Chinchilla Talk

One or Two?

Chinchillas are social animals that do well in pairs. In many cases, having two chinchillas is quite ideal and can be beneficial to both the owner and the animals. But there are some considerations when deciding to have two chinchillas instead of one. We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of having more than one chinchilla.

Alone
If you want to get a single chinchilla or currently have a single chinchilla, consider how much time you will have to devote to the animal. Just putting food and water in the cage is not enough interaction time to stimulate your pet. You will have to spend a good amount of time playing them them so they are not bored in the cage. If they have a chinchilla friend, they can keep each other company and entertained in your place. Of course, you will still need to give them some interaction time but not as much as if you had just one chinchilla.

Figthing
With two animals, there's always a chance that they will fight with each other, especially if they are initially strangers. If you are getting a chinchilla, consider getting two who are already friends. Introducing two chinchillas can be very difficult and result in injuries due to fighting so buying two together will free you from having to do a difficult introduction. Some introductions can go smoothly, but most often fight at least a little bit in the beginning. Once the chinchillas have become close friends, there is still a chance that they will fight in the future, so getting a second cage to seperate them for a short time is a good idea.

Care
Caring for two chinchillas who live in the same cage is actually any more difficult or time consuming than one chinchilla. This is because most of the care involves replacing food and water in the cage and cleaning the cage itself. The only difference between maintaining one or two chinchillas is that you will spend a little more time cleaning the cage, changing the water bottle more often, and adding more food than for one animal. But this additional time for two is very minimal. In addition, because they can interact with each other, you will not have to spend as much time playing with them as you would with one chinchilla.

Cost
With two chinchillas, you will need to buy twice as much pellets and hay. You will also need to change the bedding more often than for one chinchilla. In addition, you will need to make sure you have a cage large enough for the two to live comfortably. A 3 foot tall cage should be adequate for two chinchillas. While having two chinchillas will be a little more expensive to maintain, that added costs are actually minimal. You will need to buy more food, but may be able to save money because you can now buy in bulk for two or more animals. Unless your budget was really tight, you many not even notice the slightly extra costs of having two chinchillas.

Sex
When getting two chinchillas, you will need to get two that are the same sex unless you are sure that you want babies. Even if they are related, any two chinchillas of the opposite sex will likely produce babies. You may be able to neuter the male, but this is a risky operation at not many vets can do. It is better to have a male-male or female-female combination.

For more information about chinchillas, visit forchins.com. For discussion of small pets, including chinchillas, rabbits, and guinea pigs, visit smallpetclub.com.

posted by forchins @ 11:20 AM 3 comments

What do I need

If you have decided to get a pet chinchilla and you have found one that you like, the next step is to prepare to bring the chinchilla home. You will need to have all the supplies beforehand so that your chinchilla can just go right in its habitat and begin to live its new life.

Cage
The first thing you should look for is the animal’s home. For most people, this is some sort of a cage. Your local pet store will sell cages, but there are other alternatives to this. Online sites such as Quality Cage and Martin’s Cage are highly respected manufacturers whose products are not found in the pet store. They both sell large chinchilla cages and owners of these cages are quite happy with the products. Additionally, their chinchillas are happy with the space provided. Alternatively, if you are handy, you can build your own cage.

Accessories
The most important accessories are a pellet bowl and water bottle. You will need these at a minimum. Some sort of hay holder is also recommended as you will find that loose hay is messy. You can use either a hay rack attached outside of the cage or a holder inside the cage. If you use a holder, be sure it isn’t something that your chinchilla can get their foot stuck in. You will also need cage bedding to absorb the animal’s urine and feces at the bottom of the cage. Pine bedding or aspen is recommended. Carefresh also sells bedding that can be used by chinchillas. You can find bedding at a pet store or a feed store. Chinchillas are chewers and need items to chew to wear their ever growing teeth down. Pet stores usually carry wood for small animals. Be sure that the wood you buy is safe for chinchillas as some bird safe woods are not necessarily safe for chinchillas. You can also look to buy untreated pine at the hardware store as wood to chew. Additionally, chinchillas like to hide in small spaces and it is recommended that you buy a hiding house for them. You can buy one at the pet store or make one out of pine boards. If you make one, it is recommended that it is put together using non-toxic glue instead of screws and nails to prevent injuring the animal. Finally, chinchillas take bath using dust. You will need to buy both the dust and a container in which to take a bath with. You can buy dust bath containers specifically made for chinchillas at the pet store or just use something like a large goldfish bowl. Pet stores will carry chinchilla dust, but the two best brands, Blue Cloud and Blue Sparkle are not found in pet stores. Search on-line for these brands to see if a local carrier has them.

Food and Water
Any type of clean water can be used by chinchillas. Some people use tap water and others used filtered or bottled water. Both are fine. For pellets, the place where you purchased your chinchilla should provide some pellets for you to last at least 2 weeks. You can either continue to use the same brand of pellets or switch to a brand you prefer. Be sure to do this gradually, putting more of your pellets and less of the original pellets over time. You may find that the higher quality pellets will not be found in pet stores, but rather feed stores and through on-line purchase. A high quality Timothy or Orchard hay is also recommended as a supplement for your chinchillas. You can find hay at your pet store, but your will often find higher quality and less expensive hay at a feed store or local hay farmer.

When you purchase these items before bringing home your chinchilla, you will be ready to just put it in its cage and enjoy it’s new life. Happy hunting, and remember that your local pet store will likely be more expensive and will probably not have the highest quality items.

For more information about chinchillas, visit forchins.com. For discussion of small pets, including chinchillas, rabbits, and guinea pigs, visit smallpetclub.com.

posted by forchins @ 10:34 PM 0 comments

Where to buy a Chinchilla

If you have done research on Chinchillas and have decided that you would like to get one, the next step is to find a chnchilla. Actually, the step prior to this is to get all the equipment necessary to care for the animal, but that's part of doing your research right?

There are basically four different places to get a chinchilla. The first and most obvious is a pet store. Many stores such as Petco and Petsmart that sell small animals usually have at least one chinchilla available. While buying from a pet store is a popular choice, they are also often the most expensive option. A pet store chinchilla can cost $130 and up. Also, the chinchilla may or may not be well socialized depending on the care taken by the store.

A second option is a rehoming group or shelter. The fee for a rehomed chinchilla should be fairly low, just enough so that the adopter values the animal. $50 is a common amount. Keep in mind that rehomed chinchillas are not defective animals unless the rehoming group specifically discloses a problem. Otherwise, you can expect to get a chinchilla every bit as good as any other chinchilla. People rehome their pets for a variety of reasons, and it usually doesn't have anything to do with the animals themselves, but with circumstances of the owner.

Third, you can buy a chinchilla from a breeder. If you are looking for a younger chinchilla, this is usually your best option. Many breeders sell their chinchilla right after they are weaned, about 8-12 weeks old. If you get a chinchilla from a breeder, be sure to ask many questions. You want a chinchilla that is healthy and is free from genetic defects. Ask the breeder if they have a pedigree for their breeding chinchillas. Ask them where they bought the breeding parents. Ask them if any of their animals chew their fur or have teeth problems. A good breeder will also ask you a few questions. This shows that they want the best home for the chinchillas they sell and reveals that they likely take good care of the animals themselves.

Finally, if you have a chinchilla ranch near you, you can buy animals from them. Many ranches sell in wholesale, but they often have single animals for sale to the public. Ranches also carry show quality animals for a higher price, but this is not necessary if you do not plan to breed or show your animals.

No matter where you buy your chinchilla, it's important that you learn as much about the animals as possible before and while seeing the animal. The more you know about the animals that you are interested in, the more likely that you will get a chinchilla that is healthy and is compatible with you.

For more information about chinchillas, visit forchins.com. For discussion of small pets, including chinchillas, rabbits, and guinea pigs, visit smallpetclub.com.

posted by forchins @ 10:43 PM 0 comments