Chinchillas

Chinchillas - a Complete Pet Owner's Manual


 

Table of Contents:

Preface
Before Buying a Chinchilla
Ten Points to Help You Decide
How Chinchillas Came to Europe and America
Initial Attempts at Breeding
Chinchillas as Pels
Chinchillas and Their Relatives
Children and Chinchillas
Chinchillas and Other Pets
One Chinchilla or Two? 
Male or Female?
Where to Buy a Chinchilla
How to Choose the Right Chinchilla
The Age of the Chinchilla When Bought
Sexing a Chinchilla
Chinchilla Profile
Housing Chinchillas Properly
A Cage Can Never Be Too Big!
Important Features of a Cage
Recommended Cages
Guard Boards
The Right Location
HOW TO: Setting Up the Cage
Living with a Chinchilla
The Trip Home 
Acclimation
The First Few Days
How to Tame a Chinchilla
How to Pick Up and Carry a Chinchilla
The Daily Run
Hazards for Chinchillas
Cleaning Schedule (table)
Playing with Your Chinchilla
What to Do during Vacations
Keeping a Chinchilla Outdoors
HOW TO: Chinchilla Care
Hazards for Chinchillas (table)
Proper Nutrition
What Chinchillas Eat in the Wild
The Basic Foods
Drinking Water
Treats
Vitamins and Minerals
Eight Rules for Feeding
Harmful Foods
What to Do If Your Chinchilla Gets Sick
An Ounceof Prevention...
The Most Common Diseases of Chinchillas
Diarrhea
Constipation
Convulsions
Skin Fungi
Eye Inflammation
Colds
Infectious Diseases
Chipped and Malformed Incisors
Abnormalities of the Molars
Health Check (table)
Injuries
Broken Bones
Severe Humpback
Fur Biting
Repetitive Movements
If Your Chinchillas Have Babies
Thoughts to Ponder 43 The Right Pair
The Wrong Pair. The Lethal Factor
Heat
Mating
Gestation
Birth
Complications at Birth
Separation from the Mother
Mutations—ColorVariations
HOW TO: Development of the Young
Understanding Chinchillas
The Key to Better Understanding
Chinchillas' Native Habitat
The Family and the Group
Habitations
Natural Enemies
The Human Threat
Sensory Capacities of Chinchillas
HOW TO: Patterns of Behavior
Books and Useful Addresses
Index