Chinchilla - The ultimate new owner checklist

by Joshua Paulson

Chinchilla - The ultimate new owner checklist

Thinking of buying a chinchilla but need a complete guide of what you'll have to buy? We're here to help! We teamed up with the members of Let's Love Chinchilla's and created this ultimate checklist for new owners. 

White chinchilla with black tail Image

A "chinchilla safe" cage:

  • Multiple wooden ledges
  • Metal or ceramic food dish
  • Glass water bottle
  • A dust bath house
  • Chew toys such as the lava ledge or Perfect Chew
  • Hideaway house
  • Hay Rack/Feeder
  • No plastic 

 

Optional Cage Supplies

  • Wooden tunnels
  • PVC Tunnels
  • Hanging fleece cube houses
  • Fleece Hammocks
  • Marble or granite cooling tiles
  • Play structures
  • Lava ledges
  • Bridges
  • 14" or larger exercise wheel

 

Care Supplies

  • Quality chinchilla or rabbit pellets
  • Hay (Timothy or other safe hay)
  • Safe treats
  • Chew sticks or blocks
  • Bathing dust
  • First Aid Kit

 

Other Items 

  • Address and phone number for an exotic veterinarian
  • A travel cage and travel carrier (Traveling with your Chinchilla)
  • Travel spring-loaded water bottle
  • A pet sitters phone number
  • Shop Vac for cleaning the cage and surrounding areas
  • Storage containers for supplies
  • Portable air conditioner for emergencies
  • Sewing machine for fleece

 Dont forget to read up on The Basics of Chinchilla Care

Have other ideas? Leave a comment below for new chinchilla owners! All information is helpful. View our other blogs for other information as well as the Let's Love Chinchilla's website. 

Check Out Our Other Chinchilla Blogs!

If you're looking for other interesting articles on chinchillas, explore some of our other great articles! Chinchilla's lifespan, black chinchillas, chinchilla food, how fast can a chinchilla run, and do chinchillas need a friend?

Author: Joshua Paulson and Quality Cage Team
Josh is the owner and CEO at Quality Cage Crafters since 2015. During his time at Quality Cage Crafters he has been able to learn from tens of thousands of pet owners and pet educators. He blends his ambition for manufacturing and passion for animal care to create solutions for pet owners, breeders, animal rescues, and zoos. He has brought together a team of great animal lovers to create high quality pet care content for the Quality Cage Crafters audience.

4 comments


  • Plant

    Thank you! This helps me a lot!


  • Libby

    Do they like to be handled? How big does the cage need to be?


  • Kacee

    What do you mean by a first aid kit?


  • Renee Reingold

    Do you have literature primarily about my chinchilla’s interactions with humans.


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