New owner I think I'm doing a good job

[mike2step]

I've only my chin for four days now. Her name is Lily and I got her from a petstore around where I live. I bought her a nice starter cage with three levels a little house for her a hammock and a little perch for her to sit on. I didn't like the plastic bottle (plus I read that they aren't very good) so I bought the glass bottle which has been working great. She has her Timothy hay, nature's promise food, dandolion treats good bedding and I also bought her plenty of things to chew on. And of course her dust bath. I did a lot of research and really just wanted to buy her the best (I plan on increasing her cage size during the next months so she has more room). She seems to be happy, and not very stressed at all. Everytime I walk past the cage she is always looking at me and doesn't seem frightened of people or my dog (who has no idea she is even there haha) Now I know it can take a while to build up trust with her I put my hand in the cage every day and just let her sniff me. She will put her front paws in my hands but that's all. She won't let me pet her yet or pick her up. I'm also afraid to take her out of her cage to let her run around because I can't pick her up yet you know? I love her very much and want nothing but the best for my chin. I've found her a vet and she is in a nice cool and dry temperature in my room. I'm just curious to know if I'm doing a good job so far? Do I need to improve on anything? Any help would be appreciated thanks.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Zupreem Nature's promise is bad food, you need to switch her onto something better. The favorite food out there that is readily available for chinchillas is Oxbow and Mazuri is also a good choice.

Dandelion treats are also very unhealthy for your chinchilla. Good treats include non-frosted shredded wheat cereal, plain cheerios, rosehips and wood chews (properly prepared and not sprayed with pesticides).

The hammock you bought is made for ferrets, not chinchillas. It's extremely harmful and should be taken out immediately. An all fleece hammock is safe for chinchillas and can be purchased from numerous vendors on this forum. People have found their chinchillas hanging by broken legs wrapped up in the "arms" of the ferret hammocks and they don't stand up to a chinchilla's need to chew.

The plastic shelves and igloo should be removed if she chews on them at all. Small pieces of plastic will get lodged in her intestinal tract and cause an impaction which will easily kill her. Wooden ledges and houses made of KD (kiln dried) pine are best for them. You can easily make a wood house from KD pine that you can glue together with elmer's non-toxic wood glue.

These are all really common mistakes that pet stores push on people. You're doing a great job with her for the amount of information out there. You did the right thing finding this forum, there is a lot of knowledge here specifically about chinchillas that has been built up since the chinchillas hit the pet market. She's adorable, good luck with your new addition!

 

[mike2step]

Okay will do that for sure. I actually just orderd some wooden shelves to replace the plastic ones and they should be here by thursday. I removed the plastic igloo and the plastic ramps. Should I be okay with the plastic ledges just until I get the new wooden ones? The new food should also be here around that time frame as well. thanks again so much for the help.

 

[Sdo9396]

Hi and congrats on your new chin! Im glad to see another PA member here! I agree with everything Tabitha said. I, as well as many other forum members, make fleece items for chins including hammocks which are much safer for your chin then the ones they sell out in stores. We could always meet somewhere so you can save on shipping. )

 

[mike2step]

new fleece chinchilla hammock is purchased as well.

 

[Sandi]

Oh my goodness she is so sweet looking! Congrats on her and happy to hear
you're making all the necessary changes to keep her safe and healthy. :thumbs:

 

[mercynursie]

WELCOME!!! This is a great site with alot of people who really know their chinchillas(most better than "exotic vets").You are off to a great start already by being open to suggestions.Unfortunately too many people get upset if they aren't told what they "want "to hear instead of what they "need" to hear.Everyone here is pretty much looking out for the animal's best interest which for me is what I really appreciate!!!

 

[Tanya]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new chin! Lily is beautiful
I do not know what type of bedding you bought; just want to say that Carefresh is not the safest choice as it can cause impaction if ingested. Most members on here use kiln dried pine shavings or fleece liners.

Dried, organic dandelion leaves, flowers, and roots are safe for chins; they are rich in nutrients and chins love them! I'm not sure what type or dandelion treats you have, so can not say if they are safe. Unfortunately, most things sold at pet stores are not safe for chins.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Welcome! I'm so glad you're starting to bond with your chin and making the changes necessary so she is safe and healthy as possible!

Bonding is a very very slow process, and it sounds like you are on the right track! With that cage, you can eventually try opening the door and putting your knees up to the opening. When she's ready, she'll try climbing onto your lap. At first she'll probably jump right off back into her cage, but if you're still, quiet, and let her go at her own pace, the trust she builds with you will be great.

Stick around here, there is so much amazing information you will read! And if you ever have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask! And definitely continue to post pictures!

 

[chinchatcomics]

congratulations on your new chin! Yes ditto on the building of trust, definitely will take some time but patience will pay off. Pretty soon you'll be her best friend!

 

[mike2step]

Hey everyone thank you so much for all the advice and suggestions. The bedding I use now is Kaytee soft granule blend. Like I said before I have ordered her all new wooded ledges, a nice fleece chinchilla hammock, new oxbow food and new treats I will post a picture of her redesigned cage once everything gets here (which should be by the end of the week). Another question does she seem really young? To me she seems like a lot smaller campared to other chinchillas? The other female at the store seemed to be small too but the two males were A LOT bigger haha. Just wasn't sure if she will still grow. Thank you!

 

[LovinTheSmallAndFurry]

Apparently with pet store chins it can be very hard to know how old they are. But you may have a dwarf chinchilla (there's a thread on here somewhere about it). It's also possible that once she gets on some better food/bedding/etc. she'll grow and plump out,

 

[Stackie]

I highly doubt she's a dwarf; she's probably just small. Chinchillas are like people and can come in many different shapes, sizes, and weights. I have a 6 year old chin who weighs 600 grams and a 1 year old that weighs 900. It all depends on genetics, environment, etc.

As stated it's hard to tell what her true age is, she could be young. In my experience most chins grow up until they are about a year, give or take. I have also had chins hit growth spurts over a year, though. How much they grow once again depends on their genetics.

 

[mike2step]

should the plastic in her cage be alright for now? It's only temporary till the end of the week. And she finally jumped into my hands today and let myself and my girlfriend hold her making some progress.

 

[partygirlha]

it looks and sounds like Lily is well on her way to being a very spoiled girl - just the way we all like our fuzzerbutters to be

enjoy decorating her cage and getting to know her.

and welcome

 

[mike2step]

Thank you very much for the help and the welcome she actually just yawned in front of me and they kinda looked white? I know that adult teeth are yellow color? Or am I incorrect?

 

[quirkyxkayla]

Congrats on your new chin! :] Good to hear you've ordered all the good stuff for her!

Yes, teeth are supposed to be an orange-yellow color.
If her teeth are white, it could mean two things - she is still young or she may have a calcium deficiency.
(Any more experienced owners, please correct me if I'm wrong!)
:]

 

[Whimsy]

Sounds like you're off to a good start.
Especially if you take into consideration all the good advice you've received on this forum.

 

[chinchatcomics]

glad to hear Lily and you are building a trust and a bond, they enjoy scratches rather than being 'petted' (correct me if I'm wrong!). Have fun =)