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1

General Chat / Re: Hello everyone!

« on: May 18, 2012, 02:41:35 PM »

Hi there. I live in Canada in the beautiful province of Onrario

2

Cages / Re: This cage won't work right?

« on: May 09, 2012, 09:04:03 PM »

That's right. This cage is too small! I had one like that when I first got my little guy. He was just a baby so it worked for a couple of months or less. It's way too small for 2 chins. Also, the ramps are mesh and if I'm remembering correctly, so are the shelves. Wire flooring/ramps can result in bumble foot (not good), and some wire ramps will allow their little feet to get caught and could end in an amputated foot! The five foot high ferret nation cage isn't that costly and the ramps come with covers. You just need to wrap the two, half shelves with felt so they don't chew the edges. Felt makes am awesome bedding for the chins. they don't chew or ravel it and it cleans Jo so easily

3

Cages / Re: Prevue Hendryx Chinchilla Cage Question

« on: May 09, 2012, 08:51:36 PM »

Hi there. That cage is too small. My cage is five ft. high, four ft. long and three ft. deep and I worry that it's too small. It's a ferret nation and apparently I can buy a kit to add on another level which I'm thinking of doing. The cage can't be too big!

4

Cages / Re: Cage Help

« on: May 05, 2012, 08:31:54 PM »

Hi there. Your cage looks very barren. You need a wood house for your guy to sleep in. I gave up on the bedding, even the care fresh. It all tends to come out of the cage. What was alarming with the care fresh was the powdery like film on everything in the cage. It is a paper product and the miniscule dust that came from it must also get into his lungs so I only use it in his litter pan which is placed in his chosen peeing corner. It works better than the "critter litter" and he seems more inclined to us it. I use fleece on the bottom of the shelves of his cage. I have a ferret nation cage (over five feet high) and replaced the bottom and middle shelf with some kind of metal trays that are about three inches high and this has really helped with flying poop. I. Ordered the trays on line from a chinchilla accessory supplier I found through a chinchilla club as a link. The felt liners are made by a clever woman in Ontatio - "zoeyandlilostoybox.com". I have a few sets and clean them twice a day by brushing up the poop onto a dust pan and change the linings every few days. They wash up beautifully and he doesn't bother with them I.e. chewing etc. they're also easy on his little feet. She has many wonderful accessories for the cage such as hammocks. If you go to her web site and click on satisfied customers, you'll see Bella in his hammock. It's his fav. I've had Bella for over a year and I feel like I have a very efficient system that is easy to maintain and safe for my chin. He loves his house I keep is hay in a ceramic bowl (like a cereal bowl from the kitchen) and then place a couple of little handfuls in surprise spots in his house. He loves to discover these unexpected deposits of hay. It gets replaced and freshened up twice a day.  I hope this very long dissertation will help you. It's an ongoing project of learning and streamlining his house. I'm always on chinchilla sites everywhere looking for new and improved ideas to keep my guy healthy and happy. His toys also get changed up weekly

5

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla moods

« on: May 01, 2012, 08:00:36 PM »

Thank you for your thoughts.  We've just been to our exotics vet for a check up. Vet says he's a fine specimen and teeth are just fine. He's out now and playing and full of "it". He's very affectionate and playful as per his usual self. I think it must be that my morning timing is off.  When I am having a day off and here him up and about in the afternoon, I can let him out to play and he's just fine - even if it was one of his quiet mornings. There is a window in his room and he gets natural, indirect light.  I'm thinking he's just not a morning boy. Now that you mention cycles due to amount of daylight, it's light earlier now and you're probably right. I've missed his morning frisky time by the time I'm moving in the morning. In the winter, it was still very dark when I cleaned his cage. I guess he is allowed his moods when he just does not wish to be disturbed.  He has a nice big home and he loves it.

6

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla moods

« on: May 01, 2012, 05:58:34 PM »

I forgot to respond to your question about frequency of his antisocial mood. Probably as much as twice a week.

7

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla moods

« on: May 01, 2012, 05:55:16 PM »

I adhere to a strict routine with Bella. Same playtime in the morning and again in the evening. Everything else about him is normal i.e. his eating, droppings and drinking etc. when he gets quiet and just wants to stay under his cage, it is during his morning cage cleaning.  I have wondered if it is just the wrong time for him. That is, it's too early and he doesn't want to be bothered. It's usually about 7:15 - 7:30 am. I work so we need to do this before I leave for work. He will come out from under for one of two things, his dust bath or shaking the Cheerios container. He loves Cheerios and gets one when he comes back into his cage/house

8

Q & A / Chinchilla moods

« on: May 01, 2012, 05:34:32 PM »

Are chins traditionally moody,? My little guy is often gregarious, affectionate (in a chin way and in his terms of course), and happy and playful. However, he also has his moods when he's just the opposite. When he comes out for play time, he just hides under his cage instead of bouncing off the walls and running and jumping on me. It's almost as though he is frightened . Is it just him or is this common on and off again behavior. I'm always worrying about his health, teeth and state of happiness. Any thoughts on this subject out there?

9

Cages / Re: cage question

« on: April 20, 2012, 08:31:55 PM »

I have a ferret nation cage that is about six feet tall, four and a half feet wide and three feet deep. It houses just one chin and I consider it to be too small. In the photo gallery of this site, I'm seeing way too many cages that are alarmingly too small for the poor chins that have to live their lives in them. Also, the wire bottoms have been proven to be harmful to their little feet and cause bumble foot. Chin owners need to be less lazy and put in solid bottoms with the correct bedding and clean the cages. I have metal trays covered with felt and clean the cage twice a day. Also, my chin has litter in the corner where he pees. I switch up and wash the felt every other day.