Question:
What in the world is a Chinchilla??
I've seen pictures of them, but never knew people were so devoted to them...What exactly are they? Where do they come from? What do they do all day?



Answer:
Chinchillas are rodents originally from south america (Chile). They are nocturnal animals so they mostly sleep all day and play all night. They eat special pellets and hay (some people also add a supplement made of different things like oats, flax, etc). As treats they love raisins and other fruit. They are usually kept in large multi-level cages (they love to jump). Chinchillas have very dense fur (80-120 hairs per follicul) so they don't do well in water. They clean off their fur by taking dust baths.
Whew that's all I can think of off the top of my head! Here are a few info links on chinchillas for you to read:
http://www.cachins.org (check out the Q & A section)
http://www.chincentral.com/


Answer:
Thanks!! I understand now...
If they sleep all day and play all night what's the fun in having them as pets??


Answer:
Mine "fit" my schedule very nicely They sleep while I'm at work, but are ready to play the second I walk in the door :P
I find that mine tend to wake up for the night at about 5:00 p.m.


Answer:
How do you 'play' with them??
How big do they get??
I read the FAQ on one of the previously mentioned web site...They look adorable by the way...I just didn't know what they were before
I knew they were used for their fur though...There are many references to Chinchilla fur


Answer:
They are about the size of a small rabbit once they are fully grown (plus the length of the tail). I play with mine by letting them run around the living room. They come up and climb/bounce on me and one of mine actually will sit and groom my hair once in a while.
Like Cinnamon, my chinnies sleep most of the day and are ready for some action by the time I get home from work. They are different form hamsters who like to sleep a full day and are up late at night. Chins are so curious that they will gladly get up and interact with you if something interesting is going on.
If you met a chinchilla I think you'd be surprised at just how smart and interactive they can be. I expected a hamster-like critter (except bigger) when I got my first chinchilla but boy did I get a surprise! These guys each have their own personalities and are highly intelligent.


Answer:
I allow my guys to "play" with me by bringing them out, holding them(I for the most part have fairly calm chins, a few will sit with me---I had one who sat with me for up to 45minutes- and we were trying to go longer).
I too leave my guys out to play, and they just climb on me, give me "chinnie kisses", jump off doors- and if they are caged or get along with my other chins, they'll jump off each other, chase each ohter, ect. (I allow Moose, Mackenzie, and Danica to play together as they all get along).