We are a New Chinchilla Rescue Centre set up in 2011. With over 25 years experience of breeding and caring for these wonderful creatures.
Our aim is to be able to offer each and every Chinchilla a New Permanent Home where they will receive the care and attention they require each and everyday. We make sure that all pets taken in are in 100% top condition at all times, we can offer 24 hr care 365 days a year to all Chinchilla's taken in.
We offer a permanent home to all Chinchilla's requiring a new home without judging, we understand that people's circumstances change and with rising living costs people look to have their pets rehomed for varying reasons & circumstances and sometimes out of their own control, so if you find yourselves in a situation like this and need a new home for your pet chinchilla, then look no further and contact A & M Chinchilla's.
We are the only UK Chinchilla Rescue Center that does not rehome, pass on or sell on a Chinchilla, they are kept as a pet resident only.
Welcome to A & M Chinchilla's
This site endeavours to provide an informative guide in caring for pet chinchilla's with pages on feeding chinchillas, general care and equipment. The health page covers the more common problems and there is a helpful page on hand feeding. The general care and feeding of your pet chinchilla is very important. There are also plenty of photographs and videos of chinchillas, along with a page on the different sounds that a chinchilla can make.
This site is for owners of pet chinchillas and not a breeder's site.
However, I have included some very basic information on breeding with photographs.
For those of you who are not familiar with chinchilla's, they are members of the rodent family and originate from the rocky mountain range of the Andes in South America. Discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1500's, they were named after the Chincha Indians, who through necessity to keep themselves warm and have food to eat, used them as a source of food and made clothing with their fur.
Later introduced to Europe, their soft luxurious fur became very popular and was sought after so much, it nearly caused their extinction, as literally millions of chinchillas were killed for their pelts. It is very distressing to know that it takes well over a 100 chinchilla's just to make one coat!
Today, hunting the wild chinchilla is banned and they are protected by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Animals.
Mr M.F. Chapman, is responsible for the domestication of the chinchilla. He worked as a a mining engineer in Chile. In 1923, after finally getting permission from the Chilean Government, he transported 11 chinchillas to California. They bred successfully and were originally sold to fur ranches and then later sold as pets. It is more than likely that most of our pet chinchillas today are descended from Mr Chapman's original eleven.
I hope you will enjoy your visit and call again soon to see what is new.