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I love guinea pigs and hamsters and all, but this thread needs more chinchillas. This is my baby, Loki-- he's about 4 months old and we've had him for a month. Loki is a mosaic chinchilla that we got from a breeder.  This is my favorite picture of Apollo enjoying a Christmas wreathe. Apollo is also a mosaic. We rescued him from some crazy lady on Craigslist. He's mostly very gentle and calm, but HATES to be held, and can get bitey. We had gotten Loki to be a friend for Apollo but so far they haven't been getting along. I think the main problem stems from Apollo thinking Loki is a coy female, and Loki not much liking being mistaken for a woman.  Our original chinchilla, Hermes, being a dust ball. I'm not really sure there's anything cuter than watching a chin take a dust bath. This darkish grey is the standard color that most chinchillas are if they aren't mutants like my others. Hermes died very unfortunately a few months after we had him (complications from a surgery to remove a bladder stone). I've had birds and gerbils and a guinea pig, but I don't think I've ever been so crushed by the death of a pet before this. Chinchillas are great little friends that learn your schedule and are there to greet you when you toddle out of bed or come home from work in the evening. Most crave socialization. They have a vivid curiosity and get up to some hilarious antics. Someone said on the first page that chinchillas seem aloof, but that is probably because they saw them in the day when they were sleepy (not to mention the ones in most pet stores are probably bored out of their minds). My Loki is a blur of activity and gets into everything when we let him out of his cage for his daily playtime. I'm no chinchilla expert by any means, having only been an owner for about 6 months, however I've done a lot of research and am more than happy to answer any questions people might have.
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Feb 17, 2010 06:06
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RizieN posted:I really need to get these two Chinchillas in love, so I can build them ONE sweet rear end cage to live in. I only planned on using these 'starter cages' for a little while, as Ava is a little too big for it (for my liking anyway), and Pompeii is getting there... My chins, Apollo and Loki, aren't getting along either (they are both male)  Also, spaying or neutering small rodents is *extremely* risky, and surgery is not something I am eager to do after the tragedy with Hermes :/ Funnily enough I have that exact same cage as you do, and was holding out the same hope that I could get them into one nice big Ferret Nation cage or something similar. Still haven't given up, but we are going to give them a break from introductions and try a different approach in a couple of weeks.
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Mar 1, 2010 06:59
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DreadCthulhu posted:Do you guys know what this thread needs more of? More chinchilla questions! Alucinor is basically right about all that he said. I happen to think Chinchillas are good pets, but they certainly aren't for everyone. Chinchillas require quite a bit of attention and need daily supervised out of cage time. Luckily for the working person, they sleep during the day and wake up at dusk, and love routines. Like most rodents they find plastic and especially cables to be delicious, so these things cannot be around during their play time, even if you are supervising them closely. And even with supervision they will still manage to destroy the woodwork in your house. They cannot be potty trained, although my chins rarely, though not never, urinate during their playtime anymore. They WILL poop, A LOT, everywhere, but their feces is of the hard rodent pellet variety that are easily swept or vacuumed up and don't really smell. To deter cage boredom, chinchillas love being spoiled with new toys like chews or hay cubes, pumice stones, natural loofahs, and fleece toys. They will also need a very large wheel ("15" diameter which you typically can't find in the pet store), and lots of ledges, hidey places, and tunnels. Initial Set-up and toys will be the most expensive part of owning a chinchilla.. food is very cheap because one $10 bag of pellets can feed them for 1-2 months, and hay also lasts quite a while. From what I understand, there's not a huge difference between male and females, though I have heard some preference for males because they cannot spray urine when they are upset unlike females. I don't advise against getting chinchillas, but please understand the commitment that will be required, their dietary and other special needs  and do lots and lots of research before you decide this is the pet for you.
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Aug 8, 2010 07:31
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