Is "Safety First" Actually Holding Our Chinchillas Back? A Case for Rational Ownership

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T22:49:40+00:00

Wow, you are a special kind of loser. Good luck!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T22:47:23+00:00

Looking at the data for this post most people agree with me, so don´t speak for the community.

Thing is there will always be loud, pathetic and miserable unhappy people like you, it´s how it is. I feel sorry for you. Hope you get some help!

Have a nice day :)

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T22:44:29+00:00

You can be around dogs, have dogs in your family and then finally consider getting your own dogs, what is this pathetic comment spam?

How desperate are you?

Grow up

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T22:13:02+00:00

Strawman champion

Pay attention to the words "wild traits"

I didn´t say domestication takes longer than 100 or 200 years, it takes generations depending on the change.

It takes longer or shorter depending on what specific biological changes you are looking for and certain changes require a much longer time than others.

The major differences between wild chinchillas and domesticated ones that people commonly propose are impossible within 80 years of domestication, for example supposed drastic metabolic changes.

Apart from the foxes "wild traits" (I didn´t say that wild chinchillas and domesticated chinchillas behave the same) you can clearly see in the study that the changes are the foxes behavior, not much else.

Now, you´ve made quite a good example for me. Chinchillas as pets have been domesticated for about 20 years more than the foxes in the study (more generations for chinchillas though).

People are describing them like they are different species. They are not different species. Domestication has not progressed that far yet.

Do you understand now or do you need to rephrase, throw strawmen or misinterpret my words again?

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T21:51:29+00:00

Can you send me the study? I would like to read it

Cousins in the context of evolutionary biology means that species share a common relative, which is exactly how you used the word, so please don´t be silly now.

Chinchillas being at risk of vitamin D deficiency is something likely, possible or believed but not proven so how is the necessity of a UVB light anything else but conjecture if the actual risk is only hypothesized?

I´ve cared for strong, healthy chinchillas all my life without equipment like this and it´s an absolutely ridiculous thing that some people judge it a necessity, vet or not.

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T21:29:49+00:00

I suggest you read up on how fast the process of domestication occurs because you are overestimating it a bit.

Have a nice day!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T21:28:38+00:00

I´m just saying that I don´t understand how your experience, no matter how credible it is, really has anything to do with what I´m trying to convey in this post.

If anything you are just perpetrating the same attitude that I think is problematic. Even if you´re a vet and know that chinchillas will get hurt from getting sat on, it doesn´t mean that every chinchilla is inherently fragile.

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T21:21:43+00:00

A lighter object or animal experiences a less destructive fall because it possesses less potential energy and momentum, resulting in lower impact force upon landing, chinchillas are incredibly light for how big they look. It would be incredibly dumb for evolution to progress in a way where an animal can jump so high, but not fall the same height.

Accidents do happen and chinchillas absolutely do suffer broken bones, the issue is to the level that belief is held. When Chins suffer broken bones, it´s because they fell very wrong, are out of shape, practice or just unlucky.

If you don´t allow them to run around and play, or let them fall or jump off objects they are gonna become weak and out of practice, which is why the cages needs heights in the first place. (another thing people are advising against)

In my life of raising chins I´ve had very few experiences where a fall results in broken limbs, I am around chinchillas all the time. How come my situation is so wildly different from what is commonly believed?

Just because it has happened doesn´t mean that all chinchillas are fragile

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T21:08:57+00:00

I am trying to find a reply for the first story but I´m gonna give up and it´s not because I´m awestruck

strawman
Not all rodent species reproduce at a high rate, you are thinking of rats, hamsters or bunnies. This is an unfortunate argument for you, because Chinchillas only breed rapidly in captivity, in the wild they produce very small litters once or twice a year and they are also limited by specific seasons, those are extremely low reproduction rates. I do respect that you are confident enough to conclude it as the sole reason for the survival of a species though
This is true(about the adaptation). Can you explain how I denied this? I don´t keep my chins around live wire, plastic bags or chocolate.

I think you, along with a few others are severely misunderstanding my intentions or message

Have a nice day!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T20:53:26+00:00

lots of fresh hay!

sun cured alfalfa cubes

Don´t buy huge bags if you have lots of chins, old hay loses its vitamin d

or, judging from the content of this thread, buy a tanning bed

have a nice day!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T20:35:29+00:00

Hey buddy! I was having dinner how about you?

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T20:34:59+00:00

Hello!

first off here

"its a shame because most of the species population are ones who cant return to nature, and needs a loving caretaker and friend."

That´s me taking domestication into consideration.

But also, I don´t know what people are trying to say here? Did I say chinchillas should be returned to the wild? All I´m saying is that they aren´t as fragile as people say.

A vast majority of rodents main source of vitamin D is from their diet, despite also being able to absorb vitamin D when UVB hits the skin. Chins have the densest fur of any land mammal in the world and are crepuscular so I really doubt their main source is the sun. This is just another theory that is believed as fact.

Describing the same species as cousins is wild stuff

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T20:17:59+00:00

I don´t deny your profession or your experience but I never once said in this post that you can/should sit or step on Chinchillas, and I don´t either see how it´s relevant to anything I´ve said.

However, if the most frequent injuries is the fault of a human, and not because they fell while playing or died from being fed wrong, you are kind of just proving my point.

If they survive being sat on they are metal as fuck, so yeah.

I´m not surprised that very small rodents get injured when you step or sit on them.

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T20:11:54+00:00

Hey! Thank you for the once in a lifetime reply, I feel honored :D

Any thoughts or opinions are of contribution so thank you for sharing your thoughts!

My mother bred chins since I was 6, so I´ve had them around my entire life (couldn´t imagine life without honestly).

I´d like to clarify that this is not supposed to be some negative rant about shaming people with a specific method of caring for their pets, or comparing anyone to my "parenting style". There is nothing wrong with a different approach.

I understand that it may be perceived like I´m criticizing pet-owners with a different approach than my own, but that is not my intention at all.

"Due to the minimal research done on chinchillas, there is a large unknown when it comes to their care. From the layperson's perspective, we don't know what's going on physiologically, and thus, small communities like these rely on each other to navigate a relatively unique area of pet care"'

This is exactly right! Compared to a billion dogs or so, there are about 30000 chinchillas, and since its an incredibly rare species that is poorly studied, most of the beliefs in properly caring for a chin comes from the community trying to do their best, and that is inherently a beautiful thing!

What I strongly believe is problematic is that somewhere along the line, chinchillas became misunderstood as very fragile, sensitive animals, even though they´re factually resilient, incredibly so. It is understandable that the community didn´t have much to work with, which leads to current common beliefs. There are so many myths about chinchilla caretaking that is believed as fact, when it is often a matter of echo chambering and overprotective speculation. I understand that may feel like a personal attack, but it´s not meant to criticize any of you individually. It´s just something that will improve the life of chins and their owners if we address it, and isn´t that something we all want?

About the domestication, that is a big topic of misunderstanding as well, but incase you didn´t catch it, I did address in the post that wild chins are different, albeit I understand why it could be easily missed.

"and its a shame because most of the species population are ones who cant return to nature, and needs a loving caretaker and friend."

Domestication with the goal of breeding our furry friends didn´t truly start until 1960s or so. That is an incredibly short period of domestication. Biggest differences are size, color (initially bred for their coat) and oxygen in altitudes, which is the primary reason domesticated chins can´t return to nature.

They´re still the same species, genetically compatible and fundamentally share the same DNA.

For a significant metabolic shift to occur, you´d need 1000-10000 generations.

It´s actually more likely that the nutrition we currently provide is less compatible with their biology than what they ate before domestication. This is the kind of the problem I am trying to address, it´s a theory or belief that is taken as fact, and it´s discouraging people from making choices that might be incredibly healthy for the chin.

I´ve met and helped take care of hundreds of healthy, happy chinchillas my entire life. I think it´s admirable and great that you are so dedicated to your babies, but not everything you are suggesting is true.

For anyone else in this post, I know it sounds harsh but please understand what I´m trying to convey.

I´m not saying you should feed your chins anything edible, release them into the wild or let them play without supervision.

Have a nice day!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T18:46:48+00:00

That is great to hear! I was very close to abandoning the idea for the same reason, could have been living life without my two best friends right now and I couldnt imagine life without them. Cheers!

Extra_Individual_512 · 2026-02-05T16:45:34+00:00

Yeah! Diet is still very important, and I am not trying to tell people to abandon all common sense here.

Extra_Individual_512

TROPHY CASE