Something extremely scary happened this morning. I walked into my chinchilla room to greet my 8 chinchillas and Smoke is missing the end of his finger! It was not bleeding, but the black little pad that is supposed to be there is gone leaving slightly exposed bone.

I have my chinchillas paired off 1 male and one female in each cage and they have never been aggressive towards one another with the pairs I have put together. He also didn't have any furr missing which is usually a sign that there was a chinchilla fight. I am thinking he may have caught it on something and damaged his foot. I took Smoke out of his cage to examine his injured foot and put Neosporin on it and put him back in with Elbow who started grooming him. There definitely didn't seem to be any aggressive behavior between the two.

I also called our veterinarian, which we are very lucky to have a veterinarian that actually owns her own chinchilla. In the end of the day, there really isn't much that can be done. They do not make tiny little chinchilla stitches. She recommended that I keep Neosporin on it and make sure it does not look worse in the next day or so. The only thing they could do would be to give him an antibiotic if it looks infected. If anyone has any suggestions other than Neosporin please let me know.

You have decided to become a Chinchilla owner and are excited to bring your cute little chin home, but what about a cage? You will notice that there are few cages specifically designed for Chinchillas, so what to choose?

Cage selection is very important. We recommend choosing a cage that is large enough for your chinchilla to jump around. Chinchillas are very active and choosing the right chinchilla cage will help to ensure a happy and healthy chinchilla. Minimum size for a chinchilla cage is 30"L x 29"W x 18"H (76cm x 74cm x 46cm). The openings between the bars should also be no larger than 1 inch x 2 inches for adult chinchillas and no larger than 1/2 and inch by 1 inch for baby chinchillas.

One word of caution, make sure your chin can't escape from her cage. If you have a baby or juvenile (not fully grown) chinchilla, be especially cautious as they can squeeze right through the bars of many cages! You may want to invest in a "starter cage" like a bird cage with bars that will not allow the baby to excape.

We have found that multi level cages (like ferret cages) make terrific homes for chins. They tend to be taller and have multiple shelves so your chinchilla can run and jump from level to level. Chinchillas enjoy shelves or levels in their cages and tend to spend much of their time at the highest spot available or perched on wooden platforms. Pick a cage with metal or wooden levels rather than plastic, as Chinchillas are chewers and eating plastic isn't good for anyone. The best chinchilla cage on the market today is the martin's chinchilla highrise or townhouse.

Though chins love to get out and exercise, it is highly recommended to monitor your chinchillas play time while out of the cage. Chinchillas like to nibble and taste anything around (including wires and walls) and can squeeze themselves into some pretty surprising places. Also if there are other pets in the house (like a dog or cat) your Chinchilla can easily be looked at as prey, even if they have played well together under supervision.

Other options for Chinchilla cages are bunny or rabbit cages, or even bird cages. As mentioned above, a bird cage can make a great first home for baby chinchillas, as the bars tend to be closer together and the amount of space isn't overwhelming for your new chin. You can also add levels to bird cages as they tend to be taller than a bunny cage.

Once you have picked the cage make sure to buy a chinchilla house, or at least put a shoe box in with a side cut out. Chinchillas like to feel secure while they sleep or rest, and having a place to call their home keeps them calm and comfortable. A chinchilla house is a wooden box that will give your chin the privacy she needs.