The Craigslist Experiment

[ChunkyChins]

I thought that I'd start myself a little "blog" about what I am calling my "Craigslist Experiment". I'm not sure if any of you remember me, but I used to own a herd of about 25 Chinchillas, bred occasionally, and attended shows. When CnQ was still in existence, I was an active member there. I lost most of my Chinchillas to a gas leak that happened in the room they were in... I almost lost my dog to it as well. Shortly afterward we moved into a new house where I setup a brand new 8 foot by 10 foot insulated shed, inside of our insulated garage, with a new portable air conditioner just for the Chinchillas! This was my Chinchilla room... I was extremely excited and wanted to expand my herd.. afterall, I had started with pet Chinchillas when I was 15 years old, met Tabitha (RDZC Ranch), started learning more about the better quailty Chinchillas and what it meant to breed for bettering the species, got some nice Chinchillas from bigger ranchers, and started breeding a few of my Chinchillas with Tabitha's. I went all out trying to make my Chinchilla area perfect and what I had been wanting for so long! Not long after that I began to be very fatigued and wanting to do absolutely nothing but sleep all day long. I stopped keeping in touch with friends, had brain fog, got nothing accomplished... just wasted my days away. It turns out that I was very sick.. and I just couldn't keep up anymore. I ended up rehoming all of my Chinchillas because it was best for them. It has now been over a year since I've had any Chinchillas, but I still have everything for them.. now that I am well, and have been for awhile, I am longing for a Chinchilla of my own again. I miss them SO much. Being here on the board makes me want to run out and buy a Chinchilla.. but I am going to hold out for my "dream" Chinchilla and move slow on this rather than jump in blindly. I'd like to end up with a colony of females.. big, fat girls.. maybe a dwarf if there are any around! :heart3:

Normally I stay away from Craigslist, but a friend e-mailed me a link to a Chinchilla because it was in our city. I followed the link and it basically said "Beige male. 2 years old. $20 OBO... feel free to offer $0. I don't want him anymore." Looking at CL made me very angry! I saw numerous, numerous ads for Chinchillas... I guess it's a place where people go to "dispose" of their animals, but seeing so many chins surprised me. Maybe I just haven't been around in awhile, but it's just sad. I was venting my frustrations to Tabitha, who has room to take in chins as well.. when we decided that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to put up an ad saying that I'd be happy to take any in that need homes.

I have ample space, everything I'd need to care for them, and missing nothing that a short trip to the feed store couldn't fix (pellets, hay & dust). I also have Tabitha as my backup if anything were to happen or there was a number more than I could manage. I really didn't think anything would come of it, because in my ad I basically stated the following:

-I have 7 years of Chinchilla experience and knowledge
-I do not need any cages or supplies
-I am not willing to pay for Chinchillas
-My home is being offered as a last resort (since most people just want the $$$)
-All ages, genders, attitude ridden, and "defective" Chinchillas are welcome
-I have a vet that is very experienced in Chinchillas

... I was completely wrong! Even though most of those with ads up are asking for money.. not one single person that has e-mailed me has actually had an ad posted. Some of the e-mails make me angry with how the Chinchillas are being cared for.. but I know that if they're willing to contact me that they care enough to let them go or just really don't want them and would do anything to get rid of them. *Most*, not all, but most of the owners that resort to CL have little knowledge of Chinchillas and their Chinchillas could use better care. Somebody has already asked me if I am going to breed any of these Chinchillas so I might as well address that now as well. I have been a rescue person my entire life and I know the difference in a healthy, quality, pedigreed animal from one that needs better care, has no history, and should never, under any circumstances be bred. I don't even have any intentions of breeding the Chinchillas I'd like to get in the future for myself, but if I do, they will be pedigreed and exceptional!

I figured that I will post about each of the Chinchillas and their scenarios as I get them. I've already picked up 2 boys and they're actually with Tabitha now. You may have seen them posted already here in Chin Chat. I'll post a little story about them in this thread as well.. once they're groomed and bathed, with updated photos. Tomorrow morning I am picking up a beige male.. and sometime this coming week a standard female. Both have their own stories.. and I will tell them.

The Chinchillas will be heard! Here's to saving/helping one Chinchilla at a time! :high5:

 

[CJR]

I am really excited to see how this turns out for you! My CL experience was... expensive, but wonderful. Even though my chin is a grumpy girl who often refuses to eat and has a broken pelvis, I love her and do everything I can for her.

Can't wait to hear the stories!

 

[Bam.Bam]

I think thats a great idea, good for you and Tabitha! I can't wait to see and read stories about your 'CL chins'!

 

[tkc1038]

Eiyiyi, I can tell you about my CL animals. Craigslist has brought me a lot of beautiful pets and some not so beautiful experiences. So far I have gotten Chinchilla's from CL one was about to be snake food and the other two were just not taken care of to well. I have gotten many ferrets off of Cl which range from too well taken care of to really scary vet visits. BECAREFUL my expierence with CL people is that you DONT ever meet them at your home or theirs ,find a mutual populated area to exchange the animals. I use a really nice shopping complex in this area. I am a bit paranoid though in this area of NY there are some VERy scary people.

 

[Chubi32]

This is great- I hope you save many many chins. Man if I had the time/space/money to do that I would love to do that as well! How rewarding.

 

[ChunkyChins]

Thanks everyone!

I am really excited to see how this turns out for you! My CL experience was... expensive, but wonderful. Even though my chin is a grumpy girl who often refuses to eat and has a broken pelvis, I love her and do everything I can for her.

Can't wait to hear the stories!

A broken pelvis? :cry3: Can she walk?? How in the world did she break her pelvis???

 

[caiti]

My chins a CL pawn-off as well. Just make sure you have enough money to pay for vet bills. That's my only word of caution, otherwise this sounds like an amazing idea.

P.S. I agree with tkc1038. Be protected when meeting with people. Ok, my second but last word of caution.

 

[AZChins]

I avoid Craig's List like it is the plague. It's a scary place! Not just because people dump their animals there but also because people try to profit off of everything possible even if it means lots of suffering. I take in any and all chins that need me, I have done that at the expense of not breeding my chins....but I won't go on CL to advertise or look up chinchillas. A few years ago I had some scary people call me to tell me about other people on CL...it told me to just stay away. I think all of them are on drugs...well, not all of them, but the people, who called me, sounded like they could have been on drugs!

Be careful, Linda! Please be careful and I am so happy that you would be taking in these poor chins that really need a good home!

 

[Sierra]

Phoenix was a CL pawn too. That was before I joined CnH. I see so many chinchillas all over Michigan that I just want to buy so badly but can't right now but if we move to a different place where we aren't charged for every pet every month, I would have a whole room of them.

Let us know how everything is going once in a while.

 

[cindyv3737]

I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to hear all of your stories.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Yeah...you pretty much inspired me Susan...darn you!:neener: But really...I've always taken in unwanted chinchillas but I've always let them find ME so I rarely take in anything. I have a ton of space and we're about to move to a house with even MORE space. I have more than enough space to quarantine far from my breeding herd which was a large concern where I was living before. I also have my mom, who loves chins and misses them as well but doesn't want complete responsibility for the chinchillas willing to keep and care for any sick animals.

My chins a CL pawn-off as well. Just make sure you have enough money to pay for vet bills. That's my only word of caution, otherwise this sounds like an amazing idea.

P.S. I agree with tkc1038. Be protected when meeting with people. Ok, my second but last word of caution.

My veterinarian has a ton of chinchilla experience and I've worked with him for years. I know from when we used to rescue ferrets that he will see any and all rescue animals for free. I don't need special documentation because he knows I won't lie to him. I also used to work at a vet office so if I ever need medications I can order them through him and pay just the price for the medication and shipping instead of the "vet profit" price. I doubt there's much I would need though as from 9 years of having chinchillas I keep non-expired medications handy at all times in case of emergencies. I even have IV fluid for injections and two type of eye medications. Linda is trained in nursing and I worked as a vet tech for 3 years. We are very capable and we've dealt with shady weirdos through the internet about animals since we were at least 15 with the help of parents. We know all the precautions to take and we're VERY good at getting the animals to safety. Though I HAVE been known to yell at people if the animal is in particularly bad shape...like a guy that gave me two four week old kits without knowing what type of formula they would need...without asking me or even caring that the chins were being taken from their mothers too early.:banghead:

 

[ChunkyChins]

Thanks for the words of caution.. I never meet anyone alone.. normally I take my little brother with me.. but he's not little... he's 6'2" and scares people. lol Also.. I am not new to the rescue and foster scene at all.. I know it can be VERY expensive.. I'd never be silly enough to believe that I'd be taking in free, healthy Chinchillas that have no problems. I know exactly what I am getting myself into..


Everyone, meet "Bernard".. I think I'm going to have to call him something else because for some reason I can't bring myself to call him that.. He is a beige boy that is 2 years old. The boy I got him from had both of his parents, a mosaic and a beige. I guess there was a litter of quads, 1 kit was stillborn and the other 3 boys survived. When they got older he never adopted about Bernard because he said he expected him to die. He said he was small and just never right.. he wobbled or something? I see nothing wrong with him though, he is a sweetheart! I guess his dad died.. and he is just keeping the mother but said he may be contacting me to take her as well, depending on how busy his life gets? He is small, needs to be groomed and dusted like the others, but looks to be quite healthy. I am glad because the original picture I saw of him made me worry.. and I guess just the attitude that came across about how much he really wanted to get rid of him and didn't want him.

I also got an update on the boys, Kuma & Sofa from Tabitha.. and I'll be back to post if I have time before I head to work!

 

[cindyv3737]

I love his ears!!! He looks like a sweet little boy.

 

[Chub_Chub]

I got two of my boys from CL... Definitely a learning experience. One ended up being a fur chewer (recovered nicely) and the other is beautiful, other than a slightly mangled ear.. If I had known back then that there was a chinchilla rescue available in the state, I would have gone that way with getting my animals. But I love my little goobers dearly and couldn't imagine not having them now.

 

[ChunkyChins]

Tabitha has the original boys home now, Kuma (standard) and Sofa (homo beige).. They've been groomed and dusted and are being transitioned onto her feed. She has quarantine setup in her living room. :thumbsup: I guess Kuma has an attitude and likes to bite.. and Sofa is just a cuddle bug. It's amazing what just a simple bath and grooming can do!!

Thanks for the help Tab! :hug2:

 

[Nervousings]

i really admire you for doing this. if i had the room i would offer some... unfortunately apartments in Los Angeles dont have space for a quarantine

 

[mishellyshel]

good luck with your new venture.
i got a real sweetie off CL. his owner went away to college & the parents just wanted him to have a good home. he was well taken care of, they even had a christmas stocking for him!
bernard is adorable......maybe bernie for short??
the other two are nice looking as well. seems like you got lucky on the first 3. i am sure you will have some heartache stories too but in the end what you are doing is wonderful.
and it sounds like between you and Tab there is a ton of knowledge & experience.

 

[AZChins]

It is good that responsible people buy them off of CL. I'm glad that they do! I just can't deal with the craziness of more people.

They look really good, Linda.

And, Ro...I am glad that you went to CL to rescue those boys. All the chins here are taken care of...they get good food, they get playtime, but the ones on CL may not be getting very good care at all. They probably all come with the standard petstore food, toys and garbage treats. If their owners did a quick search, they could find me and I would take the chins. Unfortunately people want to recover some of their "investment." (I've heard people call it that...like the animals are going to be worth more after they forget to feed them and never dust them?)

 

[starleomach]

Good Luck. I too avoid CL But I take in and rehome any that find their way to me.

 

[Ash]

Good luck, Linda. And those two boys look AWESOME after a bit of TLC.