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[Mannybilly1030]

I have been wanting a chinchilla so bad for awhile now and i have told my dad and grandma (mom doesnt live with me) that i want a chinchilla and that i would be responsible and accountable for the chinchilla. I have done research for the passed week and i am still learning about how to avoid illness and how to not keep them depressed.
But my grandma insists keeping it outside when i told her they are inside animals. Plus i told them if theres something you and my dad want from me then tell me. My dad and grandma said to take care of the dogs and cats we have. To clean my room (i clean my room anyways i hate a disgusting room especially if im gonna keep a chinchilla a dirty room can probably make them stressed out). To have at least 35% or more completion in my classes (continuation school).
I am currently 16 and when i go to school i go in from 8:00 to 2:00 and thursdays i leave school at 1:45. So when the chinchilla(s) want to play i will have spare time for them to play during the evening since they sleep during the day.

I just need help on convincing them, and them in believing in me. Suggestions?

And i shared with my grandma about the research i have done and she thinks that chinchillas are hard to take care of. And i told her if you are responsible and know when to feed, bathe, and play with them then they would be fine its related to any other animal they do take commitment.

[Jasonred79]

actually, they might be right. A chinchilla can be almost ridiculously demanding. And if you like cleanliness, you might not be so happy about the amount of poop they generate.

Also, you're currently 16? What are your plans for the next 10 years? ... cause, Chinchillas commonly live that long. Are you planning to go to college or leave home at any point? Will you leave the chinchilla at home or bring it with you?

Also, if you already have dogs and cats in the house, theres a fair chance the chin won't be comfortable around them. Or be eaten by them.

[GrayRodent]

It's not so bad with one chinchilla as long as you are able to take care of the cage in the morning and in the evening. They are certainly indoor animals and require a large cage. It is very important the room temperature does not exceed 40F-76F. Some chinchillas will die at 80F and its environment must be calm.
As far as other pets go that is going to depend on them. I have a neighbor whose dog ate his chinchilla but know of others who have no problems with their dogs. These animals must not be given access to the cage unless you're there. Stress caused by dogs and cats can be very detrimental to your pet's health.
And as far as poop goes you have to have a dustpan wherever you go. As long as your pet is healthy the poop comes out mostly dry anyway and will not stick to or stain anything.
Dust bathing is will require extra care. I put the dust bath in my shower stall for 10 minutes every other day. This requires staying on top of cleaning and dusting the bathroom. Having the dust on my pet makes my room pretty dusty as well so that is something to take into consideration.

[Mannybilly1030]

actually, they might be right. A chinchilla can be almost ridiculously demanding. And if you like cleanliness, you might not be so happy about the amount of poop they generate.

Also, you're currently 16? What are your plans for the next 10 years? ... cause, Chinchillas commonly live that long. Are you planning to go to college or leave home at any point? Will you leave the chinchilla at home or bring it with you?

Also, if you already have dogs and cats in the house, theres a fair chance the chin won't be comfortable around them. Or be eaten by them.

Good thing is i live close to 3 cal state colleges so i will have time to come back and go on time and along with continuation school since im a 11th grader i am gonna have to stay to make up alot of credits so i might e extra year at my continuation school. I wont be leaving home for a little while because of my grandma needing help around the house since she cant do alot with arumetoid athuritis so that wont be a bigge.
Plus the dogs are outside dogs and they live in my backyard.
And ik they poop alot but i heard they are like brittle poops they brake apart and the urine doesnt stink.

[Mannybilly1030]

It's not so bad with one chinchilla as long as you are able to take care of the cage in the morning and in the evening. They are certainly indoor animals and require a large cage. It is very important the room temperature does not exceed 40F-76F. Some chinchillas will die at 80F and its environment must be calm.
As far as other pets go that is going to depend on them. I have a neighbor whose dog ate his chinchilla but know of others who have no problems with their dogs. These animals must not be given access to the cage unless you're there. Stress caused by dogs and cats can be very detrimental to your pet's health.
And as far as poop goes you have to have a dustpan wherever you go. As long as your pet is healthy the poop comes out mostly dry anyway and will not stick to or stain anything.
Dust bathing is will require extra care. I put the dust bath in my shower stall for 10 minutes every other day. This requires staying on top of cleaning and dusting the bathroom. Having the dust on my pet makes my room pretty dusty as well so that is something to take into consideration.

My room is quite but im concerned about the summer. My room reaches 92 degrees last summer. I heard of a cooling slab or the chin-chiller. I told my dad about getting a ac and he said soon

[GrayRodent]

I have a couple of chin chillers and a big marble slab I salvaged from an old dresser. These are good things to have but they are no substitute for keeping a reasonable room temperature. My expert sources say 73F is the maximum recommended temperature. My own experience indicates that 76 is about the maximum safe temperature for my particular pet as I notice changes above that. I live in an almost tropical climate so I do have to make concessions but if I could have it my way it would be 70F. If I had a chinchilla that lived in a colder northern region it would probably die here in the summer.
Overheating is a big problem with chinchillas and it is not too unusual to see cases where overheated chins receive permanent brain damage but more often they just die. They loose most of their heat through their ears so room air temperature is the most critical factor. You must keep your cage out of direct sunlight at all times of day.

[Mannybilly1030]

I have a couple of chin chillers and a big marble slab I salvaged from an old dresser. These are good things to have but they are no substitute for keeping a reasonable room temperature. My expert sources say 73F is the maximum recommended temperature. My own experience indicates that 76 is about the maximum safe temperature for my particular pet as I notice changes above that. I live in an almost tropical climate so I do have to make concessions but if I could have it my way it would be 70F. If I had a chinchilla that lived in a colder northern region it would probably die here in the summer.
Overheating is a big problem with chinchillas and it is not too unusual to see cases where overheated chins receive permanent brain damage but more often they just die. They loose most of their heat through their ears so room air temperature is the most critical factor. You must keep your cage out of direct sunlight at all times of day.

Yea i know to get a AC because i really wouldnt want to hurt the chinchilla there innocent animals and deserve to live.

I just really need help to convince my grandma and dad to keep it inside my house. they think all animals deserve to be outside when in reality house animals will die outside but there not hard headed thry do end up giving in i just need to know how to convince them in believing that i can br responsible and accountable for the chinchilla(s)

I keep doing my research. I just learned they get some intestinal parasites. And idk if they are contagous to humans but i most likely would not want my chinchillas to br infested with nasty parasites.

[GrayRodent]

Keep your pets inside, feed them to the correct diet, and make sure their water is filtered or bottled. Healthy animals are less likely to have problems with parasites. The fact is that any animal including dogs and cats carry parasites that are dormant and can become a problem if they get sick from other things.
Chinchillas do carry giardia which is contagious to people and other species but like with any pet washing hands after handling is advised. More common is coccidia which is specific to the chinchilla.
It is advised to keep track of your pet's food and water intake each day and to examine its fecal output. If there are abnormalities that last for more than a week (depending on what it is) then a vet visit may be in order. This is true of any pet but the chinchilla especially since intestinal problems can escalate into very dangerous situations quickly and chinchillas are good at hiding sickness behavior-wise. A parasitic infestation usually presents with pretty bad symptoms either no fecal output from not eating or loose or watery feces.

[Jasonred79]

Try offering them 95% completion for your classes.

That might be the key factor for your parents... Proving responsibility.

Taking of a chinchilla, fulfilling 35% of your duties is not going to be enough. 55% is going to leave you with a dead chinchilla. 80-90% is "acceptable" but the ideal is 100%.

And, it might surprise you (or it might not), just how much parents can be convinced about something if their child goes from completing 35% of their classes to 90%... I'm guessing almost any parent, if offered a deal " hey, mum, if I go from 40% completion to 90% for 3 months, can I have a pet chinchilla?", that parent would shake hands on the spot...

[Ceilingaquarium]

A chinchilla can be pretty demanding monetarily and time consuming. A good cage can be really expensive!
But, I am really happy that you are doing your research and want to be an awesome chin owner.
As for the future, if you do plan on taking your chin to college, it shouldn't be a problem if you stay in an apartment. My apartment complex doesn't mind small animals. So, you shouldn't have a hard time taking your chin along.

[Mannybilly1030]

Try offering them 95% completion for your classes.

That might be the key factor for your parents... Proving responsibility.

Taking of a chinchilla, fulfilling 35% of your duties is not going to be enough. 55% is going to leave you with a dead chinchilla. 80-90% is "acceptable" but the ideal is 100%.

And, it might surprise you (or it might not), just how much parents can be convinced about something if their child goes from completing 35% of their classes to 90%... I'm guessing almost any parent, if offered a deal " hey, mum, if I go from 40% completion to 90% for 3 months, can I have a pet chinchilla?", that parent would shake hands on the spot...

Yea i understand where you coming from making up classes i didnt pass takes a full semester or half a semester sometimes but they asked for at least %45 and they want me to volunteer at the local pet store or shelter so if im asked to feed the animals or anything related to them that i should do that and once i get use to it they will consider in buying a chinchilla. And i still continue doing my research, when i get my chinchilla i want it to be as healthy as possible and later on in the future i will get it a companion. Thanks though i felt motivation after reading this i really want to graduate on time and its really my fault for becoming lazy and a procrastinator. But we make mistakes and we have to learn from them. Thanks

[Mannybilly1030]

A chinchilla can be pretty demanding monetarily and time consuming. A good cage can be really expensive!
But, I am really happy that you are doing your research and want to be an awesome chin owner.
As for the future, if you do plan on taking your chin to college, it shouldn't be a problem if you stay in an apartment. My apartment complex doesn't mind small animals. So, you shouldn't have a hard time taking your chin along.

I am most likely to leave it with my dad if i get an apartment until i get thing situated. But for now i am still gonna stay at home until my third or fourth year at college me and a friend are considering in buying a apartment 

[Mannybilly1030]

Today i went to the local petco and i was watching the activity of the chinchillas they have and they seem healthy and very playful. I also asked one of the workers if i can hold them and she said yea. And she said to be careful because they are extremely shy and nervous and she grabbed it with caution, holding it by the feet and firming grabbing it by the sides of the ribs and she said ok here you go but be careful shes really bouncy and hyper. The point i got to hold the little chinchia i fell so in love i want them asap!! Lol there super soft and so funny. I asked her questions and she did kind of test me. I told her that there cags need to be cleaned 2 a week and she said yes and i told her to that they have a dental problems alot and she showed me the chew toys that keep there teeth healthy and they have a variety of them. She is a chinchilla owner to and she told me theres alot of people coming in here wanting one and not knowing a clue and me i want these animals to be safe and healthy and she also said she had to refuse to sell them a couple of times because either they were small kids or people who have other house animals. She questioned me about if i have inside cats or dogs and i said i have both outside cats and dogs and she also told me that if i have a place for the chinchillas to play and i told her that my house has a few places including my room and bathroom. She did tell me i did know some stuff and she was glad to know that i do my research. She did show me around and what she prefers to get for the chinchilla. But im definitely coming back to get these 2 baby girls.

Oh there a bonded they said they had a pregnant chinchilla and she had 3 babies 1 boy and 2 girls and the mom and boy was sold and both girls were very depressed but they bonded well and there very over protective to. But very smart and healthy

[GrayRodent]

That's great that you found a pet store that knows to how properly care for chinchillas and *gasp*! Provides them with chew toys. Pet stores usually don't demonstrate good husbandry for chins by any means. I am glad your store has a good caretaker there.

I still recommend, if you can, to obtain your pets from a breeder that is reputable.

One reason chinchillas are known for having tooth problems is because it is often hereditary. Reputable breeders take interest when dental malocclusion occurs in their chins and will often necropsy the animal to determine if it is likely hereditary and remove the parents from breeding. This makes it more unlikely (not impossible but way less chances of problems) that you'll get a maloccluder from them.

Malocclusion can also stem from improper diet and/or having no access to wood to chew on. Although I can't prove it I suspect my first chinchillla, which I had euthanized, had malocclusion because of that. The vet did seem to think is was hereditary but I realized some days after I got him that he was not properly cared for or healthy as I was led to believe (I'm giving the owners the benefit of a doubt because I don't think they knew).

Another reason to get your chin from a breeder is that a reputable breeder will handle their babies even before they are weaned. Typically this makes for much tamer animals that you can interact with in ways that are just not possible with chinchillas that have minimal interaction at a young age. Chinchillas are very difficult to tame. They are shy by nature and get set in their ways and it takes a lot of gentle and careful interaction to get them to want to be held, petted, and stay calm when being restrained or made to stay still. It's not that older animals won't make good pets but you'll have to interact with them more on their terms and you may never get them to that level of tameness.

If you get yours from a pet store I wouldn't do it unless it is younger than 4 months. 8 weeks is really ideal. At the pet store they might not know what the age is (and that can be very hard to tell by looking), or the gender of the animals they obtain.

Another advantage to a breeder is that you usually have several animals to choose from and you can observe their behavior and tell which ones are most calm around people. Like any animal chinchillas aren't always born with good temperaments that make good pets. In my case I got a hyperactive one but because it was significantly younger than the others I chose it anyway and it worked out well. You have to have a lot of patience with these creatures regardless. A good breeder will breed for quality and you should get a bigger and healthier animal overall than from a breeder that doesn't care. And when you go to a pet store you probably will never know where they came from.

Hope this helps

[Jasonred79]

Not pointing fingers about your studies... relatively new to this myself, and I find that my own little fella is a *HUGE* commitment... not as bad as having a human baby though, my friends with infants in the house are run RAGGED.

Chinchilla's aren't anywhere as near as demanding as human babies, but they're pretty high maintainence among the animals... I try to allocate an hour or more every day for my little guy (used to do 2 hours a day without fail, but that's just too much for me... awww...), and you DO feel the daily reduction in free time and leisure activities. (though this is still leisure, it's a different kind)

Having owned both dogs and a chinchilla, I would say that chinchillas do give back joy so it's worth the amount of work you put in, but they have a far lower input/output ratio than a dog:
1. For a dog, you put in a *bit* of effort, and he treats you like his best friend. Spend 5 minutes a day giving him your full attention, and he worships you. "You're going to pet me??? I'm SO HAPPY!!! May I... may I PLEASE cuddle? I'll understand if you don't want to, but it means the world to me... I love you so much, please hug me and love me forever!"
2. For a chinchilla, you have to put in a LOT more effort, just to make them "not uncomfortable with you touching them". ... "Oh, hello... you want to scratch my itchy spots? Ok, I'll give you just 1 minute of my time, *IF* you do a good job! Oh you want to cuddle? I'm not really into cuddling. ... Let's play! And by play, I mean you entertain me when I feel like it, and when I get distracted I'll go do something else."

... BTW, I'm going to post that last bit on a separate thread and on facebook lol.