Hey There! New Chin Mommy

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Angelyco

Fur Flavored
Joined
Feb 25, 2011
Messages
207
Location
Yonkers, NY
Hello!

My husband and I just got our first chinchilla this past Saturday. We had been talking about getting one for a few months on and off. The PetSmart near us had a pair of females (gray and beige) and I REALLY wanted a beige one, but we would have gotten them both. When we finally decided to go for it, they were gone, even though they had been there for probably a month beforehand.

We finally went at the right time and they had just a single one. We were hoping for a pair, but we couldn't resist her. She is a standard gray female, somewhere between 4-6 months old, just a baby!

It's been an adventure so far and a very steep learning curve. There is so much to keep in mind when owning these critters and making sure everything is safe for them.

She's doing well, she loves her wheel and we give her an hour of playtime every day. She still doesn't like being caught and probably never will completely get over it, from what I've read, but she's getting much calmer around us and doesn't struggle quite so much when we hold her. She's such a funny little baby.

We do plan to get a companion for her at some point, but we only have an apartment right now and the cage we have is big enough for her, but probably not big enough for two.

I'm so happy to be here and look forward to hopefully getting some clearer answers about chew toys, etc. instead of all the conflicting information I find on other websites.

I look forward to getting to know you!
 
Hello & Welcome! Be sure to share some pictures of your new little one!

Here you go :)) Her name is Pearl. She's still a little munchkin!

BabyPearl.jpg


PearlMattCrop.jpg
 
Hi and welcome! Congrats on you furbaby!!! This forum really is great at sorting out all the conflicting info out there and you won't find better advice elsewhere!
 
WELCOME!! Pearl is such a cutie pie. I'm not sure if you know or not, but wheels aren't recommended for chins under 6 months old. Your pearl looks like she's got some growing to do, and since you aren't 100% sure on her age you may want to take it out for a few months and give her time to put on a few grams. Also- petstore wheels aren't safe for chins. They're usually too small and the materials aren't safe. If you post a picture of the wheel you bought we can help you figure out if it's chin-safe or what a better alternative would be.
 
Welcome to the forum! There is a great wealth of information on here and you're going to learn so much about your little munchkin Pearl!
 
I got her the large 12" Silent Spinner. I know that it's plastic, but she has no interest in chewing on it (and I would remove it immediately if she does start to nibble). I plan to get a Chin Spin soon. She LOVES her wheel and she doesn't have any issues with it. If she's not having problems, do I still need to take it away from her? I hadn't seen anything in the massive research reading I did about young chins not having wheels.
 
I got her the large 12" Silent Spinner. I know that it's plastic, but she has no interest in chewing on it (and I would remove it immediately if she does start to nibble). I plan to get a Chin Spin soon. She LOVES her wheel and she doesn't have any issues with it. If she's not having problems, do I still need to take it away from her? I hadn't seen anything in the massive research reading I did about young chins not having wheels.

Here's just one thread that discusses treats and wheels http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22458 . In my opinion the 5th post does a great job of explaining the reasons for why they aren't recommended. This forum has helped so many of us (myself included) learn about taking better care of our chins. Enjoy reading through all the different posts, and congrats again on your baby. :thumbsup:
 
Here's just one thread that discusses treats and wheels http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22458 . In my opinion the 5th post does a great job of explaining the reasons for why they aren't recommended. This forum has helped so many of us (myself included) learn about taking better care of our chins. Enjoy reading through all the different posts, and congrats again on your baby. :thumbsup:

Thanks, the reasoning makes sense to me. I feel bad taking it away from her though, she LOVES to exercise. I feel like she might get too restless in there without it. We do let her have an hour of out-of-the-cage playtime every day, but I hope that's enough if I take the wheel out.
 

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