Hi,
I have both chinchillas and guinea pigs. I have a pair of standard gray male chins (who are brothers) Chewie and Pokey who are going on 10 years old (I purchased them in early 1999). Chins are a lot of work, are more difficult to keep than piggies. They need a large (vertical) cage, and plenty of floor time every day. They are incredibly fast, can jump farther and higher than you would ever expedct, and can be destructive to things like wall paper and furniture. You need an escape proof room, that's been thourougly "chin proofed" for play time. Chins love to explore and hide, and can fit under almost anything (they are smaller than they look with thier puffy coats) - refridgerators, stoves, tv stands, etc. They will chew through electrical cords in seconds (and will head straight for them if available). They will chew wood work, furniture, and peel wall paper right off the walls. Chins are not so much "caught" as encouraged (bribed) to return to thier cage after play time. They cannot tolerate temperatures over 75-80 degrees F so if you don't have central air, you'll need to put them in an air conditioned room. A hot day in an non-air conditioned home or aparment can easily kill them through heat stroke. They routinely live to be 12-15+ years old, so they are a long term pet. They don't seem to have many health problems (malocclusion being one of the bigger issues) but thier athletic and adventurous nature can lead to injuries if you're not careful. I've only had to take one chin to the vet, once, and that was recently to get a molar filed. Chins need to bathe 3-4 times a week (or so) in special chinichilla dust (volcanic dust). It cleans the excess oils, dirt and debris from thier coats. It's messy - the dust is very light and gets everywhere, but it's hilarious to watch. Do not get chins wet. Chins are fun, happy, friendly little critters, but they are not for the casual owner. I don't plan on replacing my pair when the time comes (as much as I love 'em) and will stick to piggies for the future - though I'd love it if someone would breed piggies who lived to be 15 without mahor health issues!!!!
Adrian
