Healthy chinchillas have active, bright and clear eyes; yellow-orange and aligned teeth, dry nose; hard and elongated stools; dense and even fur. The ideal weight for a full grown chin is about 450 to 800 grams. Chins are hardy and rarely fall ill. Today, you’ll learn health tips to keep your chinchilla happy and ways to make it younger. To have a happy chinchilla, try the following tips: 1) Keep your chin safe and secure in its cage at all times. 2) Make sure that the temperature is right – Chins thrive in temperatures of not more than 77 F. 3) Know the best food to give to your chin. Ensure your chin avoid human food as much as possible. 4) Provide lots of chewing things. Chins need to constantly gnaw to file their growing teeth. 5) Get ready a chin first aid kit ready and the contact of a nearby vet in case or emergencies. 6) Give your chin treats only occasionally. They should compromise no more than 10% of its total diet. 7) Ensure sufficient ventilation and clean the cage every other day. 8) If you must travel (advisably not), ensure you keep your chin in a protective small animal carrier. 9) Ensure that you chins are matured enough to breed before putting a male and female together. 10) Last but not least, provide lots of love and hugs. As you can see, keeping a chin, like any other pet, require time and effort. Be prepared as this is a long commitment as chins can live up to 15 years. Sandra Kwok is the author of “By the Fur of my Chinny Chin Chin” Ezines. Her love for Chinchillas has led her to create a website exclusively for Chin owners.