Is it safe to harness Chinchillas?

While you might be safe 99% of the time, would you want to risk injury the other 1% of the time? Reply. Liz. I recently ordered a ferret harness from a website. It has straps that go around it's head and middle and the leash attaches in the back. I've heard about people using harnesses on chinchillas. read more

I really wouldn’t put a harness on a Chinchilla. Chinchillas have a “floating ribcage” and the actual bones could be as thin as a toothpick. This is why they dislike being handled, dropped, or squeezed. They’re also very fast, jumpy, skittish animals who could probably injure themselves if they went beyond the reach of a leash. read more

NEVER get your chinchilla wet (with water, Febreeze, other chemicals or any liquids). A chinchilla’s coat is too thick to dry before mold will begin to grow. In fact its hair follicles are so close together fleas can't find enough skin to bite. Chins are also some of the mildest smelling of the rodent family. read more

But I do believe that with any harness, on any animal, you MUST be patient and caring with the animal, in order that it can be a pleasant experience for both YOU and the Chinchilla. With the harness that I am developing it will take two people to harness the Chinchilla at first, due to the design of the harness, until the owner and the Chinchilla get use to the harness. read more

harnesses are VERY dangerous for chinchillas. they have floating ribcages [no sternum], which means their ribs are significantly more fragile than ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. their jumpy style of movement makes them likely to throw their entire body weight full force into the harness and break multiple ribs in a split second. if he jumps and it gets caught on something, it will be devastating. read more