Getting my first Chin...

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NewChinGuy

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2013
Messages
24
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
Hello everyone! I'm new to this site, and decided to register because I'm getting a new chin this weekend and need to know as much as possible because I'm one of those people who stresses over everything if I see something that worries me- especially when it comes to pets. First things first.. what kind of toys make good for Chinchillas? Unfortunately, where I live the pet stores are somewhat limited, so I'm extremely worried about getting recommended products for a quick sale rather than safe for my pet.

I've also purchased a few things, and if someone wouldn't mind looking them over I'd appreciate your guys' input on whether or not they should stay or go(I'm still within the return policy of the store, I'm just having second thoughts about it while reading online.)

Firstly, the cage:
Kaytee Ferret Home Plus(The box says ideal for chinchillas- I'm debating this. The plastic on base and shelving presents a problem in my mind- I can get wooden shelves built if I catch my Chin nibbling, but the base seems like it would be an issue to replace if I see nibble marks. The wire is spaced 1" apart, if that helps.

Bedding:
Living World Fresh N' Comfy, Blue I'm a little worried about my little guy eating it.

Diet:

Pellets: Oxbow Essentials: Deluxe Chinchilla Food < I don't really know much about pellets, but this one seems alright to me.

Treats:Brown's Extreme! High-C Small animal treats. This one was recommended to me at the pet store.

Hay: Living World Timothy Chews Basically Timothy Hay, compressed into cubes. I'm assuming you can just leave a cube in the cage and the Chinchilla will nibble on it, or play with it?

Chews: Super Pets Lava Bites - Are these meant to be hung in the cage? With what?

Living World Nibblers: Kiwi Sticks Kiwi is supposed to be safe for chins- can I leave these on the floor of the cage? Or must they be hung somehow as well?

Wheel: Super Pet Giant Silent Spinner Chinchilla Wheel(12") I've read that wheels shouldn't be made of plastic- in fact, most of the cage should be metal or wood.. but are these safe? Unfortunately the petshops here don't carry larger metal wheels, or wheels that aren't wire/have spokes.

I apologize if these questions make some of you want to hang your head in shame, or if they've been asked before. Like I said, I'm super wary of being conned into a quick sale and then finding out the consequences later on. I appreciate the help, everyone! Here's hoping I can get all of this sorted soon so I can welcome a Chinchilla to my home!

(If anyone can recommend any toys while you're here, I'd appreciate it.)
 
I started out with almost a cage like that for my chinchilla but after 4 weeks of a lot of reading and seeing him in it I decided to buy a critter nation cage best choice I made in a long time he loves it runs and popcorns around in it..the wheel is no good not big enough and plastic I also had a plastic wheel starting out I took it out don't want him to get hurt on it it wasn't big enough and he could chew on it I got my chin spin yesterday a safe wheel ..I get all my wood from this side here it is safe and much cheaper even with shipping and handling..the lava bites are good I have lava shelves in my cage for him he loves chewing them and sitting on them..and chinchillas shouldn't have no treats below of 6 month of age and then only like rosehips cheerios plain wheat or plain oats and that only every other day or so..i give my chinchilla very little treats..i want to give him more but its not good for them ..hope that helped a little :)
 
I don't have a chinchilla yet, but I'm getting one at the end of this month - as soon as he's been weaned. I've been researching like crazy and I've learned a lot through this forum!

The cage might be a problem because, like you said, there is a lot of plastic. If you have the money, most people seem to recommend either a Ferret Nation or a Critter Nation cage. I believe you can get a Ferret Nation on sale right now from ferret.com - that's where I ordered mine from and shipping was extremely fast! I had originally purchased a Critter Nation, but I returned it for the FN after reading that some people had experienced the bars breaking because they're smaller and not as sturdy as the bars on the FN. If you search for "Ferret Nation Club," you'll see how people have customized their cages - there are some really neat ideas there!

I also bought Bass pans for my FN to replace the plastic pans that came with it. Also, if you're getting a baby chin, he might be able to escape with the 1" bar spacing. You would have to wrap your cage with hardware cloth to prevent that. (The Critter Nation has smaller bar spacing, so he shouldn't be able to escape.)

A lot of people seem to use fleece liners instead of bedding. I am going to try pine bedding and see how it works, but I have a feeling I'll be switching to fleece liners too - these people know their stuff! :) I originally bought CareFresh bedding - I think it's similar to what you have. I'm going to use it for my hamsters instead because it can be bad if your chin ingests the paper bedding - it can expand in his stomach.

I think the Oxbow food sounds good. That's what I have. I think you should provide some loose Timothy hay rather than the cubes. I'm not sure about the treats. I was told the treats they sell in pet stores generally aren't good for chins.

You can hang the lava bites or just scatter them around the cage. They also have lava ledges that your chin can perch on and chew. It's good for their teeth.

I would ditch the wheel if I were you. From what I've read, the wheel has to be at least 14" or your chin will have to unnaturally arch his back. You don't want a plastic wheel or a wire wheel. A lot of people have the Chin Spin from Quality Cages. I have the Silver Surfer wheel, but I won't be putting in my chin's cage until he's about six months old. Also, no treats until he's six months old. They say plain Cheerios or shredded wheat make good treats - or rose hips. Anything natural and nothing sugary.

I ordered ledges and a bunch of treats from Whimsy's Menagerie and I've ordered things from people here also. Search for "toys" and check out some of the posts. Wood is good, seagrass, loofah, etc.

You can make the ledges yourself, but I'm not very handy.

I also ordered a hammock for my baby!

Oh yeah - you need dust (not sand) and a dust bath house of some sort. Most people seem to use blue cloud or blue sparkle dust. That's how chinchillas bathe since they can't get wet.

I hope I answered some of your questions and I'm sure the more experienced people can correct me if I'm wrong about anything!
 
Hi there, welcome to the forum! It's great that you've decided to do so much research before you chin arrives :) A couple things I would adjust:

Your chin does not need vit c supplements/treats and they have kiwi (no fruits for chins, though kiwi wood is ok). Dried rosehips, old fashioned (not quick) oats, and safe wood chew sticks are great treats for chins.

Your chin needs loose hay to eat as well (which oxbow also makes). Loose timothy hay should always be provided in addition to pellets. Hay cubes are great, and my guys get them every now and again, but they don't have the long strands and don't require your chin to do as much grinding with their back teeth, which is key to keeping teeth at a healthy happy length (since they're continually growing).

Woods from the pet store are generally questionable. Where in Canada are you located? There are some awesome online stores in Canada that have safe treats, chews, fleece items, toys, etc. One is "Zoey and Lilo's Toybox" in Ontario, another is "Chinchilla Park Place" <--also a breeder active on this forum, with a link to the store on their breeding page, located in BC.

Covering up the plastic and replacing the shelves with kiln dried pine or another safe wood is a great idea :) Also adding in more ledges for fun! If you stay with that cage, be sure to remove the ramps and whatnot. If you are going with a different cage, the Ferret Nation or Critter Nation cages are fantastic!

The bedding you described may be ingested. KD pine and aspen shavings are safe for chins to use and less expensive ;)

Also, don't forget to get a non-chewable bowl for pellets and something safe for them to dust bath in on dust bath day!

Can't wait to see pics of your new chin :)
 
Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to be taking the cage, wheel, treats, and bedding back tomorrow. I'm deciding between the FN or CN cages- I've heard better things about the FN, but the CN has smaller bars.. Tough call.

I'm going to be getting the dust and bath closer to when I actually have everything I need to purchase my new friend- and I've already got him a metal food bowl. :)

I'm currently in Nova Scotia, Basket. I haven't been able to find any breeders or suppliers here- though I may not be looking in the right places.

Thanks for the link, Lauralynne! I'll definitely check that out as well.

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it! Definitely wanting to make sure everything is safe before I put a Chinchilla in the cage- so learning what i have from this thread is a huge help. :)
 
I recently ordered a new ferret nation to replace my critter nation. As my girls have gotten older they started to break the bars where I had my shelves attached. The ferret nation has stronger bars so it can handle more weight. I would hold off on the wheel until your chin is at least 6 months old so they don't burn precious calories as they are growing up. There is a ton of good information on this site so just do lots of research and ask questions why you have one. There is a lot of knowledge and experience here and people will give you their I put on how to keep your new baby safe.
 
You've come to the right place for info! This forum has been a huge help to me since I have become a happy chinnie mama. Whenever I have a question, my first step is to do a search of the forum, because usually someone else has had the same question.

I also try to at least skim all new posts in the health and emergency sections. My chin was recently not acting right, and because I had done lots of reading ahead of time, I knew that it was important to get her to the vet quickly based on her symptoms. I also had an idea of what to expect from the vet and was able to understand Luna's diagnosis much better than if I had gone in blindly. Had I not done my reading, I likely would have waited until it was too late to get her to the vet. Less than a week later, my chin has the proper medication and treatment and is recovering perfectly...I credit this forum for helping me make a quick decision in a potentially fatal situation, and for making me feel confident in my vet's diagnosis and treatment. (Thanks guys!!)

Everyone here has the best interest of chinnies in mind. They will give advice freely and often bluntly, because they want all of our chinnies to have the best possible care. Read and learn everything you can, have fun and welcome to the forum!!
:welcome6:
 
Can I just say, beware of anything recommended to you by a pet store. They may mean well, but they are usually way misinformed when it comes to the needs of a chinchilla. They will try to sell you a ball, and treats that are bad for your chin. A lot of pet stores will also house a lot of plastic items with chins, and most chins are aggressive chewers, and the plastic is very dangerous for them when ingested. If you have any questions, or need advice, come back again here, before asking anyone from a pet store! :)
 
When you get your chinchilla spend a lot of time just sitting and getting to know each other. We have always had our boys hop on to our hands to get out of the cage for play time. Sometimes it took a while for them to come to me but once they realized the reward was play time it meant they weren't as afraid of our hands.

Ambient noise can be a good thing. If they are in a silent room everything can sound scary but if you have a tv on than it's just another noise. Also my boys like to watch it so we leave one on for them at night.

Follow what you read here and listen to the people who breed. Pet owners are great and helpful but breeders have learned from retired breeders. Often times they know more than vets.

Congratulations also on getting your first chinchilla.
 
I had a wheel like that but mine was even worse, it had an axle through the middle. Mt wheel was in for one night and it was already chewed up, and my chin hit his back on the axle. For me I decided that the ideal wheel is the silver surfer because it is low upkeep and I have a smaller cage. Your cage is bigger than mine and you could probably fit a flying saucer in it. I have heard it is the best for the chins backs but you need the room.
For the lava bites I have a "treat-ka-bob" thingy that hangs on the side of the cage, I think they sell them at petsmart
Lastly the paper based bedding is bad, I had it at first and my chin ate it an its expensive. Some people use wood bedding but you have to make sure it is a non toxic wood for chinnies. I personally use fleece blankets and just throw it in the wash every other day.

Hope that helped!:thumbsup:
 
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