Hi,

I have finally made up my mind after nearly 2yrs of consideration to home a Chinchilla/s and care for it/them jointly with my daughter as she is as keen as I am.

Is there anybody on here who keeps chins, has a good knowledge of them and can give me some pointers?

I have spoken to several people who own them and also done some research on the net and bought a book. There seems to be a split in opinion as to whether to keep 2 together. I always assumed rightly or wrongly that they needed company so 2 were best. And if I do get 2 what is the best pairing, Male or Female? I have been told females. I don't want them breeding because I am inexperienced so it would have to be both Male or both Female. If I get one I'm concerned it will get depressed :-(

I know that they are prolific chewers and also they need regular exercise.

Any other things that I should take into account?

Jo

I had them years ago. Had single males, then had a pair -but found that females rather than males spray (i.e. urinate) everywhere -the wall behind the cage was always covered in it. I should have stuck with boys. :) I found the males friendlier as well.

Thanks for that Marianne :-)

That gives me more of an idea. How long did yours live? I was told up to 20 yrs. Do they need regular grooming if so, what kind of brush should I look for? As if I don't have enough grooming to do anyway! ;-)

My flat mate used to have one. HUUUUGE cage, and a dust bath as they use that themselves for their coat. :-) Don't think she brushed hers.

I used to keep them, I had two females from babies, one died, so I got a resuce male they were quite happy together. 

Make sure the cage you get is all wire without plastic coating, plastic is poisonous to chinchillas - im surprised at the amount of plastic food bowels and toys which are on sale for chinchillas.  Dont get them wet, and you dont need to brush them, they clean themselves in their dust bath.  They will chew everything going, mine had an apple branch to chew on and a mineral block.  Their staple diet seems to be hay and chinchilla pellets (although you can get a different complete food for them now days.  Mine enjoyed a few raisins a day and occasional fresh food but too much would give them the runs, and love alfalfa blocks.  And they are very active at night - when I first got them I kept them in my bedroom, big mistake   They love to come out and run around the room - just be careful of electric cables !!

I lost both of my females to over grown rear teeth, unfortunately when you keep 2 you dont notice easily if one isnt eating and they go down hill fast, one died under anasethtic when she went in to have hers filed.

Dont get them wet

Like Gizmo from the Gremlins??? How frightening. 

;-)

OP, there are several Chinchilla rescues that will be able to help you and advise you as much as possible.  I know that the rescues are heaving up here in the Far North with Chins as they are fairly specialist.

Useful info and an excellent point to consider about keeping 2 ;-) I knew that you have to watch their teeth. How sad that you lost yours :-( GA's aren't good at the best of times but it's high risk on small furry creatures.

My daughter is having them in her bedroom :-p (but I have a backup plan unbeknown to her- my office) this is in the event of her whining about not being able to sleep because of the noise. Albeit she sleeps with 2 gerbils who bang and crash their wheels and anything else they can vandalise all night.

I'm getting a wire cage as I was told the same thing about plastics.

Thanks for that :-)

My first one, a beautiful Wilson White, died of a heatstroke. :( So he was only a few years old. It was a really hot summer, I had all windows open and a fan near the cage, but in the morning he was dead. The second was a rescue so didn't known his age, the third male and the female I ended up rehoming eventually.

Well guys, I've jumped in with both feet as usual, ho hum *quietly whistles to self* and am now the proud owner of Charlie Chin - as named by Jena my daughter

The person that was going to sell 2 to us decided at the last minute that she would only let a male and female go together as they had been cage mates since birth. Hmmm....no thank you, interbreeding plus I do not want kits. So on the way back we took a diversion to PAH to see what they had. I really didn't want nor intended to buy from them for various reasons but over in pets corner - the re-homing corner - there was a male chin. He had been given to them because the people that took him thought he was a girl and they already have a girl so wouldn't keep him for obvious reasons. He's about 6ish months old very gregarious but clearly hasn't been handled very much so lots of work to do with him.

The only concern that I have is that the assistant in there said that he could happily chew kitchen/toilet roll tubes and egg boxes and I have given him an egg box tonight and....yes he's chewing it.......but he's also eating it is this safe? God I sound like a right numpty don't I. Our Gerbils chew these things but never actually ingest them so feeling a bit confused alright....ignorant. He's also got a huge metal cage and a big wood ball thing that looks like lattice for chewing. So far he's just....well...fallen over it - hey ho there's time yet me thinks :-D

He's now eyeing me suspiciously from his nesting box having taken a sand bath for 10 minutes, most of which has ended up on the floor - I've now removed it as advised - eaten 18 tons of food, drank enough to be classed as a 'water lout' and relieved himself in the way that only males can. ;-)

I've heard about heat stroke and will be very alert to it, although it's highly unlikely in my old extremely cold house up here.

Have yet to introduce him to the mega morons but will do *wearing hard hat and supplying Charlie (if I can get a Chin size hat) with the same* in due course. Not looking forward to that as my 'man' of the house still treats the Gerbils like moving snacks and vigilance has to be observed at all times. Madam has met briefly, raised her eyebrows to heaven and walked off in disgust :-D 

Gives self round of applause - I've managed to upset and offend her ladyship as usual on the first night - whe heh it can only go down hill from here 

>Like Gizmo from the Gremlins??? How frightening.

funny enough one of mine was called Gizmo

I used to have Gerbils/rats/hamsters but nothing compared to the noise those chinhillas made at night !

My Chin chico, was the greatest pet ever, my mum bought him for my 18th, he had a huge cage, and ran round my room, under the bed, chewed everything in sight, he was so tame, and sat on the sofa at night watching tv, loved the dogs and cats we had.
We had his bath morning and night, and ate everything!!!
He was only in his cage overnight, and he pooped everywhere, he knew his name, and was just a great guy!
He used to hump my teddies, so he had his own own one!!

He lived til he was 10years, and I felt the last 2 years in my own house, wasnt as good for him as when I lived at home, he went depressed, also I was working all day, and he never got out so often, as when Mum cared for him too.

I really missed his character, and I hope he looks down on us occassionally when not humping teddies!! lol

Something about dust baths!! I think yopu have to let them have a dust bath regularly.

Yes, the dust keeps there coats clean, and love having there baths, used to put there sand in a basin, so they had pleanty of room to roll!