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Chinjen

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Hi everyone,

This is my first post here. I’ve been sneaking around the website for the past few months gathering information during my research on chinchillas, but now I find I need to ask more specific questions, so I hope you will bear with me!

I want to make sure I have done all my research before getting a chinchilla. I have found a lot of information already, but I still have a few questions:
Suitable cage. This issue is driving me crazy! I know that you should avoid plastic in chin cages, and I know that wire flooring is not suitable either. But I don’t seem to be able to find anything that has no plastic, solid floors and a drop-in base to hold substrate! I like the ferret nation, but how do those of you who use that keep the bedding in the cage?
How destructive are chins really? There doesn’t seem to be a single room in my house, apart from a very small bathroom, that doesn’t at the very least have carpet or wires that they could chew on. I could get a large playpen, but I've read that chins could probably jump out of that.
Fabric in the cage– I have read that you can’t put fabric in the cage, but I’ve also seen here that many of you use fleece – is that safe? And can you use it instead of substrate in a FN cage, thus avoiding the problem of no pan…?
Vets fees. Just so that I know I have the funds to properly care for my chin, I’m interested to hear what average vet costs are, say across the space of a year. I know that emergencies can arise, but if anyone can give me a rough idea of what I should be setting aside, I’d appreciate it.
Lastly, interaction with cats. I have two – and I don’t think they would bother the chin as I think it would be too large for them to consider prey. This does not need to be an issue as there are places I could put a chin cage that can be shut off from the cats, but the best places for it would not be, so I wondered what other people’s experiences are here. Do cats really freak out chins?

Also, can anyone recommend a book on chinchilla care? I’ve seen plenty but as with many pet care manuals I’m sure lots contain misinformation. If there are one or two authoritative guides, I’d love to know what they are!

Thanks for reading this lengthy post and in advance for your help :)
 
Okay, first off, welcome to CnH and kudos for doing your research!

Now, I'll try to answer your questions, but also make sure you read the threads on here, there is alot of good information on here!

1. Cages- a cage with a wire bottom is doable, just make sure the spacing of the bars is small enough that they will not get their feet stuck in there, and that you provide some solid shelves for them so that they can rest their feet. I have a Ferret nation. I recently bought a slide in metal pan from Bass, you could put bedding in that, or even a fleece liner. Look through some of the threads on here for ideas, FN is nice, but you have alot of different options.

2. Destructiveness- this depends on the chin really. I have some chins that aren't too bad, and I have one that will chew everything he can find.

3. Fabric-Basically, fabric is bad because of the little strings that they can pull out and ingest. Fleece does not have little strings, so it is considered chew-proof. There are chins however that will try to rip up fleece and eat it, in this case, I would not use it, but I have yet to have a chin that does this.

4. Vet Fees- Chins are considered exotic, so vet bills can get pricey depending on what is being done. I've dropped 175 bucks on a single visit, and i'm sure many have payed a ton more. You could also go years without a single visit.

5. Finally, cats. Cats and chins don't mix. Not only the whole prey thing, but there are also bacteria that can be passed to chins that are harmful.

I know this is long, but hopefully it will answer a few of your questions!
Goodluck! :)
 
Your questions have mostly been answered but I wanted to throw a few other things in there.

For the bedding, some use fleece liners which is nice because there is less mess. But Bass Equipment makes pans that you can get as deep as you want so that less bedding flies out.

I wouldn't say chins are destructive...they CAN be but that's why it's always good to make a safe play area for them and always keep an eye on them.

Vet costs can range from low hundreds to thousands depending on the case. It's just always a good idea to have a back-up plan to your back-up plan...some people just keep an empty credit card with a larger limit as a back-up source.

I'm not completely sure if there is a chin care book, there might be. But all the books I've seen have incorrect info. This forum is your best bet at getting the correct info on chins.

Good luck!
 
Clarification on the whole cat bacteria thing. It can be passed easily if your cat gets a swipe with his claw at your chin. Very complicated and almost always results in death. If you are going to get a chin and keep the cats, they can never come close to each other. Too easy for the cat to get defensive or offensive and take a swipe at your chin and essentially give it a death sentence.

That being said, many owners here own both cats and chinchillas with no problems as they keep them separated.
 
Thanks for all your responses, particularly the information about cat bacteria which I had never hear before. I must admit, Siylvat's answer did have me worried that even breathing the same air would be bad for chins! It should be easier to keep them separate enough that the cats can't physically touch the chins...
Thanks also for the clarification on wire cages - it's reassuring to know that all those with wire floors aren't necessarily duds!
The idea of a spare credit card on hand just for vet fees is a good one too.
I'm sure I'll be back with more questions - I appreciate all your help!
 
I'm already back with more questions - do you experienced owners consider there to be any difference in temperament between males and females? Is one easier for first-timers? In the first instance, I am only looking to get a single chin (I will be adopting, and naturally I would not split a pair, only adopt one who is already used to living alone) with the potential to attempt an introduction later on depending how I get on, if necessary.
 
Every chin has a different personality- I have all males. They range from loving to be held and extremely friendly, to ones that refuse to be held and kack at me whenever I touch them. One even screams when I attempt to touch him- he was a rescue however and was abused in his previous home. The general consensus is that gender has no affect on temperament. You can have nasty males & females, along with friendly males & females.
 
There is a book by ANIMAL PLANET, CHINCHILLAS by Dave Alderton that seems about 98% correct. The only thing I really disagree with is the green leafy vegetables, herbs and fresh fruit being O.K., but he does say they're not required - other than that, seems pretty accurate.
 
I find that my males are generally more social with me than my females. You also run a greater risk of being sprayed with urine from a cranky female rather than a male. It is a good idea to have chins in same sex pairs as they can keep each other company while you are at work or whatever, but is not necessary. If you get a pair, brothers from the same litter or established male pairs are a good bet, but you will need to have a backup cage if they one day decide they are mortal enemies (which can happen). Introductions can either go really well or take a long time...
 
Chinjen said:
Thanks for all your responses, particularly the information about cat bacteria which I had never hear before. I must admit, Siylvat's answer did have me worried that even breathing the same air would be bad for chins!
Click to expand...

Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you so much, I just wanted to stress NO interactions. I have a cat, and my chins are fine. I just don't let them in the same room at the same time. lol
 
Siylvat said:
Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you so much, I just wanted to stress NO interactions. I have a cat, and my chins are fine. I just don't let them in the same room at the same time. lol
Click to expand...

No worries, better safe than sorry ;) That probably rules out one place I was looking at for a chin cage - because it is the coolest in the house - as the cats would have access to the cage on a normal basis. I could shut them out of the area for out-of-cage playtime, but if they were able to stick their paws through the bars it might not be a good idea. Hmm... food for thought.
 
One possibility is to build a melamine cage so that the top and sides are solid and the cats cannot access the chins. Our melamine cages have "windows" cut out on the sides with wire covering them and wire doors.
 
Glad I read this post....I had a question about the cage and fleece too! I am getting a Critter Nation 162 for the chin I plan to adopt. I joined the forum "chin-less" to so I could learn everything about these wonderful animals. I am getting a male chin too, so this answered a few of my questions I was going to post. Thanks, ChinJen and good luck to you :)
 
I would suggest getting a pair. They really are animals that "love" to live in pairs-when they are compatable. If you do just get one--be ready to be there alot for him, it'll need you to be available to avoid boredom/loneliness. Also, you'll have to get an alone one a medium sized cuddle buddy. I have 2 together and 1 alone. They all are very adjusted and happy--but, the 2 together do seem to be more laid back and boy do they look cute when they cuddle & snuggle each other!!hehe
 
I guess the cat question would all depend on your cats.....I have 3....all have full run of the house including where my chins are......They do not bother the chins. They will sit out side the cage and watch them and thats it. The chins are more curious about them......but my house is weird LOL My cats won't even catch mice if they are in my house, they just let them run cuz they have been taught that birds and rodents are babies and do not touch LOL, is sad really, is a good thing I don't have mice. Would have to find a REAL cat to catch them :)
 
Uhm, about the litter. I have one cage with a pan 4 inches deep, and I came home to find litter sprayed all over the room and carpet. My other wire-bottom cage works well, of course there will always be mystery poop-flinging... I suggest a cage with a wire bottom, but with lots of ledges for jumping and resting on. I put a large trash liner under my cages, so when I do a major cage cleaning I can just roll all of the poo/hay/long-range pee up and put a fresh one down. My biggest enemy is hay, it tends to get pushed out and is bad for the vacuum cleaner. I believe Quality Cages sells shelf guards, which might help a bit. Good luck!
 
Hi, welcome and congrats. You'll have many hours of enjoyment when you get your new baby.

Just to make sure your mind is at ease with the cat situation, I have a cat also, but my chins have their own bedroom and my cat isn't allowed in there. She once in awhile when I forget to shut the gate, come in now and then when they aren't out and I'm just going in to check on everyone but I shooo her out really quick. So I think just breathing the air is probably safe, but if I'm wrong someone please correct me.

Also I just wanted to say I have two adult females and two adult males, and I can't speak for all chins, just mine, and I have to say my males are more friendlier and never bite, but both my females have bitten me before.

And with the vet, you might want to check around before you actually get a chin because there aren't many vets that are that knowledgeable with these animals, I had to call several places before I found one. Just ask how much they know, I have found all places I called in the beginning were honest and were not offended by that question. That way if something ever does arrise, you'll have a vet already.

Again, best of luck.

Jean
 
Chinjen said:
There doesn’t seem to be a single room in my house, apart from a very small bathroom, that doesn’t at the very least have carpet or wires that they could chew on.
Click to expand...

You will want to use the bathroom or a playpen. I don't care if it is a destructive chin or not you would need to watch it like a hawk around wire. I had a spare computer sitting in the room unplugged. All the wires ended up getting chewed.

Personally I do not use wire bottomed cages unless I cover the wire with a fleece liner. That may be extreme, but better safe than sorry.

I have cats and they go in the chin room, they just can't reach their cages.
 
Welcome - I want to say about the 'cat thing' I have both cats and dogs besides 35 + chins they all share the same rooms (the chins in cages of course) and I have had a problem. My cats are the least bit interested in my chins.
 
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