Chinchilla vs. Cavy

[cavyluv2]

I know a lot about Guinea Pigs, but I have no clue about Chinchillas. However I have more vertical space than horizontal space and chins are very cute!
Some questions:
How do chins act? Are they social? Good with kids?
Do they need to be "let out" around the house?
Do they require more care than cavys do?

Please put as much information as possible here, and a nice detailed website would be cool also. Thanks!

[Jennicat]

How do chins act? Are they social? Good with kids?
Chins are very rambunctious and active, but as a general rule do not tolerate being held and may not tolerate being petted well. Of my 3 chin fosters right now, only one really likes being scratched, and the other will nip you once he figures out you have no treats. They can live in pairs (or larger groups), but they need a sufficiently sized habitat. I wouldn't consider them good with kids because they're very fragile and easily injured by children. I don't think they'd out and out try to maul a child, but they aren't likely to interact with them in a way the kids would want. They're highly nocturnal and our 3 bark and yodel each other all night.

Do they need to be "let out" around the house?
Yep, just like bunnies!

Do they require more care than cavys do?
All small animals require quite a bit of care. "More" is sort of relative. Some will spray pee and chew on things if not supervised while out. They all need dustbaths, and the dust will migrate all over your house.