When choosing a family pet, many people automatically think of a cat or a dog. Those who do not enjoy having a pet running around the house all day, might think of rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters. But if you want a different kind of furry friend, I suggest looking into adding a chinchilla to your family.

Chinchillas are members of the rodent family. They originate from the mountains in South America. They are especially known for their soft fur, which they keep in excellent shape by rolling around in sand.

Becoming more and more popular as a pet, the chinchilla, with its timid and gentle nature, big black eyes, large round ears, long whiskers, long bushy tail and the finest and densest fur of any animal in the World is often described as the nearest thing to a real life cuddly toy.
Chinchillas make ideal pets, they are very clean, rarely bite unless frightened and with a little effort and patience are easy to tame. They are also hardy and quite simple to care for provided a few basic rules are followed, the most important of which is correct diet.
In the wild chinchillas are ground dwelling animals living in crevices in rocks and belong to the group of animals known as ‘rock hoppers’.