Lots of questions!

[kaytlinnn]

Hello!
First, I want to say that I just spent a long time writing up this post and when I went to submit I got logged out and everything was gone, so I'm starting from scratch.
I'm an incoming college freshman thats going to live in the dorms with a roommate. I don't have chins yet but I plan on getting two in the next couple months, after I move in. I have a lot of new owner questions and concerns about living in a dorm with two chins. I have experience with small animals, such as guinea pigs, ferrets, and hamsters, but I've never had chins before so I want to do all my research before taking the plunge.
So here are my questions:
1. My dorm has a 3X2X2 restriction on cages. Thats as big as they can be. Will a FN single unit fit within those guidelines, or is it too big? My other option is to go with the add on unit as a stand alone cage, because I know it fits within those guidelines.
2. Since I will be going home occasionally (to my parents house) would it make sense to have two cages? A FN single unit at one place and the add on at the other? So I don't have to lug one cage back and forth, and when I'm home for the summer they can just hook together and they have one big cage. Would this work, or would it be too stressful for the chins? I want to do whats best for them, so if I have to I can take the cage with me back and forth if I must. How hard is the FN to disassemble and reassemble?
3. Since I have a roommate who is just ambivalent about the chins, how can I minimize their noise/smell as best I can? I don't want the whole room to turn into a chin room, because that isn't fair to her. If I can keep the poop/pee smell down the the very minimum hat would be best. I plan on using fleece for several reasons. A, its easier to clean, just throw it in the wash. B, its more appealing than wood chips. C, I do think it smells better, from when I used it in my guinea pigs cage. Would a handheld vacuum pic up the poop nicely, or would sweeping be better? Whatever is easiest and has the least smell. How often do I need to change out the fleece? With the guinea pig it was once a week, but I always used a towel under the fleece to absorb the pee, since fleece isn't very absorbent (it actually wicks away moisture so it always stays completely dry on the surface as long as you have a place for the pee to go). I know chins kick out poop and hay, so would a bass pan be a good idea? Where do you get those? Also, I saw these "cage guards" that screw around the edge of the cage and acts like a little wall, but the only place that sells them is charging 40 dollars for them, then you have to buy the fleece replacement covers which are another 25. Would a bass pan be cheaper than that?
4. I can't chin proof the dorm, so whats the best way to get playtime in? A playpen? How do I keep them from pooping everywhere on the carpet?
5. I don't have control of the room temperature, I actually like to keep it nice and cold at 72, but I think the dorms will be closer to 74. We will have fans as well as the a/c, but what are ways to keep the chins cool? I think I'll find a granite or marble slab for them, but what are other good ways?
6. Do I need two of everything if they're in a single FN unit? Two waters and two food bowls? I will definitely have two hiding spots, probably hammocks and those fleece cubes, and a wooden house for them to hide and chew.
7. How much food/hay do you go through per month, for two chins? I know the startup cost for these guys is astronomical, but whats the maintenance cost? How much a month are you pending on stuff? I definitely have the money for it, I'm just curious. I'm big on budgeting my money so if I had a number that would be great. Has anyone bought their hay in bulk before? I know for my guinea I got a whole bale of hay from a farm store and it lasted longer than the guinea (RIP Oscar).

I'll probably have more questions but for now thats all I can think of. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help with these questions!

 

[Stackie]

1. I can't think of the FN dimensions off the top of my head but they should be posted anywhere online that sells the cage.

2. I'd have two cages. The FN is bulky and I wouldn't want to transport it more than I needed to. It's also a pain to put together.

3. They are loud at night. There's no stopping that. They run, jump, chew, bang around in their cage. I could never have one in my room and sleep well at night, but I'm a light sleeper. Fleece IMO actually smells quicker than shavings. I had to wash my fleece liners every other day when I used them and still noticed the smell. I have found aspen shavings work best, but are messier. You can get a bass pan, but they will still kick out a lot of hay/shavings/poop. A handheld vacuum may work, but really the only thing I have found that works well without getting clogged is a large shop-vac with a wide hose.

4. You can use a playpen. There's no way to stop them from pooping on the carpet. They poop whenever, where ever. And usually poop more often when out playing because it gets their gut moving.

5. This concerns me as chins are extremely dependent on cool temperatures. 74 is pushing their comfort level usually. My chins get warm in anything over 71-72. My house stays at 68. Fans do not work with chins as they do not sweat. Granite/marble tiles are only temporary fixes.

6. Some chins get in arguments over the water bottle or food dish, but in general they are fine with one of each.

7. It's been forever since I've had only 2 chins, so I can't answer that.

 

[kaytlinnn]

Thank you! In regard to the FN cages, I found that they are all roughly 3X2X2, not including the stand. I found several on craigslist for around 100 dollars, though the one I'm looking at is missing a ledge shelf, but thats easy to replace. It is a double level though. My question would be, is it possible to only use the base or top half while I'm at school, and just bring the lid/top piece back and forth, basically turning the double into two singles? From what I've seen, they do come apart into two, but since I don't have one I don't know if thats feasible. I would much rather get one on CL and dismantle it than buy the single and add on unit separately at full price.

I know that they get a little loud at night, but I don't think that would be the problem. I'm more worried about the smell, being in a dorm room and all. I personally always thought that the fleece was better on smell, but maybe thats because I used towels under it to soak up the pee? I don't know. I just know that for convenience sake, I will be using fleece. Throwing something in the wash is much easier than totally replacing messy bedding. I can sweep up poop and hay if a vacuum will get clogged, thats not really an issue.

I've stayed in the dorms before and I think I remember them being cooler, especially at night. Even in the middle of summer I needed a blanket. I can check the dorm rules to see if I could get some sort of portable AC unit. We will have a fridge as well that I can use to cool off the tiles.

 

[kaytlinnn]

Update: We don't have central AC, we have a window unit, therefore we control the temperature in the room. I don't know how well these window units work, but if I blast it on high, I'm sure we can keep the temp down way low . I never thought I would be so happy to remember that we have window units!

 

[Dreamlite]

I find fleece needs washed every other day or it smells. I use pine chips and can go a week in between cage cleanings. Stackie answered your questions very well. Start up cost is definitely a huge investment. As far as maintenance its not bad. Pellets, hay and bedding can be fairly cheep if you buy in bulk. Wood chews can be bought or made yourself. The same is true of wooden shelves. I have roughly 50 chins (including the kits) and they cost about $70 a month in supplies. Make sure you set aside for a vet fund. Vet bills can be huge since they are an exotic pet. Interview many vets before you choose one or two.

 

[Cass C]

Not sure about the FN cage, but I do own a pair of chinchillas. Their pee smells much stronger than any guinea pig, so liners will work but will need changed very frequently try using puppy pads or something super absorbent under it.

Also be aware chinchillas waste a TON of hay. If they decide they don't like a piece of hay for whatever reason they will not eat it, so it will cost you more than guinea pigs.

Their mess is huge so you will need to keep that cleaned up everyday or every other day to keep up. Sometimes they intentionally throw hay or food out of their cage. I put a sheet under their cage (way out of reach) to help catch the mess and I can just take the sheet dump the mess in the trash and shake it out outside. Then vacuum up the little that is left. They poop EVERYWHERE! It's just a fact of having a chinchilla and double the poo with two, and what they don't poop on the floor they will kick out of the cage. If it is a huge issue chinchillas may not be the right pet right now. Not to mention chinchillas can spray pee particularly female but males will as well. I have to wipe all the walls near their cage whenever I clean it because one of mine pees everytime she get spooked or at her brother when she decides to hog the food or hay. That is the real mess you need to be concerned about. Poo is an easy clean up.

I only have one of everything in their cage, but they will need plenty of ledges and hides to escape eachother. Even my brother sister pair need space. I often find my boy in the bottom house and my girl up top in the tunnel.

Cost wise it will depend on the chinchillas, but mine often waste hay. I have started buying bulk chews, dust, hay, hay cubes, bedding, and toy parts. So I would say $40/month on mine. Start looking at the online stores from this site and the classifieds to find cheap wood and such. Things like dust that don't go bad you can order tons of to have on hand.

For exercise you can get a wheel. This will limit the amount of time they need to be out.

ETA: I also cannot sleep in the same room as a chinchilla, they are noisy they bark at eachother and any weird sound, the wheel will shake the cage and make lots of noise, and lastly just running around bounding off the cage will make tons of noise.

 

[Amethyst]

One thing not mentioned yet is some chins chew fleece. Most don't but if you find they do then fleece will no longer be an option. Fleece is the only chin safe fabric ( assuming no chewing) so if you use anything else for absorbing pee you have to make sure the chin can't possibly access it, so it'd have to be in the liner. I just use multiple fleece layers, an outerlayer then a "pee pad" layer fleece inside. Chins can be pee potty trained though, so they pee in a pan which you change daily, but some chins take longer to catch on to potty training. But if successful the fleece doesn't need changing as often, once a week instead of a few times a week.
Chin poop about once every 30-60 seconds, so they poop a lot, but it should be dry in a healthy chin so doesn't make a stinky mess. It should actually be odorless, only the pee smells, but just smells like pee.
If you do go with a wheel keep in mind they need a metal solid surface wheel that is at least 15" diameter. Wheels found in pet stores are too small and unsafe, proper wheels are found online (silver surfer, chin spin, and metal flying saucer are the most popular).

I almost lost a chin because his cage mate wouldn't let him eat or drink, so I suggest two of everything. It also prevents resource guarding or fighting over resources from happening. Also with two there is not guarantee they will always get along so a spare cage needs to always be available. 3x2x2 is the minimum size for 1-2 chins but ideally at least 8 cubic feet per chin. Also you will need to replace or cover the plastic pan in a FN, there should be no accessible plastic in a chin's cage. The best way to limit mess is using a sheet under and behind the cage. The sheet under prevents poop on the floor and the sheet behind protects the wall from pee splatter.

The issue with using a FN addon as a cage is it has a cutout so the floor isn't solid. Two FN would be better, one at each location. However is the size limit including the cage stand? Chins don't tend do well on the floor, being prey animals standing over them looks scary to them.
For two chins I go though about 5lbs of food plus hay and chew stuff so about $20-$40 a month, but toys are very important as they need as much mental stimulation as a parrot. I think I spend over $1,000 on my two last year, but I still have extra chews/toys as I bought in bulk.

I also want to make sure you realize chin vet bills can get expensive quickly, a simply visit can be $40-$100 depending on the vet, emergencies run into the hundreds to thousands easily. Having a vet fund set aside is highly recommended, ideally a couple thousand. I'm not exaggerating, if money is an issue a chin might not be right for you.

 

[kaytlinnn]

Thank you for all the info! I's really helpful. Personally, I could care less if the room has a slight chin smell to it and they're loud at night, because I'm a deep sleeper and I've slept in the same room as ferrets before (which have a VERY distinctive smell). My only concern is my roommate. I've never met her so I can't really gauge how much she would be bothered, but she has pets of her own and I've already gotten her permission to have them. I just don't think she knows what having chins really entails. I think I'll send her a message tomorrow asking if she's a deep sleeper or not .

The cage limit only includes the actual cage itself, not the stand, so if I split a FN I would take the bottom half with me (technically, I could bring the double unit with me, since I could have one animal per cage, so it would be allowed. I just think its unfair to my roommate to bring in that monstrosity of a cage, especially when we're on such limited space in the first place). I don't really know yet on the cage situation, I'm still trying to figure that out. I could always transport the chins/the solid bottom tray with me if it came down to that. The reason I don't want two single unit FNs is because I'm only planning on living in dorms for my first year, which isn't that long, so eventually I want to be able to have a full sized one. Plus, its easier to find doubles on craigslist than singles.

As far as money goes, I have that 100 percent covered. I'm not planning on working during college, but if I found myself running out of money due to vet bills, then I would get a job. Honestly, I have enough in my bank account right now to go buy everything I need, including chins, as long as I didn't pay full retail for the cage.

I find it really interesting that everyone seems to be unanimous about the fleece smelling worse. I guess chins have stinkier pee than guineas, because it had always reduced smell for me. Do you find that the scent of the wood just masks the pee better? Maybe thats it. Whatever the reason, I still feel that fleece is the best option (unless, of course, they want to chew it). I will probably end up "making" the liners myself so I don't have to shell out a lot for them, plus I can make more sets for less money.

 

[lightningturtle]

It might not be a bad idea to just get one chin for now, especially with such a space constraint.

Also, the most you're going to spend month to month is on chews and maybe hay. A really nice thing about them being so small is that they don't eat much.

 

[kaytlinnn]

I thought that keeping two chins in one level of an FN was acceptable? Plus, I've always heard that if you don't have as much time to play with them, then getting a second for company is always better. Also, whenever I return to my parents place for weekends/breaks/summer I would convert it into a two level FN, which is more than enough room for two chins.

I talked over the idea of getting the chins with my parents and they brought up some good points, mostly about waiting to see if I was too busy to properly care for a chin. We agreed that I should wait two months from the start of school to make my decision, so I have a good idea of the environment they would be in, and know my roommate better. Once that date hits (October 15th), I can start buying whatever I need for supplies and getting myself ready to bring home the new chins. And then, when christmas break rolls around, another two months later, I will pick up the chins and have the cage all set up. I've been looking at breeders in my area and found a few I liked. My parents even agreed that they would buy me the cage and ONE chin (they don't think spending 150 or more on a rodent is acceptable, lol) and I buy the other and al of their toys/supplies. I've agreed to this because it makes sense for me to feel out the situation first, especially with the roommate. Plus, financially it would be a huge help if they split the cost, so I can focus more on getting the chins the right stuff. My dad has also agreed to help me build everything for the cage like the ledges and hide houses and such. He also sews, so he's going to help out with the fleece liners, so I can cut back on costs overall by making everything ourselves. Plus I can customize it more. I found fleece with the logo of my college on it and I know I'm definitely going to make them a liner set out of that!

It's awesome that the startup costs seems to be the only thing that really drains you. It's not that I won't have the money for the monthly stuff, its just good to know that I will still have some spending money for things besides chins (though knowing me, I'll get them something every time I'm out, because even now when I look at things I wonder if chins would like it in their cage). I'm not working during college, so the amount of money I have during the semester is just the amount I save up now before I leave and have to quit my job.

 

[sassyandclassy]

honestly, I don't think you should get a chin right now. I don't think you'd be able to live with them in a dorm room. They are EXTREMELY loud at night. I can hear them when im in my bedroom with the door closed and the air conditioner is on and they're in the living room. They are very very messy pets. I have to use my vacuum multiple times a day there's so much poop. You need to keep the room 68 or below so you should make sure your roomie is okay with that also.

I would wait until you are old enough/able to live off campus in an apartment. That's what I did the second I moved off campus

 

[kaytlinnn]

I have no problem with noises at night. I've always kept all of my pets in my room, and I sleep in the same bed as two very loud snoring pugs. My roommate is the question, which is why I'm waiting a few months before making the decision to get a chin. I need to know this girl a bit better before I bring back an animal.

I plan on getting one of those little handheld vacuums or a mini broom and dustpan to sweet up anything in their cage or stuff that they kick out. My dad is going to help me build all the ledges and such, and also I plan on making a little wooden barrier around the bottom that will hold poop and hay in, so the stuff that falls out will be minimal. If I have to sweep twice a day (morning and night) then I will. I'm also making my own fleece liners so I can change them out often to keep the smell down to a minimum. I'm also planning on trying to lottery box train them, so that the liners can be changed once a week rather than every three days.

I also was under the impression that as long as the room is about 74 or under (preferably 70-72) they would be fine. I've already talked to my roommate about this and we both love keeping the room cold. I get overheated when the house is at 74 so we already talked about how we want to keep it closer to 72.