Toby Chinchilla Chinchilla Chicago, IL

Toby is an energetic, playful, and handsome three-year-old male grey Chinchilla with incredibly soft fur and freckled ears looking for a loving guardian.

Toby enjoys hopping around his cage and hopping in and out of your arms and his dust bath. He takes a dust bath two to three times a week to clean his fur. He is most active at dawn and dusk.

Toby is willing to come to your hand and sit in your lap, on your shoulder and even give kisses if you are calm and move slowly.

Chinchillas are long-term companions living on average 15 to 20 years. Originating in the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains their natural habitat is dry, windy, and cold. So, naturally they are covered with plush fur. That’s also why they do best in a tall cage with ledges to hop on and hiding houses.

A chinchilla diet is simply 70% hay (Timothy hay and Orchard Grass), 30% pellets, and fresh water daily. Occasional treats include rose hips or a few pieces of old-fashioned rolled oats.

Chinchillas enjoy their toys; wood is the best – Chewing helps with stimulation and to keep teeth safe. They also enjoy pumice stone and loofah. The toys can be hanging or tossed around the cage.

Chinchillas don't have sweat glands and are densely surrounded with fur, so they need to stay cool year-round at temperatures 75°F and below. Over-heating can be deadly! Air-conditioning is required for a chinchilla.

Toby is currently being fostered in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. To meet and possibly adopt him, please fill out an adoption application at https://friendsofpetraits.com/guinea-pig-adoption-application/ and follow up by e-mailing friendsofpetraits@gmail.com to meet him.

Chinchillas are actually an endangered species in the wild because they were hunted for their fur. They were brought to America to make fur coats and the breeders were so enamored with how sweet and adorable they were that they began keeping them as pets.

His adoption fee of $225 benefits the rescued pets of Friends of Petraits and includes his entire set-up of a multi-level cage and accessories – absolutely everything you need to care for him.