Chinchilla Seems to Sleep More than Usual

Hi All,

I currently have 2 chinchillas that I rescued. They are both female, and one is around 7 years old, and the other around 2 years old. They get along very well.

I had a question regarding my 7 year old chin, Mimi. It was actually my father who noticed it (since he can work at home), but he commented that Mimi seemed to be sleeping longer than usual during the day. When I feed her at night, she is always bounding out of the cage onto my lap to eat. To me, she seems healthy, as there is no discharge in her eyes, and her fur seems soft as usual. She likes to hop around the room for a bit before settling back into her cage. I understand that chins are more active at night, so it is not out of the ordinary for them to sleep most of the day. However, I am worried that if there is a change in her behavior (ie, sleeping more), it is due to an underlying illness. My father thinks that she is getting old, but I have heard chins can live to around 12 years or so, so this should not be the case. I will be taking them both in for a physical soon, but I wanted to see if anyone wouldn't mind sharing about what they think.

Also, if anyone had any recommendations about vets specializing in chinchillas in the San Jose, California area, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

If she is acting normal in the night it's likely nothing serious. Does your dad actually play or interact with the chins during the day? It's not uncommon for them to sleep just simply out of boredom. They are kind of like cats, most of their sleep is light sleep that they can quickly wake from if something is going on. Has your schedule changed at all? I also know chins get use to their owners routine and somewhat adapt to be awake when they are home and just sleep/nap while they are gone.

Just so you know 7 is not old, it's barely middle age. Chins in captivity have a lifespan of 15-20+ years if properly cared for. Also they don't really ever slow down as they age unless there is a reason. My current two are over 12 years old now and still as active as when I got them at around 3.

Hello,

Thank you for the reply! No he doesn't really play with them, it's that he works in the living room a lot so he is always seeing them out of the corner of his eye. Mimi seems to be alert and energetic especially when I feed/interact with her at night, so I am not too worried. Our schedules haven't changed, but it seems like they are more sleepy during the day when humans are home versus around the time we go to bed. The younger chin, Choco, never lies on her side and seems more tense all around than Mimi. Probably because we've only had her for a year. Anyways, thank you for your insight.