chinchillas

[ieatnomeat14]

i just started posting on this site about 2 weeks ago...to discuss my new puppy...but after searching the site for info on my other pets, i found that no one has posted anything about chinchillas...i've had my boy, Gizmo, for almost a year...he's an awesome pet (not for everyone, though) and i would love to have someone to chat with him about...so if anyone has a chin or is interested in getting one, please tell!!!

[krazy4birds]

My granddaughter has been wanting one for a long time. I know nothing about them. Are they hard to keep? Do they live very long?

[ieatnomeat14]

wow...i'm excited to talk about chins...the age of your granddaughter is very important...they really aren't good pets for children...first of all, no matter what ppl say, they are expensive to care for...they need TONS of chew toys to keep their teeth short, otherwise they will overgrow...and unless you order these chew toys through a warehouse, you will pay a lot in the pet stores...they also need chin pellets, fresh hay (alfalfa and timothy), fresh water, a clean dust bath, and lots of exercise on a daily basis...they are miserable critters if they don't get a daily romp around the room or house...and this means cleaning up chin poop, making sure there is nothing unsafe for them to chew, and just keeping a close eye so they don't get into trouble...and the most important part of a chin's life is its home (cage)....the bigger the better...and that means none of the ones the pet stores sell (except maybe privately owned ones who know a lot about chins) are good enough...there are a lot of websites that sell good ones (especially Quality Cages - http://www.qualitycage.com/chinchilla.html the one at the top called the chinchilla mansion is the one i have for my little gizmo...it's huge and he has plenty of room to romp around and play...the shelves are wood so he can chew them and they won't hurt his little feet (pet stores will try to sell wire shelved cages...these hurt their feet...and if u put those dumb carpet covers over them, they chew them and can get sick from the fibers)...this cage is also big enough so that a day or two can go by without taking your chin out...but this is only the case if they have an exercise wheel...and there is only one safe one on the market (i've done extensive research and talked to many experts)...its called the leo braun wheel...and the 12" is too small for an adult chin so you need the 15"... - http://www.chinworld.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CW030006&Category_Code=CW03...this wheel is a whopping $99.00...but is sooooooo worth it...Gizmo LOVES to run really really fast and then stop so the wheel rocks back and forth...then he falls asleep...after a few minutes, he does this again and again...this wheel is really sturdy and safe and will last forever...and because its aluminum, it always stays cool...(chins love to lay on a cool surface)...they also love to hop from level to level, imitating the rocks in their natural habitat (south america, where it is cool and dry, with rocks and caves to climb on)...there are some other things a chin owner needs to know, but those are the basics...handling them is not very easy, unless you are very lucky and get a calm and cuddly one...most of them want to be exploring, not held tightly...and they like to sit on their owner's shoulders, but as soon as you walk close to something (such as furniture) they will leap off of you...this can be dangerous to them...for the right person, chinchillas are awesome little animals...the lifespan of a chin is about 10 - 15 yrs...but they can live even longer...they need a lot of love...they don't always do well in pairs, but a single chin can look very sad and lonely...they say brothers do well together...well thats it for now...i can't type anymore! let me know if you need any more info. :)

[macassie]

Wow! Gizmo sounds like a handful. But a lot of fun too. I've always liked Chins and had thought of getting one, but I'm afraid with my cats and JRT, my house wouldn't make a good home for one.

I had no idea their lifespan was that long! That's a definite plus. How old is Gizmo? Sounds like he is one lucky little Chin to have you!

Can you post any pics of him?

[peteybird]

My hubby and I had a chinchilla, but is being taken care of by a friend for a while as we just moved out of state. But she's lots of fun.

[ieatnomeat14]

macassie: gizmo is about 11 months old...i'm also very lucky to have him!! i will try to post some pics as soon as i get the chance...yeah, cats and chins don't mix too well...and i'm guessing JRT is jack russell terrier...my boyfriend was interested in getting one of those...how do you like yours?

peteybird: what color is your chin? do you have any ideas for cheap and safe chew toys?

[peteybird]

We gave Chilla small twigs from apple trees that had not been sprayed with any chemicals or been fertilized. Chilla is mostly grey but has dark ears. We also had a ball for her to run around in. I think it was like $20 or so. She really loved it. Mostly we would just get her the rodent chew toys from Petco. Most of them are fairly inexpensive. Her favorite were the ice cream cone shaped mineral chews.

[ieatnomeat14]

i'll have to try some sort of twigs...maybe they'll last longer too...gizmo is similar in color to chilla...i have a ball for giz but he doesn't seem to like it very much...getting him in is not a pretty sight...i have to kinda scoot him in and then shut the door quickly behind him...and i feel bad doing that...so he gets romps around the whole room...he also likes the ice cream cones, but his fav. are the carrot and celery chews...is chilla eventually going to join you and your husband in your new home? just wondering

[peteybird]

Chilla likes the carrot chews too. I hope eventually she will come back to live with us but I'm leaving it up to hubby as he is the one she likes most.

[Onion]

post sum pitures of your chinchillas pet pix cental i wanna c em!!!

[krazy4birds]

ieatnomeat14.....Oh my goodness...I am sooo sooo glad you told me about the time, expense etc... of owning a chinchilla. WOW....ok...my granddaughter is going to be 14 in Sept. and is a very responsable girl. She spends a lot of time at my house in the summer and she loves animals. Right now she has a 6 month old Cockatiel and does a fantastic of taking care of her. She brings her to my house if she is going to be here for more than a few days so she can be with her. I think she could handle the job perfectly but there is no way her mother is going to allow her to get one when it costs so much in the initial investment. The cockatiel she got was one of mine I raised and I had to give her a cage, toys, and on and on.......otherwise she would not have gotten one. Too bad...she is an avid petlover...I told her to start saving now and by the time she got out on her own she could have one of her very own. Of course to her that is eons away...lol Anyway thanks for all the info and I would love to see pictures soon!!!!

[ieatnomeat14]

yeah, the initial expense is pretty hefty...but maybe she'll get a job in a couple years and will be able to pay for everything...or maybe she could ask for a chin for christmas or her birthday...she sounds like a responsible girl...so that won't be a problem...i've been wanting a bird for years but don't have the time to take care for one right now...i have my own little zoo going on...but for the future, what kind of bird would u recommend for a beginner? i see so many beautiful ones at the pet store...but i don't know anything about the different types.

[macassie]

ieatnomeat - I love my little Jack. But they are definitely not the dog for everyone. She's bossy and demanding, high energy, high prey drive (not good for Chins!) but is also adorable, funny and cute as all get out. Your boyfriend should definitely read up on them before deciding. And if he still wants to get a Jack, encourage him to go through a rescue group because so many end up there. People think they're going to get a Wishbone or Eddie and don't realize what little dynamos they are.

Here's a great site with good info:

Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (http://terrier.com/)

[peteybird]

I have a picture of Chilla posted on this site along with some of my other pets.

http://perrinthebaron.MyPicGallery.com

[Jerica]

I love chinchillas! I have five right now and I am breeding them, my brother actually owns two of them and we "share" one and I own two. They are just the sweetest little animals and so cute, especially to watch in their dust baths. They can be kind of expensive, but if you buy their food, hay, and dust bath in bulk then it is much cheaper. Depending on the cage you buy, they don't have to be that expensive. As long as you let them run around plenty they don't need tons of toys, just wood to chew on and some shelves make them pretty happy inside their cage. Outside of their cages you can give them things to crawl through and jump over and then hold them a little. They love to have a raisin every once in awhile (definatly not too many, one raisin per day is the most) and love their hay they get every day. Generally they aren't that difficult to care for if you have enough time to spend with them. Just thought I'd share. Here is a pic of each one. The order is Bubba-black velvet, Bugsy-dark standard, Grace-pastel, Mystic-standard, Meek-standard.

[~Ruby~Eyes~]

Jerica-

Your Chins are so cute :D You are making me want one, but I really am not sure if I would be up to it. I have studdied them a lot, but I am not to thrilled about cage cleanings. They do live for a while 14-15 years So if you get one you are in for a long hall. This may be good for some, but not great for others. I do have a book on them and I was just reading it, the babies are so cute, but still I would be to hesitant to get one. As I might be getting an Eskie in a couple years and they tend to pounce on small creatures, so I will stick to my puppies :D But then again you never know. I like trying out new pets.

[Jerica]

Thank you, Ruby Eyes. I am right now waiting for one of our females, Meek, to have her babies, then in about four months another one, Mystic, will hopefully be having babies. These will be my first litters. :) Chins do live a long time, which I think is great because you get very attached to them. The cage cleaning isn't that bad because they don't really smell and since their poo is almost like large mouse poos, its easy to clean. But if you are getting a dog and still want a chin, then as long as you can keep the chin in a seperate room and always away from your dog it should be okay.

[~Ruby~Eyes~]

Jerica-

Oh that is so cool your chins name is Mystic and one of my rats is named Mystic :p I have heard good and bad things about chins and since I was so flustered with the decsion. I decided not to get one, but they do seem like good pets. Oh I was going to ask you how much they normally weigh? I am still interested in them :p and is it true that they always poo everywhere? I have heard that a lot?

[Jerica]

:) I love the name Mystic. Chins weight between 400-sometimes even over 1000 grams. But most chins are between 400 and 700 grams. If you are undecided about getting a chin it is best to wait until you are absolutly for sure you want one. Not only expense wise but like we discussed, they do live a long time, and plus they aren't happy going from home to home. One of my males, Bubba, I got a while back and he was already 2 years old and the people had had him all his life since he was about 2 months old. He was very upset for days after we got him, but he did adjust and is the sweetest chin I have and now happily has a mate (Mystic). He loves to sit on my shoulder or stand on his hind legs on my shoulder. Yes chins pretty much poo everywhere, lol! It is easy to clean up though.

[~Ruby~Eyes~]

Jerica-

Does the poo stick or is it like a pellet. The poo would not really bother me that much, my ratties urniate every where. Poo would be easier to clean up :p I have held a chin once and it was so mellow and sweet. I got so excited! He was so sweet, I just wanted him so badly, but at that time I knew nothing about them. I am still not sure, my mom does not like any other rodents besides rats. But if I decide to get one, I would wait until I have my own car to drive. Since my family takes long trips to texas and with my dog and my rats it is already croweded enough.

Oh I know this gets annoying, but I have one qustion about surgery on them. Is it possible to fix chins and if so is their a high risk of complications in surgery and also umm can 2 female or male chins live in a cage together. I have read some books and they say that that would not work? Sorry with all the questions.

[Jerica]

Chinchillas can be fixed but there is a risk in doing that and it has to be an expirienced vet. Two males and two females and live together. I had a pair of males live together happily and also a pair of females who live together happily. It sometimes takes a little while to get them used to each other but it works out. No the poo shouldn't stick it is in pellets so its easy to clean. I don't mind answering questions.:)

[~Ruby~Eyes~]

I think now I am going to get a chinchilla. My rattie Angel almost had to be put to sleep, but she got better and is now healing up. I believe she had a stroke and it affected her left side so she was not eating well, but now she is drinking and eating :) I thought that I would never want to clean another cage again after my ratties passed. But the whole Angel expierence made me realize how great it was when I cleaned thier cage :p They will do cute things that make you laugh and they act so precious, but I figure I won't be able to stand another short lived rodent. So a chinchilla seems perfect! They live long and I have been reading up on them and I will probably get one a couple years after my ratties rest happily in heaven. I now realize I am a rodent fanatic, dogs just don't take me in as much as little rodents do! Rodents are fun and interesting, plus they are less expensive and don't require quite as much care as a dog. But chins are great for me. They need to be groomed with a small comb which I love doing! People say they are one of the most oderless rodents, because of their diet their poo does not stink as much as other rodents and chins themselves don't have odors! Sure they poo all over, but my rats urniate all over. Poo is easier to clean up rather than urin. Many people also say that their chins will go back into their cage to urninate! I mean is that smarts or what? Plus they say they make interesting noises. Which I like little noisy rodents. Why I would like my rodents making a lot of noise at night when I sleep? Well cuz my first rattie made tons of noise at night to try to get me to open her cage and play with her more. Now it is conforting to me when my current rats make noise at night! I totally think that chins are sweet hearts. I have held one and it did not pee on me even though I was a new person and it was a female to! It is just good to know I can have a rodent that will live for 15 long years. I am as happy as a bird today cuz my rat Angel is doing so well! *yeah*!