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[Beardysteve1]

Hi all,

This is my first post. My gf and I have a little 6 month old Chinchilla called Misty who has been coming out of her shell over the last week and a half since we got her. Everything is new, exciting and interesting for her and for me. She was very timid when we first got her but she is getting braver and braver.

I was worried at the start that she wasn't eating or drinking enough as she used to be very inactive. Luckily that has all changed and she bounces about the cage now and eats all the time. I am surprised though about the number of droppings she is producing. I only cleaned her cage yesterday at 18:30 and now (not even 1600) her cage is littered with what must be close to 50 droppings.

Is this normal? Am I perhaps overfeeding her?

Many Thanks

[GrayRodent]

Sounds like she hasn't been eating enough to me. It should be like that every morning for a chinchilla. Usually they are most active at night and while they poop fairly constantly. The droppings should appear mostly dry (slightly wet as soon as they come out) and should not easily change shape. They should be odorless as well and should not leave a stain. Otherwise there could be a serious problem. Absence of poop in a 24 hour period should be considered a veterinary emergency for chins. My chinchilla will poop mostly in the evening and very little during the day but that can vary. There should be some throughout the day or that can indicate anorexia which is very dangerous to chinchillas.

You should make sure she has a constant supply of loose hay and pelleted diet. The pellets should be a high quality diet that should be alfalfa based. Timothy hay is usually recommended but others can be used. Loose hay is an essential part of their diet or they will die of tooth problems. There should be no treats or other things in whatever food mix you buy otherwise lethal health problems will eventually occur. Any change in diet should be done gradually over several weeks. Overfeeding isn't a problem unless you are feeding treats and junk. Typically I avoid giving treats to my pet unless they are used a training aid and no more than two raisins or equivalent volume per day (although not everyone thinks raisins are safe). I would give even less until your pet is fully grown which usually takes about 12 months. Too many treats can also cause bowel troubles that can be lethal.

Typically chinchillas go through a period of extreme stress after they have been relocated that lasts usually around two weeks. It is likely she has not been eating enough until now. I advise withholding treats for another week or until the droppings are flowing at a fairly constant rate on a day to day basis. Be careful not to give her too much attention before she is acclimated to you or you may encounter some annoying behavioral issues that you'll have to work through. The fact you are seeing a gradual improvement in her behavior tells me you are doing things right and she is coming out of her relocation stress period.

Congrats on your new pet.

[kageri]

You can't overfeed a chinchilla on good pellets and hay.  They will not overeat these foods.  They will overeat treats and junky pellets with sugary or other flavored bits in them.  Look for oxbow or mazuri chinchilla pellets or for those who can't get the good brands an equivalent rabbit pellet can be used.

Chinchillas poop A LOT.  They seem to be even worse when young.  We have a 6 month old we can't hardly get out of the cage because it just pops out of him constantly.  We have to clean everything as soon as he goes back in his cage.  Josh has been calling him poopy male because he doesn't yet remember what name I gave the chinchilla. 

[Beardysteve1]

Thanks guys, It's good to know that she is acting like she should and that she is healthy. She eats all the time which is good and, apart from a calcium block and two raisins, she hasn't been eating any treats since we got her. Going to leave that until she is a little bit older, get her used to her basic food at the moment.

Thanks for the advice!

[Jasonred79]

I am surprised though about the number of droppings she is producing. I only cleaned her cage yesterday at 18:30 and now (not even 1600) her cage is littered with what must be close to 50 droppings.

Is this normal?

For me, that's not normal.
You might be UNDERfeeding her.

Popsicle is a poop machine, I let him out to play with me for a few hours a day, and he "donates" several dozen pellets to me while running around playing and hiding and such.
...
I should really clean out his litter trays more often. Last time I cleaned it out, it actually contained like twice as much poop as popsicle's own body weight I think...

[Beardysteve1]

Thanks Jason, tbh there are usually way more than 50. I was just giving a conservative estimate. She always has a foodbowl of pellets and Timothy hay scattered all over her cage and in her receptive.

She sounds like your popsicle she's does nothing but eat and poop. We haven't taken her out of her cage yet but day is coming up when she will be pooping around the house I'm sure.