Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Wildlifer]

Hello My name is Maddy and I live in hinky-dink Western Kentucky where anyone that has an interest in exotic pets just collects them...    I have been seriously considering a Chincilla as a pet here recently. I've never owned one before but I do have experience with rodents. I have 2 rats  So I at least have experience with jumpers, finding playpens that are "jump proof" (if there is such a thing..), chewing on EVERYTHING, and playtime. I was just wanting to know what you all thought about being a frist time owner. Remember your first Chinchilla?
I know I will not get a Chinchilla unless I'm 100% ready. But I do really feel lost about these adorable suuuuper fluffy guys. Is there anything you all could tell me, enlighten me on, while I'm in the process of considering these cuties as a pet??

Thank you for the help 

[dianah]

oh yay! i love ratties! but i've not got any i don't know if i could cope with the life span...

i think you have a great start with knowing about furries that love to chew (naughty things!) and need to chew (good things!) to keep their teeth healthy.

i have guinea pigs and i think the biggest difference in caring for the two is just how sensitive chinchillas are. it's very important to keep their diet very basic - good quality nuggets and hay. you can give them occasional treats but it's a good idea to keep these healthy - i.e. rolled oats, a piece of shredded wheat, alfalfa hay. wrong treats, too many treats or sudden change in diet (even if it's one brand of nuggets to another) can cause serious problems.

it's also important to remember that most of them are not exactly cuddly. some do like to be picked up but most will prefer to be tickled when they come to you. they also like to use you as furniture when they're running around the room.

they also need steady cool temperatures so you may need an air con to cool their room.

[Wildlifer]

Huh, that sounds a bit less complex than my rat's diet. I have a main staple of a mix that I make at home, and then periodically I will give them some baby food, or fresh veggies and maybe a tiny bit of a health dessert like a bit of fruit. Rats need a lot of variety in their diet. Well.... I wouldn't say they NEED it, but if you want a healthy rat by any means you should mix it up with the healthy foods. So to think, you don't have to do that with a Chinchilla? Crazy!

Also I had read a bit about their sensitivity to temperature. And that is something I would have to fix about my house for sure. I live in an older mobile home, and last summer we had problems with the air conditioner freezing up a lot..  It really sucked.... A few times I had to move my rats out of the house and into my parents house where they had cool air for a few hours until it cooled down. 

So, about their play time? You say they use you as furniture some times? What are they like during play time? What are some of the things they like to do? I've seen videos of them jumping all over the play, and jumping on some of the other poor defenseless animals in the house. And about Chinchilla proofing the room... what all should you keep in mind when doing that? 

[dianah]

the reason for the chinchilla diet being somewhat basic is due to their original habitat. they would normally live at very high altitudes where there's not much vegetation so it's basically hay and some grasses, they also eat some herbs in the wild. they have very sensitive gastrointestinal tract and the gi flora takes ages to change according to the food, so if you're changing their food, for example changing the brand of nuggets, you have to do it very gradually.

it only takes a few minutes for a chinchilla to die of overheating so you'll have to make absolutely sure the temperature of their environment is suitable. if you live in humid climate, you need to keep an eye at humidity as well.

playtime.. well, they kind of skittle around, explore the room, jump on stuff, climb, get into spaces they shouldn't. as for chinchilla proofing.. you need to make sure there are no cables they can chew - i have cables in their room for aircon, radiator, scales.. mine leave them alone but it depends on the chinchilla. you need to prevent them from getting into spaces they can get stuck in or spaces they can get it but you can't because they will start chewing on walls and furnishing and naughty stuff they shouldn't ingest and you won't be able to stop them. i'm sure somebody else will come up with more tips!