They are so far and few between with me, that I had to share. I stopped into a petstore while visiting family, and they had four chinchillas. One in one enclosure, three in the other. The cages were very large, just more horizontal than vertical, but they did have a little ledge to jump up on. They had food that was all pellets, water, hay, and lava bites for treats. Oh, and a house to hide in.
My boyfriend and me, being how we are, decide we had to play with them. So the lady that normally takes care of them came out and took them out for us. You could tell she had no experience with chinchillas, because she could barely keep ahold of the little ones. I asked her if she knew the genders, and she said that she did not because they just came in and the other employees were too afraid to help her handle them (afraid of these chinchillas? they were the sweetest things and did nothing but snuggle lol). So my boyfriend and I offered to help sex them. They had a female in one cage, and two females and a male in the other cage. We talked for a little while, told her some things she did not know about chins, and suggested they sepparate the male from the females.
Anyway, we were back a week later because we were in the area. Asked to look again, it was a different lady this time, and low and behold, they had listened and switched everyone around! Now, I don't know if anything happened before they were switched, but atleast they know now that chins can breed relatively early, and to keep them separate.
My boyfriend and me, being how we are, decide we had to play with them. So the lady that normally takes care of them came out and took them out for us. You could tell she had no experience with chinchillas, because she could barely keep ahold of the little ones. I asked her if she knew the genders, and she said that she did not because they just came in and the other employees were too afraid to help her handle them (afraid of these chinchillas? they were the sweetest things and did nothing but snuggle lol). So my boyfriend and I offered to help sex them. They had a female in one cage, and two females and a male in the other cage. We talked for a little while, told her some things she did not know about chins, and suggested they sepparate the male from the females.
Anyway, we were back a week later because we were in the area. Asked to look again, it was a different lady this time, and low and behold, they had listened and switched everyone around! Now, I don't know if anything happened before they were switched, but atleast they know now that chins can breed relatively early, and to keep them separate.