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[lesliesuniquecharm]

My boyfriend is taking me snowboarding for 4 days. Roo has to stay ,( I*m going to be worried about him the entire time we*re gone! ) i*m getting my mom to take care of him while we*re gone. When should i start introducing her to him? Should she stay at the apartment for 4 days? What all do i leave for her besides the vet's # & food directions? Should i stop letting him out for a few days so he knows he can*t come out everyday & to help prepare him for the 4 days he wont be out? Sory with all the questions! lol I*m so worried about him. i dont wanna stress him out.

[BrightEyed]

She doesn't need to sleep at the apartment but it would be a good idea to let her come by a before she comes over alone. Give her everything she needs to know. About feeding (and what NOT to feed), watering, making sure he looks ok and active, #'s to call just incase, how to catch him if he escapes, what temp it needs to be set at (and if the power is working.. that almost happened to us once).. and don't have her get him out either. Just check him.. feed him.. talk to him and he should be fine. I'm sure Roo will be alright.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I had left mine for four days. I put two bowls of food in there and PLENTY of hay. I had the person that comes over to feed the dog, give Petie fresh water everyday and talk softly to him. I left a bag of raisens out and told the dog sitter to give him one a day while he was talking to him. I didn't have any problems at all. Petie was happy when we got home and I let him have a SUPER long playtime. I'm sure Roo will do fine. I was worried the whole time. I even printed out a wallet sized picture of him and kept it with me!

[lesliesuniquecharm]

aww!!! thanks you guys. should i leave him a lot of hay & food, & just get my mom to give him a raisin everyday & change his water? she wouldnt know what to do if he got out even if i told her. he*s skiddish around people other than me &my boyfriend so he*d hide behind the bed & wouuldnt come out. I could put his food & hay on the 2nd floor of his cage to prevent him pooing in it.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I didn't want anyone to open Petie's cage while I was gone. I know how easily he could slip right out and I didn't want to take a chance that it would happen. That would have been disasterous!

[nemue]

He'll still poop in the food if it's in the second level.  I had my food there for a while, and I think they would sit in it and poop and pee while they ate.    Just so you know.  I think they like finding new ways and inovative ways to poop.   

[Leslie]

I hate leaving my chins too.  It's always so traumatic....for me, I don't know if they even notice I'm gone but it sure feels like it.

I would not let anyone take your chin out of the cage.  Too much can go wrong.

I would definitely have your mom come over and let her do the routine with you watching.  Don't just do it yourself with her watching, actually let her do it.

I like to encourage my pet-sitting friends to spend as much time at our apartment as possible, because I think the chins just like having someone around.  I always tell them to stay and watch a movie, and I like to leave a 6 of beer to encourage them to sit around for a bit   

I have a detailed "Chin Care" form on our computer I print out every time we have to go away, and I leave it by the cages.  It starts out "Congratulations on your wise decision to look after our chinchillas...."     It has every detail of info I could think to put, including my friend's phone number (who also have chins), a vet, and I even include this message board address in case they need a question answered quick!

As for putting a bunch of food in the cage.....that's actually a great idea I never thought of before.  You will only need to put 3 days worth, cause you'll be back on the forth day, and chins won't overeat.  As long as they don't pee in their food or anything, that's a good idea.  Or one of mine has a new trick where he likes to scoop all the food out of the bowl and throw it all over the shelf.  That's annoying  . Hopefully your guy doesn't do that.

Good luck!  Bring a picture to look at when you miss him!

[ChillinChinchillas]

That is excellent advice!

[nemue]

Very smart Leslie.    I do all that with my cats, I usually have a long list of stuff, numbers and money in case there's an emergency.  I haven't left my chins yet, and I think I'll be going crazy when I do.  

good luck, let us know how it goes.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I chin sit all the time, they bring cage and all to my house. Though most of them came from here, I never had a problem. Sometimes it's for as long as 2 weeks
I will tell you this, they sure get excited when their owners come back for them.
 
I know Roo will miss you guys too.

[Lori Ramsey Earle]

I'd strongly suggest that you set it up so that your chin gets fresh food, hay and water every day. It only takes a sec to pull out the hay and feed bowl, and who ever's taking care of your chin won't have a problem with the chin escaping if they are careful. There's a fairly good chance of the pellets or hay getting contaminated by pee/poop if you don't, and your chin could get an upset tummy from that. Why chance it when it's so easy to have the food and hay put in fresh daily. Try to have feeding time at about the same time every day and don't forget that raisin! Chins seem to love continuity...
Lori

[Jenova]

We went away for a week once and left Cheech (we didn't have Chong then) in the capable hands of my boyfriend's mum and his brother who live with us anyway. We filled her bowl really full and put it on the top level so his brother could pour more food in without opening the cage at all. She really started to sulk at the end of the week and wouldn't look at anyone and she was so happy to see us. We've never left her again.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I am about to leave my chins for a short trip next month. I haven't done this since I just had one. That is why I am leaving early one morning and coming back the next night. I just can't risk even one of my chins getting out.