Help! Rescuing a family of 4 chins this weekend!

[jade_spider]

I have never had a chinchilla pet before but I have always wanted one. When my oldest daughter neared her 10th birthday recently we started talking about getting a new pet since she wanted one more than anything else. (Don't worry - any animal that comes into our home becomes a part of our family and she would never be 100% responsible for care of any pet)

After talking for a while we decided that we would only rescue or adopt a pet looking to re-home. We currently have 3 cats - all friendly and gentle - but we're at the legal limit for our city and decided to look for smaller animals that needed a new home.

On Craigslist I found a lady with a family (Male, female, two babies) of Chins that needs to be adopted ASAP. After some correspondence I found out that the rush is because she doesn't really have the time to interact with them and lost one of the babies to another house pet so with that in mind and having an out-of-state trip coming up for the next few weeks, it really isn't safe for the Chins there - even with a pet sitter.

So, I need to find out as much as I can about Chinchilla care. Before agreeing to take the family, we picked up a care sheet on Chins from Petco and looked up some things online but I have found some contradictions in information. I'm aware of general needs such as food, space needed, and dust baths. We have a four-bedroom and a lot of (indoor) space so, we should be fine even if we need 2 cages in the end.

The things I'm most concerned about are the following:
* Will it be OK to neuter the male? (conflicting info on this - We have absolutely no intention to breed them)
* How long will it be all right to house the family together?
* Even if I have to separate the family members in different cages, will it be all right to allow them time out of their cages to play together?
* Will separating them cause anxiety issues? (I am unsure if we will be able to keep them all long-term and the person I'm adopting them from absolutely insisted they needed to go together)
* Is there any way we can help them transition to their new home? (I read that they don't tend to do well with change)

Any other information will also be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! ^.^

 

[JennyBug]

If the male and female are living together, the female is likely pregnant again. Chinchillas breed back, which means the females can get pregnant very soon after giving birth. Neutering the male would work, but you would have to find a VERY experienced vet who is well-versed in chinchillas to perform the operation, AND the male and female would have to be separated for around 6 weeks to make sure that any viable sperm is gone, much like when a male has a vasectomy. Please keep in mind that even neutered males will sometimes fight with other males over a female, so if there is a male kit, this could become an issue in the future.

How old are the kits? If one of the kits died because of another house pet, it would be safe to assume that this person does not have them in a kit safe cage. If the kits are old enough to be weaned, make sure you sex them then separate them if necessary This might mean splitting up the family - you don't want a little boy mating with his momma or a little girl getting pregnant by daddy. If the kits aren't old enough to be weaned, you will need to get a cage with small bar spacing (1/2 inch x 1/2 inch) to house the kits and momma. You will also want to get momma some supplements to help her out; she's going to be drained from nursing kits as well as carrying new kits.

Starting out with four chins is going to be a challenge. Do you have any idea of their ages? Temperament? Please know that chins are not usually cuddly animals - they often like to be left alone with occasional attention from you. Most don't like to be held (though most love scratches and gentle pets), and a child can really hurt a squirming chin (their ribs are about the thickness of toothpicks).

Where are you located? It might be best for someone with more chin experience to take mom and dad. I'm not saying that you couldn't handle kits, but sometimes breeding goes really wrong, and you don't want to end up with a sick momma chin or worse. If the kits are old enough, take one or both of them (if they are boy-boy or girl-girl) and start out that way.

As for anxiety issues and stress, it all depends on the chin. We tend to give chins human emotions that they simply don't have, including feeling "lonely" or "missing" their buddy. If the cages are near one another, they should be fine. As for a transition period, most people bring them home and leave them alone for a week or so to get used to their new surroundings. Just make sure they have food and water and plenty of toys to play with. You can also leave a TV on for them (mine have a TV on with cartoons over night), and you can go in and sit near the cages and talk softly to them. I just read to my chins, and that helped them get used to my voice.

I think you are a wonderful person for wanting to get these chins out of the obviously bad situation they are in, but please don't try to get too deep too fast. I'm sure you would care for them and love them very much, but sometimes, especially in breeding, that is not enough. You've taken a step in the right direction by seeking information here, so be proud of that as well. You are already caring for these chins more than their current owners.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[CommonYak]

Another thing to consider is that if you have multiple chinchillas, you need to be ready to separate them permanently if necessary. Separation means they live in different cages, get different/separate out-of-cage playtimes, etc.. (so you have to have extra cages on hand, and enough time/space to give them out-of-cage playtime in a safe manner)

Even if they are bonded and have been living together for years, they can suddenly decide that they are not compatible with each other; when they do, they can fight. If this happens and they are not separated quickly, they can kill each other or do each other serious harm. Chinchilla fights can get ugly, especially when both participants are confined to a cage and neither can escape. I'm not saying that this is super common, but it can happen, and a change of surroundings or neutering of a male could precipitate it. (Or it could happen out of the blue.)

It is also just as reasonable that a bonded pair or trio could live in harmony, but it depends on their individual personalities and you cannot tell. I've seen bonded pairs of sweet friendly chinchillas become incompatible, and you just never know.

Just an edit: I just re-read your post, and it appears you are aware of the potential need to separate them. I wouldn't allow chinchillas that had in their past fought in a serious way to interact during playtime, as I think it would be dangerous and you would end up with stress, upset chinchillas, and potential injuries.

 

[CommonYak]

* Will separating them cause anxiety issues? (I am unsure if we will be able to keep them all long-term and the person I'm adopting them from absolutely insisted they needed to go together)

I meant to address this point. I would not personally separate bonded chinchillas that are happy together, because they are social animals and I see it as a quality-of-life issue for them. If they are grooming each other, smooshing and sleeping together, I would not split them up.

(I meant to post this with my previous post, but I ran out of time. To go with my previous post about fights, here is a thread that describes an outcome you would want to avoid:
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13147)

 

[RDZCRanch]

The things I'm most concerned about are the following:
* Will it be OK to neuter the male? (conflicting info on this - We have absolutely no intention to breed them)
* How long will it be all right to house the family together?
* Even if I have to separate the family members in different cages, will it be all right to allow them time out of their cages to play together?
* Will separating them cause anxiety issues? (I am unsure if we will be able to keep them all long-term and the person I'm adopting them from absolutely insisted they needed to go together)
* Is there any way we can help them transition to their new home? (I read that they don't tend to do well with change)

Any other information will also be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! ^.^

Neutering males is fine so long as you have a veterinarian that is experienced with neutering chinchillas and small animals. A thing to consider though is even with neutering the male needs to be kept separate for a certain length of time as even after neutering the male is not immediately sterile. Reserve semen and things like that take a short while to leave the system or become inactive.

Separating chinchillas into different cages, even if they are "bonded" will not cause anxiety so long as they are left with a cagemate. As mentioned...they are social animals so as long as they have company they won't pine for one chinchilla or another. I would sex the babies and if there are any males...separate them out with the father of the group. Keep the females and any female babies together. Make sure you can properly sex the chinchillas as well as the babies. Babies can be sexed the moment they are born...anatomy on chinchillas has one small difference but it is apparent throughout the animal's life.

For transition...make sure they are in a room that can be closed off and kept generally quiet so that they can slowly adjust to the way things go in the house. I would keep the door open most of the time but if you notice certain loud noises stressing them, the door can be closed and they usually calm down.

I know you said you have the basic requirements of food, dust, and water. Do you mind me asking the brand of food, dust and what type of water(filtered or tap)? You also need to be careful with treats with chinchillas. Fresh fruits and vegetables are NOT healthy for them and not recommended. Also avoid nuts and seeds because of the oils and fatty content of them.

 

[jade_spider]

Thanks, everyone, for all the advice!

I'm sorry I didn't mention the age of the kits - they are about 2 weeks old now. (I am not sure how old Mom and Dad are yet)

About food and dust - I haven't actually purchased any yet. But we plan to do that ASAP. Is there a particular brand that's best for them? At the moment Petco is our best bet for animal needs but I'm more than willing to order online if there is a better source.

Should I be filtering tap water for them? Or is there a type of bottled water I should purchase?

What sort of supplements can I provide for the nursing mother? And how can I tell if she is pregnant again?

If the female turns out to be pregnant again, I would be OK with finding another home that's more experienced with taking care of pregnant chins and young kits.

At what age can the kits be weaned? Is this a process that will happen on its own or will I have to do anything to help that along?

How can I find out the sex of the Chins?

The person I'm taking them from says that the adults are used to being handled and they are friendly but the babies squirm a bit before settling after being petted for a little while. This is all I really know about their temperaments at the moment. (Other than that they all get along well - but I know that can change as the babies get older)

We have an entire room set aside for them at the moment - the girls' old play room. It has a rather large closet with sliding doors and I thought that keeping the cages in there would be best because we could leave it open when they are awake and close it for a little extra sound buffing when they need sleep. The cats were never allowed in this room (and rarely got in) so hopefully that will help out as well. The door is also stable and there are no nooks and crannies that the Chins can burrow into so we won't have to worry about them getting lost or the cats pestering them. I would like to (hopefully, eventually..) be able to bring them out into the rest of the house and/or outside so they can have a change of pace and "fresh air" (and maybe make friends with the cats?) but I don't know how possible this will end up being and I'm not going to force the issue. The weather is so nice and we've never had problems with birds of prey in the area (maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm always thinking about these things...) so I'm looking into setting up a small, fenced in area just for them - do you think this is a good idea? Or are they better off left inside?

If I end up separating them by gender, can they share the closet space with two cages side by side? Or should I give them more distance? They're going to have the entire room to run around and play in anyway so Perhaps I can alternate which cage is in the closet and which is out in the room if need be?

We live in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and I'm still on the look out for a good exotic pet vet. If anyone is in the area and could recommend one, I would be much obliged!

 

[RDZCRanch]

About food and dust - I haven't actually purchased any yet. But we plan to do that ASAP. Is there a particular brand that's best for them? At the moment Petco is our best bet for animal needs but I'm more than willing to order online if there is a better source.

Food bought online is fresher and comes direct from the company that makes the food or it comes through a reputable source that is also using the food for chinchillas so therefore ensuring it is fresh and healthy for the chinchillas. Oxbow, Tradition and Mazuri are the preferred brands of chinchilla feed.

Should I be filtering tap water for them? Or is there a type of bottled water I should purchase?

They need filtered water. Tap can sometimes contain giardia which is a protozoan that attacks the digestive systems of chinchillas and other mammals. It causes diarrhea which leads to dehydration along with a number of other problems. Don't use distilled water as this takes out essential minerals and vitamins the chinchillas need from their water. A good filter system I like is the Pur water filter and there is also Brita...whichever is more available to you and cheaper. They both work fine.

What sort of supplements can I provide for the nursing mother? And how can I tell if she is pregnant again?

Most nursing mothers do not require supplement. Just free feed pellets and hay and make sure she has plenty of water and she should do just fine. If the male was never taken out...she is pregnant again. I would count on having babies about 111 days from when her last kits were born.

At what age can the kits be weaned? Is this a process that will happen on its own or will I have to do anything to help that along?

The kits can be weaned at 8 weeks of age. Males need to be separated from the mother to ensure they do not impregnate the mother. There have been instances of males maturing and breeding at that young. The father needs to be separated from the mother and any female kits as females can be impregnated as early as four months which 99% of the time leads to complications and death in the female and any resulting fetus.

How can I find out the sex of the Chins?

Let the chinchilla rest in a normal position on your lap or on the ground. Then grasp the base of the chinchilla's tail firmly and lift the hind end up so that you can see the reproductive parts of your chinchilla. It should look like one of the following, both labeled for your convenience.

Female Bits

Male Bits

and/or outside so they can have a change of pace and "fresh air" (and maybe make friends with the cats?) but I don't know how possible this will end up being and I'm not going to force the issue. The weather is so nice and we've never had problems with birds of prey in the area (maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm always thinking about these things...) so I'm looking into setting up a small, fenced in area just for them - do you think this is a good idea? Or are they better off left inside?

Chinchillas have a very dense coat. The average hair per follicle is 80 to 130. These densely packed follicles are made to trap in heat. A chinchilla in the sun for more than several minutes is in danger of overheating. Since chinchillas need a regulated temperature they thrive indoors. They also can develop respiratory problems from drafts or breezes. The temperature in their room cannot get over 80 degrees or the chinchillas will suffer heat stroke which will cause brain damage or in some cases, death.

If I end up separating them by gender, can they share the closet space with two cages side by side? Or should I give them more distance? They're going to have the entire room to run around and play in anyway so Perhaps I can alternate which cage is in the closet and which is out in the room if need be?

Males can breed females through the bars of cages. So they should not be housed side by side...the more distance between them, the safer it will be in the long run. If you can keep both cages out of the closet I would do that...they don't need to be in the dark during the day...natural lighting helps keep their sleep cycles regulated.

 

[jade_spider]

Thank you so much for the detailed response!

I just found out the ages of the adult pair - they're both about a year and a half old.

The room they'll be in is pretty big so keeping both cages out of the closet will work out fine. There is only one window in the room but, to be honest, the thought had never crossed my mind that they needed the light to help keep their schedules in place. (It really should have, though.) Its on the sunnier side of the house but the window does have blinds if the sun ever does become a problem at all.

We actually have a Brita pitcher here at the moment, we'll have to pick up some more filters, though.

So, if I'm correctly absorbing the info I've received thus far, I should do the following:

* Immediately separate the male into his own cage and arrange for neutering ASAP. (by someone who really knows what they're doing)
* Arrange vet visits for the rest of the chins as well.
* Learn as much as I can about pregnancy and gestation of Chinchillas.
* Look for the brands mentioned at the local stores and buy what I can to cover their needs until the fresher stuff can arrive by mail.
* Figure out the babies' sex so we can separate them at 8 weeks. (I'm assuming it will be OK to move the male baby(ies) in with Dad at this point even though they will have been separated for a while?)

I'm thinking about trying to re-home any female kits to aid in weening and also because it looks like we may have more on the way...?

Feel free to correct me if any of this is a bad idea.

One more question - after the male is neutered and has been kept away for 6 weeks, is it OK to have him be cagemates with the mother again?

 

[Ash]

After the male is neutered and no longer has viable sperm (6 weeks) you can re-introduce him to Mom. But just be prepared they may not go back together after being separated.

 

[jade_spider]

Thanks... I guess we'll have to see how it goes, then.

 

[CommonYak]

I would like to (hopefully, eventually..) be able to bring them [...] outside so they can have a change of pace and "fresh air" (and maybe make friends with the cats?) but I don't know how possible this will end up being and I'm not going to force the issue. The weather is so nice and we've never had problems with birds of prey in the area (maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm always thinking about these things...)

When I first started caring for chinchillas, I asked the same question about letting them wander outside and enjoy fresh air. I have always daydreamed about letting the chins go outside during the chilly fall weather, maybe November or December, but never was able to set up a situation that was safe enough for them. They escape too easily and there are always too many other dangers.

One forum member suggested he had a safe way to do it (an enclosed indoor courtyard area that was open to the sky), but others on these forums suggested that it was a bad idea.

I suppose you'd have to bring them back to the cold, dry weather of the high altitudes in the Andes to let them get fresh air safely.

Just in case no one addresses this question, it seems a bad idea to expose the chins to cats. Keep the chins away from any predatory animals, domestic or otherwise.

 

[jade_spider]

I've seen videos and heard about chins and cats (or other animals) getting along but I figured our situation might be different since they wouldn't have grown up together?

Are those situations the very rare exception?

 

[kimbt622]

I've seen videos and heard about chins and cats (or other animals) getting along but I figured our situation might be different since they wouldn't have grown up together?

Are those situations the very rare exception?

I know that most cats don't take to chinnies very well. They could potentially, but I wouldn't risk it. I know if my cat sees my boys, she'll get startled and I never let the interaction last more than a few seconds because I'm afraid of how she'll react. She also will sometimes go into my room and just stare at their cage, which doesn't look good to me. So I would keep yours away at least for a while to be safe. I know some people are able to let their dogs near their chin cages but that doesn't include terriers or other dogs who go after rodents. I know my Shetland Sheepdog is petrified of the little chinnies, but i'm sure other members with more experience with this can touch on that subject

 

[jade_spider]

The Chins will be kept in their own room away from the cats so the only time they'll see each other is when they first get in the house or have to leave for vet visits. (Which I hope to get over and done with before the weather gets very warm)

I figured that it might take the Chins long enough to get used to the rest of the family so introducing them to the cats is something that wouldn't happen for a long while - if ever. I wish I had some other people with Chin pets around so they could give me pointers on the intricacies of their behavior so I can understand them better.

Also - I saw some "small pet harnesses" on the market but I'm assuming that you can't really use a harness for a chin. Am I right?

 

[Stackie]

No harnesses for chins, they have floating ribs the size of toothpicks and they would be easily broken.

Cats and chins should not only be in contact because of the cat's predatory instincts...cats can also harbor the deadly bacteria in their saliva known as pasteurella. If the chins contract this they can get very sick and die.

Cats can also transmit bordatella to chins, there was an instance where a whole rescue had to go under quarantine because an owner let their chins come in contact with their cats. The chin contracted this bacteria and ended up dying. It infected numerous other chins as well as I recall.

 

[jade_spider]

Oh no!

Is it OK to still have them in the same house together if they have no actual contact with each other?

 

[Stackie]

Yes, they can still live in the same house I have two cats of my own. They just aren't allowed in the room that my chinchillas are in. I wouldn't allow any direct contact at all.

 

[jade_spider]

Thanks!

As much as we really want to take these chins in I could never give up my cats!