Packrats are not chinchillas...

[AZChins]

Several times a year I get a phone call that is about the same. Someone has found a "baby chinchilla" in their yard, house or that has been attacked by cats, they need my help in caring for it and no one else can help.

Either they take pictures or bring it to me or I go to see it. And, when I get there the animal is a packrat...usually a packrat that is not in the best of health and possibly close to death.

I wanted to post a picture of a packrat on here in hopes that maybe people will see it here and be able to understand that they are dealing with a wild animal and not a chin!

There have been occasions where chins have been found out wandering around and I want to make sure that if someone finds a chin here in AZ that they have some place to take it...but if it is a packrat it should be released back into the desert because that's where it belongs. (And, most people call the exterminator for them....)

 

[Maggie:-)]

I didnt even know there was such a thing!

 

[Lillybabe]

I thought a packrat was someone who kept lots of things in their house that they didn't need....

I learn new things everyday. I guess it does look a *little* like a chinchilla.

 

[Danderson]

I had no idea! They are awfully cute!

 

[dragsil]

I have no idea how someone could let their chin free or have it escape into the wild :S

There was an article in my chin society's newsletter a few months ago about somebody dumping a chn in the vegetable section of a supermarket, poor thing.

Packrat is CUTE

 

[lauralynne]

How big are packrats?

 

[AZChins]

They're probably about the size of a three to four month old chin, but a little longer and a bit shorter. They're quite the nuisance out here since they will pull insulation out of house and cars and destroy electrical wiring...and then leave huge collections of things that they have found in the strangest places.

Out here they are particularly fond of digging through the compost pile where I put the chinnie waste. They pull out old pieces of toys and wood and line their nests with them. They can cause a lot of damage in a very short time, too. We have cats that keep their population in check here.

 

[addictedtochins]

Aww, I want!

 

[Spirit Chaser]

That is one adorable animal. We have someone in our area who keeps them as pets

 

[Chub_Chub]

Haha, was that little guy hanging out in your backyard, Susan?? Too funny. In this day and age its amazing that people can't simply google image "chinchilla" and see what one actually looks like.

 

[Lillybabe]

Hmmm Susan... it sounds like it behaves awfully like a chin. Chins have been known to make huge piles of their toys and destroy anything their teeth can reach. I see the issue with tons of packrats running loose around houses and businesses and such though.

 

[LoveBug]

awww cute!!! i want it too!
i don't really think it looks like a baby chin though..

 

[greychins]

I never knew there was such a thing! Cute! Wouldn't mistake it for a chin, but cute.

 

[AZChins]

They exterminate them here because they get into people's houses and cars and make huge messes and a lot of damage...