Chichi is a mom!!

[Pikaia]

Hey all!! I bought my 1 year old female chin a few months ago. I wanted a chinchilla for a while and found one on craigslist. The lady I bought her from was nice enough and Chichi seemed like she was very healthy. We had no problems with her. She has bonded with us nicely. She eats and drinks great.

Well, this morning before work, I went to check on her. She is in her own room so she can have quiet to sleep during the day. I heard some little squeaks and went to investigate what was going on. Chichi was in her house and her back was towards me. She was moving around. I thought maybe she was having a dream, but she was squeaking a little too much. LOL. I see a little tail poking out.. turns out, she has a little baby in there!!! I had no idea she was pregnant. I was told she was the only chinchilla in the house. I know that's not possible.. LOL, unless we have the first ever case of chinchilla immaculate conception..

Anyways, I wanted to share the good news because I am sooo excited. The baby is black or dark grey and very cute!! I am reading your "caring for kits" post so I can gain some information on what to do here. I did NOT ever expect to have baby chinchillas.

If you guys have any tips, let me know. She has been eating lots of timothy hay, mazuri pellets and the occasional treat. She always has plenty of water to drink, although she doesn't drink too much. She has a good sized house and we use pure aspen shavings as bedding. My boyfriend is off today, so if there is anything she needs, I can make sure he gets it for her.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Pikaia]

Oh, one more thing. When I found the baby, she must have just gave birth. The baby was still wet and she was cleaning. Is it possible she could have more? I know the average litter is 2.

 

[Stackie]

If she's not in a baby safe cage, you will need to move her to one ASAP. Newborns are surprisingly mobile and have been known to escape cages hours after their births. If the wire spacing is larger than 1/2" by 1/2", they can squeeze through them. You also should have no high ledges in the cage so the babies can reach mom.

If you don't have a cage with the small wire spacing, you can use chicken wire to wrap the current cage in.

 

[Pikaia]

Thanks for your response Stackie.

I don't believe my cage spaces are more than 1/2", but I will make sure my boyfriend checks.

 

[lauralynne]

After the baby is cleaned and dry, weigh it. Get a weight daily at the same time to make sure the kit is gaining 1-2g per day.

 

[Pikaia]

Thanks! I will do that!!

I went home at lunch to check and the final count is: 1 standard grey female and 1 mosaic male, just like his mom!!!

 

[Orlandochins]

Awwww....where are the pics!!!!
I have a baby chin that I jokingly refer to as baby Jesus because when I got mom they also swore no other chins have been around her....3 weeks later we had a baby boy!!!!

 

[cuddlycuddles]

LOL Baby Jesus!
At the OP: Good luck with everything!