My chins love my heated blanket

So the other day while I was cleaning up in my room I let my two chins out to play on my bed, not realizing my heated blanket was on. They spent the whole time sitting on it.
So today I figured I would let them out with the blanket on a lower setting and the whole time they crawled around under the blankets on top of the heated one and wouldn’t come out. I’ve had them for six years now and I’ve always kept them in a cooler environment, is this normal? And safe?

Church thoughts

ChinsForLife said:

Oh ok! Lol. Did you when you were younger? When you lived in Maine?

Click to expand...

Yeah, we actually hopped around to difference churches, I think my mom was trying to find the right fit for her.

New Chin Owner and Playtime

Hi everyone. I recently got my Chinchilla last week...I read about how they need an hour or so of playtime a day but somehow missed the memo about bonding w them in cage first. He’s sweet so far will come out, sniff, allow for a little petting before going back under my dresser! But it’s a serious process trying to get him back into his cage. I actually found this page when googling “why can’t I get my chinchilla back in his cage?” Now that I know he’s not ready to be let out and I...

New Chin Owner and Playtime

Can I give my Chinchilla Hamster Treats?

A while ago my Hamster passed away and we still have two bags of leftover vitakraft strawberry drops for hamsters. I want to know if it is fine to give one or two a day to my Chinchilla until they run out, then we would buy the normal chinchilla drops. I have posted the ingredients for the strawberry drops below.

Chinchilla limping

Hi so my chinchilla cut her leg on wednesday at about 1 am. The vet cleared her for breaks and sent us home with some antibiotics and anti immflamiroty. She is running around more now but she puts very little pressure on the leg and limps around mostly. Is there anyway i can help her stop limping?

Chinchilla with swollen finger

Hi all, my chinchilla has a swollen finger on his right paw and he is favouring this paw by holding it up when he rests. I'm not sure how or when he got injured but I'm guessing he could have gotten it caught/sprained as I couldnt see any open wounds or cuts on this finger. He's still using the paw to hold his chew toys or to wipe his nose although he does not seem to have as good a grip as usual. I also catch him licking/grooming this finger sometimes. I've heard that chins sometimes self...

Chinchilla with swollen finger

Gut problem with my chin?

Hey, im new to this and i really need help i dont where else to turn to... I’m desperate so if anyone has any kind of advice it is very welcome.
So my chin has been acting up for about two weeks now. Btw she is 13 years old, but this started very suddenly so i think the age is not the reason. She stoped moving around as much, sleeping in the corner and started eating less then before. Last week i noticed that she hadn’t pooped for a day or so. Naturally i freaked out, called a vet...

Gut problem with my chin?

Cooling tricks

Hello, I live in a place with no ac only heating and ceiling fans. I plan on a tiled cage which should help and my parents have converted a mini fridge to a "room"(outer part outside cage leaving only the inside of fridge to wonder into) for a chin im getting this summer but any thing else i can do, since the place i live can get to 100+ some days?

Soft Cut Hay- long term effects?

Hi all,
My chin has always preferred pellets over hay. I’ve heard many times on this forum that “the best hay is the one your chin will eat!”. I recently ordered a sample box of different hay types, and my chinchilla absolutely LOVES the “soft cut” variety, this is the link:

Timothy Hay Box 'Soft Cut' NEW*

Price equivalent to £2.21* Per Kilo! Harvested in peak season and bursting with nutrients to make this a highly palatable and Ultra Premium Timothy Hay that your rabbit will love.

haybox.club

Also attaching a picture of my girl eating said hay!
Because she loves it and eats a lot of it, I’m tempted...

Soft Cut Hay- long term effects?

Oxbow Alfalfa Hay

Has anyone purchased Oxbow alfalfa in larger quantities? Dr's Foster & Smith has 25lb for $49.99 and free shipping. I have purchased the small bags at petsmart when I only had one or two chins, and they did like that, but it just isn't cost effective going that route anymore. The small bag was promising, but getting a 16oz. bag and 25 lbs is a big difference. I switched from the 9lb bags of Oxbow's Timothy hay because the quality wasn't what I wanted and now I get a bale locally of a...

Oxbow Alfalfa Hay

Cowboy Buffalo Biscuit

Yeehaw, I entered my Biscuit boy in a photo contest! So far he has 167 votes! Can he please have your vote too? It just takes one click!

Well howdy! Y’all can call me Buffalo Biscuit 🤠

smallpetselect.shortstack.page

New member!

Hi! I just signed up and i wanted to say hello to everyone! I’m finally glad to find people that I can share my stories with about my pet chinchilla. Anyways, since i’m new what is this site for... is it like twitter or smt. Can i ask people advice about my pet? thank you!!!

Chinchilla food recommendations

Hello!
I am a brand new Chinchilla owner and I could really use some advice. I brought him home on Sunday. I got his multi-level enclosure set up with everything suggested and gave him plenty of Timothy and a small amount of pellets. He was clearly hungry, because he immediately went to the pellets and began eating. After his first bite I noticed a very strange behavior. He started to drool profusely, pawing at his mouth, making a choking sound. I quickly realized the pellet had become...

Chinchilla food recommendations

Potential GI/Bloat?

Advice would be very appreciated here.

My chin was showing signs of discomfort yesterday evening—He was making some soft squeaks when I would press (gently) the side of his abdomen and stomach. I am mediately fed critical care, massaged his tummy, and have been monitoring him around the clock.

He is eating his pellets, as well as hay. He is taking treats and he can move about normally. All poops have been normal. He is drinking water. So far he is just choosing to sit in place. He’s been...

Potential GI/Bloat?

She won't eat hay

My chin doesn't eat any of her hay. All she does with it is pee on itwe
What should I do?

She has been losing some weight and I don't know why. I'm worried she us under weight. She currently weighs 370 grams.
Advice?

My chin barks at us . She does it when we take her out if her cage and even when we just stroke her lightly.
Shield I be worried?

Owning Chinchillas and Guinea Pigs

If you have both , please tell me if you have a daily, or weekly routine to juggle both ?

Any cons? For example; stretched too thin?

I'm finding a lot of info from children on guinea pigs and a lot of pro cons that is just the differences of species .. not owning both anything appreciated !

Chinchillas and guinea pigs: Same room?

Is there an issue having chinchillas and guinea pigs in the same room? Obviously not the same cage ...

How many pets do you have?

Some people believe there is no such thing as a person with too many pets...only a person who can not care for all of the pets they have.

I (meaning my full support) have 5 chinchillas and a dwarf hamster.
I am also fostering 3 chinchillas (2 of which may be leaving very soon) and a rabbit. (recovering from spay)

My parents have 3 dogs. All are, and I hate to say it, very old. The oldest being 13-14 with severe cushings that they are trying to maintain.

Now there is a dog at the shelter I...

How many pets do you have?

Can Chinchillas eat these treats?

I found a new Chinchilla snack provider, very affordable prices too! Although some of the ingredients they sell I haven't heard of before but claim to be edible for Chinchillas and/or Rabbits -

Akebia (Chocolate Vine)
Maypop (fruit and vine) - This is a passionflower I think
Dried Okra pods
Jerusalem Artichoke (flower and stem/twigs)
Honeysuckle vine

Does anyone know if these are safe for Chinchillas?

Chins and Day Light's Saving Time

My 1 year old male chin has a sudden change in behavior and it seems to be ever since the clocks were changed. He seems a lot more fearful and he is hiding a lot more. Everything else is normal however. He just seems extra skittish.

I was wondering if the change in time could be confusing him. He was a baby this time last year and he was still getting used to a routine. Anybody else have similar experiences with chins? It's the only thing I can think of that could be bothering him.

Peggy doesn't even have chinchillas

I was checking out her site, I clicked on nursery, nothing. Then I clicked here
http://www.prairiechinchillas.com/page_5.html
When I move my mouse over the pic it says "picture of a chinchilla" L@@K :wacko:

Holes in poop

So I tried making a vet appointment today so I can bring my chin in and a fecal sample and instead of allowing me to do so the person on the phone hung up after they asked the vet about my problem I may be calling back to address this and I’m currently on the look out for a new exotic vet option (this may be hard as I live in rural Indiana and I’m not sure where else to go). To get to the matter though , I noticed holes in my Chinchillas poop about a week ago which led me to believe there...

Holes in poop

Pictures for @Amethyst

Fleece blanket

I tiled my Ferret Nation today :)

Tala has been making it her mission to destroy her cage, no matter what I do. Since I don't care for the Bass pans, I decided I needed to make some changes. I bought a few more granite tiles from the local hardware store and had my dad cut them to size with his tile saw. It only cost me $36.00 to tile all three levels :thumbsup:

They fit in there pretty tight, so I don't have to worry about Tala pulling them up or moving them around, and they're nice and cool so the fuzzies will be...

I tiled my Ferret Nation today

Tile?

One of my chins is litter trained so well that he has never had an accident.

Because of this, I was considering switching out his fleece pans for tile. I feel that it would make cleaning easier(the cage I'd be tiling is a CN 162).

However, I had a few questions for others who use tile.

1.How do you get them to fit? I've never had tile cut or anything so I'm not sure how that works.
2. What tile should I use?
3. How easy is it to remove the tile to clean around the...

Tile?

which one of the 3 food options do you recommend?

First weeks I fed them the Bunny Nature Chinchilla Dream brand, since this was the only available in the shop and it was the first day I got the chins:

https://cdn.bunny-nature.net/hp/img/ctb-en-product.e31fe42fae719c70.webp

But because it was a mixed food brand, after 2 bags were finished, I decided to buy the Versele Laga Complete that was pellets only.
Their Nature brand is mixed food as well.

Unfortunately these are the only ones available and I do not want...

which one of the 3 food options do you recommend?

How to encourage Chinchilla to eat more hay?

I adopted a Chinchilla about a month ago, and he definitely has a preference for pellets over hay (probably how he got his molar spurs which had to be removed a few weeks ago).

How do I get him more interested in hay? I now have several varieties of it, but he still has a preference for pellets. I can cut the amount of pellets available but I don't want him to go hungry... I've tried stuffing the hay into a jar of oats to have them smell like oats, because he loooves oats, but he wouldn't...

How to encourage Chinchilla to eat more hay?

Anyone else have ducks on here?

These are mine...they are tame and so sweet! The are pekin ducks, otherwise called "domestic ducks" (they are one of the biggest breeds) They eat out of my hand, let me hold them, are so cute while taking a bath and we get 21 eggs per week with 3 girls! The eggs are double the size of a chicken egg and taste almost just the same!(though duck eggs are better and are more nutritous!)

Baby Chinchilla Diet: Hay

My breeder finally messaged me about my baby! He is currently 3 weeks old!(I'll attach a pic) I have waited so long to get one and will pick him up on April 27 when he is 9 weeks old! I am getting Mazuri pellets from the feed store because I heard its the best and that's what my breeder is feeding him. I do have a question about the type and brand of hay to feed him.

I originally was going to buy 3 lbs of timothy and 3 lbs of alfalfa (DuMOR brand) but have read recently that alfalfa should...

Baby Chinchilla Diet: Hay

Looking for inexpensive twigs

Wondering if anyone has a favorite place for buying twigs?

I'm spending roughly $16 a month on 500 grams through Amazon.
As long as my chin has plenty, he does not gnaw or chew on things he shouldn't.

Figure I've probably already found the least expensive option possible but bringing the question here JUST IN CASE anyone knows of a bulk supplier where I could get a better deal.

Thx All!!

just a quick ? about a brand

Anyone else or thoughts on Dumor brand of timothy hay?

Chinchilla from pet store

I have planned to get a chinchilla from a breeder (Lone Star Chinchilla) so i made an advance deposit and now I am second guessing my decision. I am torn, the reason I decided to go with a breeder is
1. Because I thought the ones from the pet stores weren't healthy
2. I wanted a baby so i could have a stronger bond with her
Etc.
I have been on the wqiting list for over 2 months now and still no babies. Which wouldn't really be a big deal if summer wasn't nearing closer and getting warmer...

Chinchilla from pet store

Potential case of malo

Hi,

Just to provide a little background info my 2 1/2 year old Chinchilla has recently started developing symptoms that seem to point towards malo, at first it was just a slightly watery eye on his left side with some occasional white discharge however over the past few days I've noticed he is also occasionally pawing at his mouth. He has also become slightly less active, but not what I would consider lethargic. He's still pooping and his weight doesn't seem to have changed (at least not...

Potential case of malo

Palm leaf - is it safe?

Decades ago, on another continent, I would give my Chinchillas Washingtonia palm leaves, cut from the tree. They loved chewing on it and eating the green leaves.
Today I stumbled upon people gardening, trimming their tree. I asked their permission and got two "fans". Living in the lower mainland, BC, this is the first time I run into the opportunity here, and not with these specific chins. The leaves are either Chinese windmill palm, European fan palm or Mexican fan palm (washingtonia) -...

Palm leaf - is it safe?

Grand master chin supplier list

Hopefully this list is current for USA and Candian buyers. If you find any links that are not working, please let us know and we can remove them from the list.

Username - Country - Website or Email - Provides

AnnieO - USA - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ChinChic?ref=seller_info - Fleece cage accessories and cuddle buddies.

AZ Chins - USA - http://www.azchins.com - Feed, Hay Cubes, Suppliment, Toys, Blue Cloud/Sparkle, Treats, Cage Accessories, Cages and...

Grand master chin supplier list

Chins in need of serious help in Tampa, FL

Was browsing through craigslist ads when I come across this horrible situation in Tampa, FL

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/for/5423394436.html

In case the ad is removed or cannot be accessed, it reads as follows:

"Breeding pair of Chinchillas with one week old baby for sale. White female and dark gray male chinchillas both are about three years old. No papers! The female usually has two or three babies each time but this time she only had one white baby. She has a history of...

Chins in need of serious help in Tampa, FL

Vet Recommendations - USA

Add your vet everyone. Please put state, then city as the title

Chin playtime?

Hey! I was wondering how much time a chinchilla should have out of their cage? I only have one chinchilla (around 1 and a half y/o) and she gets around 5 hours of supervised playtime daily (8pm to 1 am). I normally chill and do work such for the first 2.5 hrs, then play with her individually for the remaining time. She never seems to get tired, though, so I was wondering if I should lengthen her playtime?

also, random question, what do you guys do in terms of your own housing? My college...

Chin playtime?

Angora Chinchillas

I am curious about them. I think they are adorable. One day I may be able to own one. I can’t spend the 1000 on a chinchilla right now. Is there anything wrong with them health wise? Are they more likely to overheat? Are they hard to groom?

Toyger cat guide temperament and personality

The medium-size Toyger cat was made by intersection a Bengal cat with a striped homegrown shorthair, He is all homegrown feline,

with no wild blood, however, he was created to have spreading stripes

and orange and dark or earthy colored tinge suggestive of...

Toyger cat guide temperament and personality

Bag balm for cracked feet?

Hello!

So my chinchilla health chronicles continue...

Last night I was about to clean the cage. I had allowed Susu to take her bath right before that so I could take the dust bath away when I started cleaning. Well....I came back to blood splatter in the bath sand and my heart dropped. I tried not to panic and cleaned the rest of the cage and play area while looking for any other signs of bleeding. Since there were none, I calmly picked Susu up and checked her. As expected, there was a bit...

Bag balm for cracked feet?

Soft Baby Chin Stool

I got a baby male chin two weeks ago (he's about 2 months old). Since I got him from the breeder, he has had soft stool. It has no odor, it's just a little soft and sometimes sticks to surfaces (he manages never to get any stuck in his fur or anything). I have not given him any treats and I have been feeding him Oxbow pellets and Timothy hay. I tried the plain mini wheat remedy, but it doesn't seem to have an effect. The breeder told me that it is probably just nerves from moving to a new...

Soft Baby Chin Stool

Liver Disease & Low WBCs in 10 yr old Chin

Hi,

I just found out that my 10 year old chin has liver disease and low WBCs/Platelets in her blood. Is this common / curable? She's been prescribed antibiotics and liver enzyme supplements for 2 weeks. Not sure if that will help her and she HATES the medicine and gets super upset when I have to force feed it to her. Any advice / tips / recommendations??

Tall Vs. Wide Cage

I saw this being discussed on Facebook and thought it was a pretty interesting conversation. Do you guys think it's more important that a cage is wide (plenty of space) or that it is tall (plenty of room to climb)?

Giardia, how long can I wait?

Hi all, after some back and forth with my vet around potential bloat, I took my chin to the vet and they said she felt fine and he couldnt feel any gas in her tummy. I’m still not happy because I can tell there is something wrong in the way that she is behaving, I’ve taken her off all medication and treats so she just has Timothy hay and pellets with sprinkling of acidophilus probiotic. I’m now suspecting that there could be a parasite, potentially giardia. Her poops have shiny bits on them...

Giardia, how long can I wait?