Breeding problem I never considered

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RainOverVegas

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I've owned chins as pets for 4 years and have been researching breeding for two. I've put in hours, printed notes, made folders, gone to shows, joined MCBA, became involved, visited ranchers. Spent good money on nice breeders. I can handle death I can handle handfeeding every two hours for 2 months I can handle vet bills. These are the things I always hear everyone say to consider and think about before breeding. These are the issues I've seen pointed out day after day on the old forum. But today I experienced something I never really heard or just didn't think of.

The first baby I had born here I decided to keep. I had my second baby born in December to my standard pair, a first place at nationals female and my favorite male. He is the sweetest calmest little baby and was immediately claimed by a work related friend, a 40ish year old man and his 12 year old daughter. She is a bit young but a very different little girl very calm and not many friends she seemed really good with the chins. Plus I knew he would be involved and help guide her. So for the last 8 weeks they were over twice a week to visit the baby for an hour or so, I spent 3 hours typing a guide sheet with everything you would ever need to know about chins with every single store and website to obtain safe wheels cages food ect. We spoke on the phone a few times a week exchanged many emails. They seemed so ready and excited it excited me to share the world of chins with them. I wasn't going to charge a cent for the baby so they could use the money to spoil it even more. So today the baby is 8 weeks old and I pack him up to bring to their house.

I can't describe the fury and frustration I felt there. As I'm walking in the man says we went and got all the stuff last night at petsmart the lady said it was all good stuff we will see what you think. What?!?! The first thing I even told them about chins is they are not hamsters pet stores don't know anything they are doing and sell inappropriate often DEADLY supplies. I told him you must be internet savvy. I gave him all the most specific information you could possibly receive 8 WEEKS ago so he could be prepared and they waited until the night before to run to petsmart to buy a superpet cage, plastic wheel, plastic house and water bottle, charlie chinchilla food, no hay and a plastic runabout ball. To think someone could just 100% ignore everything you've said and have the nerve to smile to your face is beyond me. That I wasted 8 weeks on someone who just doesn't care. I was extremely clear and left no room for error there is NO excuse.

I left the house in tears clutching the baby with a deathgrip there is NO way they are getting him from me. If you can't handle the items needed for the first day of life how are you going to care for it for the next 10, 20, 30 years? I feel terrible for the little girl but she is not my concern her dad screwed up and my only responsibility is the health and safety of the baby I brought into the world. I don't think I can breed chinchillas. I'm tempted to sell all of my breeders right now. I didn't take into account the selfishness and stupidity of humans and how they can take what you are so careful passionate and loving for and screw it up with pure laziness because they just don't care. There is no emoticon for how I'm feeling!!!
 
Sorry for your bad experience. I breed chins on a very small scale and kept every baby (probably selfish on my part). My biggest concern is will the person give him/her a good home. I won't even sell the breeders either.
 
Yes people like that are rude and ignorant. He had plenty of time to get proper accesories for the baby.

Good for you for leaving with that baby regardless of the little girl you don't want the baby in that situation.
 
It is tough you give advice and watch it ignored. I have sent several people away for the same reason. or when they show up and ask what they need cause they are stopping on the way home.... they also go home empty handed
 
I mean this in the nicest way, and remember I've sold many animals i nthe same demographic as you are in as I am pretty close to you in the grand scheme of things, that said if this situation effects you like that, breeding may nor be for you, and certainly breeding on a large scale is not for you. It is a very frustrating situation, but a very common one. Ever person leaves saying they are gonna contact you non stop, come back to get good food from you, send pictures, it goes on and on, know how many I have heard back from(pet people, not other breeder I've sold too) 0! When the animal goes out the door, odds are you will never see or hear from it again, and odds are it is not gonna get quality care. This is sadly the life for the vast majority of pet chinchillas.
 
I think you are right. Maybe I am so disheartened because it was my first home placement, or because I was friends with the guy, or maybe I was just naive. It does make me want to take a step back, sell the few chins I bought purely for breeding that are unfriendly, and buy some huge new cages and spoil the heck out of my babies. Appreciate them for what they were originally to me, wonderful little pets. :)
 
Did you try talking to the guy, telling him exactly what is wrong? Yes, you told him in the beginning. But if he DID go to the petstore, they can be very convincing to someone, and still sell them the wrong things.

Anyone, instead of just refusing to sell a chin to someone- I try and tell them what mistakes they made, how to fix them, options they can do--and work with them.

As a breeder, you'll find there is NO PERFECT HOME. We all want a perfect home for our animals, but we'll never find one. You've gotta settle somewhere..and sometimes the best thing to do is guide somone. I had someone who I almost just deleted their e-mail. I took the time to help them, they made mistakes, we educated them..and they turned into wonderful owners.

Just thinking..maybe there IS hope for the family, and maybe they are willing to learn--and honestly thought they were doing right.
 
Out of the four rescues that I have taken, two came from the same woman. It wasn't a poor environment with her (aside from the silly newbie mistakes) but she was moving and couldn't take them with her. When I took them from her she asked me to stay in contact if I could. I will admit, it's hard sometimes. I sent christmas pics and an update every month or so, but it is hard.


Don't let it get to you though hun...it just wasn't meant to be. And at least you went to drop him off so you saw in time what lay ahead-what if he had some to pick him up??? You would have never known...


I know some breeders on here that also sell supplies demand that you buy all your goods from them before and after the purchase so they know that you are keeping up with propper care...
 
How did my old post go twice at two different times? Weird....
I would love to give him the benefit of the doubt and am all for second chances but it was just so blatantly the exact opposite of everything I recommended. Even the things easily available at pet stores like a glass water bottle or hay. It was just so incredibly ignorant I can't trust him. My gut says run with the baby as fast as possible or I'm going to get a call in less than a month that it is dead. I said not to get a wheel right away because the safe ones are expensive and only available online so he buys a plastic one. Waiting until the last night when he had 8 weeks. I told him to keep the baby on my food and buy it through me or a website I gave him so he buys charlie chinchilla? NO treats before 6 months and after that only a list of specific safe ones so he buys yogurt drops. It was just mind blowing.
 
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Part of the reason I stopped breeding when I moved from CT to TN was the "way" of the area, particularly how people keep their pets. I border KY, where cock fighting is rampant. Needless to say, there are many participants breeding them here and a lot in SW VA. Puppy mills are out of control in the bordering parts of SW VA as well. For a lot of people, keeping dogs outside doesn't warrant a second thought. There are people like this all over the nation, but even though I live in a city, because of the mass amounts of "country" here, I see it more.

There are many great people and pet owners here, but it makes me uncomfortable in a new area to have to do so much screening. I knew people, reputations, who was known for what in CT - I had good contacts and great people who still update me today on the ones I sold.

I understand that your experience was one that you wish never had happened. Finding good homes was THE hardest thing about breeding for me too.
 
After doing rescue for almost three years now you see the good and the bad. There are some pet owners who want to learn and really do care about their pets. Yet there are others who to them a chinchilla is just another rodent. Even when I place rescue animals,, I try to educate as much as possible,get to know who the chin is going to but it still a hard job to do.
 
Jinul said:
There are people like this all over the nation, but even though I live in a city, because of the mass amounts of "country" here, I see it more.
Click to expand...

Why do people try to use "I was raised in the country" as an excuse to treat animals as disposable property? :confused:

I grew up in Texas and I have family members in the country that just go through dog after dog, cat after cat, because they are always getting run over, sick, or devoured by coyotes (or bobcats, etc.). I have actually known people that shoot their sick pets, instead of taking them to the vet, and time after time it is always, "well, things are a bit different in the country..." :mad:
 
We have the same problems over here and it is soul destroying. Mind you as I breed a rare mutation, pure recessive charcoals, I don't have the problem. My 'extra's' tend to go to people I know who are also trying to improve the mutation, although most just stay here with me.
 
Just be thankful that you got to see firsthand where your baby was going to go. Most of us don't get that chance. We just have to put our trust in what the buyers tell us. I wouldn't let one idiot spoil breeding for you tho. I always think back to how excited I was when I purchased my first chin from a breeder and I KNOW I gave it a WONDERFUL home. If I wasn't able to find a breeder nearby, I wouldn't have had a opportunity to experience the 'wonderful world of chinchillas'.
 
FurTurdHerd said:
Why do people try to use "I was raised in the country" as an excuse to treat animals as disposable property? :confused:

I grew up in Texas and I have family members in the country that just go through dog after dog, cat after cat, because they are always getting run over, sick, or devoured by coyotes (or bobcats, etc.). I have actually known people that shoot their sick pets, instead of taking them to the vet, and time after time it is always, "well, things are a bit different in the country..." :mad:
Click to expand...

It isn't an excuse. There is no excuse at all... I mean, I was raised in a small town (not country, but there's barely enough houses to be called a 'town') and my family and I raised our animals growing up just fine. As soon as I had the internet I looked up every way possible to take care of them too... My outdoor cat (yes yes I know) lived to be 15 years old, and died due to (as the vet put it, not as I put it) old age. My current roommate was born and raised on a farm, and she has a dog back home and rats, and I've never seen animals so well cared for...

I don't think there's any excuse for failing to treat your animal the way it deserves...
 
Have you listed your little one here? It would be an interesting poll to see how many were adopted from this and the previous site to see if the adoptions are a better placement. Just a thought. I will tell you that I made a mistake right away by buying one of those "POS" plastic wheels with the rod through them. Well it did have a picture of a chin on it so I trusted that it was a correct purchase. NOT!!! I took it back. Then started looking on the internet. I did not belong to any forum but did read the book that came with him and then onto the internet for further care options. I have a new rescue here that was really loved. His box of supplies contained alot of treats. It wasn't what I would approve. So I shrugged if off and threw them away. The squirrels outside throught it was a royal buffett. (grins)
 
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