Bunny

Chinchilla vs Rabbit – Who is #Smarter #Easier #Better

When you are looking to bring a new pet home, you may be considering several options. Leaving aside the conventional pets such as cats, dogs, parrots and similar other alternatives, a few unconventional and rare pet ideas should also be a good idea to give a thought to. From that perspective, a choice between a chinchilla and a rabbit may be quite interesting.

So, are chinchillas better than rabbits, or are rabbits better than chinchillas? The debate would depend on several factors. Let us check out a few factors why either of them is better than the others.

Contents

1 Chinchilla vs Rabbit – Which One Should I Adopt?
2 7 Reasons why Chinchillas are better than the Rabbits
3 4 Reasons why Rabbits are better than Chinchilla
4 Can Rabbits and Chinchillas Play Together?
5 Which Animals Can Chinchilla Live With?
6 Are Chinchillas Smarter than Rabbits?
7 Are Chinchillas Easier than Rabbits?
8 Are Chinchillas cheaper than Rabbits?
9 Do Rabbits or Chinchillas Have Soft Fur?
10 So, Which is Better – a Rabbit or a Chinchilla?
11 The Closing Thoughts

Chinchilla vs Rabbit – Which One Should I Adopt?

Are chinchillas better than a rabbit? Chinchillas would be a better choice as they have softer fur and can live longer. Also, chinchillas are low on maintenance when compared to the rabbits. However, both rabbits and chinchillas make good pets, and need the same degree of care and affection.

7 Reasons why Chinchillas are better than the Rabbits

Now that we have a leaning towards chinchillas, we will explain what makes chinchillas a better pet than rabbits. Here are our prime reasons to explain why chinchillas make better pets than rabbits.

Chinchillas have a Unique Dust Bath Style

Chinchillas have dense fur, and that should be the prime reason that makes them a wonderful pet and a joy to watch. Since they care for their fur, they indulge in a special bath referred to as a dust bath.

It should indeed be a huge joy to watch them take a dust bath. Moreover, dust baths are not messy, or expensive. While the rabbits are known for the pure hygiene that they maintain, it is equally great to see them taking a dust bath. Ask the chinchilla owners around you, and they will have several stories about how awesome the experience of watching your chinchilla take a dust bath.

Chinchillas are Cleanest

Chinchillas are obviously the cleanest pets to own. A chinchilla needs dust bath to keep itself clean, and they enjoy it. Chinchillas do not emit any odour and do not have dander. Even their poop does not smell bad.

As in the of rabbits, you may experience bad odor if you do not take enough care. Potty training a rabbit can be a huge task if you are not patient enough. You will just need a very light cleaning when you look at the cleaning tasks with a chinchilla cage.

Chinchillas Live Longer

Chinchillas live longer than rabbits. They will remain your faithful friends for at least 15 to 20 years. In contrast, a rabbit can live only up to 8 to 12 years. Of course, proper care can make both of them live the same lifespan.

You are adding a pet to your family, and you definitely want it to be a part of your family for a considerably longer time. It isn’t something you will bring home and keep using until you get bored and then just discard it. A longer lifespan is definitely something a huge positive for the chinchilla owners.

Chinchillas Provide you with the Best Playtime

Chinchillas love jumping around and moving. Their jumping and playing activities are indeed fun to watch. Of course, that would mean you will need to buy a considerably larger cage for your chinchilla. But, if you have kids at home, that will be a treat indeed as chinchillas can be their best playmate.

Bunnies to are known to jump and play. But, the chinchillas can jump to as high as 6 feet, and that should be a treat to watch. While the bunny time is not exactly boring, Chinchillas make a better playmate than the rabbits.

Chinchillas are Cheaper

Chinchillas are not expensive, like other pets. Your chinchilla bills per year would not be more than $200 to $250! Moreover, the food and other care needed for chinchillas is considerably cheaper. Compared to regular family pets, you will find them much affordable.

A standard chinchilla should cost you around $150, while the special coloured chinchillas may cost a little more. While a rabbit can be bought at a much lower price of around $ 40 per rabbit, the ongoing costs would be considerably higher.

Chinchillas Build the Best Bond

This is an area that perhaps both rabbits and chinchillas score equal points. However, since chinchillas can outlive a rabbit, the bond between you and a chinchilla would be relatively stronger. With no offence to rabbits, chinchillas tend to be more friendly.

Rabbits tend to develop a close bond with their humans in a later stage of their life. They remain aloof and keep to themselves for the most part of their adolescent and young life. The table in this post should give you a better idea of their behaviour through their lifespan.

Chinchillas are Easy to Care

Chinchillas are quite easy and straightforward to take care of. They need nothing more than a cleaner cage, food and water, colder temperature and safer environs. The food needs of a chinchilla aren’t as tricky as rabbits. Rabbits can be messy when it comes to taking care.

Training a rabbit may be a little tricky. They tend to be more independent natured and may not like being forced to live a life managed by a “Hooman”. It can be a little challenging to take care of a bunny than a chinchilla.

chinchilla vs rabbit

4 Reasons why Rabbits are better than Chinchilla

Well, before we enrage the rabbit owners, here are a few reasons why rabbits can be a better pet than a chinchilla. Of course, we have a far low number of reasons than that a chinchilla can score for the same query.

Rabbits are Inexpensive

Rabbits will not cost more than $ 40 to $50 in most of the pet stores. In comparison, chinchillas can cost anywhere between $ 150 to $200. They can care for themselves and do not need a lot of maintenance.

However, if you are in a city or living in an apartment, the cost of caring for your rabbit will increase. The rabbits are likely to be affected by mites and fleas, which can further hike your vet bills.

Rabbits are Independent

If you are a busy family who does not have enough time to care for your pets extensively, a rabbit can be a better choice. Rabbits are independent animals, and they do not need much attention. For the most part of their day, they tend to stay aloof and unto themselves. You will not need to be extra careful in handling them if you tend to be busy.

Of course, they may need attention and begin to seek a close bonding during their middle age or later part of their life. However, they do not need the kind of attention that a chinchilla will seek from its humans.

Rabbits are Quick Learners

Rabbits have adaptive intelligence. In fact, rabbits have been understood to be more intelligent than most of the pets. They can respond to small commands and simpler words that their humans speak.

They are not destroyers. You will not find a rabbit chewing up your shoe or damaging something like a chinchilla is likely to do. Chinchillas belong to the rodent family and have an inherent tendency to destroy things.

Rabbit Don't get Bored Easily

Unlike chinchillas, a rabbit will not get bored easily. The rabbits will need a considerably lower degree of care and attention for the obvious reason that they are independent by nature and know how to live alone.

Chinchillas are likely to get bored quite soon enough and may need a larger cage to keep them occupied. You may also need to arrange more toys for them to play. While the chinchilla toys are much cheaper, they would always be on the lookout for something new.

Can Rabbits and Chinchillas Play Together?

Chinchillas and rabbits can live together in the same house, but not in the same cage. A chinchilla and a rabbit in the same household will have to be separated by their individual living areas and separate cages. While they may not harm each other, they need to have their own territories.

If you are wondering and trying to answer the question Can a Chinchilla Live With a Rabbit, it is highly unlikely that they will get along well. If you put them in the same cage or assign them the same living area, they will fight with each other.

A chinchilla can be made to learn that the rabbits aren’t a threat. Just like they have learned to befriend us, humans, they can perhaps be trained to learn that a rabbit is a friend. But, that would be an individual choice as most of the times we observe a cat and dog being friends, but cannot be something universal. It isn’t recommended to make chinchillas and rabbits friends.

Since both chinchilla and rabbit have sharp teeth, they can indeed kill each other. Making them paly together would definitely a bad idea. Never attempt striking friendship between a chinchilla and rabbit if you have both of them. If they get along well on their own, that should be good news!

Which Animals Can Chinchilla Live With?

None – should be the ideal answer. Chinchillas and other pets have their own food habits, temperaments and other behaviour. They are NOT simply evolved with that trait of being friendly with other animals.

However, you may find a chinchilla getting comfortable with a few of the following animals (not necessarily kept as pets):

Other chinchillas, even of different genre or species
Other small rodents.

Are Chinchillas Smarter than Rabbits?

Chinchillas are smarter than rabbits and can pick up new skills faster. A chinchilla can be made to learn new tricks and taught to play with humans. They can be the best pets for kids to play along, but they also tend to be quite hyperactive at times. Chinchillas are responsive to their loved treats. They can even be potty trained quickly and learn to urinate in a litter box.

Chinchillas are known to have a great memory and are capable of learning quickly. They have been known to be quick learners and thus can adapt to new surroundings quite faster. A chinchilla has patience and tends to learn things through repetition.

How smart are chinchillas? Chinchillas learn things through repletion. If you tend to repeat a task, the chinchilla will eventually pick it up and learn how to do it. A chinchilla can learn to remember its name or other names in the household. They can even learn some basic commands. They are known to learn social interaction and can become quite friendly in a shorter duration. Their adaptive nature is an indication of their smartness.

The video here should give you an idea of how smarter a chinchilla can be:

Some examples where you would find how smart chinchillas can be:

A chinchilla will check your pockets whenever you are back home

If you bring them treats every day in your pockets, it will learn it by repletion, and will begin checking your pockets whenever you are back home. It understands the patterns and follows them

Chinchillas urinate at the same spot in their cage every time

Once you train it through repletion, the chinchilla will urinate in the same spot in its cage. They will never pee or poop in their food bowls or in their normal activity areas.

A chinchilla responds to her name during playtime or otherwise

A chinchilla will always respond to her name almost similar to a dog responding to your calls. While many other pets have this ability, an animal from the rodent family is much unlikely to have this trait. That should be an indication of their smartness in learning things through patience and repetition.

A chinchilla can recognise its humans

The chinchilla can recognise the members in a family and interact with them. It changes the social interaction with humans depending on how comfortable it is with them. It will limit its activity with kids or may even avoid playing with them as it knows that they can be annoying.

Are Chinchillas Easier than Rabbits?

Chinchillas and rabbits are almost similar when it comes to handling them, and they both are more comfortable to adopt. Chinchillas can be the best pets for a family except for children. They love social interaction and attention and less aloof than the rabbits. Because of their high strung nature, they can injure the kids and thus may not be the right choice for the smaller kids. Rabbits too can be a little difficult to handle initially. If sufficiently acclimatised to humans, they can be easier than the rabbits.

Chinchillas and rabbits need an equal amount of care. From that perspective, both chinchillas and rabbits are easier to pet. Both of them need constant access to food. The right way should be to provide them with unlimited hay in their respective hay racks. In addition, both of them would require pellets.

Both rabbits and chinchillas need to be let out of their cages occasionally. They both can get bored when kept for a longer time in a cage. However, make sure the room is completely bunny proof or chinchilla proof before letting them out of the cage.

Both chinchillas and rabbits need an equal degree of veterinary care. A minimum of half-yearly check-up can be one of the best options to do away with the possibility of the illnesses or any health-related issues that may be plaguing your chinchilla.

So, are chinchillas easier than rabbits to keep? Both of them are equally better options to care. If you are thinking of either of them to be low maintenance than the other, it may be a wrong conception.

Are Chinchillas cheaper than Rabbits?

Rabbits can be easier to find and cheaper to buy than the chinchillas. Chinchillas are considered to be exotic pets. It may be much difficult to find a chinchilla in a pet shop when compared to the rabbits. Chinchillas are not cheaper when compared to the rabbits. However, rabbits may require larger hutches or cages.

The rest of the food requirements of the chinchillas would be easier and simpler. However, both rabbits and chinchillas require the same food requirements, which includes hay and hay pellets. Both of them may require a larger activity area.

Yet another advantage with chinchillas and rabbits can have is that they can both be seen by the same vet. The vet can handle both of them at the same price. They would require an equal amount of vet care. However, since chinchillas as pets are relatively rare, and the vets can have a prime knowledge about rabbits than chinchillas.

In essence, except for the initial cost, both chinchillas and rabbits are known to be equally costly when it comes to their maintenance, food needs and veterinary bills.

Do Rabbits or Chinchillas Have Soft Fur?

Chinchillas are better than rabbits and have soft fur. In fact, Chinchillas are way better than rabbits when it comes to soft fur. Chinchillas aren’t ubiquitous, and that is what may make the rabbits appear furrier than the chinchillas. However, Chinchillas are way better than the rabbits if you are looking at the best soft fur experience.

Rabbits have always been the most cuddly pets with soft fur that one can imagine. However, that is just because they have been widely kept. In sharp contrast, chinchillas are quite uncommon, and most of the people are not aware of chinchilla as a pet.

Chinchillas are extremely softer than the rabbits. They have a unique fur. The chinchillas are known to have super dense fur, that is primarily because these animals are from Andes Mountains which are colder regions and the dense fur protects them from the extreme cold.

The chinchillas have more than 90 hairs per follicle, and that would make them far more softer than the rabbits. You may have rabbits that have specifically bred to have specifically denser fur. Even then, you would not find them softer than the chinchillas.

Moreover, the chinchillas have been more careful about their fur and its cleanliness than the rabbits. They keep grooming themselves and take extreme care of themselves. Dust baths and regular nibbling of fur are a couple of activities that have been instrumental in keeping their hair softer and cleaner.

So, Which is Better – a Rabbit or a Chinchilla?

Having gone through all that discussion, we would indeed vote for Chinchillas. We consider chinchillas as the best pets than rabbits. However, the only person who can make the right decision would be the pet owner – YOU!! Chinchillas can be a little skittish as pets. However, rabbits too aren’t too far behind either as the skittishness is concerned.

No matter which pet animal you would want to go with, make sure that you will take enough care of the pet. Take care of proper care of the animal and ensure that it gets a good quality of life.

If you are on a fence unable to make a choice between a rabbit and a chinchilla, it may be worthwhile to take a trip to the nearest pet store. You can pick the right one among the rabbit and chinchilla based on what your family preferences are. Spend a little time with the rabbits and chinchillas and find for yourself as to which of them appeal to you the most.

The Closing Thoughts

Chinchillas and rabbits make a good pet. We do not have anything against either of them. However, for a simple reason that we have been a chinchilla fan and mesmerised with its antics and cuteness, we find them extremely an excellent option for a softer and cuter toy pet.

Whether you choose a rabbit or a chinchilla, owning a pet can be a great experience in itself. The final call should be yours and yours alone!