Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: FluffBall on July 11, 2006, 09:30:41 PM
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I just got a new chin (snowball) for my other chin (buddy L) both are male and snowball is younger than buddy L and they are still getting to know each other i think that they are still trying to see who the dominant one is? they are hissing and sniffing eachother and a little taste on the ears. I think that they are getting along ok for it being the first full 24 hrs they are together. snowball is albino aqh they are grooming each other it is sooooooooooooooo cute and budd L is a standard grey well i was told that you can put males together as they are social little guys is this true? and what would happen if i got a female later on would there be fighting?
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You can put males together but you really have to watch and its best to keep them in cages side by side for a few days first. If they are put together too fast they will fight and it is many times to the death. If you haven't seen any fighting in 24 hours you might be fine, but just because they go together OK at first it doesn't mean they like each other. I just tried introducing two males here. There were in cages side by side for a few days then I let them play in the bathroom together. All seemed well so I put them in the cage together. They both stayed on the second floor together for hours. They even layed together. Then right as I was about to deem it a success the new chinchilla went downstairs and sniffed the old chinchilla's house. He felt violated, I guess, because he jumped on the new chinchilla and started biting and pulling out fur. It happened so fast the new chinchilla couldn't even defend himself! It was a good thing I was still watching and was able to separate them. Had I not been there the new chinchilla probaby would have been dead the next morning. Or at least very badly hurt.
Females are actually the dominate sex in the species and a female in heat (even in another cage in the same room) will cause happy male cage mates to fight. You never want to house more than one male with a female. That is a sure disaster.
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::silly:: Hi Fluff Ball,
Jamie's 100% right! You were very lucky they did not fight. ::nod:: Chins (regardless of the sex) need some introduction time ... they do not accept change graciously. :-\ It is surprising your first chin did not look at the second one as an invasion of his privacy and/or become jealous because of the attention you were giving the new chin. :-[
If you put a female in with two males, when she goes in season, you would probably loose one or both males and maybe even the female. It's called "survival of the fittest". Once a chin fight starts, they can all get involved.
The female doesn't have to even be in the same cage ... they may not be able to get to her at all, but they will kill each other to have a chance later.
::wave::
Jo Ann
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It depends on age too. Chins under six months old are much easier to introduce to each other.
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:doh: well it is wed and i got the ::silly:: on mon and they just had a few hissing words those few hrs but no fighting and yesterday they were grooming each other? and today the same thing and they are sitting together and they are soooo cute together. the one thing that i did do was when i got the new ::silly:: i had to give him a bath and then blew dry him on cool heat as to not get too hot and that took like forever and after i was done he fell asleep on the top of my chest in the other room and then after i couldn't sit still anymore i put him in the cage and watched them play together and hiss at each other i also gave buddy L. a lot of attention the first ::silly:: so there would be no jealousy i guess i got very lucky but i theink buddy L. is around a year or 2 he was given to me because the people that had him were moving and couldn't have pets and i don't think that they really played with him either and snowball came from someone with a lot of petsand he is probably around 6-9 months
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You gave him a water bath? Please don't ever do that! That is dangerous.
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I've read that if they are extremely dirty (as in cases of chins rescued from a disgustingly neglectful home) it is okay to give them a water bath by patting them down with a warm wet wash cloth until the soiled fur was clean and then blow drying them with cool air.
My vet told me that maybe that was okay in a serious situation but he didn’t recommend it. When Maggie had diarrhea, the fur on her underside had gotten soiled and feet were caked. He said a better option was to go down to Whole Foods and get some pure cornstarch baby powder and to gently rub it into the soiled parts and repeat this until their fur was clean and he showed me how to spot clean her nose and feet with a wet cotton swap.
I was really uncomfortable holding her because she doesn’t care for it and she kicked a little but only at first. I think rubbing her feet actually calmed her down. She has to be happier with clean feet anyways.
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::silly:: Hi Fluff Ball,
:doh: I don't know how that little one is so lucky. ::) A water bath for a chinchilla is only in the most extreme occasions and only when advised to do so by the vet. :-[ ::nod:: Chinchillas can chill and get sick very quickly when they get wet. :(
What TinaBeana suggested is good and/or repeated dust baths.
Chinchillas take dust baths only, please!
::wave::
Jo Ann
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Another way to clean dirty chinchillas is with a baby wipe.
When I got my rescue, Charlie, he really stunk! It was horrible. I'm thinking it was from a very dirty cage plus the fact that he had never been dusted...EVER!!. I gave him a fresh dust bath every day for a week and that fixed it. If he hadn't had injuries I would have added dessenex to the dust bath. Its a good fungus deterant and it smells really nice!! Since he had open wounds we chose not to do that. (FYI- usually you don't dust a chinchilla with an open wound but in his case the area was so covered with ointment and was getting cleaning so frequently we opted to go ahead and dust. It lifted his spirits and he certainly needed it!)
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Congrats on your new chin.
I have never had any problems with wet baths on the rare occasion, seems you did as you should. Nice to know that folks do, do their homework. ::nod::
I read of a gal who would wet bath her chins regularly, and have to wonder how the little darlings do with such stress. To say nothing of how it effects to their skin and fur.
They really don't need it and it doesn't do anything for their coats, and yes beats them out trying to get dry. He'll sure enjoy a dust bath after that ::nod::
Oh ya pics please :::grins::
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I was told by one of the ranchers at a show that they know of a lady who wet bathes all of her chins a couple of weeks before she shows. ???
I wont mention any names, but appearantly she doesn't do badly at shows either. I am not sure exactly what placings her chins have made though.
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I just wanted to add that when i brought snowball who is albino that he was more of a moasic beige than all white and his pink ears were not pink they were brown and that i used baby shampoo and a bit of conditioner on him he actually liked the bath and sitting on my lap being blow dried i think he liked all the attention and the fact that he was getting clean. he was in a very very dirty cage ( you know the area were your chin go potty the most and has that yucky buildup of brown /black gunk on the wire well that was all over the cage were i got him) and he shared a cage with 5 other chins. so he really needed that bath Buddy L however never had a water bath only the dust kind. This is the two guys sitting on the top shelf together. they are always together like they were attached at the hips or something
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Cute. He is a beautiful Pink White. That is one of my favorite colors....Well they are all my favorite colors. ;D
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::silly::Hi FluffBall,
With the description you are giving snowball who is albino that he was more of a moasic beige than all white and his pink ears were not pink they were brown
I might have been tempted on the bath, also. He is looking good now. ::nod:: You were lucky it was not stressful for him ... but from what you describe he was in a very very dirty cage ( you know the ... yucky buildup of brown /black gunk on the wire well that was all over the cage were i got him) and he shared a cage with 5 other chins.
it was probably a relaxing relief.
But, I still never recommend water baths, unless directed to do so by your vet, because it can be dangerous (stress, chill, ect.). It may take a bit longer with dust baths, but it will work. ::nod::
Looks like they are good friends and have someone who loves them and will take good care of them! ;)
::wave::
Jo Ann[/i]
P.S. He's not an albino, he's a pink white. :blush2:
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I though that if an animal had red pink eyes and was all white that that meant that it was an albino? what does an albino chin look like or is a pink white what they call and albino and if it is will his life span be shorter? i am confused ::shrug::
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It can be confusing with all the different terms folks use.
Jo Ann this is a good new colour thread for you to start.
Explain the albino gene as it relates to chinchillas.
I though that if an animal had red pink eyes and was all white that that meant that it was an albino
No fluffball the red eyes are in the beige gene, so anything carrying beige could have red eyes.Pink white is a combo of white and beige.
I have never seen an albino chinchilla, but have heard they are out there.
Any one got a picture?
Most searches I've done shows me pink whites that some are calling Albino.
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::silly:: Hi Debbie,
I've never heard of/seen an Albino chinchilla either, but then, I am sure there is plenty out there I have not seen or heard of before ... that's why I love this forum ... you can always ask ... you never know where the answer may be lurking. ::)
Albino normally refers to the lack of color in the pigments. Humans, cats and deer are the only true albinos I have seen and they, I am told, usually do have a shorter life span. Albino cats are usually also deaf. (Which may account for their shorter life span.)
I know nothing about the albino gene in reference to chinchillas ... BUT ... if any one else does, I'd love to hear about it! ::nod::
::wave::
Jo Ann
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Thankx yeah if anyone has a pic of a real albino chin i would love to see it too and compare snowball to it well Buddy L is the only one that does the mounting so is he the dom one? and they both swish tails it is so cute to see them do that
Jo Ann if I were to get a female should I get 2 One for each so there isn't all that fighting? cause i reall want baby chins
The amazing panda adventure that was a really cute movie and I was talking about my extended family my mom dad and sibs averyone at my house has no choice about the animals
::silly:: ;) ;D :chin: ::chinhappy:: ::fruit::
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::silly::I think that would be fair. But, you would have to put them in separate cages ... it's not safe to put all four in the same cage. The males would fight over which ever female was in season at the time. If you want the boys to be with their females anytime soon, I would get females that are old enough to safely breed. I never put my females into breeding until they are at least a year old.
Your family members that live at home with you always have a choice, especially your parents. ::nod::
I do hope you mean your extended family, that do not live with you, have no say about it. ::)
::wave::
Jo Ann
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Jo Ann I am the grown up in my house with 3 children and a hubby and he gives me all the support I need and want and yes the ones that don't live with me I am 29 if you thought I was younger
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:blush2: :blush2: :blush2: :blush2: :blush2: :blush2:
::silly:: I am so sorry! :-[ :-[ Yes, I did think you were a young teenager still living at home. I get so use to talking to kids and when they say something like everyone at my house has no choice about the animals
I come in with the old fashion side of me about showing your parents respect. :blush2: :blush2: :blush2:
Please, forgive me for inserting my foot into my mouth. :-[
At least everyone should get a good laugh at me on this one. rofl
::wave::
Jo Ann ::hide::[/i]
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That is ok ;) I think that it is good that you talk well type like that enforcing respect for your elders that is how i was raised and think that every one in the world should be raised like that
;D rofl
i did get a good laugh from that I do still get carded when I order drinks and get smokes for my mom and stuff and I don't smoke but when I go into the store to get them and I forget to bring in my Id or left it at home I use the excuse they are for my mom and they say that that is the oldest excuse in the book but it is the truth and i am old enough to buy them too..
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::silly:: Enjoy it while you can! :D I was still being carded at 34 ... then mother nature said it was time to play catch-up (after my first heart attack). Those days are long gone now! But, I'm still young at heart! ::nod::
::wave::
Jo Ann
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OH NO I hope that you are all better and back to normal if not the chins will get you back to normal ::silly:: ::silly:: they can make even the worst person feel better whether you are feeling yucky or P.Oed.
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Isn't that the truth! ::nod:: I can't tell you how many times I have dragged around the house not feeling like doing my chinchilla work because I'm sick or upset about something that has happened in my day, but then finally I force myself out the door and as soon as I walk into the chinchilla building and see all of those little faces I feel better. Then I end up taking more time than was needed just so I can stay longer! ;D
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::silly::Thanks, FluffBall, it was 22 years ago, I've had two more since then, but that's just part of life for me. ::)
The chins will melt your troubles away when you've had a bad day! Or you'll laugh so hard at their antics :D that nothing else matters, at least for a little while. :-[ Their little faces are so precious and the way they beg, who could say no to them? :::grins::
::wave::
Jo Ann
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not me I don't think that I have ever said no to a chin when I go to the pet tores that have chins (they all know me the employees I go there soooo much)I hold them all and I always bring raisins for them all only 1 each I could never say no to a chin but my kids heck yeah I say it so much cometimes I think that it is the only word I know sometimes rofl