Author Jamie
of Lowcountry Chinchillas
Most pictures from Jo Ann
of Luv'N Chins
Playing Opossum
I believe all chinchillas should come with a warning…”We play opossum very well and will scare you to death!” I can’t tell you how many times I have walked by a chinchilla cage and had to look twice to be sure the chinchilla inside was breathing. It amazes me how deeply chinchillas can sleep and in some of the weirdest positions.
It seems that when a chinchilla is new to its surroundings it will take cat naps in a sitting up position. This is how most of us see our chinchillas and it’s easy to assume that this is the normal sleeping position for all chinchillas. They are never fully asleep and will open their eyes and look around at the slightest sound or movement.
After awhile, the chinchilla will get more relaxed and will make itself at home. Soon he can be seen stretched out on his side or flat on his tummy. This is when I begin getting calls from new owners wanting to know if their chinchilla is sick, but they haven’t seen anything yet!
Next comes the stage where the chinchilla will go fast asleep with not a care in the world. Shake the cage, open the door, call his name…the chinchilla doesn’t even move. These are the times when they can really scare you! I’ve had a chinchilla that would sleep so soundly I would have to pick him up to awaken him. Then he would open his eyes and fuss at me for disturbing his beauty sleep.
So the next time you have to do a double-take, or reach into your cage to check on a sleeping chinchilla, remember you’re not alone. Chinchillas play opossum very well!!
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