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[Sillychinchilly]

We changed our chinchilla's name because we noticed that he's not a he, he's a she. LoL. Any way, she's been getting more and more friendly toward us.
This morning I woke up and she was sitting on top of her ice pack squawking! I thought something was wrong so I went over to her cage and she got all excited. I reached in to pet her, and picked her up to look at her. It didn't seem like anything was wrong so I went back to sleep. About fifteen minutes later I hear a *plunk* from the cage. I looked up and she'd knocked her ice pack off the top level of her cage and was standing on it squawking again!
When I went back over, I picked up the ice pack and it was warm! Silly Pixel was trying to tell me it wasn't cold any more.
Last night she got under the level of her cage where we keep her bowl and pushed up on it and made it fall out! There were some pellets in it, but no hay... and Ms. Pixel loves her hay.
I absolutely love the antics of my chinchilla... I'm sorry I waited so long to get one!!! 

[Jo Ann]

  That's why I say ... if you watch them closely ... they will tell you what they want/need or what is wrong?   

All you have to do is pay attention to what they are doing, where and what is going on at the time.   
 
The ice pack ... what is it made of ... not plastic, I hope. 

Careful about putting things on shelves or upper floors, they could fall on your little one and hurt them ... even if it is an only chin ... especially the way they can bounce around sometimes.   

  Jo Ann

[Sillychinchilly]

The ice packs are plastic, but they're wrapped up and tied in a couple of layers in cloth. I got the idea for them from my cousin (whos chins are much happier in canada than they were here). I live in AZ right now and it gets sooooo hot here sometimes, its disgusting. The high today is only 97, but recently its been up in the double digits, and its only going to get hotter.

[QTPie61282]

I hate to say it but I would recommend getting at least a window air conditioner to put in the room where the chin is.

Any temps over 80 degrees F are seriously dangerous for a chin.  Ice packs, frozen water bottles, ganite slabs and what not work well, but they dont last forever.

And make sure her water is fresh and cold everyday.  The cold water is a real favorite of my chins when its hot out.
I also cover up the windows to block out the hot sun.  Their room in my house faces the sun when it rises and hits noon at its hottest, so I have to make sure its not beating down into their room.

Its tough in the summer without air conditioning to maintain a normal temp for them.  I want to get central air in a few years, but its just not in the budget right now.   Of course Im spending it all on Chins.

[Sillychinchilly]

We already have central air, and a fan, and some other stuff in there... I'm just paranoid. 
It never actually goes over 76 degrees in our house cuz dad controlls the air conditioner and that's where he likes it... *eye roll*
I've actually also had my window's covered for a long, long time. I'm not a big fan of the sun, and when I was about 14 I went through a goth stage where i was like *GAH NO SUN!!!* Now they're just there because I despise being woken up on mornings when I can sleep in, and now I guess because of Pixel.
Now the big problem is going to be finding an apartment with air conditioning in IL when I move in January. We've noticed that not a lot of places up there have it. O.o

[Jo Ann]

    I could not imagine normal life without an air-conditioner! 

We already have central air, and a fan, and some other stuff in there... I'm just paranoid.   

Stay that way ... your chin's life may depend on it!  We were headed to Duke and were planning on leaving early ... I noticed it did not seem as cool in the house as usual (66 to 68) and we were going to be gone for a little over 24 hours ... when Bill checked the central unit it had quit ... we had to go out and get a window unit and put it in for the chinchillas before we could leave.  It was two weeks before they could get the replacement part ... the chins had air, but we didn't.   
Remember, no direct air from a fan or vent ... that's not good for a chinchilla.

Now the big problem is going to be finding an apartment with air conditioning in IL when I move in January. We've noticed that not a lot of places up there have it.

It is much cooler up there year round, as a rule.

I also cover up the windows to block out the hot sun.

Good point!   But they do need some natural sunlight daily ... if not through conventional means (the sun), then through a bulb that gives off natural light. 

Any temps over 80 degrees F are seriously dangerous for a chin.

I never let it get over 72 for my chins.

The ice packs are plastic, but they're wrapped up and tied in a couple of layers in cloth.

Is the ice pack one of those with the jell inside of it?
Please be extra carefull ... a chin can chew through cloth and plastic very quickly.
We will often put a mason jar filled with ice, the metal lid screwed on tight, to cool off a chin ... they also love to lick the moisture on the outside of the jar as it accumulates.  Be sure to keep it on the bottom level of the cage.

  Jo Ann

[Sillychinchilly]

It was two weeks before they could get the replacement part ... the chins had air, but we didn't.

ooo that would be horrible. its 104 today and the humidity is really low, but the heat is still disgusting. I'd die w/o an air conditioner.
There's no direct air on her cage, I've read a lot of books about them, and a lot of stuff in various forums, and I've learned a lot, including that direct air is bad, though I still don't know exactly why. O.o

It is much cooler up there year round, as a rule.

It is cooler in IL, but as a rule, its very humid and gross in the summer. The spring, winter, and fall are great, though.

Good point!   But they do need some natural sunlight daily ... if not through conventional means (the sun), then through a bulb that gives off natural light.

She rides on my shoulder out to the mail box to get the mail with me usually, but its almost always right as the sun is going down. Probably not enough... What would you suggest, Jo Ann?[/color]

Is the ice pack one of those with the jell inside of it?

Nope, no gel inside the packs. They're home made from a zip lock bag and water. Maybe I should get a couple of jars, though. I'd never thought of that. There's a ton of baby food jars around here from my little brother... I made mom keep them because I knew we'd have a use for them.

[Jo Ann]

  I use to live in Memphis, TN.  The heat and humidity there almost killed me.  My heart doctor made me move away ... so I came to Virginia ... I love it here!  Nice cool breezes in the summer and always a mountain near by ... the temps up there is usually at least 10 degrees cooler than in town.

She rides on my shoulder out to the mail box to get the mail with me usually, but its almost always right as the sun is going down. Probably not enough... What would you suggest, Jo Ann?

You're much braver than I am ... I won't take any of my little ones out side of the house without them being in a carrier.  If she is ever in a curious mood, she could take off in a split second ... they're next to impossible to catch outside ... to fast ... to many things to get her attention ... to many places to hide ... to many predators ... and last, but definitely not least ... if there are any stray cats, especially sick ones, in the neighborhood that have walked anywhere the chin might go ... if they have, or are a carrier of, feline distemper, which is highly contagious ... if your chin is exposed, it could die within 24 to 48 hours and there are no vaccinations for chins.

Nope, no gel inside the packs. They're home made from a zip lock bag and water.

 
You never want to take a chance your chin could get wet ... they can chill and die very quickly.

Maybe I should get a couple of jars, though. I'd never thought of that. There's a ton of baby food jars around here from my little brother... I made mom keep them because I knew we'd have a use for them.

Those should work great, just put ice cubes in them, tighten the lid good and put it in the chin's cage.  Always on the bottom level ... it will last longer and there is less of a chance that it would fall off of a shelf when a chin is running and hit it ... breaking a bone or even killing it.  Anything like a chinchiller stone, feeding dishes and/or bottle chillers always need to be on the bottom level of the cage.  Also, at the bottom of the cage it is not exposed to as much heat from the air all around it.  If you have a hut, and it is not attached to the side of the cage with finder washers and screws ... keep them on the bottom level, too.

... as the sun is going down. Probably not enough ...

Nope, not enough natural light ... they need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily ... you can purchase a light bulb that gives off all the different light spectrums and use a timer ... that works pretty good.  It's called a daylight bulb ... they have them in Wal-Mart.

I've learned a lot, including that direct air is bad, though I still don't know exactly why. O.o

A direct air-flow on a chinchilla can chill it or over heat it ...
depending on if it is a fan/air-conditioning or a heating duct. 

Plus ... direct air does not help them in any way ... chinchillas do not perspire/sweat.

What difference does that make?  .....

If you've noticed ... when you are outside and it is very hot ... you will perspire/sweat ... and you hope for a breeze ... the reason for that is the perspiration/sweat evaporates and cools the body ... a breeze or a fan cools the sweat/perspiration/water faster, therefore cooling you faster.  A chinchilla does not have this advantage.

Be very careful of the information you take as being 100% correct ... There are those out there that will guess at an answer rather than admit they do not know.  Or, those who believe they have the correct answer because some one else told them.

There are two books I always reccomend ... if you are new to chinchillas or have been around them a few years ... these two books are worth their weight in gold.  "After 40 Years Alice Kline Talks About Chinchillas" by Alice Kline (The chinchilla guru.) found at: http://www.mutationchinchillas.com/ and "The Joy of Chinchillas" by Richie Lanny at California Chins, a research center for chinchillas can be found at http://www.cachins.org/ .  They are both a little pricey, but worth every penny and then some.

  Jo Ann

[Jenova]

I like half filling a jar with water and freezing it, is there any difference to that than using ice cubes?

[Jo Ann]

Filling a jar 1/2 full of water and freezing it is great ...
the only reason I do not normally mention it, is that is that many will     2/3 or completely full might work even better, that is, until they find broken jars in the freezer and can't seem to figure out why.     They do not take into consideration water expands as it turns into ice and the water in the center is last to freeze ... then the jar burst ... no room to finish freezing.

1/2 full will work great.   

  Jo Ann

[Sillychinchilly]

We tried the glass jars with ice in them. She LOVED them. She rolled them around all over the cage and snuggled with them, and licked them!! It was soooo adorable!! Is there any way to post videos here? Aaron took a vid of it on his phone.
Thanks so much Jo Ann!!!

[Jo Ann]

  No way to post a video here, but ....
If you can get it e-mailed to me, maybe in a zip file, I'll put it up on my web site.    

YouTube is also great for showing off videos. 

I have several on it. http://www.youtube.com/JoAnnMcCraw

Jo Ann