Chinchillas at home. Care and maintenance. Reproduction of chinchillas at home. Breeds of chinchillas: silver and British

Chinchillas are surprisingly cheerful and cute animals. It is difficult to remain indifferent, looking at a small touching face with long mustaches, black eyes-buttons and a twisted snub-tail.

In recent years, representatives of this family of rodents have gained immense popularity with our compatriots. Chinchillas at home are unpretentious in feeding and maintenance, they need very little living space, and the positive, obtained by daily communication with them, is difficult to convey with the help of words.

Where did they come from?

The homeland of the chinchillas is the mountain ranges of South America. There they settle in caves and burrows, showing themselves out only with the onset of darkness.

According to legend, their name was given to rodents from the name of the Indian tribe "chinchil", which were clothed in soft and fluffy fur. It was because of the amazing fur coat that the beasts were practically exterminated.

Hunters were interested not only in skins. There is some fragmentary evidence that chinchilla meat was used to treat tuberculosis.

The hunt for chinchillas did not stop with the disappearance of the Chinchil Indians. The Spanish conquistadors, having entered the South American land in the 16th century, were fascinated by the fur of these animals. Fur coats, mantle, and collars were very popular, and in order to meet the demand, chinchillas were caught by thousands. The barbaric extermination of the species lasted several hundred years.

Eventually, rodents fell into the category of rare, endangered animals. Now they are listed in the Red Book and are protected by law.

Breeding chinchillas in captivity

The first time to domesticate chinchilla was in 1895. This was done by Francisco Irrazaval, who at that time lived in Santiago. In the first year of captivity, the animals brought offspring and continued to multiply actively in the future.

The breeding of chinchillas became a profitable business already in the middle of the 20th century. In the US and Canada, thousands of farms were opened. Then, rodents began to be recommended as lovely pets that would not bring unnecessary trouble. In advertising they were called "fur balls" or "fur lumps." And the average price of the animals was $ 100.

Fluffy namesake

The surprising beauty of the wool of these little furry rodents fascinates everyone who has ever picked them up. All thanks to the unique structure of the hairline. From each bulb, located on the skin of the animal, grows about 70 hairs. The coat is so thick that no insect can live there.

This unique fact fascinated even cat lovers. About twenty years ago, a silver chinchilla was born as a species of short-haired British cats.

The names of our lovely rodents are unusually beautiful. Cats have white wool, with light blackening on their tips, and a black veil covers the head, tips of the paws, side, back and tail of the animal. Among the feline brothers, they stand out as a truly royal appearance.

In addition, the British chinchilla has an unusually kind and easy-going character. Such cats are perfectly comfortable with their own loneliness. And, if necessary, they can become an excellent "interlocutor" for their master. Each "meow", uttered by these cats, is endowed with special intonations and deep meaning.

Everyone who has ever met closer to these cats, fell in love with them once and for all. Every year an increasing number of fans attract this amazing cat breed.

Just a couple of minutes alone with the British - and everyone will confidently say: this is a terrific cat breed.

Chinchilla: how to behave with a rodent

Before buying a chinchilla, carefully read the list of prohibitions against the pet:

• Do not wash animals in water. Chinchillas "bathe" in a special sand (zeolite) or volcanic dust.
• You can not plant chinchillas in small-sized cells, made to the size of other (smaller) rodents.
• The constant chiseling of the chinchill is very bad for the condition of their fur.
• Do not let the rodent walk around the apartment alone, his curiosity can lead to tragedy.
• Do not feed the chinchillas with mixtures intended for other rodents.
• Do not leave the rodent in a room with a temperature above 25 degrees - overheating is guaranteed to lead to a thermal shock.
• You can not walk the chinchillas on the street. There the animal can become infected with dangerous infections. In addition, leashes and harnesses will irretrievably damage the coat.
• At the moment, the immune system of chinchillas has not been sufficiently studied, therefore, preventive vaccination of these rodents is not carried out.
• Parents and their offspring can live together for no more than four months, a violation of this prohibition can lead to mating within the family.
• You can not feed animals with grass and leaves collected along roads and in parks. This can lead to very serious poisoning and, as a result, a fatal outcome.

Chinchilla at home

Reviews of the owners of rodents about their dear pets are always only positive. A great emotional uplift, enthusiasm and emotion is received by a person from communicating with these animals.

Here are just some of the moments for which the chinchillas are so fond:

• Chinchillas at home do not require difficult care and high costs for their maintenance.
• They do not need to separately prepare food, eat rodents dry mixtures of dried fruits and several types of cereals.
• If they are properly cared for, rodents will live quite a long time (about 20 years), and family pairs of chinchillas will multiply regularly.
• Rodents rarely get sick, they do not have an unpleasant smell.
• The animals are funny, playful, they can be tamed and even taught to simple teams.

Many will ask: "Do not they have any flaws?" Of course there is, because no one is perfect! However, there are very few of them:

• With the onset of darkness, all chinchillas become active (like all animals that lead a nocturnal life). They can make noise almost all night, interfering with the peaceful sleep of the owners. In addition, if you want to play with a nice little creature, you'll have to do it closer to midnight.
• Chinchillas are extremely nosy and curious. At the slightest opportunity, they tend to escape from the cage and rush to explore the territory. At the same time, they are very fast. Catching a rodent, if he does not want to, is not so simple. Therefore, the owners should carefully monitor that the door of the cage is always locked.
• Animals are very demanding on the climate. They do not tolerate high humidity and a sharp temperature drop. Therefore, to keep the chinchilla at home in the southern regions, the cage room must be equipped with air conditioning.

We buy chinchilla

Just ten years ago, buying a chinchilla was quite problematic. For the sale of rodents bred scanned specialists, and the prices for them were extremely high. However, now they are sold in most pet stores and are available to everyone.

Choosing a fluffy friend, you need to be extremely attentive. Buy is worth only those chinchillas, followed by proper care. Otherwise, the animal will have to be treated after the purchase.

Take the rodent in your hands and inspect. Pay attention to how much the animal is well-nourished. For this, touch all parts of the body, also inspect the quality of the coat.

Do not buy a bad animal. The woolen cover should not be dim, fragments dropped out. Inactive mice with signs of obesity should also not be purchased.

Eye of the animal can tell about the presence of health problems. Purulent discharge is a sure sign of a bacterial infection in the body. However, this statement is true in the defeat of both eyes. If there is only one, this is most likely a consequence of mechanical damage by sand, or the animal was in a draft, and it simply blew.

A healthy rodent must be active, react sharply to the approach of an outsider. His coat is shiny, smooth and tightly fitting to the body.

Cohabitation

Animals, living alone, require a lot of attention from their owners. They love the company, and without proper care they become very sad.

Much more comfortable than chinchillas at home feel themselves, living with couples. And it is not necessary to settle the boy and the girl together. Chinchillas are very prolific. On the shoulders of the owners of such a family will automatically be taken care of numerous fluffy babies. Therefore, if you are not ready for such a turn of events, think about buying a same-sex company.

Furry family

Sexual maturity in chinchillas occurs at the age of 6-7 months. From this moment they can be safely unplugged.

It is necessary to approach the question of information of animals very seriously. In families of chinchillas there is a total matriarchy. Therefore, never put a male in the already lived cell of the female. She is guaranteed to beat him and drive him away.

It is desirable that the boy was older than his girlfriend. This will help him feel more confident.

Before you get to the same territory, future spouses need to get acquainted at a distance. For this, cells with animals are placed side by side and give them the opportunity to get used to the smell of each other. Only after that they can be planted, but under the close attention of the owner.

If everything is done correctly, reproduction of chinchillas at home will pass without any complications.

Waiting for the kids

The period of pregnancy in chinchillas lasts 100-115 days. At the first stages to determine whether a "lady" is really pregnant is difficult. The embryos are small, and it is impossible to find them. The easiest way to detect the moment of mating. At the eighth week of pregnancy, the future mother swells nipples. This will serve as a sure sign of an early replenishment in the family.

The birth of a new life

Usually chinchillas begin birth in the first half of the day. Most often the female does not need any help. Babies are born quickly. They are already covered with hair, eyes are open, and in the mouth a full set of teeth.

After birth, my mother eats the placenta. It contains all the useful substances necessary for the chinchilla organism during breastfeeding.

Hold the chinchilla in your hands, play with her for a couple of minutes and not fall in love with this exotic rodent is simply impossible. They are perfect pets, the best fluffy friends for children.

And if after reading about all the advantages of the content of these animals you have not made a decision, right now go to the pet store and look into the small black eyes. The answer will come of itself!