Although the chinchilla you buy in a pet shop or from a breeder has never seen the wild, their lives in the wild give some idea of how to take care of your pet. First is to find some way to re-create the rocky habitat that chinchillas favor. They scramble among the rocks for food, climb to scan their territories, leap and hop away from enemies and burrow for safety. A lot of space is necessary to house these acrobatic animals. The larger the cage the better. It should be at least 6 1/2 feet square and 3 feet high. A cage constructed of small mesh wire with a solid floor will prevent the animal from snagging its legs.

For more information, please read Choosing a Chinchilla.