1- concurring with kitty litter being a bad idea. If ingested it could be very bad for their health.
2- Just want to add that if you are going to change their food it needs to be
gradualover the course of 3-4 weeks (Ie, mixing more and more of the new food in with the old). Suddenly changing their diet will make them very sick. However if he's already on a high quality diet like Mazuri, Tradition or Oxbow stick with it. If he's eating Kaytee or a mix that has anything other than pellets, you should switch.
3- any plastic wheel or cage accessory is a bad idea. And jmdebb is right that many products at pet stores are not necessarily safe or practical for your chinchilla, even if there's chin picture on the package.
I have a metal flying saucer (
http://www.chinworld.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CW030010&Category_Code=CW03) that my Apollo just loves, and its fun to watch him use it.
On the other hand I had a chinchilla (who unfortunately prematurely died
) that never did get the hang of it even after 2 or 3 months. Otherwise get the 15" chin spin (
http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=129_142_143_144&products_id=1802) if you can afford it. Either wheel has great testimonies and are worth the investment
4- I use newspaper under shavings for one of my cages too, but you would need to put a thick enough layer of shavings so that the chin does not have access to eat the paper, and there is enough shavings to absorb the urine. My other cage has a wire mesh floor, which isn't ideal, but I try to give him plenty of chances to give his feet relief. I acquired these cages with the chinchillas so both cages are kinda "eh..." I plan to get a better quality cages soon. Would you mind posting a picture of your cage so we can give you some ideas perhaps?
5- Lindy covered this well. Oats= occasional treat
Adding to what jmdebb says, there are some people who say treats of the food variety are unnecessary completely. However most don't think piece of dried fruit or a plain cheerio or a few oats once in awhile will hurt. Rosehips are great treats because they contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients. Most chins also love apple wood sticks and those help keep their teeth healthy, so they also make a good reward.
6- my vet also charges $50 just to see the chin. An X-ray ran me about $150 I believe (maybe it was less... i don't remember), and if they need surgery it can be anywhere from $100-thousands, depending on the condition. The important thing though is to find a vet who specializes in exotics and has experience working with chinchillas as soon as possible. If they offer on-call emergency care all the better since chinchillas are more likely to be injured in the evening or at night.
You've made a great first step in coming to this forums and asking your questions. We always have more to learn from eachother. It sounds like you may need to do a bit more digging on the basics of chinchilla care to make sure your little guy has all of his needs met. I'm not saying this to be offensive, just a little concerned that you haven't yet heard about plastic being bad for chinchillas... when I first got mine that's pretty much the first thing I learned about them even before dust baths or timothy hay "congratulations on the chinchilla... NO PLASTIC!"
I'm exaggerating, but definitely read lots of Q&As and differing opinions on chin care to build an idea of consensus. Good luck with the new guy! I'm sure he is in great hands.
Author
Topic: Questions from a 3 weeks chinchilla owner! (Read 2273 times)