Tiny Friends Farm makes small-animal foods, including a chinchilla line, but a chinchilla’s diet should be based on unlimited hay, not on any mix. If you use a product like Charlie Chinchilla food, treat it as a small supplement and check the current label first.
What a Chinchilla Diet Looks Like
- Unlimited grass hay such as timothy, which keeps teeth worn down and the gut moving
- A small portion of plain chinchilla pellets, roughly a tablespoon a day, with high fiber and no added seeds or sweets
- Fresh water daily
- Treats only rarely, such as a rose hip or a plain piece of shredded wheat
Judging Any Chinchilla Mix
Muesli-style mixes can lead to picky eating, because chinchillas pick out the tasty pieces and skip the fiber. Dried fruit, nuts, seeds and sugary bits are too rich for chinchillas and can cause bloat, diarrhea and dental problems. A good food has:
- Timothy or other grass hay as the main ingredient
- High fiber and moderate protein, with no added sugar
- Uniform pellets, not a mix with colorful extras
If a mix includes dried fruit or flowers, offer it only as an occasional extra.
Cost and Value
Hay is the biggest expense for a chinchilla, and it is worth buying good quality in bulk. A bag of pellets lasts a long time since the daily portion is small. Compare price per ounce rather than bag price.
Related Reading
See our small-animal food guide for gerbils for how mixes compare, and ask your vet about any digestive problems.
Bottom Line
Build your chinchilla’s diet on hay, add a small serving of plain pellets, and keep mixes with fruit and seeds as occasional extras. Call an exotic vet if your chinchilla stops eating or has soft stool.
