Author JoAnn
Luv 'N Chins
Hints for New Chin Owners
and Owners-to-be
As a chinchilla owner cleanliness is a must. Your chin's cage needs to be cleaned no less
than once a week. A mixture one ounce of tinctured iodine, (7%) with about 5 gallons of water is a good anti-bacterial cleaning agent. Soak cage and tray in the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes, then allow to drip dry. A large plastic container with an air-tight lid will be good to keep it ready for the next use. Add clean bedding
and you are good to go! Wooden huts need to be lightly sanded occasionally. Always remove all uneaten food and hay daily. If you seem to be throwing away too much, adjust the amount of food or hay given to each chin or feed them smaller amounts twice daily (they will usually eat more during the night hours). Wash the food bowl and water bottle at least every other day and sterilized once a week. Fresh water daily is a must. Dust baths should be given at least once a week, preferably two to four times a week. They love these!
Chinchillas are nocturnal, which means they are day sleepers. We as humans, find it hard to sleep in the daylight and prefer darkness for sleeping, not so with chinchillas. As I was told by a long time breeder, 'Darkness is good for two things ~ mushrooms and fungus'. Chins need the daylight, just as we do, and do not mind sleeping in a naturally lighted room ~ just be sure his/her cage is not in an area where the sunbeams hit them directly ~ this causes over heating, something chins cannot endure. It is normal for them to play and eat in the darkness of night, but they do need the natural sunlight in the daytime.
A chin may be stressed by several things such as moving to a new home, visitors, over handling, loud or shrill sounds, being chased, many of the same things that tend to stress us. Stress will be apparent in several ways: loss of fur, scratching, becoming timid and shy, not eating or sleeping properly, or being irritable. At this time it is best to go out of your way to reassure your chin that you are there for them. Show your chin extra attention, hold them close and talk softly, as you would to a child who is scared. You are a 'parent' to your chin. Stress in a chinchilla can cause illness, the same as humans. If your chin continues to act in an abnormal way, check with your veterinarian, it may not be just a stress problem. A healthy happy chin can live for over 20 years. This is a longer lifetime than most common pets, so keep this in mind as you decide if this is the pet for you. This is a long-term commitment.
Many breeders, and I am one of these, allow their other pets around their chinchillas. But I do this with a great deal of caution. Some pets can be a danger to your chins. This mostly depends on the temperament of your other pet or pets (as well as your chin's temperament) and/or the health problems they may have/or may be a susceptible to. I have been told of two of these to date. The first being feline distemper in cats, so if you do have a cat, be sure you keep it up to dates on it's shots. Feline distemper is, as a rule, fatal and can spread rapidly. (If you have sadly lost your cat or kitten to feline distemper, before you purchase a chin, consult with your vet as to how you should sanitize the areas in which your chin may come in contact with the same living areas ~ the distemper 'virus' stay around for a long time, I have been told.) The second being ear mites in both cats and dogs. Mites will cause scratching, irritation, infection and fur loss for your chin. It is very important to make regular vet check-ups for all your animals to insure good health for all of them. Also, remember: be sure to wash your hands after handling another animal, before you handle your chin.
An array of toys is no substitute for the love, affection and time you should give your chin. Would you like to be placed in a room with a bunch of objects to keep you company and have your food dumped into a bowl, then have the person walk away? I don't think a chin would enjoy this lifestyle, either. You need to spend no less than thirty minutes every day devoted to your chin. The bond you make will be a lasting one. Often I will lay in the floor and let my chins play in my hair, inspect my face, tickle my ears and nose with their whiskers, use my legs as a slide, jump in and out of my lap, crawl up my sleeves or, whatever makes them happy. I have spent many hours filled with laughter at the antics of these furry little creatures. They run and hide, then come back out, often at full speed and can change directions in the blink of an eye by bounding off the walls, furniture and sometimes even me.
A naturalist once called the chinchilla the possible missing link between the rabbit, the mouse and the squirrel. The size of the ears and the shape of the face vary, but their round little bodies are covered with the softest, thickest fur known. It's fore legs are small and the paws easily hold bits of food as it eats, while it's hind legs are larger and stronger, to speed it on it's way from any sign of danger.
The fur colors vary from snow white to jet-black, from solid colored to varied colors (some with specific markings and others random markings), but all originated from the original standard gray chinchillas of the Andes Mountains. If you decide to buy a pair (male and female) to mate, it is best to buy at least one that is a standard gray, unless you understand the genetics of chinchillas and have a good background on both chins' parents. Mutations chins (chins other than the original standard gray), when mated together, in certain combinations will carry what is referred to as the 'lethal factor'. If a mutation colored chin is bred for to many generations to another mutation colored chin (even properly matched), it can produce a smaller, weaker kit. This is not good because it is not as healthy as most and will not grow to what is considered to be a normal healthy size. When a mutation colored chin is bred with a standard gray chin it strengthens genes of the kits produced. In most cases the kits of the pair can produce any combination of colors from the background of either of the chins.
Neither you nor I could conceive the idea of even one of our precious little ones being part of a chinchilla coat, yet, if it were not for the pelt ranchers, we would most probably not even have our chins, for they would most likely be extinct by now. It is up to us to make sure the chinchilla does not become extinct. We must bred them and care for them in the best possible way. This requires study and research and caring on our part. Take care of your little ones, they depend on you!
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