Setting up for a Chin

[jessd]

Hello! I am considering getting a chin and would like a quick list of SAFE items I can purchase from petco/petsmart (USA). There is just SO MUCH info on this site my head is spinning! I see a lot of anti petco/petsmart items in the forums including unsafe bedding. Is there anything safe to get from a petco/petsmart? I am not a big online shopper. I know to avoid plastic water bottles (my petco sells glass) and I plan on purchasing a metal cage. Are plastic litter boxes (like for hamsters) safe? Are plastic bath houses from pet stores ok or should I use a glass fish bowel? I saw not to use the hanging ball things for the hay but are the square ones that mount ok? Are there any safe mineral blocks at petco (or are they needed)? Are the large plastic running balls safe to use for outside cage time (I know to not use inside the cage due to over heating). I already know to get my chin from a breeder and found one that has 6 month boys available, just want to get EVERYTHING in order before falling in love with any and rushing and wasting money on items I will have to throw away.

FYI I am a former sugar glider owner, so I know how important it is to seek advise from owners rather than salespeople. My sugar glider passed away a couple weeks ago and we decided to not get another. We discussed getting a chin before we got the sugar gliders years ago, now that we are sugar glider free we are thinking chins were probably the best choice in the first place.

SHORT VERSION: What can I purchase from petco/petsmart to prepare for a chin? Please be specific on brands.

 

[javachin]

Plastic dust houses are ok in my opinion since you're not going to leave them in there indefinitely. If you feel better using a glass fishbowl or glass whatever, that's just as good. I wouldn't use a plastic litter pan; you can buy a good glass Pyrex dish at Target/Walmart, and they work great. We've all used them. DO NOT buy a plastic running ball for a chin. They're dangerous and can kill your chin. There's a whole thread about it here somewhere. Some of the feed they carry are good like Oxbow and Mazuri as well as Oxbow hay. I wouldn't touch anything that says Kaytee, including dandelion yogurt drops (those are bad). Also do not get any treat mixed type feed. Plastic water bottles are ok as long as your chin can't get to it and chew it. Petco also sells Blue Cloud dust/rocks which are great for them too. Hope that helps.

 

[Ellembas]

Hey! First of all, I'm so sorry to hear about your sugar glider, but chins are amazing pets too. You do not want anything that you're going to leave in the cage to be made out of plastic. (So no to the litter box) Plastic bath houses are okay, as they'll never be used unsupervised, but if your chin does start to try and chew them, they'll have to be removed. This being said, it's better to go for the safe options first to avoid wasting money. A large glass/metal tub or bowl works as a great bathhouse (although they're a little messier than the plastic roofed bathhouses).
Pet balls are NOT suitable for chinchillas, at all. Overheating is too risky, and the speed at which chinchillas run could cause some serious injury. Chinchillas must be let out to run in the open, or at least in a pen. NEVER in a ball.
The square hay racks that attach to the side of the wall are perfect, although my chin also has a hanging rack with a bell that she loves. She'll always empty that one first before going to the stationary rack... I don't know why they'd be unsafe.
Make sure to ask the breeder what food they used so that you don't suddenly change the chins' diet and upset their system. If you then want to switch brand, introduce it slowly, but avoid the pellets with treats mixed in.
I'm not an expert at all, but these are the few things I can answer for you

 

[jbcstratton]

Above advise I agree with, I just want to add mineral blocks should not be anything you should need. Instead find some safe chew sticks.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Ditto about the posts above. Also don't get the wire racks at attached to the cage. I use ceramic flower pots or the 'hooded' ceramic feed bowls found in the parrot section. I get the big ones for hay and the smaller ones for the pellets. Pine shavings are fine for bedding

 

[e.murphy518]

I agree with all of the above, definitely NO exercise ball, I would not put any plastic cage accessories at all, but I use plastic dust houses because they are always supervised when they are dusting so they can't chew the houses. I buy oxbow essentials chinchilla pellets online. You can get them at petsmart but they sell a 5 lb bag for 17 bucks and you can buy a 10 lb bag of the same brand online (i use wag.com), you can buy the oxbow timothy hay from petsmart, but you will save a lot of money if you buy hay in larger quantities online. You shouldn't need a mineral or salt block. I bought my ceramic food bowl from petsmart and my glass water bottle. I also buy the big bag of aspen wood bedding for their litter pans, and for the pans themselves I also use pyrex dishes from target. Petsmart has some basic timothy hay or wood toys that should be ok, just don't buy anything with glue. Good luck

 

[AZChins]

I'd avoid Petco and Petsmart altogether. Usually their products are stale by the time you can buy them off the shelf and they're overpriced. There may be a person running a business near you with chinchilla specific supplies, it would be worth looking into to help support a small business. Some rescues sell supplies to help pay for vet bills and the care of chinchillas. Most of the stuff at those stores is expensive, some of it can be downright dangerous.

 

[javachin]

I'd avoid Petco and Petsmart altogether. Usually their products are stale by the time you can buy them off the shelf and they're overpriced. There may be a person running a business near you with chinchilla specific supplies, it would be worth looking into to help support a small business. Some rescues sell supplies to help pay for vet bills and the care of chinchillas. Most of the stuff at those stores is expensive, some of it can be downright dangerous.

I agree with Susan. I shop at feed stores myself over pet stores, but if that's all you have around you, then that may be your only choice. There are some good online resources too if you can wait for shipping and want to pay the shipping costs.

 

[AZChins]

Feed stores always have better deals and usually are run by much smaller companies that want to win your business and give good customer service. You may have to buy in larger quantities there, but it's usually worth it.

 

[jess32247]

I'd avoid Petco and Petsmart altogether. Usually their products are stale by the time you can buy them off the shelf and they're overpriced. There may be a person running a business near you with chinchilla specific supplies, it would be worth looking into to help support a small business. Some rescues sell supplies to help pay for vet bills and the care of chinchillas. Most of the stuff at those stores is expensive, some of it can be downright dangerous.

I definitely agree with this, if shopping elsewhere is an option for you. Online shopping is a great place to find bulk, cheap and safe toys for your chin- I've used the flashing ads at the top of the page more then once to order things for my chin.

You could also look along the lines of used items that you can wash (so you know they're clean and usble), like glass, plastic, ceramic, ect. That would cover things like a dust house, a glass bowl, cooling pots, ect. Even dollar stores might have cheap things like that you could use, so you don't spend a fortune on supplies.

Also agreeing with everyone else about the use of use of chinchilla balls- you definitely don't want to use them, reguardless of the situation. I suggest you read this thread to get a better idea of why they're dangerous: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16152

 

[jessd]

Plastic dust houses are ok in my opinion since you're not going to leave them in there indefinitely. If you feel better using a glass fishbowl or glass whatever, that's just as good. I wouldn't use a plastic litter pan; you can buy a good glass Pyrex dish at Target/Walmart, and they work great. We've all used them. DO NOT buy a plastic running ball for a chin. They're dangerous and can kill your chin. There's a whole thread about it here somewhere. Some of the feed they carry are good like Oxbow and Mazuri as well as Oxbow hay. I wouldn't touch anything that says Kaytee, including dandelion yogurt drops (those are bad). Also do not get any treat mixed type feed. Plastic water bottles are ok as long as your chin can't get to it and chew it. Petco also sells Blue Cloud dust/rocks which are great for them too. Hope that helps.

I read a few things about the running ball online, just thought the large ones would be ok. I am so glad I asked. I have a Corgi, although he never bothered my Sugar Gliders (he was scared of them) they usually stayed off the ground so there was never an opportunity for him to "get them". Thinking about getting a baby gate anyway in the kitchen for playtime anyway.

Also THANK YOU for telling me about Kaytee brand. The majority of the products I saw at petco were Kaytee brand.

I'd avoid Petco and Petsmart altogether. Usually their products are stale by the time you can buy them off the shelf and they're overpriced. There may be a person running a business near you with chinchilla specific supplies, it would be worth looking into to help support a small business. Some rescues sell supplies to help pay for vet bills and the care of chinchillas. Most of the stuff at those stores is expensive, some of it can be downright dangerous.

I haven't had any luck finding any small pet stores with chinchilla items so far, there is a tiny pet store right by my apartment that mostly has bird stuff, even if they don't carry chinchilla items now, I bet if I asked they can get it for me. I hate online shopping.

Seeking supplies from a rescue group is an AWESOME idea!

I agree with Susan. I shop at feed stores myself over pet stores, but if that's all you have around you, then that may be your only choice. There are some good online resources too if you can wait for shipping and want to pay the shipping costs.

I am a traitor to my generation and terrified of shopping online. I don't like buying something without touching it first, I want to know exactly what I am getting. There is a bird feed store with a few pet items, I bet I can have the owner order things for me.

 

[jessd]

Fleece

I have also seen a lot of fleece being used in youtube videos on the flooring of the cage. Do you guys recommend it? Will it cause the chin to get over heated? I know to get the chin cooling blocks too. Can I use fleece on the floors and skip the bedding all together? I am planning on litter box training my chin.

 

[ashleynicol3]

I say use fleece and skip the bedding. Bedding - shavings and all that - is just a pain. I don't sew and I didn't feel like paying for someone to make fleece liners for me, so I just got fleece from Joann's when it was on sale and cute a big piece to fit the cage when folded in half (for two layers). It won't make the chin overheat and it doesn't get stringy at all so they won't chew it. If for some reason they do chew it you want to remove it. My silly chin burrows under his fleece liners. I was worried about him overheating but he loves it so I let him do it lol it's adorable!


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[jessd]

I say use fleece and skip the bedding. Bedding - shavings and all that - is just a pain. I don't sew and I didn't feel like paying for someone to make fleece liners for me, so I just got fleece from Joann's when it was on sale and cute a big piece to fit the cage when folded in half (for two layers). It won't make the chin overheat and it doesn't get stringy at all so they won't chew it. If for some reason they do chew it you want to remove it. My silly chin burrows under his fleece liners. I was worried about him overheating but he loves it so I let him do it lol it's adorable!


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Do you need to sew the edges at all so they don't fall apart in the washing machine? How often do I need to change the fleece liners? I was planning on getting metal clips to keep it secure so the chin doesn't get under it. I live in Missouri, we have very high humidity in the summer. Don't want the chin to discover going under the covers lol.

 

[javachin]

Do you need to sew the edges at all so they don't fall apart in the washing machine? How often do I need to change the fleece liners? I was planning on getting metal clips to keep it secure so the chin doesn't get under it. I live in Missouri, we have very high humidity in the summer. Don't want the chin to discover going under the covers lol.

Fleece doesn't fray like normal fabric, which is one of the reasons its safe to use for them, so you don't have to worry about it falling apart in the wash. Depending on the mess, you can usually change them weekly. You'll have to gauge it based on how much of a mess your chin makes.

 

[Amy555]

The only thing I get at Petco/Petsmart is bedding, and every once in awhile a toy (sometimes you can find safe fun ones in the bird aisle). If you dont do online shopping, which is really the best way to find items specifically for chinchillas in mind, I would totally ask the bird store about options that'd work for chins. Just make sure it's safe, no plastic, no string, etc.

 

[ashleynicol3]

What javachin said... It doesn't fray and I change the fleece weekly. Have another piece of fleece ready to go in while the first one is in the wash. Get anti-pill fleece so it doesn't ball up!


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