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1

Q & A / Re: Have you ever re-homed a chinchilla? Why?

« on: October 28, 2017, 08:55:49 PM »

Thank you for the suggestions.

re: switching them: It would be ironic if territoriality is contributing to the urine problem. Half my reason for switching them was acclimating them to each other's scents and preventing territorial behavior! That's a good point, though.

re: shelves: For what it's worth, they already have 3 shelves each.

re: urine guards: I have urine guards attached at the bottom, but I never expected him to pee off of a shelf... and I don't really want to encase the entire cage in urine guards unless I have no other choice.

re: history: I've had them for over 8 months. They are almost a year old. But I'm definitely certain of their sexes. (Recall the other thread I linked that described Fitzgerald's humping problem.) I don't think it's his intention to pee outside the cage; he just has a weird preference to back up as far as he possibly can before he pees.

re: behavior: This is also slightly described in the thread I linked, but I can go into more detail. For a long time, after buying these two chins, I kept them in adjacent cages to acclimate them. Most of the time, they ignored each other (even at a mere 6 inches' distance), but if I pushed the cages close enough for them to – almost – touch each other, Fitz would start clawing/flailing with his paws and biting through the bars. He actually succeeded in biting Hemi on the nose once, when I thought they were at a safe distance. Finally, after months of keeping them side by side, I gave up and bought the double-decker Ferret Nation cage.

2

Q & A / Re: Chew deterring sprays, etc.

« on: October 28, 2017, 08:33:18 PM »

Thank you. I'm not overly optimistic about the spray either.

3

Q & A / Have you ever re-homed a chinchilla? Why?

« on: October 14, 2017, 11:29:27 AM »

I'm really struggling with one of my new chins, Fitzgerald. I bought him simultaneously with another new chin, Hemingway, about 8 months ago.

{1} Despite planning to house them together, I have been unable to do so because Fitz is too hostile to Hemi. Therefore, their available space is cut in half, since each of them only gets half of my double-decker Ferret Nation cage. This is unfair to Hemi, who could have double the space – and a compaion – if Fitz were nicer.

{2} For a while, I was switching them upstairs/downstairs for variety, but Fitz has become a constant risk of peeing outside the cage. I had to take out his shelf because he was backing his little butt all the way up to the edge and peeing off of it. (He's even managed to pee out of the floor pans, which are 3 inches high, just because he neurotically piles his wooden shavings into the corners until he's created a "ramp.") Because I've had to take special precautions in Fitzgerald's half of the cage, I don't switch them anymore... which has cut off Fitzgerald's access to the wheel.

{3} Possibly as a result of losing his wheel and his shelf, Fitz has started to chew the bars of the cage. Due to my living situation, I can't move the cage out of my bedroom, so this is definitely a problem for me. I'd also rather not buy a second wheel because the Chin Spin is a hundred dollars.

For the record, Fitz is the same chinchilla that I posted about in this thread:
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,5202.0.html
He's gotten less aggressive and horny since then, but he's still not a great pet... and his life's mission seems to be foiling my best laid plans.

I've started to wonder if I should find another home for him (if I can) and try to match Hemingway with a different companion before he gets too old. Does anyone have any advice?

4

Q & A / Chew deterring sprays, etc.

« on: October 14, 2017, 11:17:57 AM »

I'm having trouble with one of my chinchillas chewing the bars at night, so I've been reading old posts on this board (and others) looking for solutions.

I'm already doing what I can in the indirect ways, such as providing sufficient space and chew toys. However, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience, or advice, relating to deterrent substances, such as bitter apple/lemon spray (usually used for dogs, as far as I can tell) or black pepper mixed with water.

5

Q & A / Re: How to stop a chinchilla from peeing in a certain spot

« on: September 12, 2017, 06:50:41 PM »

Thanks. I had the same thought about hay piling on the floor. Ironically, the recent "shootout" happened right after I cleaned up the hay and cleaned the shelf.

Even though I'm not excited about the aesthetics, I decided to buy Bass Equipment Co. stainless steel shelf pans (to go with the large pans I already have). Now I have to figure out how to install them so they won't clang around. Maybe I can get a thin sheet of wood cut to the right size...

6

Q & A / How to stop a chinchilla from peeing in a certain spot

« on: September 10, 2017, 09:44:48 AM »

I have the Ferret Nation cage. (See image.) For a while now, my chinchilla has been peeing in the back right corner of his topmost shelf, where I have the hay feeder attached. I'm not happy about that, but it doesn't do any harm.

Suddenly, the last two days in a row, he has backed his little butt all the way up to the corner and peed straight out of the cage. I have hardwood flooring (which now needs to be repaired), so this won't do.

For the time being, I'm going to remove the shelf entirely... but that leaves him with less space, and it makes the cage less attractive. I'd really like to have the shelf back in there, but I'm afraid (after two days in a row) that he's going to keep doing the same thing.

Is there any way to discourage a chinchilla from peeing in a particular spot?

7

General Chat / Re: Where can I get a nice wooden shelter house?

« on: August 19, 2017, 04:04:29 PM »

Update:

The seller replied with


"Ugh. I'm so frustrated with FedEx. A lot of my items they have been damaging lately. Time to switch carriers. 

In regards to the glue, normally we wipe off all the excess (for aesthetic reasons), but apparently that step got missed. It is non toxic and safe glue ... but it wouldn't hurt to pop off the pieces with a butter knife or flat head screw driver.

I will get a new house out to you ASAP.

Sorry about that!!!!"


and I'm very happy with the replacement, so I'd probably recommend this as the best wooden house you can get right now.

It's SLIGHTLY top heavy (which I'll mention to them in a follow up email), but it's undeniably sturdy.

8

General Chat / Re: Where can I get a nice wooden shelter house?

« on: August 12, 2017, 10:54:54 AM »

I tried ordering the one from MyCritterStore and it's nice and sturdy, but the first one arrived cracked.

I'm also not sure how I feel about their choice to use glue. I ASSUME it's an animal safe glue... but after seeing so much of it on the hay box, I'm emailing them to double check.

9

General Chat / Where can I get a nice wooden shelter house?

« on: August 02, 2017, 08:02:12 PM »

For years, I've had one of these "timber hideaway" houses from Penn Plax.



Unfortunately, they don't seem to sell them anymore, and I can't find a good alternative that size (14x10x8 inches).

In pet stores, I can only find dumb stuff like the Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009WOVP4/ref=psdc_2975538011_t1_B000HGB952
with slanted sides.

The Prevue Pet Products Wood Hut
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DIS7C/ref=pd_luc_rh_sbs_04_03_t_img_lh?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
is decried as dangerous to chinchillas in the reviews.

The WARE Rabbit Den
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HGB952/ref=psdc_2975538011_t1_B0002DIS7C
doesn't have any negative reviews like that, but the reviews don't mention chinchillas either, so I'm suspicious it suffers from the same flaws.

The CritterStore.com wooden house
http://www.mycritterstore.com/product-p/wood-house.htm
seems nice, but is much smaller.

Any suggestions?

10

Cages / Re: Ferret Nation and Bass Pan review

« on: July 23, 2017, 08:53:42 PM »

Thanks for your comment.

I'm curious: Since you feel strongly against the ramps, what would you suggest for someone who wants their chinchillas to have access between the top and bottom cages? I don't know how else to accomplish that, other than with the included ramp. (For what it's worth, that particular ramp doesn't seem to be in any danger of falling. It's anchored more securely than the ones that hang on the shelves.)

11

Cages / Ferret Nation and Bass Pan review

« on: July 21, 2017, 11:02:58 PM »

I give this cage 4 out of 5 stars. It has a lot of serious flaws, but I still recommend buying it, because it’s still the best thing out there. Just plan on making some modifications.

—The Good—
{1} It has a nice appearance.
{2} There’s storage space underneath.
{3} The owner has easy access via large detachable doors.
{4} Despite being a tall cage, it doesn’t have any fall risks inside.
{5} The top and bottom cages can be joined or separated.
{6} The cage walls are quiet because they’re welded.

—The Bad—
{–1} Assembly can be difficult if the parts don’t fit together properly.
{–2} The floor grates are noisy.
{–3} To get good pans, you have to buy them separately, from another company.
{–4} The mid-level shelves are unsafe without modification.

For my video review, including some tips and tricks for assembly and modification of the cage, go here:
https://youtu.be/l5Q7ixUhj58

More details:

{–1} The cage is designed to fit together easily, and in theory, it does... but I had to work around several manufacturing flaws. In one case, a rock-hard paint drip inside of a screw hole kept two pieces from fitting together. I had to file it down and break it off with a screwdriver. (I also had to file a paint drip off of one of the door handles.) I also encountered a bent door frame, which needed to be bent back into shape, and a side wall that would not slide into place without the use of a rubber mallet. (Suggestion: Leave the wheels off while you’re assembling the cage, because you might have to push down on a few of the pieces REALLY hard.)

{–2} The floor grates are not rigidly anchored; they just rest in place between the sides of the frame. Unfortunately, this causes them to clang when the animal jumps around. To avoid this, you can buy #8 screw protectors (small rubber caps) and put them on the tips of the grating before you assemble the cage. Truthfully, the manufacturer should include these with the cage already... but they don’t.

{–3} The included pans are woefully inadequate for anyone who uses wood or paper bedding, and the official Ferret Nation scatter guards seem poorly designed. (I’ve never owned any, but I’ve read reviews and seen pictures.) That leaves you in the bizarre situation of spending $200 for this cage and then spending another $150 on pans and scatter guards from a completely different company, Bass Equipment. I do recommend the Bass pans, but you should know that they’re noisy unless you modify them (which is covered in my video). The same goes for Bass’s urine guards.

{–4} The mid-level shelves are held in place by their own weight using tension on two hooks. It’s a really bad – and dangerous – setup because the shelf can fall if it’s hit from below, either by a human arm or a jumping animal. You can fix this with a few washers and screws (see my video for details), but it’s really upsetting. You shouldn’t have to modify a $200 cage just to make it safe.

12

Q & A / Re: Aggressive young chinchilla – any advice?

« on: July 05, 2017, 12:16:10 AM »

Thank you both.

I just bought a two-tiered Ferret Nation cage and have resigned myself to separate living spaces indefinitely.

(Though, I may consider seeking another home for this chinchilla if his behavioral problems don't improve in the next year. It's not fair to my other chinchilla for him to live alone, or be restricted to half the available space, just because this chinchilla is so grumpy.)

13

Q & A / Aggressive young chinchilla – any advice?

« on: May 31, 2017, 12:39:19 AM »

I have two 7-month-old chinchillas. I got them at the same time, when they were about 3 months old. Their names are Hemingway and Fitzgerald.

Hemingway came from a breeder. He is well socialized and friendly.

Fitzgerald came from PetSmart. (I know, I know. I would not have planned to buy a chin from PetSmart, but it was one of those "wormed his way into my heart" situations.) He was small, sweet, and incredibly docile. Unfortunately, he hasn't stayed that way. As he got older, his personality drastically changed. He went from calm and docile to hyper and afraid.

With my wife and me, he's okay. I would not describe him as "friendly," but he is tolerant of our affection. He's willing to be petted, but he nibbles constantly (and will try to hump us any chance he gets).

The real problem is with Hemingway. When they get anywhere near each other, Fitz tries to claw and bite him. I wasn't concerned by this at first, assuming they just needed time to acclimate. However, their cages have been side-by-side for 3 months, and the problem hasn't gotten better. When their cages are just 2 inches apart, they're fine... but if that crucial 2-inch gap closes, the claws come out. I don't understand it.

Anyway, I have three questions for you fine people:

{1} Is it likely that Fitzgerald's aggressiveness will fade with age, perhaps after he finishes going through his hump-everything puberty stage?

{2} Is there anything else I can try WITHOUT giving them an opportunity to hurt each other?

{3} Ruling out abuse and trauma, because I'm not aware of either one occurring... what causes a really docile chinchilla to become paranoid and aggressive?

14

Q & A / Reptile accessories safe for chins?

« on: March 04, 2017, 04:53:46 PM »

I usually use a cage-mounted metal dish, but I want a "just in case" bowl that sits on the ground (so that it's within easy reach if one of my chins ever gets sick and can't move well). However, I've had trouble finding one that doesn't look like it was DESIGNED to tip over.

I noticed that reptile bowls are much more tip-resistant, but I'm not sure if the material is safe. For example, the one linked below is made out of "food-grade resin." (I have no idea what that means.)

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/water_dish.php

Any input on the reptile dish? Or suggestions for a different tip-resistant bowl?

15

Conformation and Quality / Re: Identify my new chin?

« on: March 04, 2017, 04:47:54 PM »

Thank you both.