided!
Most mishaps are due to using the wrong sized playpen, not providing a secure area free from hazards, or letting the area get too warm. The good news is that with prior preparation all of these dangers can be easily avoided!
Returning a chinchilla to their cage
You want this to be as least stressful for both you and your chinchilla, so it's important to find a routine that works best for you. Many chinchillas will return to their cage from time to time during playtime, so you can seize this opportunity to close the door once playtime is over.
Otherwise, putting their sandbath on the floor is usually a good way of luring your chinchilla, once they are in it, simply cover the top with your hands and place it in the cage. For some chinchillas, shaking their sandbath and placing it in the bottom of their cage so they return to it also works well.
You may also be able to encourage your chinchilla to run into one of the boxes/hideouts in the playpen - again once they are inside, just cover the opening and return them to their cage. You can also try offering a safe treat in their cage for them to return to, however please ensure these are not offered more regularly than recommended.
Otherwise, putting their sandbath on the floor is usually a good way of luring your chinchilla, once they are in it, simply cover the top with your hands and place it in the cage. For some chinchillas, shaking their sandbath and placing it in the bottom of their cage so they return to it also works well.
You may also be able to encourage your chinchilla to run into one of the boxes/hideouts in the playpen - again once they are inside, just cover the opening and return them to their cage. You can also try offering a safe treat in their cage for them to return to, however please ensure these are not offered more regularly than recommended.
If your chinchilla doesn’t want to come out to play
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If your chinchilla doesn’t want to come out to play you mustn’t force them. This is their opportunity to move around in a space bigger than their cage as they please, equally it is their choice should they prefer to remain in their cage on that occasion.
For the first few playtime sessions you may need to lift the chinchilla from their cage so they understand that they’re allowed out to play. Chinchillas learn quickly and after a couple of times, most are eagerly waiting for the door to open so they can bounce out! If your chinchilla is one of the rare few that doesn’t want to come out despite being given the opportunity then that’s fine, it’s their choice. You will find most chinchillas love playtime though, so if your chinchilla suddenly loses interest when they’ve enjoyed it before, you should take them to the vets to check their sudden change of behaviour isn't caused by illness or injury. |
Most chinchillas jump at the chance of playtime
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Vector Graphics with thanks to Freepik