A bio teacher put out an SOS after a sudden decision to retire: five chinchillas needed homes, a female and four males. I've got skinnypigs I'm in love with, so I already have an affinity for sensitive South American rodents. I decided to go for it.
I only wanted two, but in the end I decided to take all three of the boys. They had spent their entire lives together in a multi-level Critter Nation cage in the corner of a high school science lab. I'm still not sure of their ages, but they average a year apart, and they're all full-grown. I ordered and set up a Quality Cage Chinchilla Mansion (I wanted something that was fully open for them to leap about), and a couple of weeks ago I took the boys home.
My new little boys were nameless, so I chose the names Roland (Deschain), Rory (Williams), and Rob (Anybody), because of course I love Stephen King, Doctor Who, and Terry Pratchett. It took me a couple of days to be able to tell Rob and Roland apart (and now I feel silly, they're VERY different), and each chin has his own distinct personality!
As a first-time owner, I've got the usual questions, I'm sure! I was worried the move caused stress, but Rob is merely priming (had to research that). He has a nick in one ear at the top, and a facial fur pattern that gives him a perpetually angry expression, so the scruffy fur sort of fits his look.
Roland is either majestic like a lion, or cuddly like a teddy bear, or both. He and Rob are both "standard" color chins, though Roland has a striped tail, is larger, and has a lionesque fur pattern on his face. Roland also seems to be the lowest in rank, which seems strange to me because he LOOKS like he should be an alpha male.
Rory has a coal-black face that looks innocent with no expression. The parents were a standard female and an ebony male, and Rory looks the most like dad. He almost always hangs out at the very top of the cage on a tiny shelf, and was the last of the chins to figure out how the wheel works.
I'm probably going to post the standard newbie questions for awhile, but I'm glad there's an active forum for me to use as a resource! Thank you all for being here.
I only wanted two, but in the end I decided to take all three of the boys. They had spent their entire lives together in a multi-level Critter Nation cage in the corner of a high school science lab. I'm still not sure of their ages, but they average a year apart, and they're all full-grown. I ordered and set up a Quality Cage Chinchilla Mansion (I wanted something that was fully open for them to leap about), and a couple of weeks ago I took the boys home.
My new little boys were nameless, so I chose the names Roland (Deschain), Rory (Williams), and Rob (Anybody), because of course I love Stephen King, Doctor Who, and Terry Pratchett. It took me a couple of days to be able to tell Rob and Roland apart (and now I feel silly, they're VERY different), and each chin has his own distinct personality!
As a first-time owner, I've got the usual questions, I'm sure! I was worried the move caused stress, but Rob is merely priming (had to research that). He has a nick in one ear at the top, and a facial fur pattern that gives him a perpetually angry expression, so the scruffy fur sort of fits his look.
Roland is either majestic like a lion, or cuddly like a teddy bear, or both. He and Rob are both "standard" color chins, though Roland has a striped tail, is larger, and has a lionesque fur pattern on his face. Roland also seems to be the lowest in rank, which seems strange to me because he LOOKS like he should be an alpha male.
Rory has a coal-black face that looks innocent with no expression. The parents were a standard female and an ebony male, and Rory looks the most like dad. He almost always hangs out at the very top of the cage on a tiny shelf, and was the last of the chins to figure out how the wheel works.
I'm probably going to post the standard newbie questions for awhile, but I'm glad there's an active forum for me to use as a resource! Thank you all for being here.
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