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[obiwan]

I would hope that most people ask that question before they get one.    Unfortunately I didn't get the chance. My brother called me Friday night and told me he was coming over for a bit. That's okay, he knows I'm a night owl. Then he walks in with a soft blue pet carrier.    What the heck, I think. Then: Christmas is right around the corner. Maybe he and Mom went in together and got me a ferret.    COOL! I miss my babies.

Background: This has been a bad year for me. In January, June, and August I lost my 3 ferrets that I've had since 2000. In addition my 19 year old cat died in July.    I had been talking about getting a another ferret pair in March as January and February are really busy times for me and not the time to bring in a new pet.

Then he brings in a cage and a couple of bags of stuff. It's not a ferret cage. That's not ferret food and bedding. HMMMM?   He sets everything up in my dining room (which has been empty since the ferrets died) and pulls out a grey puffball from the carrier.    He then tells me that his name is Obi-Wan and that he got him from a friend who had bought him in a petstore for her kid but the kid did not like him since Obi-Wan doesn't sit still and cuddle. Apparently he was born in July so he's still young. Then my brother gives me a book on chinchilla care and leaves.

And I'm stuck with the ultimate question: What's a chinchilla?  

[obiwan]

I realize now this should have been posted in general chat. Sorry. But I do have some questions after what I've been reading.

First, right now he's in this cage:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3074861    Is this big enough for him?
I want to replace the plastic shelves with wood ones and I've read both pine and aspin is okay but what about apple wood? My cousin works at an orchard and this is the time of year they trim trees and cut down ones that either are dead or are not producing good apples. They are an organic farm and don't use any pesticides on their farm. My neighbor is going to make some shelves for me to replace the plastic ones. I've been checking them over but so far Obi hasn't been chewing on the shelves yet. Too much else in his cage to play with.     

Do chinchillas like bedding like beds and hammocks? I made all kinds of bedding for my ferrets so if he might like that kind of stuff I don't want him to do without. Could it hurt him if I put some in his cage and he chewed on it?

I put a couple tablespoons of Mazuri food into his dish and he part of that but he is really going through the timothy hay. Is this okay for him or do I need to encourage him to eat more pellets? I've also got him some alfalfa cubes and he is eating those but I've seen online different types like Orchard grass. Can I switch him out for variety, to see what he likes, or is timothy hay the best?

When I've been looking at pictures of chinchillas their noses seem in proportion to their faces but Obi-Wan seems to have a really big nose. I'm going to post some pictures of him soon. Is it normal for young chinchillas to seem to have big noses?

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Welcome to the world of chins, they are awesome little critters. They leave very little odor and when kept clean you'd never know there was a pet in the house.
They eat very little, but yes the more timothy the better, pellets come second. Then alfalfa in third place, that and fresh water is all he really needs.Though extra calcium & vit. C can be helpful.You can just try giving him the tablets, they will usually gobble them down as if they were a treat.
Constant changing of food is not good on a chinchillas digestive system. Keep it simple and consistant. A good routine makes for happy chins.
The wood you use in the cage should be kiln dried, as with wood they chew, and they will chew the shelves.It's good for them. So I would go with the kiln dried pine.
If you want to give them the apple branches to chew on you should wash and bake them first. This will remove much of the sap & oils.
And yes some chins have longer pointier snouts while some have like a "pugged nose".
I do think the shorter snout is more desirable on the show table, but doesn't make much difference in a pet.
They are all adorable.
The cage looks fine except like you said the plastic shelves.

[Jo Ann]

    Welcome to the wonderful world of chinchillas! And to the Chinchilla Club Forum!

Debbie has given you the basics and you can find more on my website ... it is set up for the beginner.   ( www.luvnchins.com/ ) Learning the different terms that are used in the chinchilla world is very important.

Mazuri is a good chinchilla pellet, the Timothy hay should be available at all times, but changed out daily. Alfalfa hay is good also, but usually used for kits and pregnant or nursing moms. The food you are using is alfalfa hay based, which is good.  

Dust baths should be done with a dust bath dust ... not a dust bath sand ... the sand is to harsh on the chinchilla fur. This can be done daily or every 2 or 3 days, depending on the humidity and the amount of handling you do with your chin. Do not leave the dust bath container in his cage more than 15 minutes. Otherwise they will use it as a potty and the urine will breed bacteria. Any time you see a clump in the dust bath sand, that means he has peeded in it and it should be emptied out, container cleaned and fresh dust bath dust added before the next session.

Extra vitamin A & C can be found in dried papaya and rose hips.  A child's chewable vitamin C is good.  Do not add liquid vitamins to the water ... sunlight distroys them and you never know how much the chin did or did not get.

Each chinchilla has it's own special personality ... no two are exactly alike ... once one has won your heart ... you will always want a chinchilla in your life.  They are very special creatures and can make you laugh when nothing else can!

   Jo Ann

A chinchilla is an exotic mammal that originated in the Andes Mountains and are considered a part of the rodent family (but look like a cross between a squirrel and a mini rabbit).  They were almost hunted almost to extention in the 1920s for their fur.  Their fur is the softest known to man.  They are the most hypoallergenic animal you can find.  The thick fur will not allow flees or ticks to live on them.  They are nocturnal and are vegetarians by nature, not by choice ... meat will kill a chinchilla.  They will chew and eat almost anything they can get their little teeth on ... even if it can kill them ... it is your responsibility to make sure they can not get to the things that would hurt them or make them sick.

[obiwan]

Thank you both for your responses Debbie and Jo Ann. I love my brother but he could have at least warned me before doing this. Jo Ann I love your site. You have so much info on it for people like me that know nothing about these sweet animals. And I am trying to learn as much about them as I can to give him as healthy and happy a life possible.

Already I am leaning towards a "yes" on the whether to keep him or not decision.  It has been less than a week and I am already getting attached to him.  I love my cats but I've missed having another kind of animal for playtime. With that said I'm sure my next sentence will not shock anyone. Since I am very busy January and February (like so busy I have just slept at my office in previous years instead of coming home) I am considering getting him a playmate. I know with ferrets they were happier together and two animals are not much more trouble than one. I've read on other people's posts that chinchillas can be happy alone with lots of human company but the next two months he will mostly be getting attention from my neighbor K. (Long story short K's waiting on a kidney transplant and because of his illness he can't work a full time job so I pay him and his kids to do things for me like cleaning and grocery shopping.) K has already been introduced to Obi-Wan and is learning as I learn how to care for him as he helps me with my girls, the cats.

Do I need to take Obi-Wan for a checkup at my vet? I've already checked with my vet who treats my cats and treated my ferrets and he said he knows some about chinchillas and would do research on them more so he can take care of Obi. Do chinchillas need regular check ups like cats? I already figured out they don't need shots or flea treatment but what about getting him neutered? Thanks for your patience as I ask my rambling questions.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

No chins don't need regular check ups, and if your vet is not used to treating chins I would not get him neutered.
It's a very tricky procedure in chinchillas and most don't do well with being sedated.
I have never had one done but have read many sad stories.
I have had chins go through surgeries and never had a hitch, but I have a great exotic vet.

[Jenova]

Playmates are good but bonding chinchillas could take up to two months. You can't just put them together as almost always that doesn't work. There are some very good posts all over the forum about bonding, but it basically involves having two cages side by side and swapping toys and dust baths for a bit and then you can start proper bonding.

To be honest if you're going to be busy I would wait until afterwards to decide if you want another chinchilla. Which you probably will as they're addictive. 

[cusunfireguy]

Since your little guy is still young, he might take to a playmate easier, but not always.  I agree, you should wait until you are able to be home more before adding another.  Just make real sure it's a boy otherwise, you will get babies.  This happened to me before I was more aware of how to sex them.  I love having babies but they are a lot of work!  If you do pair up males, don't ever bring a female into the house as they will start fighting for her.  It's not pretty!

Glad you are loving your little Obi!

Steven

[cadillactaste]

So sorry to read about the sad loss of your beloved ferrets and cat...Chinchillas are wonderful pets...though I wouldn't recommend neutering. It's more dangerous than for cats and dogs. I was fortunate to get two young kits from a breeder so my guys bonded right away with no issues. Due to being together after being weaned. But... I encourage you to read past posts...to see what your up against when bonding two chinchillas. It's not what I would consider "typical" as other pets would be. And agree this should be taken on when you'll be able to work with them and have extra time to ensure they become friends...and sometimes...they never do, I recall reading. So you must also go in with the thought of having two cages permantly.

But other than that...they make wonderful pets! We rescued two chinchillas eons ago before we had children...and lost those to old age...last year...my son wanted a "pet" of his own for his room...and after much research and debate. We ended up getting him two chins. And have not regretted the decision one bit. They are wonderfu critters...And he's good with them. Though I'm over protective and it took a long time before I was willing to allow him to feed them without my being in the room. He knows to close his bedroom door before opening the cage. But they also know the routine and don't try to escape knowing food is on it's way to them. Not that anything is wrong with geckos but I'm glad we went this route than with a gecko or the other animals that we had on a list to research and decide from.