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2686

Q & A / Re: Just adopted two 8 week old chins

« on: February 09, 2012, 10:25:19 PM »

I guess I am not understanding the problem. Is it a problem that they are not making the noises you expect?

The "dual uterus", which actually one uterus with two sections, can allow for a dual pregnancy in rare cases when the estrus cycle continues during pregnancy. This is called superfetation. Usually when this happens the partially developed kits (premature) will be born at the same time as the ones that come to term. It is extremely rare for the younger set to survive in this case and the ones that do will likely be hopelessly premature. There are several possible reasons why one was born smaller than the other.

2687

Q & A / Re: Eliminating urine from desk top

« on: February 09, 2012, 09:57:25 PM »

What kind of surface is it? How bad is getting soaked? If it's just a drop here or there I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it's soaking into the wood you will need to prevent that. Even strong cleaners will not be able to get everything if it's under the surface of the wood.

2688

Health / Re: My chin Captain Insano is not running around, could he be sick?

« on: February 09, 2012, 07:56:45 AM »

If you're concerned that this is not normal you should take him to the vet. You should know what your chin's habits usually are. Here is a link to a directory that might help you find one:
http://www.chinchillaclub.com/vets/index.html

2689

Q & A / Re: Humidity Question

« on: February 06, 2012, 08:15:11 AM »

If I was more awake I would have caught that and recommended that you close the vent coming in from the house. Usually rooms have a vent over the door that has baffles inside that can be opened or closed by hand to adjust the flow of air. Just don't forget to open it back up for the AC.

2690

Q & A / Re: Humidity Question

« on: February 05, 2012, 10:02:19 PM »

If the central AC is running it should bring the humidity down inside. Generally outdoor humidity increases at night and decreases at sunup. I still wonder how humidity plays a role in chinchillas overheating if they don't sweat. Unless there's some kind of evaporative cooling system in their mouth like we see in dogs. Maybe someone can explain why. I agree that evaporative coolers wouldn't be good and would fail on a hot and humid day. The efficiency of evaporative cooling decreases with humidity. I would think the most important metric is temperature.

2691

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla shakes when outside of her cage

« on: February 03, 2012, 05:29:59 PM »

In case you haven't noticed I really have no experience with chins. I'm hoping provoke some expert responses.
If not a stick maybe try something that your pet will find most interesting.

I have read that when moving a chin to a new room that sometimes it helps to put dirty clothes on top of the cage to help them get accustomed to the smells of the new room. The same article (written by Jean Sloboda in the Chinchilla Club Magazine) also mentioned that the same chin had extreme anxiety when put into a carrier and putting used litter from its cage into it helped immensely.

I would think she could recognize your scent on the couch which she seems to like. Do you have any other animals or people in the house that sit there that maybe your chin doesn't like?

I'm not suggesting putting used litter on your couch but what if you put used litter into a tray and put it near the couch for a couple of hours so the room smells more like the cage? Or even put such a carrier on the couch and see what she does. Perhaps it has nothing to do with smell at all. Who knows?

2692

Cages / Re: PLEASE HELP!!! need an escspe proof playpen

« on: February 03, 2012, 11:42:42 AM »

This may be an off the wall kind of suggestion but have you thought of building one out of rolled steel wire mesh? You might could even make a roof for it and wire it on. Making it easily collapsible would be an interesting design challenge though. You might could use hook/loop straps at the ceiling and joints (not chew proof but make sure he would have to get through more than one to open it). 1" x 1" bar spacing might work for an adult chinchilla.

2693

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla shakes when outside of her cage

« on: February 03, 2012, 09:01:00 AM »

Have you tried offering her something to chew on like a stick or something that might be a nice distraction?
What if you set up a blanket or something she could crawl under?
Perhaps there is something about that particular room. Does she do this in other places? The fact that she seems okay on the floor but not the couch may have something to do with the immediate area. I have a parrot who sometimes will get scared of things overhead that wave or move a certain way. It could even be a reflection.
After two years of always being scared and associating that fear with that location you may not be able to reverse that.

2694

Q & A / Re: Chinchilla shakes when outside of her cage

« on: February 02, 2012, 08:18:07 PM »

About how long is a "long time" ?

2695

Cages / Re: PLEASE HELP!!! need an escspe proof playpen

« on: February 01, 2012, 08:06:03 AM »

What would happen if it did manage to get out while you were supervising it?

2696

Q & A / Air conditioning and safety

« on: January 26, 2012, 08:14:42 PM »

I am contemplating keeping a chinchilla as a pet later this year. We will likely be moving to Huntsville, AL in late spring and I'm not sure how well the central air conditioning is going to work in the hottest part of the summer. Apparently it gets up into the high 90s a couple months out of the year. It may be fine but it may be less than ideal. We're looking at some nice houses so it's not like it's going to be a poor system. It just may not be able to maintain 70 degrees, and may be closer to 80 inside for a few hours a day.

I ran into this in the last house I was at, but it was also a much warmer climate (100-105 in the summer). It was also bad because the windows faced the sun in the evenings. So for the purpose of planning I will assume the worst. (This is a thought experiment in progress)

To provide an added safety margin I was thinking of buying a portable air conditioner that would be kept inside. Has anyone had any experience with portable air conditioners? This would be the kind you don't put in the window but sit on the floor. The exhaust duct runs out the window or into the attic and it also works as a dehumidifier. I know I can find a used one cheap before they are in season for an extra margin of safety. I would find a unit that could produce a 20 degree drop in the room, at least, according to spec. This would also be a nice thing for me since I sleep better when it is cooler at night.

Does anyone do this? If so would it be safe? Or should I be looking to keep a different pet?
Your opinions are appreciated.

2697

Cages / Re: Converting a large parrot cage

« on: January 25, 2012, 08:34:56 PM »

It looks like we will be moving to the Huntsville, AL this spring. Right now this temperature estimate is speculative. I'll be taking measurements this summer to make sure we can maintain 70 degrees before I do anything. If not then maybe I'll go back to keeping rats. Thanks!

2698

Cages / Re: Converting a large parrot cage

« on: January 25, 2012, 05:04:31 PM »

Thanks for your advice. I like the metal flashing idea.

I guess I'll be taking some careful temperature measurements ahead of time to determine if it's feasible. I expect room temperature can get up to around 80 in the summer during the hottest part of the day. I was thinking that having an ice cold metal wall to press on could bring down the chin's core temperature significantly if it got that hot.

2699

Cages / Converting a large parrot cage

« on: January 25, 2012, 02:15:33 PM »

I have a tall (around 3'x3'x5') parrot cage that I am contemplating converting into a chinchilla cage. It is big enough to put two levels of shelving into it (making it 3 levels). The bars are very sturdy (for large parrots), but they are powder coated and scuffed from moving and storing. I suppose it is possible to paint it with something, not sure with what, though.

The floor is probably not good (same bar spacing) so I was thinking of covering it with 1/2"x1/2" galvanized steel mesh. I would wrap the mesh onto a wooden frame and elevate it slightly above the original floor to prevent it rubbing against the coated floor bars (using 1x2 firring strips)

For shelves I would use unfinished pine and screw them to the side of the cage with washers and steel screw-in studs and angle them down slightly to prevent accumulation of droppings on the shelves (maybe 3 degrees).

I was thinking of making a wide shelf with a wood box built on to it (bolted) for a hiding place and to have a solid floor to rest on.

I would also have a litter pan in one corner for getting the chinchilla in the habit of urinating in one area. (It will eventually go under the floor)

For cooling (if the air conditioning is not sufficient in the summer) I was thinking of using a small galvanized bucket (with lid) that can hold frozen water bottles that would be kept on the bottom of the cage. It will probably be wired to the side of the cage so it can't get knocked over.

If this is not a good idea I can build something from scratch.

2700

News / Re: Introducing The Chinchilla Artist!!!

« on: January 24, 2012, 02:40:50 PM »

I love your artistic style, color contrast and that very relaxed feel your work portrays. I actually found some of your web pages (I think it was an old site) online last week when I was looking for design ideas for chinchilla art for a game. It think you'll dominate in your niche market. You've certainly set a high standard!