Chins as pets? What info should I know?

Dione · 07-20-2004, 12:10 AM

Chins are one of the animals I am considering for a future pet, when we have more room and money. They are just absolutely adorable, and I love small mammals. I am the rabbit lady, after all.

Anyway, what things should I know about them? Assume I know nothing at all about them (I know a little, but it never hurts to refresh my memory), and tell the basics I should know as a prospective chin owner.

SIChins · 07-20-2004, 12:21 AM

Chinchillas are nocturnal animals, so they are of course active at night, and oh so loud at night as well. I find that mine are usually fully awake no later than 8 PM.
They need a fairly large cage, I would go no smaller than 2 1/2'x2 1/2'x 3' , homemade cages are a good way to go if you are creative, there are a lot of people on here that can post pictures of the cages that they have built. The cages should have shelves in it, as chins like to jump and perch on different levels. The wood should be untreated pine. A wooden sleeping box, or somewhere for them to hide would be a good idea as well. Cages should be cleaned weekly. And yes, chins can throw hay and poop across a room, they must, I know mine do it

but it is easy to clean up.
Their diet consists of chinchilla pellets and timothy hay. A good quality pellet such as Mazuri is a good way to go, your chin would be healthier for it. Drinking water should be boiled and cooled or bottled.
Chins seem happier in pairs I find. You can get a same sex pair if you do not intend to breed. There is no guarantees that older chins will get along, but same sex kits from a litter are a good way to go.
I know I am probably forgetting something, so if you have any questions, ask away.
Overall, I find chins to be one of the most inexpensive animals to care for, and the easiest and cleanest to look after.

suzoo · 07-20-2004, 12:31 AM

They also need to have dustbaths about twice a week depending on the humidity.
Vet care is expensive b/c an exotics vet is needed and they charge more for their specialty.

Solarsis · 07-20-2004, 12:37 AM

I'm just going to throw whatever I can think of out there so forgive the jumble

Chins usually have a somewhat steep setup cost but are rather low cost after that....until they need vet care. Exotic vets (as I'm sure you've seen with your bun buns ) can be quite costly so you should plan ahead for any medical attention chins may require. Getting your chins from a reputable breeder can most likely lower your risk of chin illnesses but it's of course never a garantee. Most common health problems with chins are either teeth or gi tract related. There is also the risk of seizures from vitamin or mineral deficiency or epilepsy but that is not as common.

They can live up to 15-20 years so they are a long term commitment.

They require a dust bath 2-3 times per week. This can make a room pretty messy really fast. If you are a clean freak, be prepared to dust your booty off

When chins get scared or feel threatened they do a variety of things. They can slip fur to try and escape the "predator", they can stand up and spray (mostly females), they can emit a musky smell (some compare it to burnt almonds) or they can growl and bite (I would say that is VERY extreme though. Most chins are much gentler than that).

Chins are curious little critters and are very good at finding trouble. If you intend on having them roam free in your home, you need to make sure your rooms are "chin proof" Cover wires, block off sockets, get anything breakable out of the way (don't underestimate their ability to jump. I've got a chin who makes 4-5 feet jumps like it was nothing) If you have valuable books or anything else chewable that you wish to keep free of chew marks, put them away, and be ready to supervise like you've never supervised before. Because, even after all the chin proofing, chins STILL manage to find somehting to stick their nose in

As far as smell, they have little to no odor if cared for properly. I find their hay and pellets smell stronger than the chins themselves.

kreenish · 07-20-2004, 02:23 AM

Chinchillas are not really a cuddly, lap-type pet, and each has their own preferences for how they like your attention to be given to them. As you probably know already, they have incredibly soft fur, and are quite adorable!

Dione · 07-20-2004, 06:47 PM

I am used to some of my animals not being really cuddly. Britannia petite rabbits are very, very smart, but they don't like to be held. They will crawl all over you and get pet, but they hate to be forced to hold still.

A longer lived animal is what I am looking for.

I like the smaller rodents, but I get so sad when they die in a few years.

I am most definitely not a clean freak! Just talk to the growing population of dust bunnies all over the house, most of which are made up mainly of real rabbit fur. LOL.

At least I am used to rabbits who are curious, love to chew, are nocturnal (well technically they are most awake in the early morning and the evening rather than being fully diurnal or fully nocturnal) and just LOVE making as much noise as possible with everything in their cage at night, require cages about the same size (just not quite as tall) as a minimum, and can very greatly in how they like attention. Plus vet care for them usually falls under "exotics", so vets charge an arm and a leg for them, too.

How often does a same sex pair from the same litter NOT get along? What do you use for the dustbaths?

Quote:

Because, even after all the chin proofing, chins STILL manage to find somehting to stick their nose in

Sounds like rabbits again! I am fully convinced there is no such thing as a truly rabbit-proof room. The basement is about as close as I can get, since the floor and walls are cement. They can't chew through that, and it is easy to clean. Still they usually manage to find some way to get into trouble. Sepaking of, it is time for the changing of the guards. Pie has had more than her share of excersize time, and Monkey is probably down there pouting.

Lixx · 07-20-2004, 06:57 PM

Quote:

How often does a same sex pair from the same litter NOT get along? What do you use for the dustbaths?

Aslong as there are no 'competing' oposite sexes in the same room, I would say they almost always get along. The problems you run into (esp. with males) are if there is another chin of oposite sex within viewing/scenting range and the two chins try to compete.
As for dust baths, you can get special dust that is specifically for chins. I use the pet store brand (L&M I think it is). I actually prefer it to the blue cloud, which most people use. As for a dust bathing container I use large glass fish bowls. I like them because they contain the dust fairly well, can;t be chewed and are easy to clean. People use a wide variety of containers though.

suzoo · 07-20-2004, 07:13 PM

Check out the dustbath thread to see what different containers people use..

Dione · 07-20-2004, 07:45 PM

Thank you! No, I would not have one of another sex, so that should (hopefully) not be a problem. Do you find that, in a situation where there are no chins of the other sex anywhere near, that males or females tend to get along better? Oddly enough, with rabbits, 2 females will often fight worse than 2 males.

ckane · 07-20-2004, 08:20 PM

I think it is totally dependant upon the 2 chins in question and not necessarily a sex related issue. Each chin has a personality of its' own.