How do I tell how old my chinchilla is?

How can you tell if a chinchilla coat is real?

• Answer:

  If examining the fur itself, distinguishing faux chinchilla from real is relatively easy. But even those only looking at photographs can spot fakes with a little practice. Side-by-side comparisons are most helpful, so compare the closest photo of the fur in question to one you know is real. Standard gray chinchilla fur usually shows lots of variations and no two pelts are identical. As for synthetic fur, you can often spot the clues that give it away: unnatural-looking color, a rough or scraggly texture, broad & even striping or a signs of a repeating pattern. Genuine chinchilla has a unique characteristic that no rabbit or synthetic fur can imitate. The hairs are actually tri-colored: they grow out a charcoal color, then lighten to a dove gray ending with a black tip. You can clearly see this three toned shade when the fur is blown on as it makes for a distinctive, circular pattern. If you're concerned the fur may not be genuine, insist on getting a close-up picture to look for this tri-colored patterning.