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Christmas Cuteness Factor x 200! (Adorable chinchilla)

I just saw in a pet catalog a thing called a Chinchilla Chiller! It's a marble slab that they can sit on so they don't get too hot. Who knew that was a problem...
 
Nanci said:
I just saw in a pet catalog a thing called a Chinchilla Chiller! It's a marble slab that they can sit on so they don't get too hot. Who knew that was a problem...
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What a good idea, I know rabbits can get over heated. I keep frozen water bottles for my rodent cages in case the temp goes way up in the summer. Marble would be so clean and easy. thanks for the idea Nanci. susang
 
Nanci said:
I just saw in a pet catalog a thing called a Chinchilla Chiller! It's a marble slab that they can sit on so they don't get too hot. Who knew that was a problem...
Click to expand...

Yes, I plan on getting one of those for her for the summer. I may also move her to the basement. Overheating is a huge problem for chins. Their coat is the densest of all animal coats.
 
Hypancistrus said:
Yes, I plan on getting one of those for her for the summer. I may also move her to the basement. Overheating is a huge problem for chins. Their coat is the densest of all animal coats.
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How hard are they to care for? The more I think about how insane they are, the more I kinda want one... lol
 
Jrgh17 said:
How hard are they to care for? The more I think about how insane they are, the more I kinda want one... lol
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She is not too bad compared to dogs/cats, or even some reptiles, but requires more care than the average rodent. And more interaction. She comes out for 30 to 60 minutes a day, and figure 60 per week spent cleaning the cage up. I usually do that while she is playing in the bathroom, and let my sister watch her. My gerbils, on the other hand, almost never come out, and are quite happy that way, and I only clean their tank once every 3-4 weeks (depending on how much cardboard I give them).

When chinchillas come out, they will chew on things, so you have to watch them. Bathrooms are the best place, because they are easy to chin-proof and don't usually have any wires (they apparently love these). In addition, they will poop a lot when out. It's dry, solid turds, no mess, easy to clean, but that does bother some people. If you buy a bigger cage (like a ferret cage) then you don't have to take them out everyday. I have a smaller cage, so I try to let her out once a day to bounce around the bathroom. I usually take a book, magazine or catalog in with me and sit in the corner- she uses me as a springboard to higher places, and tries to nibble my books!

Diet is critical- treats should not be given, really, and if you insist, make it something low in sugar, low in protein, and ultra-high in fiber. I give her two cheerios a day- one when she comes out to play, one when she goes back in. She has free access to timothy hay and chinchilla pellets, and a water bottle. A 15" wheel is a must (mine is 12" and was the biggest I could find at regular pet sites- I am going to special order a 15" from a chinchilla site this week!) Total cost to set her up and buy her I'd say was $250, maybe $300. Total cost to maintain is maybe $50 a month, including carefresh litter and food. I am using mazuri pellet chin diet. I've heard its a good brand. Let me know if you have any additional questions. I have only had her a month, but I can answer questions about how I have been doing things. :) I am sure I will find better ways as time goes on.
 
Wow they sound so cute. I googled chins and was shocked at the price. I'm not sure I've ever seen one in this town. I have one of those huge cages for ferrets (like 4' x 2' x 2'). I can't keep the rats in it because the young ones go right thru the wire. If you don't mind how much did you pay for the chin? susang
 
susang said:
If you don't mind how much did you pay for the chin? susang
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$115 at Petsmart. I got most of her stuff for I think 25% off because my friend Donna who works at Petsmart gave me her employee discount card- the one for friends of employees around the holidays. I could have gotten Pika for the same % off, but I did not like the chins that particular store had- they just did not look healthy to me. So I went to a seperate store and couldn't be more pleased!

I looked for breeders in this area, but found only a few, none of whom had babies. Also looked at rescuing one via Petfinder, but the closest one was Manasas, VA, and I did not want to drive that far. Many times you CAN get them from rescues, though. People buy them because they are cute and then are unprepared for the chewing and pooping and cleaning (like what happens with a vast many animals).
 
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