C
Chinjen
Guest
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
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