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[Jenova]

Hi,

I was reading in the beginners book about Chins that they can get on well with cats and dogs, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience introducing them to rabbits. Because we are new at keeping Chins we only wanted to get one and plan to get him a playmate in the future when we are more experienced. However we also have a rabbit and I am a long time rabbit owner. They are both let out to play in the same room, at different times of course, but I wondered if it's wise to try and introduce them, so they can both have a playmate. (The rabbit's mate unfortunately got attacked by a dog and killed so he's all alone.)

In my opinion rabbits are the most similar specied to Chins, they have very similar eating habbits and are both herbivores with continually growing inscisors. Obviously a chin's digestive system is a lot more 'fragile' than a rabbits. My initial idea would be to hold the rabbit and let my chinchilla sniff him from inside his cage so they get used to each other's smell. But I was worried about any deseases they might be able to catch from each other.

Also, because I didn't want to start another thread, our chincilla is being fed a mix of chinchilla pellets and guinea pig food but he tends to eat all the guinea pig food and leaves most of the pellets. Is this going to affect his health and do you have any suggestions?

Thanks. 

[chinchillaboy4]

 Hi sorry about your rabbits mate, but i dont think introducing a your rabbit to your chinchilla is a good idea because ive read that rabbits can be a bit to agressive for chinchillas. Unless their under your supervision while together i advise against it. Im not to sure about rabbits passing on deseases to the chinchilla.But since its possible with guinea pigs im sure its possible with rabbits.  And why are you mixing chinchilla feed with guinea pig feed? What brand of food are you giving him?

[Jenova]

We probably wouldn't introduce them anyway, I was just curious.

Also we give him some of the guinea pig food for the Vit C. Which we were advised to do.

[Misskitz]

Rabbits and Chinnies are Not a good pair, rabbits can easily break a chinnies neck with one kick,  :-[   i don't know about the guinea pig food. 

[chinchillaboy4]

Another idea for vitamin c is to just get vitamin c chewables and cut them into chinnie size.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Jenova,
     Chinchillas and rabbits are both soft and cuddly, but that's about as far as it goes.  I do know of girl that lets her chin and rabbit play, but, I would be very much afraid to do so.  All it takes is a split second for a rabbit to kick with it's hind legs and kill a chin and/or a chin to bite out the eye of a rabbit.
       If it were me, regarding the food, I would not give the chin guinea pig food, unless there were no alternative.  For the vitamin C, you can get a child's chewable (no sugar added) vitamin C tablet and give it to your chin.

I was reading in the beginners book about Chins

Caution! 50% of the books out there for chinchillas is out-dated and full of myths, 45% are written by people that have never owned a chinchilla ... that leaves 5% ... at the top of the list in that 5% is "The Joy of Chinchillas" by Lani Richie at http://www.cachins.org and "After Forty Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas" by Alice Kline at the MCBA site (store section) http://www.mutationchinchillas.com/general_store.htm , both of which are the best books on chinchillas I have ever seen.  A must read for anyone owning a chinchilla that wants to care for them properly.   

 
Jo Ann[/i]

[Stacy]

I don't think I would let the rabbit and chin out together ether.  I am scare to let my 2 chins out together.

From everything I have read if you get your chin on a good chinchilla pellet you couldn't need the extra Vit.C. I think Rose Hip has it and mine do get 1 or 2 a week.

[Jo Ann]

If you check on the California Chins web site under Food, then click on VitaminMix and you will see:

Another supplement I use is Acerola C chewable vitamin C tablets, 500 mg.  My chins think of this as a treat and get one every other day.  Some will not eat the above vitamin mix and this method ensures that they get vitamin C. 

California Chins is a research center for chinchillas.


Jo Ann