Some questions for a new owner

[Korsini]

Just picked up my first baby chin today and had some questions

1) is the cage better in a desolate part of the apartment, or would it be better off in a living room with better lighting? Also does a ceiling fan affect a chin?

2) does my chin need hay if there are pieces of hay in the pellet mix? Also, there are some small pieces of fruit in the pellets. It is Sunseed Vita Exotics Chinchilla Mix. I have picked the dried fruits out of it just to be safe for now.

I'm currently using a light in the bathroom to simulate a day/night cycle. Is this okay for now?

Let me know any info you guys have. Thank you.

 

[Cass C]

Chinchillas like company, so I say put the cage in a place where she can listen to you.

Also ditch the food it is a poor quality pellet even without the fruit. The pellets in mixes are basically very low nutrition sawdust. Get loose or cubed Timothy hay and a high quality pellet like oxbow or marazzi (sp?). I used to feed Kaytee pellet only food and I say a HUGE improvement in appearance and overall health when I switched to oxbow.

 

[Shenanigans]

Mazuri, oxbow, tradition and manna pro or manna pro show are the feeds I see highly recommended- I personally use Mazuri. Timothy hay can be any brand, look for the freshest looking stuff- not all brown or moldy smelling and it's best to stay away from ones sold with supplements in them (commercial hays sometimes put in junk chins shouldn't have- I've seen stuff like shredded carrots, but we have a member Tanya of Fuzzies Kingdom that makes a nice hay full of healthy supplemental herbs). It's best to feed it loose so chins can wear down back teeth (hay cubes and normal chews wear down the front ones) but hay cubes work well for people that have allergies. Low quality feed means health issues- both long and short term, from fur health to diabetes issues. Also chins on good pellets and hay are usually free fed (they can have it avalible all the time and as much as they want). Typically when switching feeds you want to mix them to do a slow transition but sometimes with an unhealthy enough diet the chin resists- trying to pick out the candy-like pieces and ignore the healthy stuff. If that's the case you can do more of a cold turkey switch. Dont let your chin persuade you to give crap food instead of the healthy stuff- It's like a three year old demanding ice cream and candy for every meal- you've got to do whats healthy and best for them.

I don't think a fan would affect the chin- I'd make sure it doesn't blow of the chin too much and remember fans don't cool chins down since they don't perspire like we do. So they still need AC to actually cool down the room if it gets warm.

honestly, either space would probably be fine as long as they get enough attention- a radio or tv left on may be nice for them during the day if you aren't around. My chins have their own bedroom- they get a constant play space set up that I don't have to re-chin proof and I can have people come over and be in my living room without having to clean up chin mess that accumulated through the day (not much at least-thier poop gets everywhere!) I do spend a lot of time with them in their room too and say hi whenever i go through the hallway. So that works for us. Other people have their chins in living rooms where they're around constantly. I think it's more of a human preference as long as the chins are getting the socialization they need.

Welcome to the chin community! and post pictures of your little one!

 

[Amethyst]

Personally I think having the cage in an area where you spend the most time is best. I have my guys in my computer room, which is off to the side, but I spend most of my day on my pc, and I can shut the door if needed when company arrive. There is a window in the room though, natural light is needed for any living thing. Just having the lights on in the house will be ok for now but natural light is better. However you don't want them in direct sunlight though since they can over heat, and don't want them in front of an open window as it can cause a drift in the cage.
The fan will cause a problem if the air is blowing on the chin, like if it's directly above the cage. As said a fan does nothing to cool a chin and will just result in a draft that will make it sick.

Hay should make up about 75% of a chinchillas diet (pellets should make up the other 25%), so yes the chin needs hay in addition to any that is already in the food. As said though that sunseed food is low quality, just taking the treats out doesn't help the low quality problem since the food is "balanced" for vitamins and stuff counting the treats as part, so the food is no longer a balanced diet. The food brands mentioned are all good options. Chinchillas should not have any fruits, nuts, vegetables, animal products, sugary junk food, or more then one treat a day of healthy treats. Also if it is a baby chin then no treats at all until it's at least 6 months. Just to give you an idea of safe treats, rose hips, unsweetened cheerios, and slow cook oats are a few examples.

 

[Shenanigans]

you've asked this twice. here's the link to the other answer in case you forgot/lost it or maybe tried again if you didnt see it right away- new people have to have the first few posts ok'd by a moderator to cut down on spam.
(I'm going to post the link from this post there too since some people will see one and not the other).
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?p=416623&posted=1#post416623