Question about FN cage

I'm getting a FN cage and I was wondering if its possible to remove the storage shelf area to make the cage shorter. The ceiling where I want to put it is slanted and a little shorter.

Cages and pans!!

Hello!



So I officially have my deposit down on my first chinchilla ever! I am very excited and have been doing a ton of research while I wait until he is old enough to come home!



My question: I am going to be getting either the ferret or critter nation double unit. I am going back and fourth on getting the bass pans or putting a wood "liner" in. I have seen some rescue sites using the wood to make deeper Pans with aspen/cedar shavings and was wondering if you all thought one was better than the other? If I go with the bass pans I will likely use fleece rather than shavings.



My second question is if I get the ferret nation, which seems to have bars that are sturdier than the critter version, I would need to line the cage so he can't squeeze through the bigger bars. How do people attach the hardware cloth? My initial thought was zip ties but I would like to avoid plastic if possible.



Thanks so much!!! This site has been so helpful in my learning of chinchilla care!

Looking for a Male Chinchilla in Mosaic or Ebony in Los Angeles CA

Ive been Looking for a reputable breeder who has these 2 color mutations available but i cant find any within a hour radius both my parents are willing to travel within a 1 hour radius so if you know of any good ones please let me know. private breeders or non private breeders thanks

Herbal supplements - yea or nay

I was checking out fuzzieskingdom.com and came across their herbal supplement. I would be interested in get the anxiety and stress relief product for Oliver to help ease his nerves in the new house. the website claims that it is safe to give but I wanted to double check here first to see if anyone had any experience with this product or something similar. thanks!

Chin Wheels in the UK

Hey All,



Just looking at Chin wheels that are available in the UK and it seems the John Hopewell seems to be the only supplier, he stocks the silver surfer but with a hefty mark up than importing it possibly yourself.



Any other options that are possibly about that I can't see. the lack of supply of a decent 15" wheel in the UK makes me tempted to try and build one myself!



Cheers

So Excited!

I just got finished medicating Ruffle this morning, but afterward, I decided I should spend a little more quality time with her since I medicated her a bit early and she seemed pretty awake. So I sat next to her cage, opened the door, and waited, talking to her softly. She was a little timid at first (this usually means she's going to get more medication), but eventually came around to investigating why she was going to get more medication and assist feed.



Eventually, she got brave and sat on top of her log and pawed towards the door, eventually perching on the threshold. I don't want her jumping out, so I put my hand out in front of her, which initially scared her, but being the unflappable little girl she is, she came back, sniffed, and sat in my hand. What followed next was her cuddling, sniffing, grooming my fingers, and asking for chin and belly scritches.



I'm so excited, as she's been fairly timid around me (I usually let her calm down and hide on her own after medicating her), and I was so worried that I had lost so much progress in bonding with her. I'm glad to know that she still knows the Big Scary Man still has her best interests at heart.



Note: The pictures below aren't from this morning; I was too enamored to think of taking any pictures, but here are some of my favorites that I've taken of her so far.

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Hedgehog wont excersice?

I got a new hedgehog about two weeks ago and he wont run on his wheel. I've tried too show him how to run but he just stands there and wont move, I'm getting worried. I do not want him to gain weight and I don't know what too do. I take him out every day and let him walk around but I want him to get more exercise at night. Anyone know what I can do?

Overly agressive chin :(

My Fiancee and I got a chinchilla about 6 months ago. She was 1 1/2 at the time. She was not being taken care of, had minimal human interaction, insufficient food, was living in her dust bath, and didn't even have a name (we have since named her Nala). We have rehabilitated her since then and she has a very healthy diet and plenty of play time. About a month ago we noticed she was constantly trying to get out of her cage. She chews the bars on her cage, and would even nibble our fingers if we opened her cage to pet her. When she is out of the cage she is much nicer, but still doesn't like to be pet. We thought that it might help keep her occupied if we got her a friend, so we got a chin from the local pet store. Luna is much calmer and less active than Nala. They don't mind eachother through the cages, but in close quarters Nala gets extremely aggressive and will attack Luna. We have slowed down the introduction process, but now nalas aggression has gotten so terrible that she even draws blood when she bites my fiancée or me. She is getting worse and we have no idea what to do. PLEASE HELP! I love her and don't want to have to get rid of her!

Making hard decisions

The apartment seemed a little bigger today, because our family is smaller.



I gave one of my dogs away yesterday, and as hard as it was, I think it was the best thing I could do for him. He needs to run, and was on the verge of going neurotic in our little apartment. We walked him as much as we could, but he was used to having a half acre yard. There was nowhere we could find to let him really burn all that energy, and it wasn't fair to him.



Kyme went to a family with a huge, four acre yard. They have two other dogs for him to play with, and kids to run him ragged. He's going to go on regular trips to their family farm, and have more space than he'll know what to do with.



I still feel like a monster for giving up on one dog, and keeping the other. The corgi is perfectly happy to lounge around when he's not out on a walk. But still, they're supposed to be family for life.



I know I did the best thing I could for Kyme, but I still feel like I failed him. I'll miss the big idiot, but I know he'll be so much happier with his new family.



Sorry for the dramatics, but I needed to vent.

Reusing shelves after death?

Is it safe to reuse wood shelves after the death of a chin. If so, how should they be cleaned, etc.



I'm taking apart the cage of a chin who passed away earlier this month and was going to toss the shelves out but my dad ask me why not reuse them in some of my other cages, or in a cage upgrade.

So I thought no harm in finding out. I think he just doesn't want to make so many shelves.



Thanks in Advance.

Fleece liners that wrap around bass pans??

Is there such a thing? No matter what I put on the corners my chin destroys her cage with the traditional fleece liners laying in the bass pan. I tried to make some version of what I'm looking for - took a 2 layer liner and sewed a giant piece of fleece to it to make sort of a pillow case style liner but my sewing skills are very limited and the corners are bunchy and it was a pain to make. I am wondering if anyone has bought or makes something like that?

behavior change regarding playtime and me

So Cloud is almost 2. And he used to adore playtime. Every time I opened the cage door he was trying to get out, every time I was near his cage he'd beg. I wanted him to get used to being held so I trained him to get on my arm to get out of the cage. Or thought I did. Now he's different. He won't jump on my arm anymore at all, he doesn't run to the cage door or beg for playtime. And he doesn't like my hands anymore. Well not that they ever thrilled him but he used to be tolerant of being petted in his cage, now not so much. I had two ideas why this could be, one was that a bit ago playtime became more infrequent, and I don't know if I totally untrained him. The other, I was reading threads on puberty because he definitely went through it, but there's not so much about what happens after. Could his behavior change come from puberty ending and adulthood setting in? Or did I screw him up? Any thoughts?

NY/NE Show 2015

Date:

Sept 25-26, 2014



Location:

Fonda Fair

Montgomery County Fairgrounds

21 S. Bridge St.

Fonda, NY 12068

Exit 28 off I90

Entertainment Building



Nearby Hotels:

Super 8

301 N. Comrie Ave

Johnstown, NY

518-736-1800

PET FRIENDLY



Holiday Inn

308 N. Comrie Ave.

Johnstown, NY

518-762-4686

PET FRIENDLY



Microtel Inn

136 N. Comrie Ave.

Johnstown, NY

518-762-5425

Call for pet info.



Camping also available at fairgrounds on the midway electric included: $20 per night paid at registration table.



Judge:

Paul K.



Set Up:

Friday, Sept 25– 4pm-6pm.

All hands are welcome in putting up the show lights and equipment and arranging tables and chairs!



Registration:

Friday, Sept 25– 6pm-9pm. Animals may be housed in the show hall overnight.

Saturday, Sept 26– 6am-9am.

$4.00 per animal for MCBA members, $8.00 per animal for non-members. Applications for membership will be available at the registration table.

Each exhibitor gets a complimentary showbook.

$5.00 per family if not showing any chinchillas.

$5.00 per showbook.



Classification:

Saturday, Sept 26– 9am sharp!

All animals must be checked in and groomed by 9am. The show begins immediately after classification.



Lunch:

Entree provided for a cash donation. Suggested donation: $7.00

Desserts and Snack donations welcome!



Featuring:

Baby Derby and Door Prize Raffles



Raffle Items greatly appreciated!



Vendor tables $5.00 (waived if showing or for a raffle donation)



Claiming optional. Animals for sale and not showing $4.00 per animal.



Contact: Hope Glover

Mazaklove@aol.com or Mazaklove@yahoo.com



or Jessica Godin

baylisascaris97@msn.com

Chinchilla Rescue??

Hi, Ive been considering looking into what it takes to start a rescue. I have zero knowledge of where to start.

Does anyone know where I can find out more information or where I should begin?

To neuter/spay or not?

Okay. So I am an owner of three beautiful chinchillas. 2 girls and 1 boy. All three of which are separated. 1 girl is incredibly hostile toward any sort of interaction and so I was never able to bond my two girls. Well recently my other girl (Mika) and boy (Loki), have been having a bit of tug of war back and fourth between their fleece liners. I thought it was aggressive behavior to be honest until I saw them rubbing noses and making cooing sounds. I let them both out under some VERY supervised dust bathing and they were being incredibly friendly.



Now of course I realize that putting them together would equal babies which I definitely don't want. So I guess I'm wondering if anyone has ever had their chinchilla spayed/neutered and how the process was. If it's even doable? I've heard it can be very dangerous because of the anesthesia and I wanted personal opinions. If it's not possible for me to get it done safely then I won't bother and they will just have to continue to be separated. All feedback is welcome! :)

Acting the same after surgery

My chinchilla had recently been taken to the vet and received surgery from his intestines coming out of his butt from straining. He's still acting the same as he was before and doesn't want to move at all. Is this normal?

introducing chinchillas HELP PLEASE!

Hi, I have a question about introducing new chinchillas. I have a 3 year old female standard grey, I've had her since she was a month old, and just brought home a white female yesterday, because I work a lot and didn't want her to be lonely, as I've read chins prefer to be in pairs. I've been reading on how to introduce them, since their first meet was on neutral ground and they were fine, but as soon as I brought them home, my chin became very aggressive and tries to attack the new girl. No serious biting yet, but I pulled them apart before that could happen, my chin just jumps on the new one and pulls her fur out. So far, I've had the cage blocked off in between, one on top and one on bottom. Then today I let them out one at a time, so they could go back and sniff the other at their own pace, through the cage. I also switched them around, trying to get my girl used to the new girls scent, and have given them both a couple baths in the same dust. I ordered a new cage, so they'll have a clean slate and it's not anyone's territory. It should come in tomorrow, but I wonder if I should move them both into it right away, keeping them initially separated like I have them now? Or wait until they get along to move them to the new cage. Also, I'm worried if my girl sees me trying to bond with the new one, she'll get really upset. Right now, today since she's on the bottom section of the cage, she has been barking at me when I sit next to the cage, though she seems to calms slightly if I pet her and she isn't biting me. However, I'm also worried if I don't bond with the new one, she will never trust me, and maybe won't ever bond with my girl. I've also read putting cinnamon or vanilla on their noses sometimes helps to block their scents from each other. Is that a good idea? I'm worried I've already screwed up the process by putting them both in my girls cage on the first day, because I didn't have another cage and they seemed to be fine before we got home. My chin even chases the other when they're both out running free in my apartment. What should I do?

Favourite Scritching Place.

What are your chin's favourite scritching places guys? I ask this out of curiosity having just come out of my chin room after spending nearly half an hour giving Ziggy, my dark ebony boy his daily ration. I start with the top of his head, move to the back of his ears, then he lifts up his front paws to have both arm pits done. My silly, soppy chin all the while has his eyes half closed, nattering softly to himself. :wacko:

Acting the same after surgery

My chinchilla had recently been taken to the vet and received surgery from his intestines coming out of his butt from straining. He's still acting the same as he was before and doesn't want to move at all. Is this normal?

Baby Food

Hello, my daughter got her chinchillas about three weeks ago, and he just had surgery for a prolapse yesterday morning. The vet didn't send him home with any special instructions. However my other vet ( our usually one that our dogs see) was looking in a book and it had said that after a prolapse surgery to give a chinchilla baby food, except rice cereal, until the stitches are out. Has anyone heard of this, or know anything about it?

Cage Cleaning

What should I use to clean my chinchilla cage?? I've read some things about just using water or water and vinegar. There are products at my local pet store that can be used to clean cages but I am not sure what is the best /safest way to clean a cage.

Fleece chewing

I would like to cover my chins ledges in fleece and get her a hammock, but I worry about her eating them. I have tried it out by making my own ledge cover but after it being in the cage for a little while she started biting it and pulling on the fleece, so I took the cover off. Is there a type of fleece that is safe to use, that wont be a problem if they end up eating some? Or is fleece just really not an option for me? I see so many people using it, but I also don't want to have to rush her to the vet for a block GI tract due to fleece.

Exercise

Is it okay to put my chins in an exercise ball? The lady I got them from said they love it; she let them out every night in it. I don't have an extra room I can devote to just them. And if it is okay, can they both be in it at the same time? She said they did, but I just want to make sure it's okay. They get along very well.







Also, is there a way to tell their age? They're both supposed to be a little over a year old, but one is a lot more active than the other. Is that just personality? :hmm:

progress?

Okay so I tried play time again with Oliver today since it had been a week since I've gotten him. He jumps and squeaks when I go to pick him up and squirms when I have him in my arms, but will usually relax after a few seconds. We got to the bathroom and he did his usual chinchilla exploring and even hopped on my lap a few times! I just quietly sat there with a book and let him do his thing. It was only for about 10 minutes because I was told to keep it short for now. He still didn't like being picked up and taken back to his cage but we managed. He happily accepted his regular dustbath (and obviously thought I needed dusting too!) He is now cuddled up on one of his shelves sound asleep, even though I've been in the same room the whole time. Progress? I hope so. Should I start making this play time routine regular despite him not enjoying being picked up? should it be once a week? or should I just wait a while longer altogether to try playtime? (I just don't want him to think he'll be cooped up forever) It has only been a week since I've had him but I want the best for my fur baby. <3 Thanks!

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Using bathroom everywhere/getting older

I recently got 3 chinchillas, two 2 month old's and one 4 year old. I noticed that one of my 2 month old's is peeing around the pee tray and not in it. My other 2 month old is not doing this, also neither is my 2 and 4 year old. Is this a normal thing or?? Also I was wondering since I have 2 month old's what should I look out for when they start getting to that puberty age. Are they going to start not getting along with the 2 older one's, even before I got them they were housed with the chinchilla I have currently( was acting as their mom before I got her) and when I got them I also got the older chinchilla who was acting as a mother for them currently. They are all getting along great especially the 2 older one's, I was kind of worried they wouldn't after hearing people's stories of how it's harder to bond 2 older chins then it is 2 younger chins. Any advice/answers would be greatly appreciated.

(All my chins are female)

What hay do you feed your chins?

Just curious on what hay you feed yours. Mine used to get meadow but ive recently switched him to timothy

Reassuring a possibly traumatized chinchilla

Hello!



I recently adopted a female chinchilla from a friend of a friend who didn't want her anymore. I immediately noticed that she was very skittish and afraid of people but I thought that could be her personality. However, I've started learning more details about her former guardian's treatment of her in the past couple of weeks. Apparently, he would play rough with her as if she was a dog, grab her frequently, and smoke pot around her. He is young and didn't seem to have any knowledge about chinchillas. He said she was friendly when he first got her, climbing on top of him, but that she later became "a b***h". She developed behaviors like spraying urine on him and biting. She hasn't done those things with me although she will sometimes get up as if she is about to pee if I reach into her cage.



It's been about a month now. I've been patient and gentle with her and there has been some progress. She was terrified of me at first but now she will jump on me at playtime, eat pellets from my hand, and sometimes tolerates being held (struggles for a second and then stops). "Sometimes" is the operative word as she is quite moody. She will come to sniff my fingers on some day and get up as if to pee on me on others when I reach into her cage. I am not sure what is different for her because I've tried to establish a routine.



I did make some mistakes with her during the first week. I would chase her to put her back in her cage. But after I learned that was too scary, I've started leaving her cage in the play room. She jumps back in by herself so I don't have to catch her. I don't think she completely trusts me yet because she always has an eye on me when I am nearby. But the fact that she jumps on me during playtime is a positive sign, right? And today, she nibbled the tip of my nose when I held her up at eye-level. I wasn't sure if that was a sign of affection or a request to put her down.



Is she still traumatized from her past guardian's behavior? If so, how can I reassure I won't hurt her? I've been lurking around here and reading chinchilla info pretty much since I made the decision to adopt her. But I worry that there might be something I am missing. Do you have any advice? I just want her to feel safe.

Favorite Sleeping Place

Where is your chin' s favorite place to sleep?



Mine doesn't like sleeping in hanging fleece. I've never seen him sleep in his hanging fleece house or hammock. His favorite bed is in his wooden hut.



So what's your chinnies favorite hangout? Is there anything they dislike/won't sleep in?

How long did it take for your chin to warm up to you?

Just curious to see how long it took your fur baby(s) to become comfortable with you as I am a first time chin mom to a 2.5 year old male, Oliver!

Rasta's Story

Hello. I am finally ready to post about the last few months of my best chinchilla friend Rasta's life, and purely in hopes that it will possibly help someone who finds their chin in a similar position. I had Rasta for about 5 years after rescuing him from neglectful parents. In early November 2014, I noticed he was wet underneath his chin from drooling. I immediately took him to the vet who found his molars needed to be trimmed; also that he had a small infection in his mouth from a cut which developed from his sharp, overgrown molars (chinchillas teeth grow 10x faster than human finger nails I was told). After taking him home from the molar trim he just continually slept at the bottom of his cage and stopped eating and drinking on his own. He also became very wobbly, like the poor little guy was drunk/dizzy. At that point the hand feeding every two hours began. Force feeding was impossible with him, but he would eat a little putting a spoonful of Critical Care or Lifeline up to his mouth. He would not eat the CC on his own and after trying different items to mix in found that he would eat it with apple sauce mixed in, though not ideal, I would have mixed in anything to get him to eat at that point.

I knew his quality of life had plummeted greatly, but was hopeful that he would get used to the difference in his teeth and begin eating his normal diet on his own, and also that the wobbliness would go away; it however did not.

A month after the first molar trim we went to a different chin specialist who determined he needed another molar trim and found some overgrown teeth that were likely very painful for him. I hoped this trim would bring him back to normal, however he came home and now would not eat anything when trying to spoon feed. I did what I could for him, but 3 days later I knew he was dying. His last night with me was spent lying in my arms, which was very new to me since he hated being held. The next morning I took him to the vet who determined putting him to sleep was the best option at that point.

Our last month together was pretty special as I took off work to be able to care for him around the clock, and I am happy we had that time together though it made our last day even harder. The vet explained that it just randomly affects some chinchillas as I was stumped because he always had chew blocks which he enjoyed frequently. I can also attest to chinchillas being able to hide their pain very well as his last two days on this earth he was running around and jumping all over the room, even though his wobbliness made it difficult for him.

Enjoy every moment with your chinny and if they need a teeth trim be ready to force feed/hand feed if necessary. Thank you to ticklechin for all the wonderful advice that enabled an extra month of time together.

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San Diego Area? Save this chin!

I found this posting on Craigslist. Poor little girl is in a glass aquarium with a hot florescent for lighting, an open bowl for water....and these are just observations in one photo. If you have the means, save her.



http://ift.tt/1tdnDXC

Which food should I get??

So the food my chinchillas came with can only be ordered online and I want to get a food for them that I can just get at the store. I was told that Mazuri and Oxbow are 2 good food brands but I'm kind of unsure which one to get, both are available at local pet stores here. Any suggestions? ?

hey all new proud chin parents

Hey all great forum has really helped with the first few weeks of having our new adopted Lil girls. There names are Lucy (2) and luna (6) we recently adopted them from a girl who could no longer keep them they are both sweet Lil girls and I look forward to being part of this community



All the best Keiren and aleks.

Can I feed my chin these no name pellets?

I was at the grocery store and happened to see a bag of plain pellets, with no specific animal labeled on them. I took a picture of the ingredients and wanted opinions on if you guys think these would be safe to feed my chin?

Beige Male in TX

coloring: beige (medium), pink ears with gray freckles, and red eyes

age: 2 1/2 yrs old, (born May 17, 2012)

temperment: quiet, friendly, has been well socialized since infancy, easily held (though not for long lol), active

I can't speak much to his genetics, but he has never had health problems. His mother was a very pale beige and his two siblings were med/dark standard grays. Sire's description unknown.

I bought him as a kit off of some unsuspecting chinnie parents from the suburbs who thought both of their chinchillas were female and he's been with me ever since. He's a real sweetie and very cute. I had hoped to keep him, but circumstances no longer allow. Of course, I was reluctant to rehome him through craigslist or a shelter because I want to know that whoever takes him is equipped to properly care for him. The less this little guy has to move around, the better.

I have a two story ferret nation cage with bass equipment metal pans on both levels. He also has a ChinSpin and poplar shelves which I made myself. For the right owner, I would give him up with all of his accessories for $350 total, but nothing is set in stone.

Please contact me through Chins-n-Hedgies and I will provide you with my cell number. I am in the College Station area, but I am willing to drive up to 200 miles to help transport him.

A Beautiful Chinchilla Experience!!

I'd like to share with you all a beautiful and very rewarding chinchilla experience I had with my ten month old beige male Zulu today. Zulu is a rescue case, and came from a home where he was kept in a tiny cage, and fed crap. When he came to me, he was underweight and a stress bucket. It's taken many months to build up a tentative trust with him. He had never had toys, and when I slowly began to offer them, he would have diarrhoea with stress. He didn't know how to eat hay properly, and had never been handled. He has always been highly strung and skittish, but eventually he accepted hand feeding and scritches on his terms. Today, he called to me when I went into the chin room to do morning feed, climbed into my arms and snuggled in my fleece. Then he stood up on his hind legs, gave kisses and hopped back in his cage for his breakfast.

I'm in and out of the chin room all day, and he's been asking for cuddles every time I passed by his cage.

Teeth Issues

Hi, it's been a long time since I've posted, but recently one of my chins was diagnosed with teeth 'spikes' and I want to make sure we're on the right path.



Floyd is a 9 year old pet store chin that has been part of our family since he was three months old. Recently he lost a lot of weight and began to lose hair, which is when I noticed there was a problem.



I took him to the vet 2 weeks ago and he had lost over 100g since his last vet visit a couple of years ago. The vet looked in his mouth with a probe connected to an iPad and we saw some spikes and red spots on his gum line.



He was given Meloxicam .05cc every 24 hours and TMS suspension .4cc twice a day for 10 days along with an anti fungal cream and critical care 10-15cc 2-3 times a day mixed with pedialyte.



A week later I brought him in for male issues and it turned out it was just a hair ring (he's never had an issue before). The vet didn't like that he was only eating a few pellets and no hay, so pellets were removed.



Two days later we were back for our scheduled follow up. He is now on Meloxicam .05-.1 cc every 24 hours and finished the TMS (antibiotic) .4cc twice a day. Pellets were added back, but he is not eating them. Floyd is currently eating 20-25 cc of Critical care 3 times a day and I leave extra on a plate for him to eat while I'm at work and overnight; he eats some of it. A probiotic was also recommended, but i was wondering if anyone has a recommendation.



Today, I plan to separate my chins so that I can monitor his input and output better (I've been putting this off as I hate to separate him and his cage mate of 8+ years.)



The plan is to follow up with the vet once Floyd has gained enough weight back and is 'healthy' enough for surgery. It would be wonderful if he could wear down his teeth enough to not need surgery/filing, but I'm not too hopeful at this point.



Is there any suggestions to encourage him to eat pellets and hay again? I've tried dipping his pellets and hay in critical care since he has decided to eat it willingly and becomes unhappy when I don't make enough for him. I've also purchased 'flavored' hay and alfalfa, which use to be his favorite. He has also stopped eating some of his treats that he use to love.



This morning he was up to 551g.



Thanks for reading all of this.

2 Female Chinchillas in Montgomery AL need rehoming.

Imp and Zephyr



Two female chinchillas aged 3 years old (Montgomery, AL). Come with all items in pictures (including cage, chin spin, fleece, food, sticks and twigs, large amount of blue cloud dust and blue cloud rocks) and hay holder (monkey hamper). Everything you would need for start up and long term care. Does not come with white storage boxes.



$50 adoption fee.



You can also contact me at silverraven81@hotmail.com. Thank you.

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Not eating Timothy hay

I got my chinchillas on Saturday and I noticed that they really don't like certain Timothy hay pieces. I put some hay in their cage and they keep on going through it till they find pieces that are not hard twigs. Is there any brand of Timothy hay that doesn't have so much hard twigs in it or recommend a better Timothy hay brand??

Timothy hay problems

I got my chinchillas on Saturday and I noticed that they really don't like certain Timothy hay pieces. I put some hay in their cage and they keep on going through it till they find pieces that are not hard twigs. Is there any brand of Timothy hay that doesn't have so much hard twigs in it or can someone recommend a better Timothy hay brand??

food emergency!!! please help!

i feed my babies Tradition and get it in 50 pound bags from a farm & garden store close to me. I just ordered a new bag (which takes a week to get) so i wont get it for at least a week. I still had maybe 5 pounds of food left, so I thought i'd be good until it came.



WRONG! I found BUGS in their food tonight! I'm freaking out! how long have they been there and i not noticed? i found the bugs in the food container (i keep it in an airtight cereal type container). teeny tiny little bugs. what are they?! they dont fly. i am very concerned. there are tiny holes in some of the pellets, obviously the bugs were munching on the food. can this hurt my chinnies??



i need to find some fresher Tradition and FAST! my chins cant wait the week or more until my order comes in thru the farm store. does anyone live near me who feeds Tradition and willing to share?? (i would pay, of course). or know a fast source near me? I'm in the Chicago suburbs and willing to drive!!!! i cant just go to a petsmart and get something different, obviously. i'm pretty upset and really would appreciate ANY responses or help!

Moving a chinchilla abroad

Hello! Me and my wife are looking to move to new Zealand within the next 4 years.



We have two chinchillas, we love them to death.



We know airlines wont allow them in the cabin, but we've heard of special airlines that cater to exotics and will ship them. We really want to move to this country eventually, but we don't want to abandon our pets. any advice would be great! Thank you :)

Petting chins

My girls are about 5 months. Both will step up in my hand to get a treat and greet me when I open their cage door. But, they don't want me to try to scratch around their ears/head. How do I get them to realize they might enjoy the scratching?

Wheat head vs oat spray?

I've seen wheat heads offered as acceptable chin treats, and I'm seeing oat sprays in the big box stores.



Would these oat sprays also be an acceptable treat? I know they're both grains, but I wonder if there's a substantial difference between the two.



It's so cute watching her navigate the wheat heads, and she gets so excited for them!

Chinchilla in a splint

Hey y'all

My chinchilla Chip broke her front leg on Monday. Took her to the vet and got her splinted since it was a clean break.

Got her home Wednesday night along with meds and critical care assist feed.

Wednesday night she took the CC incredibly well, she's had it before and knows the drill.she didn't even need to be held.



Today, Thursday, tho she doesn't want a thing to do with it. I can get some down but not a whole lot. She's taking her meds almost with no issue, but is now turning her nose up at the CC which she seemed to love just last night. I know meds can change her appetite.



My concern is I know how to burrito her and I've done it before I'm just scared of messing up her splint or putting her in more pain.



I know she needs to eat so my question is do I need to bundle her and know the splint will be ok or is there a way to make it more enjoyable for her?



I saw on other threads some suggestions on things to add to the mix but I wanted concrete advice on what would be safe to help make the CC more likable.

I saw suggestions like canned pumpkin or unsweetened which I'm guessing is the same as sugar free Apple juice.



Any advice would be great. I want her to eat and be comfortable.



Thanks chinny lovers!!



-Laura/Chip's momma

New Chinchilla Problems

Hi all!



I've recently become an owner of a 6 month old grey chinchilla name Ruffle. I've had her almost three weeks now, and I seem to be running into a few problems. Things seemed to be going fine with her for the first week and a half, but things seem to have taken a pretty steep decline.



I've been trying to bond with Ruffle for the entire duration. I would start by sitting outside her cage and talking to her, then open the cage and put my hand inside, then try and pet her. She seemed to be doing quite well, and I had taken her into the bathroom a few times to let her run and play. Then, about a week and a half ago, she started acting strangely.



Now, I've been kind of obsessed with this little ball of fur (I'm a sucker for small, cute, fuzzy things), so I've been watching her frequently. She's a pet store adoption, and she was only just get comfortable enough with her surroundings to sleep with her eyes closed (thankfully, she still does). However, when she awoke one evening, her eye was held half shut. Thinking she was just sleepy, I put her dust house in the cage and took her into the bathroom. She jumped around a little, but was exceedingly lethargic about things, and even missed a few jumps, which is quite abnormal for her (she'd been getting good about navigating the place).



Slightly freaking out, I decided to pack Ruffle in her carrying cage and take her to the emergency vet. They couldn't find anything wrong with her, but feeling insecure about her health, I have them take a blood sample to see if she's alright. The next day, I go to bring her into the bathroom, and she's barely moving. I can see her twitching in the corner, but she refuses to move. I try and get her to look around some, to see what might be the issue, and I notice her eye, the one that was half closed the other day, was swollen shut. Naturally, I pack her back up, bring her to the vet, and have her examined again. They start her on an anti-biotic eyedrop (ciproflaxin), an anti-inflammatory, and some assist feed as her digestive track felt empty.



Still waiting on those blood tests to see if its some kind of infection, I dilligently administer her medications. Sadly, she's still not the point where she's comfortable being held by me (if she ever will be), so giving them to her is a struggle, especially the eyedrop. I take to "burrito"-ing the poor girl, and she takes to absolutely hating it. It's quite difficult to get her to stay still long enough to wrap her up, but it's harder to get her to stay still long enough to get an eyedrop.



A few days pass, and finally the blood tests come back. She's not got an infection, but her billyrubens and proteins are high, which is indicative of dehydration. I find this strange, as the one thing she *hasn't* stopped doing at this point is drinking. Rolling with it, however, I set up an xray for her, as other potential causes of this are GI blockage and malocclusion. While we're waiting for her xray day, I take her to the bathroom (just to keep her happy while on meds) and discover the baseboard of my sink is improperly constructed in the worst way possible: Ruffle finds her way up into the baseboard. I try and lure her out with some treats, and she obviously smells them as she tries to get back over the board, but can't (still don't know why), so we have to call maintenance to break the poor girl out. Worried, but knowing that she has a vet appointment the next day, I don't rush her back to the vet. The next day, I drop her off at the vet in the morning, pick her up the next day.



When I get Ruffle back, I'm informed she doesn't have any blockages or malocclusions, but to start her on milk thistle and then check back in a week. (they also did an ultrasound and found nothing). Sadly, we don't make it that far. I give Ruffle her medications the next evening, and she's not having any of it. For the first time, she refuses her assist feed outright, starts physically shaking in my hands, and starts barking incessantly. I start to worry, stop feeding her so as to not waste food or spill it all over her (she wasn't chewing and swallowing, so I'd inject a bit, she'd open her mouth, and it'd gush down her lips). I carry her back to her cage, and she leaps from my arms. Now, my room isn't very chinchilla proof, which is why I use the bathroom to administer her meds and give her playtime. So, in order to keep her from chewing on my computer cables or anything, I have to chase her down and pick her up. I get her back in her carrying cage, and get her back to the vet (during this process she finds out how to open her door when not firmly latched and I have to chase her down again).



Once again, the vets can't find anything. All throughout this, I've been keeping a close watch on her eye. Over the past week, she's been scratching it, shielding it away from people, closing it when I try to give her eyedrops, etc. Mostly, I notice she's lacking a large amount of fur in that area. I point this out, and the vet says it may be a side effect of tearing, or just the eyedrops themselves, or her scratching is pulling out fur. They give me a pain medication, new eyedrops, and instructions to come back in 10 days (I'll be returning next Friday) to check on how she's doing.



Finally, we reach present day. Maintenance has yet to come back and fix the bathroom, so I've tried letting her play in my closet, but that just seems to scare her, and doesn't offer the same amount of space or verticality as the bathroom. At the same time, I'm worried about not letting her out of her cage for a while (I was told the bathroom would be fixed by now), as she seems to be a bit despondent. Sadly, she's also come to associate me with medications, and I fear approaching her cage only invites more stress and worry from the poor girl, and she's already been through so much. I'm trying my best to save my poor darling, but I'm really starting to worry about her continued health and emotional state. I've been trying to keep talking to her calmly, let her rest during the day (the original plan with this animal was check on her in the morning before work, refill foodstuffs as necessary, let her sleep while I'm at work for 10-11 hours, come home, play with her, go to bed, rinse/repeat, but I've been decommissioned with a pretty bad ulcer lately).



I guess my present worry is that I've been mishandling her, not giving her enough attention, or giving her the wrong kind of attention. Is there anything I can do to help ease her worry and pain? Her mood is rather capricious lately. When she thinks she isn't being watched, she'll jump around and such, exploring her cage and fidgeting with her toys. When I approach or look over at her, she'll stop, maybe look back, or run and hide. I've seen her get more and more sedentary, especially after her wheel broke (my fault for buying one without doing proper research first and just trusting that the pet stores knew what they were talking about). I just feel bad, because when I do get her out of her cage for play time, she used to run/popcorn/surf/whatever all over the place, chirping happily like a champ. Ever since the baseboard incident, and having to move her into the closet for playtime she's been lethargic, tentative, and scared to the point of barking.



That said, the medications do seem to be working. Her eye doesn't swell shut anymore, and looks clear aside from the balding. I'd say she doesn't need the anti-biotic any more, but I had to unseal her eye again the evening I got her back from the vet (it was open when she left, sealed shut some 8 hours later that evening). She's back to taking her assist feed, even though she tries to explore out of my hands in between syringes. Any help you all can give would be greatly appreciated. I want to save this chinchilla if I can :(

Hello!

Hi, I'm Proteus. I'm a new chinchilla owner, a small grey darling named Ruffle. I'm not all that up on chinchilla breeds, but she's a moderately sized (from what I've seen) grey chinchilla of six months (almost seven months). I've been doing my best to take care of her, but I've run into a few issues with her (which I'll be posting in the appropriate forums once I'm done here). I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you and draw on your experience for Ruffle's benefit, and in time help with other new owners.

Quills

Charlie's quills have been falling out and at the base they are almost yellow?

I had her taken to the vet to get checked out where they gave her antibiotics for a skin infection. Since then NOTHING has changed her quills still fall out and are a yellowish color at the base

SUPER dry skin

I don't use wood bedding i use the fluffy crumbled up cardboard bedding because my hedge Charlie has super sensitive skin. Her dandruff has gotten so bad just picking her up there is a plum of dead skin that comes off her. HELPPP

the great cat food debate

What is the BEST cat food for hedgehogs (especially chubby one like Charlie :))

New Chinchillas! Questions

Okay, so I've had my chinchillas (Stitch and 621) for about a week. They are both about a year old and live together (they have all their lives). This is my first time owning chinchillas. 621 doesn't seem to be bonding. She gets really scared whenever I am near her cage. Stitch is just fine, though. She greets me at the door to her cage when I come in my room (she's still a little nervous, as expected). 621 will take oats from my hand, then run into her igloo to hide. Is there any way to help her bond faster? I'm kind of scared she's going to bite me.

Stitch is fine with petting, but after a minute she pushes my hand away. I don't want to chase her to the corner of the cage, but I want to pick her up. How do I know when it's okay?

Also, Stitch grinds her teeth a lot. What does this mean?

Is it okay to use a cage with no bedding? I ordered the bedding online, but it hasn't come in yet. I've been cleaning out their cages twice a day with baby wipes while they are out. I don't know if that could hurt them though.

Why does it look like they're glaring a lot? I can't tell if they're sleepy or just annoyed at me.

How many oats can I give my little furballs at a time/per day/week?

What kind of litter pan should I use?

Any tips to help bonding or training?

Thank you bunches in advance :youman:





*Sidenote: I never knew two small animals could poop so much!*

worried about sneezing.

I just got my hegdehog about three weeks ago and he has had this "huff" ever since. The breeder I got him from mentioned that it started only when he was separated from his mother and put into his own cage. He was brought to the vet and as a precaution put on antibiotics but he has been finished with the meds for two weeks now.He does not sneeze when left alone and seems to be eating okay for a baby ( his water intake seems slower then average but this is my first hedgehog) When handled he will sneeze and lick his nose, sometimes he will appear to have a runny nose but like I mentioned before this is only when he is agitated. One other strange side note is that he has never once curled up into a ball like all hedgehogs do and I am curious if some cannot. If someone could please give me advice or share if they have had the same experience, I Dont want to worry

Lonely?

My chin makes this noise every morning when he's supposed to be asleep, I don't know if he does it while sleeping or if he's awake

http://ift.tt/1BgK6Fy



I read that this is the alarm call? but the strange this is that he makes this sound either in the morning while he's sleeping or in the evening almost night, when he's alone in the room and everything is very quiet.



I thought he might feel lonely because whenever he starts making that sound, I instantly call him or make a sound myself and he stops and doesn't do it again until the next day. Could that be the reason or is he alarmed by something?

fur slip!

I am so worried. I made a first attempt at play time today and t wasn't a complete disaster, but as my title implies, we had a fur slip. I was able to coax him onto his carrier a few times but he would quickly pop out, the last time he tried I had grabbed him from underneath and slipped him back inside however there was a small dime sized bit of fur left in my hand and my heart absolutely sunk. I took him to the bath room and let him out to play. He hopped around and explored, even hopped on me a few times. getting him back in his carrier again was still a bit tricky but we got there. When i got him back into his cage he went right into his wood hut and looked like he was trying to sleep. I really hope he'll be okay and that he wasn't very traumatized by the experience. I won't be trying another play time until next week for sure. :nolove:

hedgehog lady from MI

This is my lovely hedgehog Charlie she is 2 years old and SUPER CHUBBY

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My dog his a chinny of his own!

I got Logan to pose with his toy in front of Eli's cage. It kind of looks like a chinchilla.:laughitup:







It's nice for him to have his own, since he's not allowed to play with mine. ;)

A Photo Cage Tour

Cage: Ferret Nation model 182

Top Right



24 inch long shelf along back, food dish, coconut hay holder, glass water bottle, Oxbow hay bungalow, chinchiller, mini Chinnie buddie, assorted chews (ware bag-o-chews, toys from trees pear, garden munchies), colored perch, hanging toys from Zoey and Lilos toy box.



Top Left



Treehouse real wood logs, ceramic hay dish (small critter bath), a spoiled standard chin, alfalfa hay tube, cylinder fleece hidey house, lava ledge, kabob with lava rock, Zoey and Lilos toybox hanging toy.





Bottom Right



Colored perch, Prevue Hendryx platform, kabob, sisal ball with bell, hanging toys from Zoey and Lilos, fleece tube, Hop spot corner shelf, litter pan with aspen shavings, nut knot nibbler (no nuts in it), fleece jingle toy.



Bottom Left



Treehouse real wood log cabin with chinchiller and fleece pillow inside, lava rock, hamburger combo kabob, Toys from trees orange, 15" chin spin, 3 6 inch ledges, lava ledge, fleece hammock and yes, another hanging toy from Zoey and Lilos.

Is second cut timothy hay ok?

Hello I get second cut timothy hay from an online store is it ok to feed this as a staple or is second cut more of a treat? Lately I have been reading how its really important they get enough fiber form their hay.



This is the link to where I buy here:

https://farmerdavepetsupply.pixafyho...nd-chinchillas

hay holders

Hey just wondering what you guys use for hay holders. I've been using a glass dish but my chins keep peeing in it. Do you guys have that problem? Any way to stop them from peeing in the dish?

Bored with pellet food?

I was curious as to whether chins can get bored with their pellets. I feed mine Mazuri brand chinchilla pellets and also provide timothy hay. I have a chin named Houdini who has slowly started eating less pellets over time. I noticed this because when I would go to fill his bowl at night, it would still have a decent bit of pellets left from the night before. This has been going on for a bit. He is drinking and eating hay, but just seems to have lost interest in the pellets. He is still active and hoppy as usual. It is important to note that this problem has gotten worse this week, but his cage mate died this past weekend so its been a rough week for us both. He has seemed more down at times this week. I am worried he is not getting proper nutrition by eating only hay. Since this problem has been going on for awhile, is it possible for chins to get bored of their food and should I change him to something new like Oxbow?

Stuffed animal for Ollie?

Hey guys, Ive seen various pictures all over the web of various chins snuggling with stuffed animals and I was wondering what the general consensus was on giving them one. yes, no, maybe so? thanks!

Las Vegas Delivery

I'm just letting people know that I'm heading out to Las Vegas Feb 6th to the 8th so if anyone needs blue cloud dust or rocks, please let me know by Feb 4th.

50# bags $25.00 ea on dust.

Rocks:

1 - 5 lbs $5.50

6 - 9 lbs $5.25

10 - 15 lbs $5.00

16 - 20 lbs $4.75

21+ $4.50



I am also selling new Chin spins with the extra bearing for $65.00 ea. I purchased these a long time ago have no use for them. They have never been used.

First time chin mom

Hey guys, I got my little guy, Oliver, a little over 24 hours ago and I'm sure I'm just worrying for no reason but he hasn't really been doing much. I've sat by his cage and watched him explore but he hasn't gotten into chewing his toys or running on the wheel (he actually hides behind it). He's eaten and from what I can tell drank a bit from his bottle. His poops are definitely normal (and everywhere haha). I've been able to hand him timothy hay through the cage and I put a treat in my hand which coaxed him over enough to stand on my hand a little and then scurry away. Just a little bit ago I was sitting by his cage watching him and talking to him and eventually he backed into what seems like his favorite corner and slowly shut his eyes (which I thought was adorable) so I figured he must not be too threatened by me if he'll shut his eyes while I'mm sitting right there.

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New Chin mommy in PA

Hey guys!



My name is Lauren and I'm a Senior Psychology Major studying at Indiana University of PA (maybe you've heard of it). I just adopted my first chin a little over 24 hours ago. I was told he was an adult grey male and I got him from someone who bred chinchillas, however she acquired this guy from somewhere else. I didn't want to support the pet stores by purchasing through them so I scoured the internet for a chin in need of a new home. I was able to get a very large two story cage for him and I went a little crazy at a few pet stores buying all sorts of treats and supplies. Needless to say, he's already spoiled. I've done extensive research on chins but I think that the best source of information is you guys who really know the ropes on owning a happy healthy chin.

Kline Pellets for Sale!

I am lucky enough to have been given permission to sell the BEST Chinchilla feed, Kline Pellets to the public. I have it now and can mail it out ASAP! The cost is $2.50 lb plus shipping. I will mail it the cheapest way possible. At this time I am only able to except PayPal.



By a little or a lot your chins will LOVE you for it!



:wave4:

Forced picking up vs waiting it out

Hi everyone! I've had my little homie Tofu for about two weeks now and we are getting along great.



Here I was, prepared for my new chin to be shy, scared of me, etc. However, after 2 days he was soliciting me for scratches, after a week I was able to pet him pretty much wherever I want (even his back) and he's asking for petting regularly.



He has hopped on my shoulder briefly, and is really close to feeling comfortable walking around on my arms, but the second I try to move, he hops off the giant human bus and back into his cage. He seems to be comfortable in the environment and has explored the room and while he's not quite to the point where he's getting out of cage time EVERY day, I feel pretty comfortable letting him out to run around in my chin proof room for an hour or two on most days. He's already found his fave hidey places in my room and knows where I keep the treats. (In a tin box with a latch, but nice try with your tiny paws there, buddy.)



Now, i've read about two different schools of thought on the whole picking up your Chinchilla thing. The first is that you should just always wait until the chin is comfortable getting into your arms on his own and you should just quietly work with them, and if they never feel ok being held, that's a bummer but it is what it is.



The other camp seems to suggest that I should try picking Tofu up carefully in a safe quiet environment weather he's into it or not, so he gets used to it.



I do NOT want to manhandle him because we are really getting along great. I did have to grab him a few days ago for safety reasons, (i had to use the hold the tail base and lift the body method and I learned that tail grabbing makes me feel like a huge jerk.) and my roommate didn't know he was out and opened my door to ask me a question and I had to catch him before he went out, and he was pissed at me for like a day, (I can tell because he has one corner that is his sulking corner, where he'll go and turn his back on me and ignore me if he's angry at me.) but he got over it after a day.



Anyone want to weigh in on this? I don't really need him to be a cuddly lap pet, I just need to be able to hold him safely without him freaking out when needed. Eventually I will need to do a hair ring check and other matinence stuff where I'll need to hold him. Is it better to try to gently pick him up regardless to get him used to it? Or is it better to just wait out as long as it takes to get him to be ok sitting in my arms?

Is fleece necessary?

Hi all! Just adopted my little man Oliver today and I was wondering if I would be able to give him an old shirt that I slept in so that he could get accustomed to my smell. He's still pretty nervous (which I hope is normal) and I want to do anything I can so that he feels safe. Thanks!

Hello . . . need naming help!

Hello from Georgia! We recently acquired 2 female chinchillas. We are smitten with me . . . and need help with names. Hopefully this picture shows up!



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Chewing

Hi guys!

I have two Chins, they seem healthy and happy. I let them run around and have their free time everyday. But while they run around, I am doing many other things. I will do homework, or clean, or anything that I simply have to get done. I keep the room chin proof.

BUT one thing that they always do is chew on the trim on the walls. Does anybody else have this problem?



Does anyone know a way that I can get them to stop doing so? I understand chins don't understand when we yell or anything so I refrain from doing for that reason. Any ideas?

thanks!

-Shana

and

Timon & Pumba

Toy Questions!

Hello Fellow Chin Parents!

I am a chin parent of 2 lovely fuzzballs, Timon and Pumba. They are 7 months old and as happy as can be, wall surfing, hopping around, the usual. Quickly I learned that the two of my babies together chew up a good hanging toy in 1 or 2 days. So...I had an idea that maybe I can get them a bird toy. I mean after all, the bird toys look like chin toys, just giant. So I bought a toy, it's by 'All Living Things' and it is a Bark Cluster. It has a bell on the end. As soon as I got home from the pet store, I realized that I'm not sure what kind of wood it is. So before I give it to my babies I want to make sure that I don't hurt them.



Has anyone ever purchased a bird toy for their Chin(s)?

If so please let me know how this worked out and what kind of toy it was!



Or better yet, if anyone has any idea of what toy I am talking about and has perhaps purchased it, do you know what kind of wood it is and did it hurt your chins?



Also, what types of wood are not recommended for Chins?

:hmm:

Thanks so much guys!!

-Shana

and Timon & Pumba

Fleece questions?

Hi everyone! I'm a new chinchilla owner of about two months now. My chinchilla and his cage was a gift from my boyfriend, and not knowing any better he got a cage with plastic shelves in it. Up until a few days ago he did not chew on the plastic, but now he's starting to. So I'm planning on covering the shelves with fleece but I have a few questions. If there is anyone with fleece covered shelves, do your chins pee on them? Right now he only pees on the bedding at the bottom but I'm wondering if he will start peeing on the shelves once they are fleece covered?

Shout Out from Tennessee!

HellI from Whitney, Chillie, and Fluff! M

Missing toes - need some guidance.

Hello everyone.



I have 2 fur babies that I love dearly. Sadly, later last week, they had gotten into a fight while their cages were a little too close together.



My youngest chin, Chillie, is now missing 2 of her fingers (comparable to the ring finger and index finger on a human.) I took her to the vet, where they gave her some pain medicine and sent me home with baytril (which I won't be giving her unless I see signs of infection.)



What worries me is what looks to be exposed bone protruding from her wounds (pictured below.) She is still eating and drinking fine as well as being playful when I come to her cage, but she is laying down a lot more than usual and holding her paw close to her body. I put some blue kote on her wounds (which hurt her, quite visibly :(. ) Will she heal on her own if I monitor it and apply blue kote, or do I need another vet visit to see if they can clip some of the exposed bone off?



Apologies if these pictures are hard to see (I'm sure you're all aware how hard it is to make chinnies sit still.) This has been the first real injury of my baby since I got her 2 years ago, and I'm worried sick. Thank you all in advance.

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FN and Kits

I brought home my 2 chins 2 weeks ago. They are soo adorable! I was lucky enough to get a double FN on sale over Christmas and then found a third level on Craigslist that was too cheap to pass up.



They are housed right now in the middle unit to get them used to the cage and because they are young. One of my kits was the runt of triplets and took longer to wean so she is still small. Isabel is now 12 weeks and weighs 225g. Her sister Mabel is 17 weeks and weighs 395g. I added smaller wire to the middle unit because I was afraid that Isabel being so small would escape. I look at them and think they are ok but I know looks are deceiving when it comes to a chins true size.



My question is at what weight do you recommend I take the wire off and when do you think it is ok for them to venture into the other units. (The other units do not have the extra wire to keep them in.) All advice is WELCOME!

Bloated belly???

I just separated my baby kits. Put 2 males with dad and 1 female with mom. Was going to watch weight and temperament and give the boys to forever home tomorrow. Then wean baby girl. Noticed today that one boy had swollen belly, peed on us when holding. He is a nice chin, doesn't seem to be in pain. I put him with mom and let him nurse. He had been weaned for 5 days. Any advice?

Small scrape? I think? On Chinchilla

I've had Oakland for a week and when I went to check on him today and get ready to clean his cage I noticed his fur looked strange, upon further inspection I found some blood on his fur, I thought the cat got a paw into his cage (I don't think this is so as I keep his cage covered and the cat wasn't near him all last night). It doesn't look like a cut more of a scrape (definitely not a puncture or bit wound) There wasn't much bleeding and I followed the first aid guide on this forum (saline water and fur trimming). The scrape doesn't look too bad and he is acting normal. Should I be worried? Should I go to the vet first thing tomorrow?

pros and cons of owning a chin

i'm not sure if this is the correct thread for this topic so if its not i apologize. i have been considering getting a chinchilla for a while now and have been doing extensive research about everything chinchilla's need and the best ways to care for them. however in all of this research i have never been able to gain any first hand experience on what the best and worst parts of owning a chin are from someone who actually owns and cares for a chin.



so i was wondering if some wonderful people on here wanted to take pity on me and tell me what they think the best and worst parts of owning a chin are, as well as what the most rewarding part of having a chin is to you?



i am seriously looking into adopting some chins but i want to get some opinions from real chin owners first to make sure that i'm totally prepared before adopting one.

Male to Female Ratio: Human addition!

I'm just randomly curious what the ratio of users is here. :)

Atlantic Chapter Show info

Anyone have any information on the Atlantic Chapter show this spring?



On the MCBA directory, the information for contacts is old and out dated.

CN and bass pans

I have a CN that I ordered bass pans for.



Will the plastic pans fit inside the bass pans? Trying to decide what type of fleece to buy. The envelope style that goes around he plastic pans .... Or just fleece to sit on top of the bass pans. I mainly got the bass pans to try to contain some poop.

Pine bird boxes?

Just wanted some opinions on them... I have 3 of varying sizes sitting here that they play on while they're out at night, but I'd like to put them into their cages for cuddling. They've pretty much eaten the boxes my husband made last year, and it is so chilly in their room at night, I'd feel better if they had more spaces to hole up. I do worry about the staples in there, but I check on them several times/day anyway.



Also... What would you guys say is the lowest temp they should go down to? I've heard "as long as their water doesn't freeze"... Mine are no where near that cold lol, but I sit here freezing while I'm watching them. We've had this batch for 6 years and they're all perfectly healthy,its me that feels bad. Our house goes down to 66 at night (71 during the day), but the room they have doesn't get the best heat for some reason. I'd say high 50's at the coldest.



Thanks so much for reading all that!



Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

New owner a little worried help

Hey guys We recently adopted two chins from a girl who was told to get rid of them by her father because he wanted a dog. anyway they are lovely girls very friendly and happy chins. we renamed them and baught them a new cage with plenty toys and chew stuff ( the cage they came in was really not in great condition but the girl clearly loved them.)



anyway luna the older girl 6yrs my partner has noticed a lil white in her eye randomly and is paranoid its not there consistantly just twice in 2 days iv watched her all day and night and it was only there very briefly, is this something we need to worry about ? iv got a not so great picture of it if anyone can help i will be much appreciative.



regards



keiren and aleks also luna the chin

Attached Images

lunas eye.jpg (70.4 KB)

Introduction tips?

My chin Apollo lives alone. He has a ton of toys, human interaction daily and a fleece cuddly toy but I think he is depressed. He sits in a corner of his cage most of the time, only moving to eat, poop, drink, pee and be played with. I don't think it is a health problem because he has been like this a while and has not gotten worse it is just that I have tried several different things (fleece toy, new toys, slightly longer play times) but nothing is working. I have talked to his breeder who previously said he didn't need a partner but now she agrees I should get him a friend. Apollo cost £70 but this new chin she is offering used to live with Apollo, is about the same age as him and is only £40. She has also offered to lend me a cage for introductions. She would've done it but sge works away so she won't have time. I am now researching it but I am getting a lot of mixed responses. I will only do this once I am 100% confident and yes I know they could not get along and I am prepared to buy another cage. Please could you give me some tips on introduction, like everything that needs to be done? Thank you (sorry if this is in the wrong section)

snuggle Buddies.

I've currently got several snuggle buddies on order for one of my beige males, Zulu, who is housed on his own. I've never had any experience of using these with a chinchilla before. What are you guy's opinions of them and what sort of antics do your furballs get up to with them? :hmm:

Green wood

I recently received an order of apple wood. All of it is soft and when you trie to break the pieces they tear and you can see green wood. I think, they need to be dried but am not sure. What do any of you think?

Beige Male in TX

I have a 2 1/2 yr old male beige chinchilla. I haven't weighed him recently, but he's over 400g and has pink ears with grey freckles. He's very sweet and friendly with people (has been well socialized since infancy).

I got him as a kit from a couple in the suburbs who became unsuspecting chinnie parents after their second female turned out to be male. He's been with me ever since. I had hoped to keep him, but circumstances no longer allow for that.

I think he could be a candidate for pairing, but of course anyone who takes him for that purpose must be equipped to keep him if that does not work out. I have a two story ferret nation with poplar shelves and a ChinSpin that I would ideally sell with him. I'm thinking $350 for Henry and the cage, but nothing is set in stone.

I am in the College Station/Bryan area, but am willing to drive up to 200 miles to meet.

FOREVER HOMES only- the less this little guy has to move around the better.

New chinchilla owner

Hello everyone at CnH I'm a new chinchilla owner i've adopted 2 of them i got them for free from a breeder that doesen't seem to care much about them anymore, i have some questions i have one chinchilla that is getting comfortable with me shes still skiddish and gets scared around me but is alot better than when i first got her ive had her for about 3 weeks now, today i adopted another chinchilla she was in the same cage as my first one and shes very scared but lets me pet her and hold her if im very quiet and soft talking and gentle to her i'm still giving her the space so she can get used to her new environment anyhow the reason why i am posting this is because her fur is very knotted shes sleeping in her dust bath but i don't know how to get the knots out of her fur if anyone can give me some advice so i can help her out and hopefully make her feel better, i wish i could adopt more chinchilla's i feel so bad for them but i am glad i have rescued two, maybe i can get a few more in the future with more cages >.<

My new chins!! So excited to have them! (pics!)

I started looking into becoming a chin parent several years ago. LOL, at first, I thought I'd house a chin in something like this....







...with, ya know, plastic toys and stuff :-P But thankfully, I held off and decided to do some more research. I eventually found this forum, did some other reading and digging on my own, and came up with a better idea of how to properly care for chins.

So, when I finally got to bring home a pair of sweet little 3-4 month old girls last weekend, they came home to a much better situation than the above!



This was the first cage I had them in, it's an Oxbow set up, before my FN arrived from Amazon, and it's also my backup cage:







These girls are fearless! Didn't even flinch at the fact that a kitty cat was watching them! (no, I do not let them play together!)







After the FN arrived, they moved into the lower level! They'll get access to the whole thing once they're bigger.







I must thank Seachin, for being a very wonderful resource for a new chin owner and tolerating my barrage of questions :-D And Shooper, from whom I purchased all the fleece-covered items and wood ledges the girls now get to enjoy, and chinchillacity.com, where I got their wooden hanging and toss toys, and the timothy toys like the hay carrot. They especially like the hanging "rainbow" toy.



I am very glad this forum exists to provide a wealth of important info for new chin owners!



<3 <3 <3

Looking for Chinchilla Head Mutation

I have been searching the forum, but I still can't find it. Does anyone have the picture of the magazine of the chinchilla with bulbous patch of fur on its head? Also, would it be alright if I shared? I wanted to show it to another group because they were curious about the mutation. Does anyone know what happened to it? Thanks in advance :thumbsup:

Losing Weight

Ok so I'm worried.

When I first got Apollo, he was a happy, normal sized chin. He was previously fed alfalfa and pellets. Now he is fed meadow hay and the same pellets as before. He is still happy but he has lost weight. A few months ago I weighed him and he was about 450g. The other day I weighed him and he was 435g. I weighed him today and he was 428g. I'm really worried that he may have teeth problems. He is eating his pellets normally, he rarely gets treats but he gets excited when I produce one. He still gets excited (I only gave him a shreddie just to see if he still got excited about it) His poops are normal. He's drinking fine. He is still happy and bouncy but the problem is his hay. He has never really warmed up to it. When I first got him he refused to touch it. Then he started eating most of it (not all) Now he eats a tiny amount and throws the rest out of the rack. I am getting some alfalfa in about a week. Should I continue to weigh him every couple of days and after he's started on the alfalfa, if there is no improvement, should I take him to the vet? Luckily I live about 5-10 minutes away from a decent exotic vet so that shouldn't be a problem. Just don't want any unnecessary stress for him.

Breeding white to mosaic?!

A local person is rehoming a mosaic male and Wilson white female. They have been housed together so I know there is a good chance the female will be pregnant.



I am not farmiliar with chinchilla genetics, but doesn't a white to a mosaic or other white kill the mother?



I am considering one or both of these Chins - but I wanted to learn about this first. Thanks!

Degu Food

I have 6 unopened bags of Sunseed Vita Degu Formula to sale.



Purchased from PetFoodDirect.com

http://ift.tt/1yphZSU



I'm asking $6 each for them.

Hello from North Texas - AcornHill

I'm not new to chinchillas or this forum, joined in 2013; however I don't think I ever introduced myself. My name is Terry Jo Pyper and I use AcornHill Ranch as my logo (the ranch part is for the goats and llamas we had on our ranch not for chinchillas) and raise to improve my stock in ebony, standard and mosaic (with an occasional beige thrown in). All my animals (except my first) are show stock from CCCU, Jim Ritterspach and Bob Smith's herds.



I started out as a veterinary assistant many many years ago and now work in the medical field. I showed, rescued, did obedience, supported a breed club and very occasionally bred Akitas for 32 years and am still involved in the local AKC club. My last champion died 1yr ago. Years ago I got into the rabbit show field and enjoyed showing (incl. Best of Breed breeder) up until winter 2013 when I sold or gave my show rabbits to fellow rabbit breeders. It had become difficult to juggle getting to the rabbit shows and while my asthma doesn't mind the chins...the rabbits were starting to bother me. I had added a chinchilla room a few years ago - so now the chins and I "chill" in lieu of the bunnys. I'm very knowledgeable in breeding, raising and while not in showing chinchillas - very experienced with genetics, nutrition, dogs, chinchillas and rabbits. I'm a huge supporter of 4-H. Love to talk animal - be it birds, dogs, rescue or chinchillas (even ranch stock)!

Chinny not eating on Metronidazole

Hi all,



About a week and a half ago, I noticed my chinchilla, Charmin, wasn't eating much of his pellets and had smaller, softer, and sour smelling poops. His 11th birthday was at the same time ( he did not get his new toy or treats for it :( )



I took him to our local exotic vet. I was worried he had giarrdia and the doc agreed something was "out of balance" in his gut and gave me a prescription for a water diluted metronidazole without a stool test. The first batch separated when shaken, and I returned to the vet and had it replaced with a syrup based formula; the dose went from 0.03cc to 0.28cc.



Charmin has been on the syrup meds since last Friday, the 9th.



On Sunday, I completely tore down his cage and scrubbed it with a 1:32 bleach solution. I wiped the actual bars and his flying saucer with it. All his shelves got a thorough rinsing in the shower, but I forgot to rinse his wheel.



Monday and Tuesday, Charmin wasn't eating at all, and wouldn't take treats from me. His tummy felt bloated, but he wasn't going to let me massage it. When he takes the meds (and they get in his mouth), he sounds like he is taking down a lot of air. He was also probably pretty stressed by the cage cleaning (6 hours out)



Wednesday, I skipped both doses and gave him quite a few dried green beans and peas (the only treats other than raisins he showed interest in) throughout the day. He also nibbled on a hay cube.



Its time for his first dose of today, and I've noticed he has finally eaten maybe a third of Monday's pellets overnight.



Should I continue the metronidazole? He had it for a 5 day run, which sounds too short.



We never confirmed a parasite, could I have been paranoid and made his tummy worse with unneeded antibiotics?

Would this cage be good?

I have 2 female chinchillas and I'm looking to get them a new cage. I was wondering if anyone has used the Critter Nation Small Pet Cages that Dr. Foster and Smith sells? Or just if people think the double size one would be okay for 2 chinnies?

Cant post avatar

I asked this before but nobody answered.

I cant change my avatar or profile pic. Just a little bluish-green square appears. The size is right because I have checked and if I upload one of the wrong size it tells me it is too small/big. I have tried uploading from online and using my computers documents. Nothing is working. I currently dont have one because it just doesnt work. Thanks.

Chinchilla Basics 101

Since I've started on social media with my chins, I have realized how many people have no idea what a chinchilla is, let alone any basic facts about them! I decided to create a simple post on my blog about the basics, for people to read and share with those that have the most basic chin questions.



What do you think? Does it cover all the bases? http://ift.tt/1IKfZpt

Is this large enough/tall enough?

I just took in a hedgie today after a friend decided that she wasn't getting enough attention at her own house. I plan on acquiring a sheet of coroplast and folding a cage for her. It's dimensions would be 50" long, 20" wide, and 14" tall. Would this provide enough room for a single 2 year old, petite, active hedgie to roam as well as contain her?



Thank you for any advice. She is currently being housed in a 20 gallon tank but I don't like the poor ventilation or the small foot print. I also plan to use fleece bedding in the majority of the cage and give her a small 14" long, 14" wide, 1" tall tray of bedding to potty/play/whatever in.

Will this food mix work?

I mixed a 2lb 15oz bag of Wellness complete and a 6lb bag of Innova cat food for a hedgehog that I just took in. She was eating the cheapest food you can think of, I don't know the exact name but it is equivalent to alpo dog food, dye and all. She is a petite, active, 2 year old female.



Here are the links to the food, she seems to like it.



http://ift.tt/1DWeG63

http://ift.tt/1DWeG65



I did a quick search and both brands were recommended in several lists geard toward hedgies.

Farm Hay vs Store Hay?

I am looking to purchase a bale of hay for my chinchillas from a local farm, but I wasn't sure if there was anything I needed to be aware of while looking at farm hay that you don't need to do with store bought hay. I know the hay basics, but it seems like perhaps farm hays may have more risk for contamination. I could be wrong. I am currently using the Kaytee hay as it is the most affordable store bought hay. However I can get bales of hay for $10 or less that should last way longer than a bag of Hay.



I see a lot of mixed hays in my area such as Timothy/alfalfa mix or oat/orchard grass, is this something I sould stay away from?



Also are there any specific questions I should ask about their growing or harvesting process?



Is there any extra risk to purchasing farm hay vs petstore hay?



Any help is welcome!

Chinchilla Kisses.

How many of you guys have chinchillas who will give kisses/groom you? Pepper Jason Salt Zulu Mark and Merlin will do both. Chilli Tigger and Ziggy will groom, but not kiss.:kiss:

Can Chinchillas eat Yucca?

I've seen some chinchillas specific toys made with Yucca wood/root. Is it safe for chinchillas? Is the root safe? I've never seen it before and couldn't find much about it when I googled it so figured it'd be better to ask.

Wheel

Hi,



I was wondering if people could point me in the right direction for a wheel for my chins cage. We took out the previous owners wheel as it was A) plastic and B) far far too small.



Struggling to find some at a reasonable price.



I'm in the UK and keep seeing plastic ones ownly and the silver surfer seems to cost ~£100 as its shipped from the U.S.



Does anyone have any recommendations?

Which size flying saucer?

Which size do I get? http://ift.tt/1xkTnoL

SALE ALERT - FN/CN Savings!!!

Hi All!



Nothing like a great sale to beat a rainy Monday! I just adopted 4 boys and while they came with a good sized cage it is not large enough to make them and all of their personalities happy. I was planning to buy a FN or custom build (yeah right who am I kidding) but could not find the FN reasonable enough...WELL thank goodness for waiting! I just went to 1800petsupplies.com and got 2 FNs for...$331 and free shipping! The site was having a 20% off + free shipping on $50 or more sale AND if you purchased 2 or more of an item there was an additional savings!!!!

So if you are in the market for a new unit, replacement...etc...GO NOW!!!



Happy Shopping & SAVING :dance3:

New chin owners

I just got a chin from an old highschool friend. She bought it for her kids at the end of Nov. from petsmart. They already got tired of it and she was rehoming him. I was lucky enough to get him and all his supplies. Our kids adore him as do we. She said he was only a few months old.



Would be do better alone or with a friend? He seems to have taken to my 5 year old already. I wouldn't want to get another and they fight all the time. With him being male is it better to get another male or a female? (Yes I understand what happens if you put a male and female together lol).



Thanks for your time,

Tonia

could i use this for my chins?

could i use this for my chins?

http://ift.tt/14O0O1Y



:hmm:

Last of our chins for sale in WA

Well, we had quite the Christmas and a lot of cuties went to great homes. I still have a few young ones and older ones. Please see our web site at viking-chinchillas.com on our for sale page. I'd love for these sweet chins to have great homes. You all know that feeling, when you just can't keep them all but wish you could. Contact me at sirvin15@comcast.net (I'm not always on the forum every day) if you want more information or to make an appointment to visit.