Quote:
Originally posted by MorganGrayson
Oh, Mindy, he's gorgeous! I wanted a chinchilla so badly, but when I saw them in the store the pet shop owner advised against buying one since I had small children, who tend to whiz around, make noise, and do things that upset the Wa of chinchillas. I did get to see one take a bath in the box of powder, though. It was fantastic!
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Getting a chinchilla when you have kids at home can work in some cases. It depends on how old and mature the kids are. Also, you're better off buying a chinchilla from a reputable breeder, or from a chinchilla lover who's pets have had babies. Pet store chinchillas tend to be traumatized and not used to being held. When they're hand raised by breeders or people, they learn to be nice to people, and show affection.
I got Turbo from a lady in Connecticut who had 6 pet chinchillas, two of which were mates for life and had a small litter. Turbo was hand raised, and when I picked him up he sat in my hands and looked at me and was very comfortable. Now that he's almost 2 years old, he loves to show us his affection when we let him run around the room, he'll run up to us and climb up on my shoulder or on my head.
If your kids are responsible enough to not terrorize a kitten, then you'd probably be alright with a chinchilla. They also live for 15-20 years!!