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How Long Does a Chinchilla Live? How long is their Lifespan?

May 24, 2018 By Johnny Salib 14 Comments

Hey Pet Parents & Pet Lovers,

Continuing on from the post of how long Dwarf Hamsters live, and how long Betta Fish live, I decided to do some digging to see how long Chinchillas live for, especially now that we have the adorable Gary in our household!

Short Answer

In the wild Chinchillas live about 8-10 years, however, in captivity they live between 15-20 years. (Which is a bit of a relief for us, since Gary is about 10+ right now, so we still have a good amount of time to pamper the cutie!)

chinchilla-life-span

So why don’t they live as long in the wild?

There are a few reasons Chinchillas don’t live as long in the wild. The first reason being the fact that they are prey for larger animals such as owls, foxes, wild cats and other birds of prey. The next two are pretty devastating to me.

One of the main reason is that Chinchilla fur is widely used for coats and other “human pleasures.”  And finally, a huge element for their endangerment has been the disruption of their natural habitats when developing land. 

Unfortunately, both of these reasons have made Chinchillas greatly endangered, which is a fact that surprised me because I’ve never heard about their endangerment.

What are some reasons they live longer in captivity?

Well, a main reason is because they don’t have to deal with the hardships of looking for food and weather in captivity. While Chinchillas are pretty hardy animals, they do get dehydrated pretty easily, and can’t live in higher temperatures.

How can you make sure your Chinchilla has a long and healthy life?

Nutrition is the most important factor for a happy and healthy Chinchilla. You want to make sure that you are buying them a good quality pellet food that does not contain fillers such as nuts, dried fruit, corn, seeds and other morsels.

Chinchillas are also timothy hay addicts! So make sure their cage is always filled. (In the week that I’ve had Gary, it has blown my mind how much hay he actually eats. I have to fill his cage at least 3 times a day, and I’m not even giving him small amounts!)

Chinchillas, similar to hamsters, need lots of exercise and toys to chew on to grind their teeth (as most small mammals’ teeth never stop growing.) 

Make sure you’re cleaning their cage at least once a week, make them a cozy bed, and if your cage is big enough it’s a great option to get two chinchillas (if they are of the opposite sex, you will want to consider neutering the male).

gary-close-up
Photo from 36 Most Interesting Facts About Chinchillas in the Wild

Be ready for a long life!

A lot of times when people choose to adopt small mammals they expect shorter lifespans if you are choosing to adopt a Chinchilla be prepared to have him for about 20 years. Chinchillas are a big commitment, and the decision to adopt them should not be taken lightly.

Common Reasons for Death

Cleaning Products/Strong Aromas

Chinchillas are fairly sensitive and the smells of perfumes and heavy cleaners can make them very ill. When cleaning a Chinchilla cage think about using a pet specific unscented cleaner, and make sure you’re not using heavy scented cleaners in the room nearby.

Weight Loss

Unfortunately, similar to most pets sometimes your little one will stop eating and will drastically lose weight. The main issue with this is, you won’t be able to tell that a Chinchilla is losing weight because they are covered with so much fur! This has one of the leading causes of death and it is often too late before the owner can do anything.

Dental Problems

This is the leading cause of death and one of the main reasons Chinchillas choose not to eat. Due to the fact that Chinchillas’ teeth never stop growing, if their teeth grow too large it will make it incredibly difficult for them to eat, can cause infection/oral damage and the pain/infection may lead to death. It is very important that you are doing whatever you can to keep your little one’s teeth in check!

Filed Under: Chinchilla, Chinchilla Care, Pet Care

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About Johnny Salib

Johnny is a twenty-something-year-old pet blogger and the proud pet parent of two cats and a chinchilla. He also writes music directly aimed to help keep cats chilled out and stress free.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aqua man XD says

    July 9, 2019 at 12:16 pm

    Thanks for the info. My friend got a chinchilla and that will help her a lot!

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      July 9, 2019 at 12:53 pm

      Congrats to your friend! Let me know if she has any other questions that would be helpful to answer šŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Marie says

    June 1, 2019 at 5:43 am

    We have had chinchillas for 20 years. Parkie and lainie Parkie went to the vet when we first got them,no babys
    Parkie died last year from a growth but lainie is still going strong although we think she is blind but it does not seem to trouble her each year is a bonuse

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      June 2, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Sounds like you’ve been taking good care of them!

      Reply
  3. Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs says

    June 4, 2018 at 1:45 pm

    You have become an expert in small pet care!
    I didn’t know they could live that long. Sad to read that their habitat and their furs are what made them so vulnerable to endangerment.

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      June 4, 2018 at 3:04 pm

      I’m definitely trying to become one! šŸ™‚ I took a number of courses while I was still at the pet store, but it seems like small mammal care is the one that’s super glazed over. I know a whole lot about kitties and dogs though šŸ˜€

      Reply
  4. Ellen Pilch says

    May 24, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    I didn’t realize their teeth grew like a rabbit’s teeth šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      May 24, 2018 at 7:37 pm

      Yeah, they do! It’s pretty cool, eh? I actually didn’t know small mammal’s teeth continued to grow until I got Twitch!

      Reply
  5. Crystal and Daisy Mae says

    May 24, 2018 at 4:13 pm

    I don’t want posts daily just weekly please. I hope you understand.

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      May 24, 2018 at 4:30 pm

      No worries Crystal.

      Reply
  6. The Swiss Cats says

    May 24, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    We didn’t they would live so long ! Purrs

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      May 24, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Right? They do! And it’s pretty amazing <3

      Reply
  7. Eastside Cats says

    May 24, 2018 at 10:36 am

    Wow, I didn’t know most of this, so thanks for the post! We have a local veterinary clinic that specializes in small animals and exotic pets, so we have that going for us, if it’s ever needed! Off to look up timothy hay…

    Reply
    • Johnny Salib says

      May 24, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      That’s super awesome! I’m still on the search for a good one. All of the ones around here say they have experience, but not enough… *sigh* finding a vet can be difficult!

      Reply

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