Comments for Chinchilla As Pet

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by Alex <:3 )~

Alex <:3 )~ — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

I would say rats! They are soooo sweet. I have owned rats for only 2 years but i can’t imagine my life without them not. I also hear that chinchillas don’t usualy like to be held. Rats love to be held if you pick the right one. Dont get 2 boy rats because they will fight. Get 2 girls rats and you don’t usualy have to even have them out for an hour because they care and entertain for eachother. ALso, dont get them at a local pet store because, they have a really good chance at being pregnant. Get them at a store like petsmart, or petco, even try your ASPCA. The cages can cost between $40-$200 dollars depending on what you get. I suggest a cage like this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3057122. It is a great price and has a solid metal bottom. We went through 2 cages w/ plastic bottom so i suggest a bottom like this one. The rat can cost anywhere between $3-$20. It is not very expansive. If you pick the rat based on personality and not just apperance, and spend time with it before buying it, you will know weather or not it is nice. 90% of the rats i have handled at pet stores were nice, but they still were different. Some were calm and other energetic, so it is good for you to hold and observe them when you go to buy one. For the smart factor, rats are the smartest rodent, except for maybe a squirrel. They can even learn their name!! Rats are truly amazing little creatures. The more you watch their behaviors, the more you will learn about them and learn to love them. Their capacity for affection is startling, and their unique personalities are a joy! There is no doubt that they are Intelligent individuals that actually want a relationship with their human families. Their behaviors don’t exclude us from their world; they actually invite us in!

I really hope you get a pet rat and if you do, e-mail me!!

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by scared

scared — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

i would say rats. I’ve only had 2 rats that just weren’t all that great with people (would scream when taken out of their cage but once in hand were fine) which was totally my fault because i did not handle them as much as i should have while small. i have had 3 friends who have had chinchillas and they have all sold them because they’re more like decoration then a pet. all 3 have since gotten rats or ferrets and have kept them for some time and are pleased.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by the_ratlady

the_ratlady — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

RATS!!! Besides being less expensive, not only start up, but also maintenance, but they are more social and actually require less attention to keep that way.

Rats, if they happen to stink, like a long trip in the car in a box, for example, you can use either kitten shampoo or baby shampoo and give them a bath, though you don’t need to do this too often.

Chins, I am not sure how regular, but I know you do need to bathe them regularly, but you can not do so in a tub, you have to give them a dry bath.

Rats you can train to sit on your shoulder, come when called and even to do an agility course, like with dogs but much smaller scale. They are playful and if you get them from a private breeder, not a feeder breeder like a pet store, they can live up to 5 years and they are well on the way to being social as they would have been held usually everyday almost from birth.

Hope this helps

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by trinity_sky_star

trinity_sky_star — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

I have both.
I would suggest a rat.
Rats can be much tamer, I’m not saying chinchillas arent tame however they can be finiky!

Rats can live in a smaller space (chinchillas should not be kept in small cages, they need room to jump and hop, think of more then a rabbit hutch), and can be left alone for many hours (chins can literally bark to get your attention or if they are lonely, hungry, or if something is bothering them IE noise!). Also rats eat just about anything whereas chins have specific diets. Chins also need special bathing dust which has to be placed in a bowl in the cage once to twice a week, but must also be taken out right after use.

If you look it up rats are much easier to take care of then chinchillas.

Also, chins can live up to the lifespan of a dog! Rats usually only live for up to five years.

Good Luck with your choice.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by reeree

reeree — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

rat’s you should get at least two though as they like company. rats love to play with you and are Intelligent

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by fantamusue

fantamusue — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

I know nothing of Chinchillas, but I love my rats!! They return the love and affection the more I handle them. They are smart, teachable, and very curious. Fun to play with or just sleep on your lap as you watch tv. Reward them with yogurt bites and you will have a very good friend.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by R.I.P Buddy :'(

R.I.P Buddy :'( — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

You should go with pet rats.
I have owned chinchillas, and I currenty own rats.
Chins can be at bit to jumpy, and are defenatly way more expensive to take care of then a pair of rats.
Chins need a specific climate, if its to hot they will suffer from heat strokes and ultimatly death….unfortunatly I learned the hard way :’(
They need a much larger cage then rats, and take a lot more to care for. They need special dust baths, that are extremely messy, and no matter how hard you try, you just can not keep the dust from getting everywhere in you home.
Chins are not as easy to handle as rats, and do not crave human companionship as much as rats, and you almost can never keep chins on your shoulder once you get then out of their cage.
Chinchillas are very cute tho, and fun animals that are excellent for people who are allergic to animal dander because they produce no dander. And are very clean animals.

As for rats….Wonderful wondeful animals that are highly adaptable to any climate….(no extremes tho)
They are super friendly, and are very easy to handle, they are fairly cheap to take care of (much cheaper than a Chinchilla)
Rats truely enjoy shoulder rides…and are extremely intelligent….you can teach them how to do trinks..just youtube rats doing tricks.
They almost never bite, I have owned 3 rats total, and used to work at a petshop where I would handle rats all day and never once got bit!! They have amazing personalities!! And are just all around great pets. They also do very well with other family pets to, my rats love my cats, and my dog. And suprisingly my cats do not try to hurt them when they are out running arounf, kitties try to get away from them lol.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by April The Great

April The Great — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

Rats are the best pet you can have if you give them the attention they need. They are super smart, can learn tricks, and are genuinely affectionate with their human. I would rather have a rat than a dog any day, but my allergies will no longer allow it.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by oatmeal55

oatmeal55 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

You sound like a perfect candidate for a pair of rats. In my experience Chinchillas are finicky, delicate, and tempermental. They are also way more expensive than rats. Rats are like tiny little puppies, they are hardy, affectionate, and smart (almost too smart). Also, caring for 2 rats isn’t much harder than caring for one.

Comment on Rats vs. Chinchillas as pets? by Rylee R

Rylee R — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:28:31 +0000

rats I’ve heard chinchillas can be aggressive sometimes even though the are very cute! i have a rat and it is the best pet EVER!!
but its up to u!