Chinchilla Community Forums

1

Q & A / how to stop chewing?

« on: November 21, 2010, 03:45:37 PM »

my chinchillas are slowly destroying my room; they eat the walls/doors/carpet/furniture/wires and anything else. i have them out for hours every night and it's not possible to move them to another room. is there anything i can use to stop them eating stuff? particularly the carpet and windowframe!

any help would be great. also i live in the uk so please bear that in mind x

2

Q & A / matted fur under chin/throat

« on: November 02, 2010, 04:49:23 PM »

i've just found some matted fur on my chinnies throat... he's not keen on getting handled and i'm worried i hurt him trying to cut it out. he lets me pull at it a bit so was wondering is there anything i could put on it to make it easier to get the matt out? my friend suggested conditioner but i was hoping someone could suggest something definitely non toxic!

3

Health / wonky ear

« on: August 07, 2010, 05:16:38 AM »

Hi, my young boy chinnie has just appeared with a 'wonky' ear... it's not as uprigth and conical as the other one. Tried putting it up, in case it'd just gone inside out, but it's still a bit crumpled, like someone's sat on it.

This is probably nothing to worry about but just in case, any thoughts?

ps is still the same colour and the other one and he's his usual perky self.

thanks

4

Q & A / Cage buddies

« on: July 29, 2010, 04:52:26 PM »

Hi, I had a female chin and was worried she was lonely and got her a female buddy and they love each other to bits.

Then I got a boy and as some will have seen from my recent post I'm now worried that he's lonely as he's kept seperately (right now the two females are asleep on each other and he's just standing around.

I have decided not to get him castrated on advice and not wanting to take the risk but was wondering if I could get him a friend. Would he fight if I got him a male friend? I thought they might fight because there's females in the same room (but different cage). Is this the case? Or, if I could find one (on the sheer offchance) a rescue neutured female or would he just be a pest to her then as he hasn't been done?

ps why hasn't anyone invented 'chinchilla protection pants' yet???

5

Health / neutering

« on: July 26, 2010, 04:49:49 PM »

Hi, can anyone tell me just how risky neutering is?

I have a boy chinnie and two girls (seperate from him of course) and was thinking of getting him done so that they could all live together if they got on, or at least have playtime together. It seems a shame that he's stuck on his own (although he can see the girls in the nearby cage) but I'd never want to take a big risk on his life.

I'd not want to put another boy with him because then they'd fight, is maybe finding a neutered female (for whatever reasons she may have been done!) the best solution?

6

Health / Wet bum!

« on: April 29, 2010, 11:46:44 AM »

I got a 4 year old chinchilla recently, had come from a shed and was absolutely terrified of people. She's been getting on marvellously and tramping all over me but i never pick her up or 'inspect' her healthwise as i don't want to stress her more than necessary. However, I began to suspect something amiss everytime she stood up on her hind feet that perhaps she was wet around the bottom area. I checked for sure and basically it's like she's sat in a puddle of pee and is quite wet with urine all around her bum area right out to her tail and hindlegs.
Does anyone know why this is happening? Her cage mate (who i've had since a baby) is perfectly clean and dry.

Thanks
heather

7

Q & A / sexing chinchillas

« on: April 04, 2010, 01:26:51 PM »

i've been looking and comparing to pictures online but am beginning to suspect my 'girl' chinchilla might be a boy. i got her from a breeder (who ought to know?) when she was 3/4mths old and was told she was a girl. now i've just got another female chinchilla she keeps trying to mount her! is this definite boy behaviour? they have been getting on very well!

8

Q & A / chinchilla eye colour

« on: April 04, 2010, 12:19:14 PM »

My new chinchilla is a beige of sorts and has quite striking eyes, they are red with loads of black flecks through them. Has anyone seen this before? Does it indicate anything towards her genetics? I don't know anything about her parentage but she looks like a hetero beige...

9

Q & A / Chin buddy

« on: March 19, 2010, 01:08:14 PM »

Hi, I've got a 5/6mth female chinchilla that I got in mid jan and am now planning on getting her a female buddy. I'm thinking of getting one from a breeder (aged 3 and half years) who has said she may/may not be pregnant. Now I'd be happy to pay any necessary vets bills etc this may incur and as she's had babies before there's less likely to be probs. However, although I'll have two cages i'd like to keep both chins together (after the intro period) and then, IF there is, the baby. What's people's thoughts on this? Is the new chin going to be a hormonal female that is going to give my much cherished chin a lot of trouble or given lots of time and careful observation this could work out? The cage I have could easily occupy three.
I'd certainly appreciate advice on this.
ps in case you are thinking, duuuuh just get a baby/definitely non pregnant chin, the reason I'd still like to go ahead is I'd like the experience of raising of a baby although i wouldn't want to go down the breeding line generally (ie i wouldn't mate a pair deliberately).