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Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

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Joined
Feb 11, 2020
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5
Hi!! Hope everyone is doing well. I was thinking of adopting a chinchilla but I know information that the internet gives is not completely true. I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice and anything I should know! Thanks!!
 
Cage materials are a general thing you should know. Any soft items like hammocks, sleeping cubes, etc. should be made out of anti-pill fleece. The chin should never have access to any sort of plastic. I would say the average chin cage and its interior is made out of metal, chin-safe wood, and anti-pill fleece. As well as a few chin-safe toys. A chin should also never be on wire flooring, as most of those floors is just begging for a chin to get bumblefoot. So a solid floor is always a good and encouraged thing. For bedding, avoid paper of any type. Chins can eat paper bedding and it can expand in their gut, causing a blockage. Same goes for cardboard. Some people give their chins toilet paper tubes as shredding toys, but I don't recommend it. Some chins just shred cardboard, and other ingest it and it's just as dangerous as paper. So I wouldn't risk it.

It's also good to get two chinchillas, as they're naturally social critters. You can get one and spend a lot of time with it, but chin-on-chin socialization simply doesn't compare to what a human can give. Bonding is a whole other and long topic, but you can find info on that somewhere in the forum. Do not get chinchillas from PetSmart/Co. The exotic suppliers that PetSmart uses to get their exotic animals practices cruel things. Some chins from PetSmart also have behavioral issues. Some people excuse getting chins from PetSmart/Co by saying that you're saving the chins, but in reality if you get a chin from there you're just encouraging the supplier to provide more and more. Your best bet for getting a chin is from a rescue or a trusted breeder. Some people (like me) have also rescued chins from Craigslist.

There's a LOT more information about chins to go over, but they're all pretty lengthy. If you have any specific questions, I'm sure either I or the other members will be happy to help. Welcome to the forum!
 
Welcome! Read through the various forums and FAQ's, take some notes, and jot down questions. We'll be glad to help.
 
Cage materials are a general thing you should know. Any soft items like hammocks, sleeping cubes, etc. should be made out of anti-pill fleece. The chin should never have access to any sort of plastic. I would say the average chin cage and its interior is made out of metal, chin-safe wood, and anti-pill fleece. As well as a few chin-safe toys. A chin should also never be on wire flooring, as most of those floors is just begging for a chin to get bumblefoot. So a solid floor is always a good and encouraged thing. For bedding, avoid paper of any type. Chins can eat paper bedding and it can expand in their gut, causing a blockage. Same goes for cardboard. Some people give their chins toilet paper tubes as shredding toys, but I don't recommend it. Some chins just shred cardboard, and other ingest it and it's just as dangerous as paper. So I wouldn't risk it.

It's also good to get two chinchillas, as they're naturally social critters. You can get one and spend a lot of time with it, but chin-on-chin socialization simply doesn't compare to what a human can give. Bonding is a whole other and long topic, but you can find info on that somewhere in the forum. Do not get chinchillas from PetSmart/Co. The exotic suppliers that PetSmart uses to get their exotic animals practices cruel things. Some chins from PetSmart also have behavioral issues. Some people excuse getting chins from PetSmart/Co by saying that you're saving the chins, but in reality if you get a chin from there you're just encouraging the supplier to provide more and more. Your best bet for getting a chin is from a rescue or a trusted breeder. Some people (like me) have also rescued chins from Craigslist.

There's a LOT more information about chins to go over, but they're all pretty lengthy. If you have any specific questions, I'm sure either I or the other members will be happy to help. Welcome to the forum!
Thank you!!
 
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