Chinchillas are small rodents that make great pets, but there are a few special requirements you will need to accommodate if you are considering getting one as a pet. One aspect that is very unique and important is chinchilla dust baths.

You will need to do your best to create an environment for it that resembles what it would live in naturally. Tall chinchilla cages are necessary since chinchillas love to climb and it is a natural form of exercise for them. Chinchillas also enjoy running, so providing easy access to a wheel will give them plenty of space to run about.
Keeping your chinchilla clean should be a major concern, since their fur is different from other animals. Chinchillas protect themselves with a very thick layer of oil on their very fine hair, which makes water simply roll off of the animal. Instead, you must provide dust for your chinchilla to roll in. This will help remove any foreign substances from your pet and best of all, this is how they clean themselves in the wild, so they are familiar with keeping themselves clean in this manner.

Your chinchilla will need a dust bath at least once a week, but if you live in an area that is very humid, such as the Southern United States, your chinchilla should have access to a dust bath several times a week in order to keep its fur nice and clean. Chinchilla dust bath is usually ground pumice stone and is available in many pet shops across the country.

Some of the more expensive baths designed for chinchillas are meant to duplicate the volcanic ash that chinchillas feel at home using. These types of baths generally come sold in 50lb bags. No matter what type of dust you purchase, you should place it in a small glass container that will let your chinchilla crawl easily in and out.

As can be expected, giving your chinchilla a dust bath is a messy experience, so you might want to lay down several pieces of newspaper over the area to be used so that your chinchilla does not fling dust every where. It is not recommended to do this on carpet unless you plan on vacuuming up the mess after your pet is finished.