Getting back into chins! Currently, I have one spoiled rotten non-existent chin!

[MNChinLover]

Hello all!
I thought I would introduce myself and such and these seemed like the place to do it? (If not, sorry!)

Anyway, I have officially decided to get back into chinchillas. I have had various animals over my life from dogs, cats, chinchillas, sugar gliders, guinea pig, frog, freshwater and saltwater fish, snakes, horse, etc.

The last time I have had chinchillas was about 10 year ago when I was 11 or 12ish, long story short, I got really sick and my mom had told me my standard male chin needed to be put down. Anyway I got another after i recovered. She was beautiful, still unsure what color she was but she was white with a touch of silver tips on her fur. So maybe a mosaic that didnt really have any pattern? Then the doctor said I was so sick because apparently I am allergic to all animals, my passion. So my doctor insisted I get rid of all my pets.

Since then I have had all the allergy shots and have been fine ever since. I remember liking the chinchilla's the most out of all the animals i have had, (except for dogs!) but I would really like to get one or two now.

I am excited to say that I will be joining the "ferret nation club" on or before this Wednesday!!!
I already have a ton of supplies:
Ferret Nation Double Unit Cage- ordered and on it's way!!!
-2 Stainless Steel bass pans (one with cut out and one without)
-ChinSpin
-2 16oz. glass water bottles and cleaning brush
-Oxbow Blue Cloud Dust
-4 10X6 tubes
-Lots of ledges (2 12X12 loft ledges, 1 L shaped ledge, 1 16" ledge with drop in metal bowl, 1 12" ledge, 2 8" ledges, 2 6" ledges), wood hay holder,1 wooden bridge with no gaps for toes to get hurt, I also have a small branch to leap on and a colored pumice perch.
-2 different arched hide outs (looks like upside down bridge?)
-still waiting to pick up a chin house, I have one picked out with a hole on the side and the top and a toy attached to another side
-Lots of chin safe hanging toys and a few to go on the ground.

Today, I actually went to Joann's (60% off sale!) and picked up a bunch (probably way too much?) anti-pill and blizzard fleece. I have ordered enough fleece for (4) 3 layer liners and a bunch of hammocks, double hammocks, tube covers, cylinder or cube hanging houses, etc. I figured having extras was okay and means I can switch them out whenever I feel like it!
-For the fleece liners I bought a pattern side and a solid color for the middle and underside.
-I picked 2 patterns and got 60"X58"
-For the 2 solid colors I got 120"X58"
-I have 3 other patterns and 3 solid colors to go with each, each of them I got 1 yardX58".
So I think I am good on fleece! I may make more fleece liners in the future since I do not have a laundry facility in my apartment so it is not super convenient to do laundry.

Ok, so I plan on getting a black velvet male chinchilla (because even though my female never sprayed me and I did not have her too long, the thought of inviting family over to see my new cool member of the family only to be sprayed with urine doesnt sound like it will go over that well...).
I also really like the mosaic's without patterns, just white with silver on the tips of their hair, because I absolutely loved the coloration of my last chinchilla).
I believe these two colors would go really well together.

Now to my questions! (Sorry for such a long post!!!)
1. Are two males together less likely to work than two females? (worst case scenerio I would have to divide the cage into 2).

2. If you have two chinchillas together does that mean they are not going to like me as much? I have only had two chinchillas- at separate times and both were very friendly with me and would go adventure when I let them out and then come cuddle with me shortly after.

3. I remember having a "leash" for my first chinchilla and remember it being convenient when I didn't have a chin safe room for them so I used it as more of a way to keep the chinchilla to where I thought it was safe to go in the room (obviously not yanking or anything like that)... are any of these "leashes" safe?

4. What is the best food? (I plan on getting timothy hay, but am unsure of what pellet to use).

5. What about bedding? Aspen? Pine? what is the best and can I choose any brand that says "aspen" or do the brands matter as well?

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Wow. Sound's like you are well on your way to chinnie parenthood. I highly recommend looking for a rescue in your area when you are ready to bring your new babies home.

Now for your questions...
1.) I think don't think sex has anything to do with how long a pair will or will not work. Sometimes it just doesn't work out after so long.
However, if you start with a pair of males and decide you want a girl later... this could cause problems for your males if kept in the same room. Not always, but possible.

2.) I don't think really think so, but if you are worried about it to much, one on one time with you and each one might be something you try.

3.) Leashes are not safe at all. Chins have a floating rib cage which is easily broken by those leashes. They hide pain very well so it could be awhile before you know they are hurt.

4.) Oxbox Chinchilla, Mazuri, Traditional, Manna Pro, Manna Pro Sho, and there are some others. You might look around and see what you can get locally.

5.) Aspen and Pine are both fine. Pine must say Kiln Dried before it is safe. If you have a Tractor Supply near you they have Aspen and Pine shaving at an awesome price.

 

[tunes]

1. Are two males together less likely to work than two females? (worst case scenerio I would have to divide the cage into 2). All chins are different. Some males are great, some females are. Just depends on the chin and your preference.

2. If you have two chinchillas together does that mean they are not going to like me as much? I have only had two chinchillas- at separate times and both were very friendly with me and would go adventure when I let them out and then come cuddle with me shortly after. I have never found that one or two chins likes me more or less. I think you get out what you put in. Spend lots of time with them and you should get the same level of interaction. Chins are chins though, which you already know from having them before. They do what they want when they want to.

3. I remember having a "leash" for my first chinchilla and remember it being convenient when I didn't have a chin safe room for them so I used it as more of a way to keep the chinchilla to where I thought it was safe to go in the room (obviously not yanking or anything like that)... are any of these "leashes" safe? No, they are not. No leashes, no harnesses, no runabout balls. None of them are meant for a chin's natural motion and leashes and harnesses run the risk of breaking delicate chinchilla bones. If you don't have a chinchilla safe room, get a playpen to confine the chin.

4. What is the best food? (I plan on getting timothy hay, but am unsure of what pellet to use). You should be able to get about any food in your area. The list posted above are all good.

5. What about bedding? Aspen? Pine? what is the best and can I choose any brand that says "aspen" or do the brands matter as well? I use pine. Aspen is too expensive for the amount of chins I have, though I did use it in the beginning. I think pine does a better job of controlling odor. Some people prefer to use fleece liners that they can change out every couple of days and put a litter pan with shavings in it in the corner of the cage where chins like to pee. If you buy pine, be sure it is kiln dried.

 

[MNChinLover]

@BooBoo*TheKiddo* and tunes:
Thank you so much for the advice! I am still unsure if I want to get one or two male chins (which that would be it, no getting a female chin)

I guess I will find out what I end up with when I am more ready to get the chin.. I have decided to wait until the end of this summer because I plan on taking a lot of mini vacations this summer. ..But that doesn't mean I can't make the cage fully prepared in the mean time, which I find to be very fun shopping for my furry members of the family.. including future ones!

I have found one rescue/breeder in MN that I will see what she has, and she said when I am ready if she doesn't have what I am looking for she will send me to a few other people that might.

I have read that if you are going to try pairing two chins together, it would be best to introduce them as babies. So I would really like to get the black velvet and a mosaic.. but what if I found one baby at one breeder/rescue and the other at a different location. This would be alright correct?

Yeah I remember when I had my first chinchilla the pet store sold me the leash/harness. and they also sold me a large ball to put him in, however, after I let him run around in the ball for about 5-10 minutes he seemed to be getting hot so I never used one since then but the harness/leash never seemed to be a problem. But I don't want to run the risk of injuring my chin so I will avoid this.

What do you guys think about the Deluxe Pop Up Playpen, Large? I could also put the chin in the bathroom too, but I think the playpen would be cool too if it is going to work.

Thanks for the food list! when I go to the pet store to pick up my cage I will see if they have any of these, otherwise the rescue/breeder I found sells the Manna Pro Sho.

I will also use Aspen or Pine Kiln Dried, hopefully the pine and I plan on just using a glass baking dish to put it in and using fleece liners everywhere else.

 

[ticklechin]

Also have a exit strategy in case thise does not work out again, check if you have any local rescues.

 

[fuji9991]

What exactly happened to all these animals you keep having to "get rid of"?

 

[MNChinLover]

@ticklechin
Yes, I know of one woman that does chinchilla rescues so far. So if there was any issues where I had to give my chins up then I could go to her... Not sure why I would though even if I had two and they didn't get along I could separate them with the double ferret nation I am getting.

@fuji9991
Some pets I did all the research on, but eventually got busy with life because of a big tragedy that happened and did not have as much time or energy to spend with them as I would like, so instead of keeping an animal that is not getting the attention it deserves, I would rather give them to someone who is going to enjoy and give more attention to them. I want what is best for them.

Some pets I lost interest in having or did all the research and thought I was going to love them but then I missed something from the research I did and ended up being too much maintenance that my schedule allowed. Keep in mind I am a college student and used to have 3 jobs and taking extra classes so my time was limited. Now I am going to school full time and either have 1 part time job or just volunteer for more flexible scheduling as I am now sitting better financially.

The main reason I had to get rid of a lot of my pets is that when i was 11 or 12 I had a huge asthma/pneumonia attack that almost killed me (my doctors told my mom they didn't think I was going to make it). So I was in critical care for like two weeks and my mom was non stop at the hospital. I think she had someone give food to my dog but that was it.

Once I got better my mom told me that my standard male chinchilla had to be put down because he had a problem with his penis. (I am assuming that he was dead when she finally went back to the house right before I was going to leave the hospital as I do not think anyone was taking care of him all that time..) But I can not ask her this question as she recently passed away.

Then we got another chin (this time a female.. i believe to be a mosaic) right after and I loved her. My doctor insisted I get allergy tested for various things. The tests came back and I am allergic to basically every animal- my passion. He insisted I get rid of every animal.. more like demanded.. I got the vibe he did not like animals and never had the connection. But my mom listened, she made me get rid of everything. I found new homes for my two cats, my horse, my female chinchilla, etc. The only animal my mom let me keep was the dog, which was only because she knew how much animals meant to me and that I wouldn't be able to live with zero.

I immediately went through the long and painful process of getting all those allergy shots and have not had a problem since.

Currently, I am living in my own apartment and I have my two dogs. One is 11 and the other is 4. I have been wanting another chinchilla for awhile now because out of all the pets that I do not have anymore I miss them the most (and I also enjoy the maintenance on them the most as well!)

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I have read that if you are going to try pairing two chins together, it would be best to introduce them as babies. So I would really like to get the black velvet and a mosaic.. but what if I found one baby at one breeder/rescue and the other at a different location. This would be alright correct?

2 babies (or just chins in general) from 2 different rescue/breeders could be introduce and it possibly work out. However, that depends on the chins themselves. Also, if you get them from 2 different location they would each have to go through a 30 day quarantine period.. away from each other in different rooms.

What do you guys think about the Deluxe Pop Up Playpen, Large? I could also put the chin in the bathroom too, but I think the playpen would be cool too if it is going to work.

A lot of people use playpens but I'm not sure exactly what the names of them are. But playpens are defiantly handy to have.

 

[fuji9991]

there is some irony in that Chinchillas are considered to be the most hypoalergenic pet in the world while almost everyone is alergic to dogs or cats or both. I am affraid you got some crummy advise form that doctor and went through a lot of unnecessary trauma. If you were 11 at the time that might be some years back before a lot of information was so widly available

Have you considered adopting from a rescue? Would seem like serendipity especially considering that you could likely adopt an already bonded pair

 

[MNChinLover]

there is some irony in that Chinchillas are considered to be the most hypoalergenic pet in the world while almost everyone is alergic to dogs or cats or both. I am affraid you got some crummy advise form that doctor and went through a lot of unnecessary trauma. If you were 11 at the time that might be some years back before a lot of information was so widly available

Have you considered adopting from a rescue? Would seem like serendipity especially considering that you could likely adopt an already bonded pair

Really? I didn't know chins were considered to be hypoallergenic! Currently I have two small dogs who do not shed. But I was like I miss chinchillas so screw it if I do still have allergies I am going to get one or two again!
Again, I went through all the shots and everything so hopefully I am not allergic to anything anymore. But yeah, I absolutely HATED that doctor and really got the vibe he had no interest or hated animals.

Yes, I have considered and am still considering adopting from a rescue. From what I have heard about chins going through their own version of a 'terrible two's' but at a younger age. I would be willing to find some older chins to adopt.. as long as they are not super old already, I would hate to lose them a few years after I got them!

If I were to get two I am pretty set on getting a black velvet (because I think they look cool and have not had one) and a mosaic (because I believe this is the coloration of my last chin who was BEAUTIFUL!)

So if I could find someone who rescues chins that have two male chins (one black velvet and one mosaic) that have been together for a long time or their whole life somewhere in MN or one of the surrounding states that would be ideal.

Also, one random question, does anyone know how long until my posts will be seen immediately after I post them instead of having to go through a moderator first?
Thanks!

 

[fuji9991]

I guess its a little missleading, the animial them selves are Hyopalergenic but I guess you can still be alergic to the hay they eat and the dust they bath in LOL. But yeah there are no known cases of the chinchilla its self causing alergies. But I don't really see the hay and dust being much different as simply going outside. Its tough for me to speek I have alergies but never life threatinging or altering level of alergies.

If you are serious about rescue you are going to need to open your requirements a bit as finding that specific combo would be miraculous. Standard greys are totally awesome and will probably be the most common available.

 

[Amethyst]

I guess its a little missleading, the animial them selves are Hyopalergenic but I guess you can still be alergic to the hay they eat and the dust they bath in LOL. But yeah there are no known cases of the chinchilla its self causing alergies. But I don't really see the hay and dust being much different as simply going outside. Its tough for me to speek I have alergies but never life threatinging or altering level of alergies.

Actually there have been people who are allergic to the actual chinchilla, it's pretty uncommon though. I remember reading about it on here within the last year or so, someone went to the doctor and actually tested positive to being allergic to the actual chinchillas. If an animal has fur, ever grooms itself and sheds it's possible to be allergic to it, though chinchilla dander doesn't have the same protein in it as other animals so if you allergic to cats, rabbits or dogs you wont necessarily be allergic to chins too. It is more likely for people to be allergic to the dust and/or hay though.
Also being in a closed space with bath dust and hay dust in the air is much different from just going outside, unless you live on a dusty farm.

 

[Stackie]

I swell up with hives like crazy when I get scratched by one of my chins and get red itchy bumps just when I hold them. So yes, it is possible to be allergic to the chin itself.

Add in their hay and dust, and I have to basically dress in haz mat gear to clean cages.

 

[MNChinLover]

Thank you all for the information!

Well.. I decided to be anxious and head to my local pet store today after my night class to see if my cage happened to come in a day early like the manager thought it would. It didn't..

But I took the time to look for kiln dried pine and I see they carry it!
I also looked at their pellets and they have "Oxbow Essentials Chinchilla Deluxe Chinchilla Food" I am assuming this is the right "Oxbow" that is supposed to be good.

They also have Oxbow timothy hay.. they may have had timothy hay and western timothy hay (or I may have seen that somewhere else) is there a difference between these?

I am hoping to get the cage tomorrow night if my class (last day of the semester!!) ends early otherwise it will have to be Thursday. I will try and post pictures when I get the cage built and put in the pans and would shelves and such.

Also, are bird toys made out of wood without plastic, rope, etc. okay for chins? And is there any such thing as a chew toy too big for chinchillas? I have been eyeing up this BIG parrot toy that my local store has, it is basically all wood and chain, there is some sort of twine at the very bottom tied to the end of the chains, but this can easily be removed.

 

[tunes]

Most wood that is safe for birds is safe for chins. There is a safe wood list in the FAQ section that you can refer to to be sure though. Yes, that is the right Oxbow pellet for your chins. Any of the Oxbow hays are good. Rule of thumb is if you feed an alfalfa based pellet to feed a timothy hay and for timothy pellets feed alfalfa hay. When I feed an alfalfa based pellet I always feed Oxbow timothy with a handful of alfalfa every now and again as a treat.

 

[MNChinLover]

Most wood that is safe for birds is safe for chins. There is a safe wood list in the FAQ section that you can refer to to be sure though. Yes, that is the right Oxbow pellet for your chins. Any of the Oxbow hays are good. Rule of thumb is if you feed an alfalfa based pellet to feed a timothy hay and for timothy pellets feed alfalfa hay. When I feed an alfalfa based pellet I always feed Oxbow timothy with a handful of alfalfa every now and again as a treat.

Oh, I didn't know that. I thought alfalfa hay was bad for some reason. But the bag of the oxbow pellets says made with alfalfa hay, so I will make sure to buy the timothy hay.

Today is possibly the day I get to pick up the cage!
I am assuming I should wait on picking up the bedding, hay and food until I am closer to getting a chin or two (August-September-ish) correct?

 

[fuji9991]

man allergies suck

 

[MNChinLover]

:dance3: I got my Ferret Nation cage today!!! :dance3:

As promised, here are a few pics! I do not have everything yet like a house, I didnt put the water bottles on but I do have those,etc. and I realize after I took the pics one of the shelves in the top section is upside down!

Let me know what you guys think!

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I think the cage looks nice.

 

[MNChinLover]

I think the cage looks nice.

Thank you, I have moved a few things around, like the bridge to the mid level and the food dish ledge right above it. I may not use the bridge that much, especially if the chins do not use it much because it takes up a lot of space where I would like to place other things. But if the chins love it.. well I guess it will have to stay!

I also have 3 more of those tubes that is laying on the upper level that I plan on covering in fleece and hanging in the cage various places and making more fleece items to switch out.

I had a question as far as covering the tubes in fleece, is it okay to stitch like a two lines of stitching to make the folded over part look a little nicer? Or does everything have to be hidden?