New pet? Chinchilla...
Posted by sharway on Sep 23, 2008 · Member since Mar 2002 · 1314 posts
I've got a friend moving back to TX in a couple months, and she's offered me her chinchilla. I am clearly a sucker for sweet fuzzy little animals (see Little Dog for evidence), I own my own home, and my dog is not much of a risk factor. (Obviously I wouldn't let them run around together unsupervised, but the dog is alarmingly sweet to rodents and has gotten along famously with guinea pigs, mice, etc.)
Does anyone have experiences with chinchillas? My friend really wants me to take him, b/c she knows I'm an animal lover and will treat him right. He's four years old now and apparently live until 15 or so. CW, I know you love your rodents... any advice or cautions?
my friend has a chinchilla and he says it's the smartest animal he's ever been around. this coming from a man who spent years in india around monkeys. i saw the fuzzy guy in action and he's definitely bright and cute. if one was offered to me, i'd be on that like white on rice. or brown on rice, if you wanna be healthy about it.
Get it. A friend of mine has a chinchilla and loves it. He says it can even jump a foot off of the ground or something.
;)b
Chinchillas are great. As long as you have the time for the cage upkeep and the money for the supplies, adopt the bugger! So fuzzy and cute :)>>>
OH YAY! I'm glad there are already positive responses. I've already met him and snuggled with him and have kind of already fallen in love, but I don't take pet adoption lightly, obviously. I've got TONS of space! The only thing I worry about is travel, but I already travel a fair amount and have had no problems finding a pet sitter for Little Dog, so I figure, how much harder can it be to find someone to pet-sit a chinchilla? If anything, I think it'd be easier, since you don't have to walk/let it outside. I also figure, if I really do move out of the country, I could probably bequeath him to one of my schools. Preschools and lower elementary schools are good with classroom mascots like that!
Now to come up with a cute name!.. (They currently call him Little Guy or something quite nondescript...)
My son and his wife have a chinchilla and his name is zidain (sp?) I think it is a world of warcraft or final fantasy thing ??? They love him..he is so adorable. :) He is pretty hard to catch if he escapes though. ::)
"satan sucks, but you're the best
holy smokes you past the test
when i'm with you i feel blessed
my chinchilla
satan sucks, but you're okay
since you came things go my way
here tomorrow, here today
my chinchilla
one day i woke up and everyrthihng was beautiful
my troubles had all fallen out the window
satan sucks but you're divine
sitting pretty by my side
oh my oh my, my chinchilla "
-Cub
You gotta love cuddle-core.
gaawwawww...a chinchilla! *squeal*
well, it's clear by now that none of us have to convince you of how freakin' adorable they are...so, next up...
I'd encourage you to find as much reliable information on chin care as you can. I'm also pretty sure that VS has one (or a few) and would know more about them than I would. I know they're similar to rats in that you need to make sure to provide the proper food, cage, bedding, and overall environment (chins are rather temperature-sensitive), but specific to chins' needs, of course. If you have lots of space, you should be able to make at least one room "proofed" to make a safe play space...again, you'll want to consult some reliable source like VS or somesuch.
do keep us updated! we'll help you name the little guy, too, of course. :)>>>
I'm suddenly suffering from a bout of GGMR* now, thankyouverymuch.
*Gotta Get More Rats!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Chinchilla-Care-Mistakes-Or-How-To-Double-Your-Chinnies-Lifespan&id=412484
Chinchillas need to take regular dust baths, it seems. huh. never woulda known about that one...
one of my friends had an awesome chinchilla for a while.
hm... a name...
I think we'll need a photo of said chinchilla before we can decide this one.
I mean, how can we know whether he's a Jub Jub or a Mr. Whiskers?
(ok, for serious, I only name my animals "human names," but I've run into some adorable fake names at the vet hospital where I work)
I read somewhere that chinchillas are nocturnal, so they make good pets for insomniacs or people who work late shifts and need a pet awake when they are. Otherwise, they sleep all day which isn't exciting, particularly for kids.
I read somewhere that chinchillas are nocturnal, so they make good pets for insomniacs or people who work late shifts and need a pet awake when they are. Otherwise, they sleep all day which isn't exciting, particularly for kids.
Chinchillas make wonderful pets. They are very endearing. Yepper, sleep a lot during the day. Cali is very fond of the ones at the pet store, as in....dinner. That is why I am getting a hedgehog. If she dares put Hannah Rose in her mouth, she won't do it again! ;D
To Cali. chinchillas, ferrets, rats, hamsters, etc., mean dinner, Baby bunnies too. All are good for my cats too. Be very careful when getting a 'pocket pet' you know your current pets.
Hence Hannah Rose, she has quills. I don't believe anymore that just a furred small pet would survive in my home. I know it wouldn't. Natural instinct would take over.
As for birds and cats or dogs, please use extreme caution. One day instinct will take over. A cat scratch in a bird means certain death if you don't get the bird to the vet ASAP. I see all the emails with a cat and a budgie. These emails make me cringe. Cute pictures. One cat scratch or bite can result in a very fast death of your bird.
Use extreme caution when putting a 'pocket pet' or bird with your dogs or cats. You may think they get along. A cat scratch, bite, or dog nibble can kill your pet within hours. Infection can spread. If you suspect a scratch or bite, get to the vet ASAP. Don't wait to see how they are doing. Get them to the vet. Or. you may very well wake up to a dead beloved pet.
http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/1.jpg
(As per often, Heli's answer is not at all helpful. ::))
:)>>>
Awwwwwwwwwwww! We don't have chinchillas in Australia and I'd never heard of them before, but oh! oh my goodness! ohhhhhhh!
Chinchillas need to take regular dust baths, it seems. huh. never woulda known about that one...
Yeah, I've read about that! Isn't that curious?!
Heli, that's kind of what this guy looks like! He's a little darker grey though, and a tiny bit chubs. Gonna email my friend today and tell her I'm getting serious.
...so they make good pets for insomniacs...
This is me! :D
http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Chinchilla-Care-Mistakes-Or-How-To-Double-Your-Chinnies-Lifespan&id=412484
Chinchillas need to take regular dust baths, it seems. huh. never woulda known about that one...
i got to witness this, and it was awesome.
Oh, I totally forgot! My friend gave me a pic, "to help think about it." Isn't he cuuuuute?
They're native to somewhere in S. America, Chile I think. They're getting popular in Spain too, which is nice, because people no longer see them as viable candidates for the coat industry.
Now if we could just get the locals to see the beauty in cats. :( :-\
(Local people still see cats as "untrustworthy" or "treacherous", believe that they will steal a baby's breath, and classify them as one step up from rats, as vermin.)
Oh, I totally forgot! My friend gave me a pic, "to help think about it." Isn't he cuuuuute?
Looks like a Ronaldo to me.
Hmm... he's not quite a Jub Jub.
I say Sammy.
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