Today many people keep Chinchillas as pets. They are about the size of a rabbit, however they do have different care needs. For starters Chinchillas must have dusts baths, and are more active at night than rabbits are. Where a rabbit can be often handled during the day, a Chinchilla is best left resting, handled in the morning, or evening instead.
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Chinchillas are not beginners pets, and do require special care. The lifespan of a Chinchilla can be 12 years or more, so they are a pet that should be well thought out.
Here is a link to determine if a Chinchilla is a good pet for you.
Here is a link on how to select and purchase a pet Chinchilla.
As with all pets, a Chinchilla should be purchased from a breeder, or adopted from an animal shelter, they should not be purchased from pet stores. Pet stores get their chinchillas from mass breeders - the animals are not use to being handled, inbred, and will be over priced for their quality, and the parent animals may be housed in horrid conditions - which your purchase would continue to support.
