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NEEDS - WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOUDictated by my much missed chins Tiger, Lucky, Cheeky & L.C.WE COME FROM high in the South American Andes, the climate is hot by day, very cold by night and very dry, we do not like high humidity levels and our coats are not waterproof. Living indoors suits us just fine. We are rodents and need to chew to keep our (ever growing) teeth worn down. We are nocturnal and would like to be left in peace during the day but have some attention during the evenings. Our defence is to shed our fur if frightened so please handle with care We do not like those clicking noises you humans make to animals, we do however like you to talk to us. WE NEED Fresh water, preferably bottled, filtered or at the very least boiled. Specially formulated chinchilla food, traditionally pellets which must be fresh (if buying loose ask about best by date and ensure they store feed in sealed container). Sweet smelling good quality hay or hay cubes. WE LIKE (but very small quantities) Raisins (one a day max.) carrot (well we don't, but chins in general are supposed to), occasional fruit, fresh or dried i.e. small pieces of apple, pear, the odd grape and sometimes a segment of satsuma, our own particular favourite is apple twigs, we just love stripping the bark and that's very good for our teeth. WE NEED A DUST BATH preferably daily but if not at least once a week and yes we will get it everywhere. You can buy us a special bath or improvise but if you use a plastic bowl do not leave it in too long or unattended, we love chewing plastic but it may cause a blockage. A LARGE CAGE - traditionally all wire (including floor) cage with a metal drawer or plastic base for litter to drop into. SHELVES preferably wooden many of our friends have got trapped and had to have their legs amputated. Some of our owners do build us wooden cages and you can make them very interesting with tunnels and the like BUT they must not be softwood and you should bear in mind, HUMAN ACCESS, too deep and we'll make it hard for you to catch us, LIGHT if the cage is enclosed it may be too dark for us. POSITION out of direct sunlight and away from draughts. In general OUR OWNERS should be at least 12 years old, our average life span is 10 to 12 years, late teens is common and 22 not unknown so it's a long term commitment for ALL the family. FOR CAGES IN THE UK
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