Chinchillas!

[flyawayraven]

I'm so excited!

I happened to bump into my landlord a couple weeks ago and while chatting asked him if small pets were permitted and he said yes! My partner and I have been bouncing ideas off each other and we mentioned it to one of our friends who has a chinchilla she is trying to rehome.

We're going to have the chinchilla "sleepover" for the weekend to see how my allergies do with him, and if I acclimate fine we get to keep him!

I'm so excited! Has anyone here ever owned one or would be willing to give some advice and tips for a happy and healthy chin?

[mlp4me]

I've never owned one, but my cousins did. Fast little guy. Liked his powder bowl. I would say read up as much as you can before committing.

[kaoskat]

Sounds awesome! Congrats! And good luck!

[ponyqueen]

Cuuuuuuuuuuuuute! Please post pics from the sleepover!

[InkyMomo]

Ee I love chinchillas.  We used to have them at school. They tended to go from being super lazy to super active.

I love how soft they feel. They look like little grey Raichu covered in grey fluff.

[melodys_angel]

Yes!

I had one as a kid.

They need their space--don't just get a cage, it has to be multiple levels. 
They are also very fast and will dart out.

You probably already know this but Chinchillas take dust baths and hate water.

Im sure your friend can give you more advice <3

[Galactica]

I suggest reading about them a LOT before you take them on, to be sure their personality is right for you-

They aren't the cuddliest of little guys, despite being super soft. They are EXTREMELY active animals, especially at NIGHT.  They definitely need a lot to do, and chew-
They are also very sensitive, more than you would think, like they die if it is just over 75F or under 60F


http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Chinchillas
http://www.2ndchance.info/chinchilla.htm
http://www.chinchillachronicles.com/chinchilla_care.html

[Sebby6]

You could always shoot Buffy a pm - she breeds chinchillas

[flyawayraven]

You could always shoot Buffy a pm - she breeds chinchillas

Really? Cool! I'll keep that in mind.

Thanks for the advice and links, all! We're trying to get everything properly prepared for his sleepover on Friday. Hopefully it goes well and we'll be able to keep the little fluff!

[achab1984]

I think they are cute looking! You will have to let us know how it goes. I have Gerbils and love all 8 of mine

[HavACrumpet452]

My sister had them. They really shouldn't be kept alone though. They are quite timid as prey animals and they use each other as sentrys while they let their guard down to eat or sleep. I've read they have shorter lifespans if kept alone because it is more stressful for them.

[Sprintex]

We have two that are nearly six years old now, Austin & Morris Here they are just after we got them in 2008:-

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Unfortunately as they got older they had "urges" like most rodents and had to be separated into their own cages 

A Chinchilla shouldn't affect any allergies as they tend to be regarded as hypo-allergenic. Don't expect to handle him for a while, they don't trust easily and need their own time to get to know you. That said, Chins are rarely known to bite (unlike hamsters!) even when scared, and will run away and shed clumps of fur if you grab them. If you put your hand near they do tend to 'nip' gently to see if you're edible, or more specifically GNAWable, but they soon realise you're not. On the subject of their fur they cannot get fleas as the hair is so dense (250,000 hairs per square inch typically), but as previously stated they also must NOT get wet or they can get fur mould. Regular dust baths (proprietary chinchilla sand - every few days) will keep their fur soft and fluffy as well as keep them happy, but do not leave the dust bath in more than 15 mins or it WILL get used as a toilet They are very temperature critical and over heat easily due to the fur, so a cool room out of sunlight is essential. If it is still too warm you can get granite slabs to keep in the fridge that your Chin can sit on to keep cool, over here they're called "Chin Chillers". Don't worry about them getting cold too much as they come from high in the Andes mountains (up to 14,000ft up) where temperatures can drop to freezing.

Since you're only getting him for a sleepover to begin with then best to stick to his usual feeding regime as they don't like change and he may stop eating. If you do adopt him and want to change his food then it should be kept to a proper Chinchilla muesli or pellets supplemented with hay. They tend to be grazers rather than eat in large amounts and should always have fresh water. Fresh food such as you would give rabbits (lettuce, carrots, etc) is best avoided altogether as it can give them diarrhoea resulting in a dead Chinny in hours if not treated. Treats should also be severely limited as they can't process sugars well, so either ONE small piece of Chinny-friendly dried fruit or TWO raisins per day at the most. Again if buying treats and gnaw-sticks ensure they are chinchilla approved or they could be packed with hidden sugars.

Oh yes, they gnaw everything! Avoid plastics in the cage and provide rodent wood chews and pumice blocks if you want to limit how much of their cage-shelving gets shredded  Also don't be alarmed if you find him laying like this:-

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 . . . or this . . .

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He's not dead, just worn himself out jumping around like a loony and needs a quick lie-down 

Hope you enjoy your new little friend and get to keep him 


Paul

[tikibirds]

I have had several but currently only have one female  - chichiri.
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This forum is a good source of info but they can be FANATICAL about certain topics. I once asked if there was a way to keep them cool. I lived in NORTHERN ALASKA at the time and we had a heat wave of 100 for a week straight. Nothing there has AC. They aren't even SOLD in stores. They kept fighting with me over this saying I had to go buy an AC or go stay in a hotel that has it. Um , yeah..NO. There are only a small handfull of hotels and none offered AC OR accepted pets of any Kind. And yes, she did live.
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/

1) they take dust baths
2) they need cooler temps
3) Be careful of what you feed them. They can't really have sugar. even if its in fruits like rasins and alot of stuff for "small pets" are not god for chinchillas. It does something to their livers. I forget what though.
4) They will chew ANYTHING.
5) they can also squeeze through the tinest of holes. mine can fit under doors 
Watch out for this:

What is Malocclusion?
By definition, malocclusion is a problem in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together in biting or chewing.  The word malocclusion literally means "bad bite".  In chinchillas, it often is taken in reference to elongation of the tooth roots as well as spurs (also called points) on the teeth.
What causes malocclusion?
There are two forms of malocclusion, environmental and genetic.  Environmental malocclusion can stem from a number of reasons.  Poor quality pellet food, too many (or the wrong kind of) treats, calcium deficiency, lack of hay and/or chew toys, and cage accidents where the teeth are physically damaged (broken off).  Genetic malocclusion has a direct link to the chinchillas parentage.  Chinchillas who have malocclusion or have malocclusion in their lineage should NEVER be bred.  Never breed a rescue chin or one from a pet store, because their lineage is unknown.

How would I know if my chin has malocclusion?
Drool on your chinchillas chin, crumbled bits of pellets in the dish, sour smell from the mouth, weight loss, no interest in eating hay when before there was, palpable bumps along the lower jawbone, and watery eyes all can be, but aren’t necessarily, signs of issues with the teeth.  It is advisable to visit a vet experienced with chinchilla dental issues as soon as possible.  The best exam is performed under sedation, as it is very difficult to see inside a chinchillas mouth while they are awake.  It would also be wise to ask for a radiograph (x-ray) of the chin's skull, from both sides as well as from the underside.  This is the only way to determine if the upper roots are elongated and what the extent of the elongation is.  When root elongation is severe in the lower teeth, it can usually be diagnosed by feeling the bottom of the lower jawbone.  It usually takes an experienced touch to know what is normal and what is not, since the lower jawbone can feel a bit bumpy under normal circumstances.  However, just because you do not feel bumps in the jawbone, does not mean that the roots are not elongated.

[teresat]

Oh oh oh so cute!

I hope all goes well for you.

To the others who posted pics and info, thanks for sharing.

[hathorcat]

Oh wow! So much amazing information. I hope it works out for you and at least you have a lot of detail to work off here.

Plus...I just had to post to say adddooorable pictures.