Housing needs for older chin

[Bairnns]

I tried searching for this, but the terms were too general- words like 'old' and 'senior' are used in many contexts.

I have homemade multi-level cages for my 3 chins, all built to standards found through the precursor to this forum, chinsnquills.

My daughter works with an animal education program which has a chin housed in a cage much like an outdoor rabbit hutch. It's good sized, but only one level. She and I have built a new cage to donate, and after first approving it they are now balking. Their concern is that their chin is a senior, about 15 yrs old, and is not used to jumping levels. But despite the single level cage he's been in, my daughter says he is active and agile when taken out of the cage. Since the program is staffed during the day and not at night, though, he spends most of the time they can observe sleeping in one of his hideaways.

So the question is, do chins reach a point in old age where they lose their agility? For a long period of time, not just during their final weeks or an illness. Or is the typical multi level cage good for a lifetime? We are going to add a couple of ramps to appease them, and if they decide they don't want it have more than one person wanting to buy it, so our labor will not be lost. But would like to educate them!

TIA,

Lori

 

[ticklechin]

Appease them, senior chinchillas can get arthritis pain like humans, my 17 year old had ramps installed after he was around 14 years old and was started on glucosamine after the vet discovered the arthritis during a visit for another issue.

 

[AZChins]

You could just make a fun one level cage for your older chin once he seems to have slowed down and can't get to things like he used to.

I have some older chins that are 15 or older that do fine in any cage...and then I have some chins that are slower and their joints aren't moving like they used to. Once they can't move around as well I make sure that they are in a simpler cage with the levels closer together or in a one level cage with a house or some ledges, something fun for them.

It varies so much with the chins when they actually start slowing down. Sometimes it will happen at 11 or 12 that this happens, sometimes they'll be 17 or 18 and never seem to have any issues with moving and getting to things. I have an 18 year old rescue boy now that you would never guess is that old because of how coordinated and healthy he appears. And, I have a 15 year old male, who looks awful, but still can jump to his highest perch and spends all his time there even though you'd think that there was no way he could!