The Colony

[shieldmaidenjen]

Just thought I'd share some pics of The Colony.

This is Chico. He's a Petsmart chin and my first. I got him in fall 2006, and he's still going strong. He has the boldest, most expressive personality of all my chins. Example:

The Look of Doom (TM). He does this when he is displeased with me, usually when I am cleaning out his cage because apparently he loves living in filth. *sigh* Here he is off pouting on the very top shelf during a clean-out session:

Bip is Chico's cage mate. He is also a Petsmart chin. I believe I got him in winter of 2007. He and Chico love each other.

Bip sometimes get to come out and play with me in my bed because he's the only chin who magically knows not to use the bathroom on my bed (the others just pee away). He loves to tunnel while I am sitting on my computer or he'll find a spot to sleep in. Sometimes he will sit on my chest and bother me when I type.

Peek-a-boo!

Unfortunately Bip is like Chico when it comes to cage cleaning time. He goes off and will sit in a corner and POUT like no one's business for literally several hours when his cage gets cleaned. Sometimes he will sit ON TOP of Chico for comfort (no, Chico doesn't seem to care - he's too busy pouting too).

Sleepy babies!!

 

[shieldmaidenjen]

A few years after having Chico and Bip (and Chulo, a little chin I lost - there's a memorial to him on the Memorial Forum), I acquired Velvet. My sister's then-boyfriend, now-husband was working at Petsmart. Velvet was at Petsmart for months because he would "grouch" at anyone who asked to hold him and scare them off. I thought he was adorable and would cuddle with him anyway when I visited Petsmart even though I was grouched at (he never bite though), and Velvet would vigorously groom himself all over when I put him back in his cage as though my human touch had just defiled his little chinchilla-self. It was *hilarious*.

It became apparently that Velvet probably wasn't going to find a home very quickly at Petsmart, and after several months I'd grown fond of him so I brought him home. The more I played with him, the less grouching noises he would make... and then the day came when he stopped grouching at being touched or held completely. Yay! And he no longer grooms like mad after I've held him. Operation Tame Velvet: Success.

That's Velvet on the left. He and Sugar Plum (see below) love to sleep in that particular corner all over each other. I was able to sneak in and get a picture (Sugar Plum was dead asleep turned the other way and didn't have a clue I was nearby.)

Bip didn't get along with Velvet even though we gave it a good try. I gradually moved their cages closer and all of that jazz, but it just didn't work. So Velvet lived by himself.

Until my sister's husband showed up with Sugar Plum* at my door one day. I had always said, "No more chins after Velvet. I don't have room!" but I couldn't turn Sugar Plum away. He is a precious little white mosaic (I think) who has turned mostly white as he has gotten older, and EVERYONE loved him at Petsmart.

Apparently my sister and her husband thought he was so adorable that he needed to come live with me (they don't have chins because they have a billion cats and no room). And they literally showed up at the door with him. I wasn't too impressed but thought perhaps Velvet might accept Sugar Plum as a cage buddy if they got to know each other. And I'll be darned, Sugar Plum and Velvet took about a week to get used to each other and they became pals and now live together as a pair.

Supervised playtime in the "Chin Room" with Velvet and Sugar Plum!!!

Velvet sleeping on top of Plum. I don't know why they like that particular ledge corner; they have houses to hide in. I dunno.

 

[shieldmaidenjen]

All of my "chindren" have been from Petsmart, and I love them to death. But last Sunday, I visited a local "show chin" breeder because I was curious to see what color mutations they had and what the facility looked like (it was amazing, and all of those chins were taken care of, happen, and even spoiled).

I hadn't counted on buying any more chins and wasn't even sure if they would sell show-quality chins as pets... but the ladies who own all of the chins were super wonderful and said that they would be glad to sell to me after we talked a while. And they had some little ones who had been weaned and were several months old (these ladies were very strict about completely weaning the babies before letting them leave, which I loved).

I came home with a little white mosaic male and an ebony male* (I think he's an ebony - they said he looks like a Black Velvet now but he'll get darker when he gets older. I'd have to ask them again. Either way, he's adorable).

*All my chins are males. I don't want to accidentally have chin babies, as adorable as they are!

The babies are in a makeshift cage at the moment while I round up a Ferret Nation and more aspen bedding. They have gotten lots of attention (and they love watching Disney Channel like the other spoiled four) but are still adjusting. I haven't named them yet; I call them "the babies" or "Mosaic Baby" and "Ebony Baby."

"Ebony Baby"

"Mosaic Baby"

Velvet is a bit jealous so I am giving him special attention too; the others don't care as long as they have Disney Channel, playtime, and raisins. Figures.

So that's The Colony. I do not plan on getting any more (of course I've heard THAT before...), and I am revamping my Chin Room with new rooms, new cages, and cutsey chin decorations to hang on the walls.

Thanks for letting me share my babies!!!
Jenn

 

[MyzarandGemma]

ADORABLE. One and all. We have a special spot for ebonies and mosaics, though I will say, your ebony looks like a black velvet because of his white belly. You'll have to see if he darkens up all the way around

 

[RDZCRanch]

Probably the ebony baby is a TOV ebony and will darken a bit more as he gets older, but you would have to ask them to clarify. They know colors very well, so they will not give you an incorrect name for the chin.

Very cute chinnies all around, I especially love Chico's grumpy faces!

 

[shieldmaidenjen]

Thank you for the replies!

I will have to see if Shadow (baby has been named! That just leaves little Mosaic Baby....) is a Black Velvet or an ebony.

Chico is such a character. He's definitely my most expressive chinchilla.

 

[chechinchillas]

Thanks for posting I really enjoyed reading it!

 

[Zoaea]

Cute!! ^.^ Makes me want more...

 

[JaneNJoeyChin]

Loved reading about all of your chins. So many to love! I can tell you really appreciate their individual personalities, something I adore about having chinchillas. Keep us updated!

 

[Cuddlebug]

On my screen, Velvet looks like a violet, not a black velvet. Does the one that is supposed to be an ebony have a white belly. If if it does, it is a black velvet. If not than it is probably a TOV ebony.

 

[shieldmaidenjen]

Velvet is a violet - the little one, Shadow, is the one I'm not 100% on the color. He does have a white belly so I suspect he is a black velvet. I really should just call the breeder and clarify!

 

[shieldmaidenjen]

I had to add these pictures. I put the baby chins, Shadow and Smokey, into their new Ferret Nation cage (the other four will eventually get FNs too). It was pretty bare last night - it had one long shelf, a smaller ledge, and a hanging chew toy (along with water and food and hay), but Smokey figured out how to get into the top part of the cage quickly. This morning both of them were on the top level, watching TV.

They got a bunch of new goodies today, including a Chin Spin. I'll have to sneak up on them with the camera later.