Chinchilla is a good-natured creation of silver or golden color, whose main task is to delight the owner with its cute appearance and exemplary behavior. Unobtrusive, but extremely affectionate, chinchillas are the type of pets that will never annoy with leprosy and violate established boundaries. Accordingly, if you need a well-mannered and slightly phlegmatic friend, settle a chinchilla cat at home – warm relations and peace are guaranteed!
The first smoky kitten was born in 1882 in England as a result of an unplanned mating. The parents of the baby, who was christened Chinni, were a mongrel cat and a blue Persian cat, who accidentally met while walking. The owner of the Persian cat liked the non-standard color of the kitten, which prompted her to start breeding a new breed. As a result, already an adult Chinni was crossed with a cat, who had a striped gray “fur coat”. The offspring born of the smoky mum and the striped dad did not inherit the unusual tone of the coat. However, a few years later, the Chimney children began to bring unusual babies of the same chinchilla color, which the felinologists of the world still do not stop arguing about.
The first appearance of the Chimney descendants art exhibitions took place in 1894, in London. After some time, American breeders also joined the experiments of the breeders of Foggy Albion, wishing to increase the palette of feline colors. This is how the golden (apricot) variety of chinchillas arose. Later, it became fashionable to form original suits not only among the Persians but also among representatives of other feline families. As a result, Scottish folds and British people dressed in silver and apricot “fur coats” began to appear more and more often at exhibitions.
Chinchillas are solid and stocky cats. Their image is enhanced by a thick dense coat, thanks to which the body acquires a pleasant softness and roundness of shape. Chinchilla cats are noticeably smaller than males, so the latter is always more popular with lovers of textured pets.
Chinchilla color is documented for representatives of three breeds:
- Persian;
- British (short-haired and long-haired);
- Scottish (straight and fold).
Persian individuals have longer hair and a very fluffy tail, which can be twice as long as their body. The body standard of Persian chinchillas is the same as that of their eastern counterparts, but with minor additions. In particular, the noses of the first species are not so short, therefore, the problems with difficulty breathing, characteristic of brachycephalic breeds, are inherent in them to a lesser extent.
British chinchillas are large pets with round heads and chubby cheeks. The eyes are set wide apart, the ears are small, with rounded tips, the noses are wide and shortened. Coat type – semi-long or short. In fact, all representatives of this branch differ from the traditional British only in color. All other characteristics are completely inherited by pets from congeners. Usually, representatives of this type of chinchillas are silver or golden in color, but the latter option is less common.
The chinchillas of the Scottish “party” fully fit into the standard of Scottish folds and straight lines: the same slender legs, muscular body, and relief pads on the face. Animal hair is silvery or peach with darkened tips. The coat itself is thick, short, but without a pronounced fit to the body. Acceptable colors of the Scottish iris chinchilla are green and blue.
All three varieties of chinchillas have very complex color palettes. In general, we can say that animal hair comes in three basic shades:
- silvery;
- golden;
- shaded.
Silvery cats are cats with white fur with a barely noticeable “dusting” of dark pigment at the very tip of the hair. No spots and extraneous patterns on the body are allowed, while it is imperative that the chest remains white. There are also veiled and shaded silver varieties. In the first case, a dark “bloom” on the wool creates the effect of a veil or organza, slightly darkening the light background of the “fur coat”.
An interesting fact: kittens with a veil color are born only when both parents are carriers of the same color.
Shaded Silver is a completely white undercoat and guard hair that is of which is dark in tone. Shaded chinchillas are most intensely colored on the head, back, ears and tail. At the same time, the collar area has a classic silver color, and completely dark hairs can slip on the paws and tail.
The palette of veil and extinguishing pigment of chinchillas is quite extensive. In particular, the tips of animal hair can be colored in the following shades:
- chocolate;
- cinnamon;
- faun;
- blue;
- purple;
- black.
An important nuance: chinchillas in veil-type “fur coats” with black hair pigmentation should have a black eye rim, bordered with white hair, and black paw pads.
The golden color of chinchillas is not identical to the red one. It is rather a delicate apricot shade. People with a golden veil “fur coats” are pets in which pigment appears only at the very tip of the hair and only in certain areas. The most pigmented parts of the body are the back, ears, head, and tail. On the sides, the “diaper” becomes noticeably thinner and completely disappears closer to the stomach. The shaded golden coat is dyed in dark tones along the entire length. More intensely pigmented areas are the back and head of the animal. The collar area remains white.
Since we are talking about three different breeds, united by a common shade of wool, it is logical to assume that the characters of their representatives will differ. Chinchillas also have individual behavioral features that allow them to stand out from the rest of the mass of fellow tribesmen. In general, it is worth noting that the unique color has muffled the wild instincts of the breeds, so most cats with silver and gold coats remain very cute and obedient pets.
Persian chinchillas are calm and incredibly gentle creatures. Breeders speak of them as super patient pets, completely devoid of the arrogance and desire for independence inherent in cats. In fact, the chinchilla Persian is a born “sofa-dweller” and “pillow-cushion” who is addicted to comfort and stubbornly refuses to part with his comfortable addiction. By meowing, Persoshinchillas do not annoy. The voice of the breed is quiet, almost inaudible, so it is sometimes difficult to understand what exactly the animal wants. Chinchillas are not too happy to be next to other, more active pets, but they steadfastly endure children’s pranks, even if they frankly do not like them.
British cats of chinchilla color are softer in character than their relatives with standard coat tones. They are less independent and wayward, and in general, they have a calmer temperament. In addition, chinchilla cats are neutral about strokes and hugs, which the British do not like. You should not expect any manifestations of aggression and obstinacy from the breed either. By the way, chinchillas are one of those rare types of pets who are equally happy with the owner, and completely alone. These teddy bears will easily take your trip to a visit or the supermarket without jumping on cabinets and window sills or announcing their forced retreat with annoying meows.
Scottish chinchillas are as good-natured phlegmatic as all Scottish. They are slightly less persistent in achieving their goals than classic folds and straights, but largely inherited the habits of their fellow tribesmen. Human orientation in the breed is also a little more developed, so in ordinary life, its representatives are easier to educate. The self-esteem characteristic of the Scots, in their descendants, has a less pronounced form, so the animals are ready to dissolve in their owner, performing the function of a living anti-stress toy. The voice of the Scottish chinchilla color is as quiet and squeaky as that of the rest of the breed, but cats use it in most emergency situations, preferring meaningful silence and philosophical contemplation of the environment to conversations.
It is necessary to educate and train chinchillas according to the same methods as for all cats, but taking into account the individual characteristics of each breed. Obligatory skills and abilities that the animal must master by the age of one:
- the ability to respond to your own nickname;
- go to the toilet and sharpen claws in a strictly designated place;
- observe the mode of sleep and feeding, do not wake the owner at night;
- sit quietly in the owner’s arms;
- adequately perceive the need for transportation: traveling in a carrying bag, traveling by car.
Pet show owners will also have to work on the technique of showing the animal at the show. Since the British, and the Persians, and the Scottish have a compact body, in the ring they are exhibited not in a “stretch”, as orientals, but in a grouped state. Preparation for this action is considered to develop the habit of sitting on the lap and hands of the owner in the cat, as well as to patiently perceive the change in posture at the insistence of a person.
Persian chinchillas are intelligent and highly intelligent cats, grasping the basic feline wisdom on the fly. For example, by the age of 1-1.5 months, kittens walk quite neatly into the litter box. Often, if the kids live with their mother or another adult cat, this skill does not even need to be taught to them – the fluffy lumps copy the behavior of the older pet on their own.
Young and even slightly matured chinchillopers retain a keen interest and curiosity in the things they see for the first time, so at first, you will have to hide houseplants, toxic detergents, and cleaning agents, as well as wires from household appliances from the animal. The breed does not produce any destructive actions – chinchillas do not scratch furniture (provided that there is a normal scratching post in the house), they don’t rummage over the master’s plates, and don’t take pieces of newspaper left over from the bed.
At the beginning of socialization for a kitten in a new home, it is important to create a pacifying atmosphere, so try to make less noise in the presence of the baby and warn the household about this. Classes should be carried out taking into account the biorhythms of the chinchilla: in the morning and after lunch, cats are inactive and prefer to take a nap. And of course, keep in mind that no pet is capable of multitasking, so if you take on one command, finish what you started without switching to teaching the fluffy other useful skills.
Chinchillas from the clan of the British and Scottish people in their studies are hampered by natural shyness and timidity. These comrades are generally frightened by everything new and unknown, so during the lessons talk more with the pet in an even, calm voice. A chinchilla dealing with dirty tricks is so rare that not every owner of the breed can see it. If, nevertheless, the pet is drawn to the “scratches” or the dining table, influence the animal with its own fears. Suddenly clap your hands or surreptitiously splash water on the fluffy criminal – then you can only watch how the playful chinchilla coward flees from the crime scene, turning into a quiet goody.
Like any decorative pets, chinchillas need to provide maximum comfort in an apartment, outside of which they very rarely go. Take care of safety: if you decide to walk the cat on the loggia, do not forget to close the windows or tighten the open window openings with a net. Chinchillopers, British and Scottish creatures are not the jumpiest creatures, but sometimes they want to frolic too, so buy at least a small game complex for the animal. A cozy bed or a basket is also necessary – representatives of this clan are comfortably dependent and adore soft mattresses.
Most of all attached to the owners of Persian chinchillas. Adults should be washed at least once a month, and kittens every two weeks. In addition, you will have to spend time looking for special shampoo and balm. Do you want to preserve the exquisite color of your cat’s coat? Look for cosmetics designed for animals with light-colored coats. Systematic brushing is also inevitable, if you do not want to devote a lot of time to the image of the pet, pay attention to the British and Scottish chinchillas. With their wool much less fuss.
Chinchillas are only washed when they are really dirty. In other cases, you can do with collecting dead hairs with a damp cloth or rubber hand. A little more work with the semi-longhaired breed. These comrades will have to be fully combed, and even treated with a during the seasonal molting period.
Eye and ear care for chinchillas of all breeds are standard. The organs of vision are examined daily, the ear funnels are examined once a week. Mucous lumps in the corners of the eyelids are removed with a clean cloth that can be moistened with cold boiled water or chamomile broth. Do not forget that both the Persians and the British are prone to excessive tearing. Usually, tear paths leave ugly marks on the silver coat, so to keep your pet looking perfect, wipe away tears often and buy a special brightening powder for the eye area.
It is great if you have taught your chinchilla to adequately perceive brushing your teeth with a classic brush. If you can’t make friends with this device, make sure to use hard treats, cleaned plaque, and Cliny-type oral lotions that are added to your drinking water.
There is no consensus on how to properly feed a chinchilla kitten. Most nurseries prefer quality dry food with high protein content and a minimum percentage of grain crops. Usually, these varieties are completely balanced, so all that is required from the owner is to measure the correct portion of the animal, which will satisfy, but not cause excess weight. Another plus of “drying” – the animals that eat it do not need to brush their teeth, since dry croquettes perfectly “wash” any types of plaque.
Veterinarians continue to “vote” for natural products: lean meat and offal, low-fat sour milk, fish fillets, vegetables (except legumes and potatoes), and fruits. Bakery products, any food from the master’s table, and meat delicacies intended for people are strictly prohibited. At the same time, it is important to understand that it is difficult to balance the diet only with the help of products, so from time to time, you will have to grow grass for your pet on the windowsill, buy dietary supplements with taurine, as well as vitamins for the beauty of wool. By the way, about supplements: chinchillas at different ages need certain dietary supplements. If kittens need complexes with a large number of minerals, then older individuals need vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus.
The main problems of Persian chinchillas are uncontrollable lacrimation and exposure to colds. The latter phenomenon is associated with the structural features of the animal’s skull. All chinchillopers are diagnosed with a slight deviation of the nasal septum, due to which even a slight runny nose is more difficult for them than for other cats.
The British and Scottish straights of the chinchilla color are genetically absent. At the same time, the named families are easily picked up by a variety of infections, the salvation from which will be timely vaccination. Cats are also prone to gaining extra pounds, therefore, when composing a diet, you will have to constantly keep your finger on the pulse.
Scottish Fold chinchillas are not as big as Straights. In particular, in the Scottish Fold, such a genetic as osteochondysplasia is manifested. The disease is triggered by the gene responsible for the drooping ear of the animal.
How to choose a kitten?
Kittens of corpulent breeds such as British and Scottish grow very unevenly. Accordingly, when going to the nursery, calmly accept the fact that two-month-old babies look extremely cute, but half-year-olds have a very unsightly appearance.
When buying a Scottish Fold chinchilla, do a thorough examination of its limbs. If the kitten has too short legs and tail, these are signs of impending osteochondrodysplasia.
Many chinchilla colors are unstable and can change the saturation of the tone, so if you are afraid to miss, choose cats from the age of 1 year.
Be sure to meet the kittens’ mom. If the breeder stubbornly hides the breeder, this is a reason not to make a deal. You should also not take babies who, for some reason, were raised not by a cat, but by the breeder himself – kittens that did not eat breast milk in the first month of life have weak immunity and risk catching an infectious disease.
Assess the condition of the animal’s coat. A thoroughbred chinchilla should not have bald patches or areas with sparse hair.
Chinchillas are quite intelligent and disciplined, so even an owner without experience can instill in them the basics of cat etiquette.
These cats have a phlegmatic temperament: they do not annoy with loud meows, do not try to conquer furniture modules, and do not arrange archaeological excavations in pots with indoor plants.