How much do they eat?

[lmsm]

My daughter was just given a chinchilla two days ago. He came from a pet store and was not socialized. My concern is that he is not eating. He has been eating the hay but not the food (it's chinchilla food) he has a water bottle but drinks very little. He has wood blocks & sticks to chew on and a lava chew. He had a fruit mixture in the cage when she brought him home and I told her to take it out. I know nothing about these little guys, I've had rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats, fish, turtles, etc...but never a chinchilla. If anyone could inform me about the food habits I would appreciate it. I've read a bit here and there but nothing that says how much they eat. I don't even know how old he is. According to what I have read, he is still a baby. Thanks!

[chinchillagrl06]

Mine tend to eat a lot more hay than pellets. Could be he is just shy and adjusting. Give him a couple of days to pick up eating the pellets as long as he is eating hay and drinking he should be okay.

What type of food is the chinchilla food you have for him? Most Petstore foods are not great for a chinchilla. Most people recommend mazuri, oxbow, tradition, Purina show rabbit.

[chinclub]

I agree, chinchillas tend to eat more hay which is fine.  Sarah also gave you a great rundown on popular good feeds.  The most important thing to remember is that chinchillas can not have fresh fruits and veggies.  The occasional raisin is fine as a treat - so you did good having her remove the fruit stuff.  If that is what he was used to he will be slow eatting the new pellets.  Thats like taking away candy from a child and replacing it with healthy food.  It will take awhile for him to get over his "sweet tooth". 

[lmsm]

Thanks for the eating advice...he does eat a lot of the hay. The food is by Kaytee, Timothy Complete Chinchilla food made with Timothy Hay, it was the only one I could find. The food he arrived at my house with said nothing about feeding it to a Chinchilla. I also think that the fruit stick didn't help. I love animals and would never turn one away to go back to a pet store, so now I need to know everything I can to make sure he lives a healthy, happy life.  I'm not a fan of getting (or giving) a live animal to someone that didn't ask for it, but I would never turn an animal away so that it could go back to live at a pet store. I prefer to purchase an animal from a breeder or a shelter. Anyway, thanks again for the advice, I was really worried he would get sick if he didn't eat the food.

[Jo Ann]

A chin can live on hay & water alone, if need be.   As a matter of fact, many vets will put them on hay and water (no pellets) when they are sick. 

Try checking WalMart, I think they have Mazuri. (Or so I was told.)  If not, check out  Customer Service Department at 1-800-227-894, Mazuri, or e-mail Mazuri at mazuri@purinamills.com.  Find the closest local authorized carrier for Mazuri within a certain area around you.  They may need to special order it for you.

The average chin will eat 1 to 2 tablespoons per day ... BUT ... each chin is different ... some will eat more, some less.  You will learn to adjust it as time goes by.  They do not like for their food to get stale.

 
Jo Ann

[chinchillagrl06]

I believe that PetsMart also carries Mazuri, but it is not as fresh as what you find at a feed store or even online. I order my pellets and hay from Susan at AZChins. http://chinstore.azchins.com/List.htm

[Leslie]

And also...most chins drink very little water.  I remember being very worried about it at first but there is no need to worry.  Some drink about a tablespoon a day.

[lmsm]

Thanks for all the great advice. He is eating food, a lot of hay and a little water. I think most of the problem of him not eating was the fruit stick that was in his cage, he ate quite a bit of that before it was taken out. He's such a joy to watch.

[Misskitz]

Imsm, I'm glad you would never bring an animal back to the petstore, Some (not saying names) keep animals in terrible conditions one even had a poor Siamese kitten in a glass tank in the base-ment bathroom! i called with alot of people to the animal welfare and they shut him down!    He sounds like a very cute chinnie!