I'm thinking about getting a chinchilla, but I want to know if there's anything I should know ahead of time. I've never owned any pets except a cat. Also, how much will it initially cost (For the chinchilla, health stuff, shots, cage, food, etc.) to get started?

From what I have heard Chincillas and Minks both make horrible pets... as they are very ill tempered.

Please first read up on chinchilla care, so you will be an informed owner. You can easily get books at the library.

They are not cheap, easy animals to own. You will need a cage, the right kind of bedding (NO strong-smelling pine or cedar chips!), toys, food (another reason to read about their care before you get a chinchilla), a woodblock for them to chew on (so their teeth don't overgrow), etc. They are nocturnal and are very social, so it might be good to get two that were raised together. http://www.petfinder.com/index.html will tell you about chinchillas up for adoption and whose background is known. I would not buy a chinchilla from a pet store. Those are from chinchilla mills, the animal's health may be poor, and it hasn't been handled enough. You also won't know the animal's exact age. The price for one chinchilla can vary from $50 to over $600. Always have money set aside for vet bills and for emergency situations.

On one web site, there is this --

Cheapest website to get your chinchilla items from is Martin's Cages http://www.martinscages.com/products/cag… and they will customize the cage how you want it. You DO NOT want to get a tall cage because too many chinchillas have died from missing jumps. Martin's Cages also has all the supplies you need: Bedding & Hammocks, Bowls & Bottles, Nest Boxes & Hideaways, Quiet Exercise Wheels, Ledges & Flooring, Toys, etc.

Others here will give you more information.

I have a chinny... she is very easy to take care of, much easier than any other animal I have had... and I've had many.

She is a little temperamental, but she wasn't handled enough when she was a baby. Still, she is a good pet :)

I've been reading online about them, and the only concerns are the fact that I don't know if I can get two right now, and the temperature issue might be a problem. I live in Georgia and I don't know how hot it's going to be in the summer. I know I want just a standard grey - I don't need to pay the money for something fancy - and I'm planning to buy a baby from a breeder that has handled it so it's used to handling, but should I choose between male or female, or does it matter? Also, I live with my parents and my mother hates mice/rats/guinea pigs/gerbils. Any help for convincing her it's not exactly a vermin/pest/rodent?

If my mother and the temperature is too much of an issue, does anybody have suggestions for a different pet I might like? Bunny and anything rodent is a no-go. We already have a family cat, and I want something of my own.

Chinchillas are rodents, but they do not stink like hamsters, mice or other rodents.

That's what I've read, but trust me, Mom and Dad aren't buying it.

Rabbits aren't rodents. Just fyi. :)