Anybody Here Have a Chinchillas?
- Thread starter jacknjill
- Start date
corally
Active Member
I had one about ten years ago. They are awesome! Mine was really nice. It got along fine with my cat (because the cat was scared to death of it lol). It is so funny when they take their dust baths! But you should put them on leashes when you take them out, otherwise they can take off and they are really, really fast.
jacknjill
Active Member
yeah speg, i was researching chinchillas and i came across this PETA investigation. i stopped watching the video right before they killed it. absolutely horrible, i dont know how someone can treat animals like this.
http://www.peta.org/feat/chinchilla/account.html
http://www.peta.org/feat/chinchilla/account.html
jacknjill
Active Member
oh!!!!! how adorable!
i actually do have a few questions. was yours real shy and scared when you first got her? how long did it take for her to become more comfortable around you? do you let her run around in a room occasionally? how often do you have to clean the cage? thanks!
i actually do have a few questions. was yours real shy and scared when you first got her? how long did it take for her to become more comfortable around you? do you let her run around in a room occasionally? how often do you have to clean the cage? thanks!
suzi1780
Member
What other pets are you looking to keep with the chin? I wouldn't suggest any other pets besides other chins or fish. Cats/Dogs are a no-no. I have one very calm cat that doesn't really care about her but the others would like to have her for lunch. Not their fault, it is in their blood to hunt small fuzzy objects.
suzi1780
Member
Originally Posted by JacknJill
oh!!!!! how adorable!
i actually do have a few questions. was yours real shy and scared when you first got her? how long did it take for her to become more comfortable around you? do you let her run around in a room occasionally? how often do you have to clean the cage? thanks!
She was shy at first but they warm up fairly quickly. It just takes time and treats. They LOVE raisins! But you have to limit these things, raisins will cause loose stool. They also LOVE to be pet. Behind the ear and under the front paws, start doing this and in no time they come running up to the cage for more love. I will try and take a pic tonight of this. She does run around my room, the trick with this is you let them run around for 30 mins or so and then put down their dust bath and they learn to jump in and you can put them back into their cage. Also they are chewers so you have to chin proof your room. It is best to bath them once every two days or so, if not every day. I clean her cage once a week. For health resaons only use Carefresh bedding period nothing else. Also they need lots of timothy hay. Also use food that is made from timothy hay, I buy mine at petsmart. I will take some pics of her cage so you can see how it is set up. Also they are jumpers so you need a tall cage. My chin has a wheel but you need ones that are speical for chins, and some chins might not care about wheels, but mine runs in hers night and day. So key things:
carefresh bedding only!
timothy hay also food made with timothy
limit treats
fresh water - clean water bottle weekly
lots of stuff to chew on
dust bath
oh!!!!! how adorable!
i actually do have a few questions. was yours real shy and scared when you first got her? how long did it take for her to become more comfortable around you? do you let her run around in a room occasionally? how often do you have to clean the cage? thanks!
She was shy at first but they warm up fairly quickly. It just takes time and treats. They LOVE raisins! But you have to limit these things, raisins will cause loose stool. They also LOVE to be pet. Behind the ear and under the front paws, start doing this and in no time they come running up to the cage for more love. I will try and take a pic tonight of this. She does run around my room, the trick with this is you let them run around for 30 mins or so and then put down their dust bath and they learn to jump in and you can put them back into their cage. Also they are chewers so you have to chin proof your room. It is best to bath them once every two days or so, if not every day. I clean her cage once a week. For health resaons only use Carefresh bedding period nothing else. Also they need lots of timothy hay. Also use food that is made from timothy hay, I buy mine at petsmart. I will take some pics of her cage so you can see how it is set up. Also they are jumpers so you need a tall cage. My chin has a wheel but you need ones that are speical for chins, and some chins might not care about wheels, but mine runs in hers night and day. So key things:
carefresh bedding only!
timothy hay also food made with timothy
limit treats
fresh water - clean water bottle weekly
lots of stuff to chew on
dust bath
suzi1780
Member
my cats like to jump on top of her cage, so I cut a piece of acylic and put it on top of her cage so she would be safe from paws. I drilled holes in the acylic and attached it with zip ties. But they are pretty good at gaurding thier cage, they will squeak and snap and my cats and the cats shy away. They do like to sit and watch her. I did in have on time where my male chin (he pasted away) was injuried by my male cat and that was a pretty expensive vet bill. Chilli, (my chin) had somehow gotten out of his cage at night while I was asleep and had a run in with Maxx (the cat) he hide under my dresser until I woke up and rescued him. He got a scrape on his side that got infected and required some meds.
suzi1780
Member
The wheel you see with her, that is the kind you want one that has cross wire not just the striaght wire like they have for hasmters. You don't want you chins leg to get caught in the wheel! Also the thing behind her is a "leaping ledge" I have 4 in her cage, they sell them at petsmart, great for leaping and chewing. I use them over the plastic shelves that come with the cage, she likes to pee pee on the plastic shelves, my male never did that. They are annoying to clean. Oh one thing I forgot, they poop a lot! It is like hamster poop, small and hard. But they will poop all around you room when you let them run around. My vacuum is filled with chin poop!
jacknjill
Active Member
i want a chinchilla so bad!!! i saw a pair at my fish store and and were black and white. i think its called black velvet. anyways, they would sleep next to each other and they were so cute! they would jump across the cage back and forth! man can those things jump! im trying to get my parents to get me them for christmas or my bday in january. ive been telling them about how theydont smell and they are really smart. i tihnk its working lol
suzi1780
Member
They don't bite, well at least I have never been bitten. My female has nibbled me when she was younger but nothing that heard and I have read that they do that sometimes to people they love. Chins don't smell, in fact you can get scented dust bath and that makes them smell lovely. They also can't get fleas (another point you may want to bring up) they have too many hairs per follicle to get fleas. They do love to jump around, they like to bounce of the walls in fact. My male loved to run around in a large plastic ball, my female just pees in it! But that is a good way to keep them save from cats, just don't let them near the stairs! I would suggest going to petfinder.org and seeing if there are any chins in your area that need to be adopted. The black one was probably a black velvet, that is what my male was. My female is a stanard grey. Just make sure you research, found out what they can and can't have. You have to be very careful with the times of wood they are around because many woods are toxic to them. Pet stores are getting a lot more chin friendly and carring a lot of chin products. Some places even sell chin starter kits. I will be home later tonight and try and take some desk bath pics, cage pics etc. Do make sure you find out two things; chins are considered extoic pets and some countries might not allow chins, but it is save to say if you local ***** sells them, you can have them. Also make sure that you know of a local vet that will treat chins because not all vets do. Also remember chins can live up to 15 years! Not like hamsters that only live for 2 years.
suzi1780
Member
Oh as for the peeing outside the cage, that depends on the chin! My male never did that I noticed and yes he picked out one spot in his cage, however my female has peed on my bed at least 4 times and she doesn't pee in one spot. I have heard that you can "litter box" train you chin but have never tried it myself.