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1

General Chat / Kit countdown

« on: February 17, 2016, 03:51:32 PM »

Really excited to hear that on Saturday 20th Feb I will become Mum to 2 baby girls 
 Got my list of potential names (8 of them) but no decision until I know the girls a little first.
 Getting last bits sorted in their cage 
   I'm excited and nervous    really hope I'm going to be a good enough Mum to these two little ones.

2

General Chat / Expectant Mum to new Kit questions

« on: February 12, 2016, 04:36:07 PM »

Hi,
   All being well my new Kit arrives 22/23rd Feb, so these are the things I need to resolve before then.
This is the cage I bought AVENTURA Tall ALL METAL CHEWPROOF Rat Ferret Chinchilla Degu Large Cage 1152 http://r.ebay.com/ERbCSA
I took the metal ladders out straight away. I've covered the hole (using a glass chopping board (new) that covers the hole with a wide margin all round) between the two levels while the Kit is small so that I'm only using the top half for now.
Are the bar spacings ok for a new kit?
There is a built in metal shelf 1/2 way across the cage, 1/2 way up. I've taken this out so I can have wooden shelves and fleece hammocks. Was this a wise move?
I thought it could go back when the little one is older.
How much headroom is needed between shelves?
I have measured the top section of the cage and if I had ledges 6" up from base.
Each shelf being 5" long x 3" wide (deep) with a 6" gap between shelves.
6" above first set of shelves, 5" long shelves, 6" apart filling in gaps of first shelves like brickwork.
I would need 28 shelves to do both ends of cage and 22 shelves to do the 2 sides.
Is this too much shelving? Should I have longer shelves?
I'd have fleece hammocks across the open spaces in the middle which would be accessible from the shelves around the sides.
I'm going to use fleece to cover the metal base pan, what do I stuff it with? I will keep a check on this for chewing.
What recommendations for a water bottle?
I have organic Hyacinth and Sisal mat and a Seagrass mat and ceramic tile and small granite slab to provide different textures to walk on.
I do pottery at Adult Ed and plan to make them a "mountain range" to go on the base of the cage.
It would be a square with entrance/exit holes and ventilation holes.
On top and sides of this base would be something that looks like half coconut shells (though bigger, to accommodate an adult Chinchilla) most turned so that the opening is on base, though some turned up so they could be curled up in. All would have plenty of ventilation holes.
They would be joined together, including piled on top of each other but leaving nooks and crannies, for littles paws to reach into.
All glazed in Human safe glaze that can go in microwave/dishwasher.
I want to enrich their play environment as though they were in the wild as far as possible.
For now I have a seagrass cube to use as a house.
I am planning on making houses in pottery class too, 2 so a choice of sleeping places.
Again ventilation holes all around. These would be secured in several places to the cage bars to prevent being hurled around.
I have a variety of safe balls, small shapes that can be safely thrown around. Safe wood disks, logs and sticks of varying thickness in a variety of woods.
Also cardboard tube covered with sisal.
I have a thermometer to check temperature/humidity and an air conditioning unit.
A set of scales with a jug large enough for an adult Chinchilla.
A Pyrex glass bowl as a dust bath and a hay rack for securing to the cage side.
Have I missed anything? Do I need to revise anything?
 I'm having only one Kit because I'm concerned about potential divorce down the road (Chinchilla's not mine, I'm widowed).
I am out for a maximum of 12 hours a week and that only during 8:30 am - 4:00pm so I can be with little one a lot.
Sorry for so many questions and so much detail. I just want to be the very best Chinchilla Mum I can be
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3

General Chat / Hi from Kent UK

« on: February 12, 2016, 03:38:20 PM »

Hi all,

  Hope I'm posting this in the right place 
 I've hand reared and shared my life with many creatures
over the years including Dogs, Cats, Fish (goldfish, tropical and marine),
Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Rats, Chameleons, Bearded Dragons, Chickens,
Goats, European Eagle Owl, Harris Hawks, Barn Owls, Mice, Shrews, Voles, Hedgehogs,
Sparrow, Jay.
   Hopefully on 22/23rd Feb I will become Mum to a Chinchilla Kit, a yet gender and
colour unknown.
  Like any prospective new Mum, despite my previous experience I'm nervous 
 I want to be the very best Mum I can, so I've been reading lots, that said I've still got
some questions