Concerns
Chinchillas are the least smelly of any of the small animals. With minimal cleaning and care, chinchillas don’t smell.
Chinchillas can bite very hard but only a few chinchillas ever bite out of aggression. Many will nibble your fingers and if you give a little yelp to let them know when they’re hurting you, they learn to be easy. The only time I’ve ever been nipped by a chinchilla is when my fingers smelled like treats but I stuck my hand inside the cage without one. If you wash your hands before handling chinchillas, they won’t mistake your finger for a treat.
It would be ok to use shredded newspaper if you get a cage that has a wire floor with a slide-out tray. Otherwise, you should use one of the safe litters such as CareFresh, kiln-dried pine, or Aspen.