Hello from Sunny South Africa

[Velvet]

Good evening!!!

I am a brand spanking new member and a brand spanking new chinnie mom!!!   

I first saw a chinchilla in a petshop 4 years ago.  Never seen one since there but they made a huge impression on me!  What's not to love? 

Anyway...they kind of slipped my mind until recently when I started having a desire to own an exotic mammal...I'm not a monkey fan so they were out for sure and then I remembered the adorable little creature I saw in a petshop so many years ago.  So, being the animal nut I am, I set about doing as much research as I humanly could!  I don't believe in getting a new animal before knowing EXACTLY what their dietry, attention and care requirements are.  So I got the cage, special chinchilla food and hay (not a problem as I own a horse as well!), Chin safe toys, chin safe sawdust etc.

And then!  I found Felix!!!! 

His mommy is a Brown Velvet and his Daddy is an ebony (a very nice one too!).  I believe Felix to be a Tan as he doesn't have a white belly and I think he might be a Velvet because he has a mask (its getting darker and darker) on his face.

Here he is!!!  We totally ADORE him!!!

[Jo Ann]

    Welcome to the Wonderful World of Chinchillas!   

Always happy to see a new member to the Chinchilla Club Forum!   

You have a beautiful tan tov/ebony carrier!  How old is Felix?   

Are chinchillas very popular in South Africa?

   Jo Ann

[Velvet]

Hi There!!

Felix was born on 20 April 2009 and is only just weaned.  I got him from a very nice breeder here in SA.

Chinchillas are still relatively rare here but I do think they are gaining popularity. There are many people with chins in SA..but we are not "unified" yet...

Felix is doing really well though! He is eating nicely, poohs are normal and he is really becoming sweet and affectionate.  I thought it would take him longer to warm up to us (only had him just over a week) but we spend alot of time with him, talking and playing with him.  Been taking things at his pace.  But he already comes when I call him, hops on my hand on his own, lets me scratch him and stroke him.  And he doesn't bite.  We really adore him!!!

Here are some pics of his mom and dad... (Mom is the Brown Velvet, Dad is an Ebony)  They are imports from www.chinchillas.com

[Jo Ann]

   I see his parents came from Jim Ritterspach ... I have purchased many chinchillas from him.       Very good breeding lines. 

With the way Felix is responding to you, he must have come from a very good breeder.  Many smaller breeders are able to take the time and handle each kit daily from the day they are born.  I do this, it makes them very people friendly.   

Felix has a very unusual coloring to have come from an ebony and a beige TOV ... he is a hansom chin!  Do you know the colors of his grand parents and great grand parents?

I think you will find some very friendly people here at the Chinchilla Club.   

   Jo Ann

[Velvet]

THanks Jo-ann!   

Took this pic of him yesterday!!  He just gets cuter and cuter by the day and is quite a character.  Even my "manly and tough" boyfriend can't resist his charms!  Can't imagine our lives without him!  He is getting more and more adventurous by the day!

I really love the call he makes...the doo-doo-doo sound...he usually does this when I am sitting playing and talking to him and often when I get up to go sit on the couch after playing with him.

His sisters (the kitties) are still scared of him though! lol 

[Sweetnessheart]

Welcome!!!   

I love Felix!  He is so pretty!  Great Bloodlines! 

I'll let you in on a secret......most men "try" to resist chinchilla charms, but there is NO Way!  My husband doesn't interact much with my chinchillas, but you put him in the building with my critters and he is talking baby talk and making kissy sounds to them all!   It is so funny!    

[Velvet]

  Mine goes (in baby voice) "Come here for scratchies, come here for scratchies"...and "There's a good boy! You like that hey?!?!? Yeah! That's good" (Felix really enjoys his scratches! lol)

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Gee he's so cute, I would love to have a chin from such awesome lines.

He looks like a hetero beige to me, Felix's belly looks white on the pictures?

[Velvet]

Hmmm...i think its the flash, his belly is lighter than the rest of him but not what I would call white...  I will try to get some pics of him without the flash, he's darker in person as well.  He is lighter on his belly and sides but gets progressively darker as you go up...

Will do my best to get better pics of him! 

Thank you for all the posts guys!! So lovely to meet you all!!!

[Velvet]

Hi Jo - ann,

This is what the website says about his dad:

7118 Show Quality Ebony Male
Very good color and fur quality
Quality outcross to Ritterspach lines
Herd number S201-CCCU (M62-CCCU x J28-20B)
Out of a litter of two
Weight:592 grams on 5-23-07
DOB 3-17-06 

And about his mom:

7149 Premium Production Quality TOV Beige Female
Heterozygous Gunning Black Velvet and heterozygous Tower Beige
Excellent color and fur quality
Bred by champion mutation producer Jim Ritterspach
Out of M1787, and sired by F904
Produce high quality TOV pink whites, TOV homo beige, and other black velvet and beige hybrids
Weight:664 grams on 7-25-07
DOB 10-02-06 

Other than that...I don't know anything else about his parents or grandparents...Do you think I could email them and ask? 

[Jo Ann]

    Jim is usually pretty good about giving you additional information.  His daughter use to handle most of the e-mails and information on the background on the breeders.  I don't know if she still does or not ... it's been a couple of years since I have seen him or been up there on his ranch.

With the information you have on them, it should not be hard to find the additional information.  It may take a little time ... they are doing shows this time of the year.

    Jo Ann

P.S.  Does the breeder in South Africa have a website?  Would you share the URL to it?   

[Velvet]

I'm sure Karen wouldn't mind...

She also breeds yorkies, mini bunnies, mini horses, mini goats, guinea Pigs! lol  I LOVE her RP chins!!! I would LOVE one but I bet they would be unbelieveably expensive!!! lol  I also love the mosaics! lol

http://www.minipets.co.za/

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Now that's an interesting site,I love the different terms used, and have never heard of angora's, RPA's.
They look awesome.
Research time       
Thanks for sharing, they have some awesome looking animals.

[Velvet]

RPA - Royal Persian Angora I think...  I think those are the long hairs...  I've seen some dwarf chins on someones site as well..but they didn't seem to be as nice and blocky as the regular chins...

[Jo Ann]

   An avid animal lover!  I do like her site.    

She has some interesting information on it also.  

She has done her research on each breed she has.

 The site is easy to maneuver.

Thanks for the URL.  

   Jo Ann

Yes, the Royal Persian Angora chinchillas are beautiful, but high maintenance and very expensive! 
One day I will have a pair ... {if I live long enough to save that much money ...  }  and if the price will level off.