Countess Cornelia Crustard

Countess Cornelia Crustard arrived at Luna’s House in late December 2025, claiming the heartbreaking title of the most neglected chinchilla we had ever seen. After over three months of daily assisted feedings, multiple medications, three dental procedures, & an inspiring amount of resolve from this very small but mighty lady, Cornelia is ready to find her forever home. <br/><br/>Anyone interested in providing that forever home will need to have significant prior experience with chinchillas, including medicating & syringe-feeding them. Cornelia has now been weighing in consistently at over 600g, but she still receives Critical Care both in a bowl for her to graze upon & via syringe-feeding. This will need to continue for her, perhaps indefinitely. <br/><br/>Cornelia is a without a doubt a Special Needs chinny girl. She will likely need dental procedures that require sedation as often as every 4-6 weeks for the rest of her life.<br/><br/>…And while she’s a champ for her meds & feeding, she’s also a little spitfire and WILL launch pee at you if you disturb her slumber or reach in to her enclosure too quickly. We call this aspect of Cornelia’s personality “The Countess,” her sassy diva alter-ego. Cornelia certainly has her stubborn, saucy side, but her strength, determination, and utter irresistibility make it SO worth it to know & love her.<br/><br/><br/>Like most prey animals, chinchillas are very active and, while they may tolerate being handled when necessary for short periods of time, they do not care to be picked up, carried, or held for extended amounts of time. If you are looking for an active, delightful small animal with a longer life span (12-15 years average<br/>in captivity, up to 20 years) to enjoy and with whom to interact on his/her terms, a chinchilla may be a great choice for you!<br/><br/>If you would be interested in adopting a chinchilla from Luna's House, please take a moment to fill out an online adoption application at the link below: https://lunashouse.org/php_email_form/formphp.html<br/><br/>Once we have received and approved your completed application, we can schedule a time for you to visit our facility to meet with chins available for adoption. You will be coming to our Animal Care and Education Center, located at 2801 Pulaski Highway in Edgewood, MD. Our adoption fee for a single chin is $75 and for a pair of chinchillas is $125. This is a donation meant to help us cover part of the cost of caring for the animal you are adopting while (s)he is with us, including veterinary exam, food, bedding, etc.

Countess Cornelia Crustard arrived at Luna’s House in late December 2025, claiming the heartbreaking title of the most neglected chinchilla we had ever seen. After over three months of daily assisted feedings, multiple medications, three dental procedures, & an inspiring amount of resolve from this very small but mighty lady, Cornelia is ready to find her forever home.

Anyone interested in providing that forever home will need to have significant prior experience with chinchillas, including medicating & syringe-feeding them. Cornelia has now been weighing in consistently at over 600g, but she still receives Critical Care both in a bowl for her to graze upon & via syringe-feeding. This will need to continue for her, perhaps indefinitely.

Cornelia is a without a doubt a Special Needs chinny girl. She will likely need dental procedures that require sedation as often as every 4-6 weeks for the rest of her life.

…And while she’s a champ for her meds & feeding, she’s also a little spitfire and WILL

Countess Cornelia Crustard arrived at Luna’s House in late December 2025, claiming the heartbreaking title of the most neglected chinchilla we had ever seen. After over three months of daily assisted feedings, multiple medications, three dental procedures, & an inspiring amount of resolve from this very small but mighty lady, Cornelia is ready to find her forever home.

Anyone interested in providing that forever home will need to have significant prior experience with chinchillas, including medicating & syringe-feeding them. Cornelia has now been weighing in consistently at over 600g, but she still receives Critical Care both in a bowl for her to graze upon & via syringe-feeding. This will need to continue for her, perhaps indefinitely.

Cornelia is a without a doubt a Special Needs chinny girl. She will likely need dental procedures that require sedation as often as every 4-6 weeks for the rest of her life.

…And while she’s a champ for her meds & feeding, she’s also a little spitfire and WILL launch pee at you if you disturb her slumber or reach in to her enclosure too quickly. We call this aspect of Cornelia’s personality “The Countess,” her sassy diva alter-ego. Cornelia certainly has her stubborn, saucy side, but her strength, determination, and utter irresistibility make it SO worth it to know & love her.


Like most prey animals, chinchillas are very active and, whi