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RurouNNy posted:What used to be Chins-n-Quills is now Chins n Hedgies. Chins-n-Quills used to have really good information, experienced owners/breeders and sellers with chin appropriate toys, treats, etc. This new site was spun up by previous staff of Chins-n-Quills when something happened to the original forum. Hope this helps. Oh man thank you so much for posting this! I used the old site to research Chinchillas and eventually found a breeder on there to get mine from. Now she lives with my mom but I still like to look for toys and info so I can help her out with proper toys and care. Content! My boyfriend got me a tiny robo hamster for Christmas because I have always had a small caged pet and recently I have not had one so I've been missing it. (Like I said I had a chinchilla, rat, hamsters, gerbil, mice.) I read that they are good in pairs or groups so I was considering going to the pet store he got her from to get a buddy for her. Is introducing another hamster a big ordeal? Like is it pretty much the same as chinchillas? Pics! Her name is Bitey, but she doesn't bite.   
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Dec 27, 2009 23:18
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Still curious about adding another hamster in with the one I just got.
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Jan 1, 2010 05:20
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Awesome Kristin posted:Content! My boyfriend got me a tiny robo hamster for Christmas because I have always had a small caged pet and recently I have not had one so I've been missing it. (Like I said I had a chinchilla, rat, hamsters, gerbil, mice.) Like I said it is a robo hamster and I read they are better in pairs or groups. I just wanna hear some advice and see if that is true.
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Jan 1, 2010 07:14
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CagedLiberty posted:Robos definately enjoy the company of others as a general rule. I have four and thankfully they get on wonderfully. They playfight a lot but I've never had any injuries except one small scratch to the nose. However, there is a smaller chance that some don't get on. A serious injury like bites of the ears or tail resulting in blood is something you have to watch out for - robos who don't get on have a penchant for attacking rears. Try to check that both are eating - sometimes one can scare the other off. Thanks a bunch for that! I have not done it yet and it's been since Christmas that I have had Bitey. Unfortunately due to recent events I just don't know if I can afford the bigger space and addons two hamsters might need or a separate cage in the event they don't get along. I suppose I will just have Bitey alone.
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Jan 14, 2010 05:34
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Hey guys. Quick question. I have a robo hamster that won't use her dust bath but is looking rather oily. Is there anything I can do for her? Edit: I'm sorry about your loss Fewd. 
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May 8, 2010 12:10
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I got a new camera that can take decent macro shots so I want to share some of Bitey. 
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May 29, 2010 00:53
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Awww. Makes me miss my chinchilla. Sadly I had to let my mom take care of her. 
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May 29, 2010 04:24
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I took some more Bitey pics for you.  
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May 30, 2010 05:53
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I'd like to add that you should do as much research as possible. From what I've seen there is a lot of misinformation out there and even pet stores will tell you things that just aren't true. Don't buy the "chinchilla food" from stores unless it is only pellets. Any of the foods with corn and peas and random junk in it is just terrible for chinchillas and can cause nasty digestive problems. Also, as with any rodent, watch what you put in the cage for odor control. Any woods with oils can harm their respiratory systems. I don't remember the safe ones but I'm sure someone here knows. I would try the paper looking stuff first, but watch if they eat it or not. Another thing is plastic. Tons of stores sell those cages with plastic tubes (for ferrets) as well as those chinchilla igloos and other toys. They chew like crazy. The hay you give them helps a bit, but for the most part you need to get sticks for them to chew on. If there's plastic in the cage they will probably chew on that and possibly get it in their system. I'd stay away from plastic. There are plenty of wood and chinchilla safe toys/hideouts to choose from. I'd also not leave the dust bath in the cage all the time. This keeps them from chewing the plastic, as well as from bathing too much and getting really dry and dirty. When choosing hammocks and stuff make sure it's fleece sewn by someone who knows it will be for chinchillas. If it is cotton an not made properly, they can chew it up and ingest the string and fibers from it and cause problems. And about multiples. As with any rodent, definitely try to get them already bonded. Chinchillas are picky and there's no guarantee they will like each other. So get them together or be prepared to have two cages and two different playtimes. They may not like really loud noises but they love to see what's going on in the house and get bored quickly. If you have them in the livingroom or where they can see things going on they'll be happier. As long as it's not loud all day every day since they're mostly nocturnal. Mine used to love watching tv and would bark at me if she got bored or lonely. Sorry if I went over obvious things or if you already did all that research. Just want to make sure more chinchillas are happy. There are too many impulse pet store chinchillas that are miserable in one story super pet cages eating junk food.
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May 31, 2010 21:22
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Hoplosternum posted:Eeeeeeeee Max & Osker are so cute, I want to cuddle them to death. That all comes down to individual chin personality.
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Jun 2, 2010 07:59
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If you're going to be gone for that long at a time I would definitely recommend having someone knowledgeable come by every day or so to let them out for play time. Chins need at a minimum an hour a day outside their cage to run around and play. They get bored pretty easily, plus you want them to be getting good exercise. As for travel, I would use cat carriers to bring them by car anywhere. And you have to make sure the temperature is around 75F or less since they can overhead really easily. You might not have to order the pellets online if you can find a feed store near you. Sometimes they have big bags of food for good prices. Mazuri is the brand everyone recommends but Oxbow is good as well. Never get Kaytee brand anything. They are just horrible when it comes to quality. Also, unless you have a good specialty pet store I would order the dust online. The stuff you see at petsmart is too coarse and doesn't clean them very well. Blue Cloud dust is pretty much the standard when it comes to chins. This place has the brands you need so you can see prices of stuff. http://www.chinworld.com/
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Jun 2, 2010 19:43
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The website that Ishkibibble_Fish posted is where I learned everything I needed to know, as well as found a breeder to get my chinchilla from. I'd recommend looking at toys and accessories that the people on there put in the classifieds. I got all kinds of neat packages of random toys for Boo, as well as her favorite thing ever. Her fleece tube. She wouldn't touch her hammock after I got this for her. 
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Jun 2, 2010 21:41
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Oh no one's mentioned this but if you get males, be prepared to see them... well.. pleasuring themselves.
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Jun 3, 2010 00:07
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The females get all lovey and frisky when they're in heat, haha!
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Jun 3, 2010 01:00
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pokie posted:Speaking of which, how do you clean the cage and how often? I'd just empty the shavings or whatever you use for bedding and replace it completely. Probably best to do it once a week or so but you can usually tell when it looks like it's getting too messy or there's too much poop. They poop a lot.
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Jun 3, 2010 05:32
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This stuff works well as long as they don't eat it. I used wood shavings and it wasn't expensive at all. If they pee in one corner then you can clean that spot up more often than the full cage and just add a handfull of new bedding to that and you might be able to put off cleaning the whole cage a bit longer but the poop really builds up.
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Jun 3, 2010 06:05
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pokie posted:Hm, like which vac? Those can get extremely expensive and fast. A hand vac works too as long as it can pick up some hay and poop.
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Jun 3, 2010 07:36
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Master_Jay posted:Ahem. Welp, I broke down and bought myself a hamster. What breed is this? Kinda big dude. omg it looks like a ground squirrel!
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Jun 4, 2010 11:18
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http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/pet/2178426831.html Saw this tonight while looking at cute animals I can't have. I don't think they look healthy at all, and the person is breeding them. What could I say to this person that could convince them to just hand them over so I can help these poor guys out? I wouldn't pay this person money.
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Jan 25, 2011 09:19
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drat Bananas posted:Why did they take a picture of one next to a geode? I went ahead and emailed them saying if they can't find a suitable home and absolutely need to get rid of them, then I would take them in. The absolute first thing that needs to happen is for them to be separated. They look like they need a diet change and to be brushed a little as well. I also see a ton of plastic and no shelves in that cage! UGH.
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Jan 26, 2011 00:54
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Hey guys, I want to share my newest family member, Charlie! I adopted him from a craigslist person who had only done half her research. His cage was bare and full of wire and I'm super excited to fill it with fleece accessories and tons of good toys for him. The first thing I did was change his diet and had my husband put together some wooden ledges to get rid of the metal ones with ramps. I love his curly tail and he's such a sweetheart.     Old setup  New shelves 
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Jan 31, 2011 23:50
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Glasgow posted:5 day old chinchilla at our shelter. I'll just leave these here. So cute! I wanted a baby chin sooo bad but I went ahead and got adults from Craigslist instead. Do you have any pictures of the baby with it's mom? Or is she not around?
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Feb 23, 2011 22:41
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Glasgow posted:Curse you! I can play the cute game too. 
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Mar 3, 2011 03:07
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I have more cute to post too! 
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Mar 9, 2011 08:32
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I switched to a fleece liner today. I hope they learn to use the litter areas because this will make my life so much easier!
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Mar 10, 2011 05:36
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Glasgow posted:I've managed to hold them and clip their nails, but it's such a long, squirmy process, I think a quick once-over with the emery board should do the trick. Haha! That's why I got chinchillas! I mean, yeah I have cats and a dog but nothing is cuter than rodents. My hamster is pretty much as cuddly and interesting as a fish. But my chins love attention and get to jump all over me when they're out of the cage.
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Mar 13, 2011 00:58
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Succ-U-Bus posted:Reading this thread makes me want to own a pair of pigs, but I have to wait until I no longer live in a flat. Why would anyone ever choose a guinea pig over this?!: 
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Apr 10, 2011 22:50
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Penguins Like Pies posted:I'm looking to adopt a chinchilla from the humane society in about 3 months. I've done some preliminary research and read parts of the websites/forums that have been posted so my boyfriend and I think we can handle a chinchilla. Here are some questions I have: 1. If I have the option to choose, would it be better (health wise, cost, temperament, etc.) to get a male or female? Females have a tendency to spray (urine) when they feel afraid or are upset with you. They also go through heat and get all lovey during that time. Males need hair ring checks every couple months. Usually they take care of cleaning themselves but if you see them messing with their privates too much it means you need to pull out the penis and remove the hair yourself. Temperament is pretty much random and doesn't have a lot to do with sex. 2. I'm in Canada (specially Alberta), so can someone give me an average of how much they spend on the vet every year? Can't tell you about Canada but in the US the average exotic vet checkup is anywhere from $45-$100 USD depending on if you go to a good one or not. 3. For a cage, I've been noticing that people use the Ferret Nation style cages, so the ones that are off the ground and with casters and a shelf underneath. Is that okay? I'm worried that the wire ramp would be inappropriate for its feet. The Ferret Nation is the one most people get. Be sure to remove any ramps or plastic shelves that may come with whatever cage you decide to get. Also it's fun to make your own wooden shelves and ledges and it saves money too. 4. If I go away for a weekend and I can't get someone to chinchilla sit, can I just enough food/water out for it? For the most part people will tell you not to risk it. They can have all kinds of things happen if you don't check on them for more than a day. They could slip and fall and break a limb, the water bottle could start leaking. This is for pretty much any bigger pet though. 5. Is there any way to prevent them from chewing on baseboards, cords, etc. when they're out of the cage? I want to be able to let mine run around but since we'll be renting a place, I don't want to cause any unnecessary damage. So should I just cover everything fleece when it's out or just give my chinchilla a play pen to run around in? There's no way to stop them. It takes just a moment of them near the wall and a chunk of paint is gone. Lots of people use a playpen or just line the walls with flat cardboard boxes. This is the site to get all your information. Some of the people there can be a little "crazy chinchilla lady" but for the most part they just want your chin to be happy. There are sections with tutorials on how to make shelves and fleece accessories as well as a classifieds area where you can have someone make it for you. http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/index.php
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Apr 14, 2011 23:54
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The second chinchilla I adopted to be a companion to the first came from a home with a young kid. He spent the first 3 years of his life in that house and I am his second owner. He bites HARD! I don't know how to break him of it but I figure it's because they didn't handle him much and when he was handled it was probably the kid being rough. I hope your sister's chin ends up being happy some day.
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Apr 15, 2011 23:11
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Penguins Like Pies posted:Can chinchillas run around on a carpeted area? Or will they chew the carpet? I happen to currently live in a house that has a bathroom with a carpet. I hate it but I can tell you that the chins don't even give any notice to the carpet, just any wood that is jutting out.
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Apr 17, 2011 08:28
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Rocket Wizard posted:Anyway, has anyone else had a problem like this. I'm terrified since the vet used the C-word as a possibility because of her age. Has anyone had a situation like this where they seem to be eating but aren't gaining/keeping weight? Do a search or post in this forum: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/index.php Sometimes they can be a bit blunt if you're doing something wrong but these people are experts and really care about chinchillas. Good luck.
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May 12, 2011 17:07
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SmellsOfFriendship posted:Hi there! Hey! I have a couple suggestions for controlling temperature since I live in a desert. Fleece is something you'll want to use in the cage for things like hammocks and hidey places and stuff. You can also make a fleece pouch to put a water bottle in. Fill the bottle up with water and freeze it, then stick it in a fleece pouch so they can lay next to it. Something you can find at pet stores is a little granite(?) slab called a "chinchiller" and you can put it in the fridge for a bit and back into the cage. Just don't put it on a really high ledge because chins are assholes and will push it off. The best cage that most chin owners recommend is a Ferret Nation or Critter Nation. You can stack one or two levels and fill it with custom ledges and hammocks and random stuff. Since I can't afford a ferret nation I went ahead and modified the cage one of my chins came with. It wasn't appropriate at all and had wire shelves and a wire bottom. I removed the bottom grate, and the shelves and added my own wooden ones. This is what the cage looked like before. Definitely a terrible cage for chins.  And this is after some really cheap modifications. (that plastic food bowl is gone now) 
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Nov 7, 2011 21:28
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Yeah I understand your pain. One of my chinchillas bites all the time and hates attention. I don't think he'll ever not try to bite my fingers off.
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Dec 12, 2011 03:49
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I just want to clarify that my chin that bites came from a bad home. He was 4 when we got him and a little boy was allowed to play with him (from what I heard it was rough handling), and his conditions weren't great either. I do what I can for him but he's just so grumpy.
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Dec 14, 2011 05:50
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I'd like to add that sometimes cat saliva has a bacteria (I don't remember specifically, I read it on the chins and hedgies forum ages ago) that can infect chins and kill them very quickly. If you're worried your cat won't leave the cage alone I'm not sure what to tell you. Even a scratch can infect them from what I've read on the forums.
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Mar 8, 2012 06:15
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When I introduced Charlie and Oscar it seemed like they were chasing each other and making lots of noise but not actually biting. I followed some advice and put them in a small carrier together. What I saw was Charlie trying to hump Oscar. Since I know this can be a dominance thing even in bonded pairs I just let him "get it out of his system." Ever since then Charlie has been dominant but they get along great. Sometimes one will bark at the other for some random reason but they cuddle and sleep together. I got lucky though and didn't have to adopt Oscar out and try another chin. My favorite picture of them:
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Mar 12, 2012 19:06
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Oh she's tan! Look at those freckled ears. I hope she works out for you. Do you know everything you need to know about introductions? Also that cage is severely lacking in fleece. I'd get a tube and some hammocks asap.
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Mar 23, 2012 20:54
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SmellsOfFriendship posted:I e-mailed them back saying "both of those are toxic to chinchillas!" and have been all over amazon Here's a site I have used before. http://www.chincessories.com/index.htm I've even emailed them asking to just send me a random variety box of stuff worth a certain amount and they're happy to do it. Other sites: http://www.simplychintastic.com/index.html http://camphorchins.com/ Also the classifieds section on the Chins and Hedgies site has people selling food, dust, hay, toys, treats and random stuff all the time. In fact last week I got a 20 lb box of Blue Cloud for pretty cheap from a member there. Awesome Kristin fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Apr 9, 2012 |
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Apr 9, 2012 22:32
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:So if the stars align properly and I make the appropriate virgin sacrifices, I'll hopefully be getting a job in California. I live in Virginia, so getting out there is going to be an adventure. I've never done it myself but I know it gets done all the time. I've even seen "chin railroads" put together by a group of people. Honestly ask here and you will find people who have done exactly what you're doing. They should have the best advice for you! I feel weird posting about that site a lot but honestly if you ignore the weird "crazy chinchilla lady" syndrome some of them have, you can learn so much since a lot of them are breeders and care so much about chinchillas.
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Apr 15, 2012 21:52
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I think he needs more time to settle in. Give it a couple more weeks, or even up to a month. Also outside time isn't generally recommended right off the bat. I guess they need time to feel safe in their new space before they're let out to play or something. (It's also supposed to be a quarantine time) Though if he seems to be doing fine, just keep up what you're doing. Definitely don't try to put them together for a couple more weeks though. When you get to the point of introductions, you can try releasing them in the same room, or keeping the aggressive one in a small cage (like a show cage) and put it in the larger cage so the non aggressive chin can sniff around and sort of be in charge of the interactions. Another recommendation is to put them both in a cat carrier and take them for a car ride. The stress of the new environment and atmosphere can cause them to ignore each other and "bond" in a way. But I don't know if it's the best idea since you don't know if the new guy has ever fought before. I think the best way to introduce them is in a neutral place though. And if they do get along in the neutral place, be sure to change everything in the cage you're going to keep them in so it seems like a totally new cage. I did think Charlie was trying to attack Oscar when I introduced them. After I waited a moment I realized Charlie just wanted to hump him. He still does it every now and then when they're playing in the bathroom, but it never has been as violent as the first time.
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Apr 24, 2012 22:54
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