Breeder vs Shelter and buying 1 chinchilla vs 2

[misplacedsanity]

Hi so let me explain the basis here. I have been thinking about getting a chinchilla for a while now but i have just recently begun really researching into it. I have looked up breeders shelters etc. There are 3 chinchillas that appeal to me. 2 of them are in a shelter that are not to be kept apart so i would have to adopt them together and they are both 2 years old. The other is a month old currently from a breeder that is also 5 hours away. I would not be able to get him due to their policy of not giving away their chinchillas until at least 8 weeks old which is fine cause I need to set things up baby(chinchilla)-proofing my room getting all the stuff i would need to take care of my chinchilla etc. My ultimate two questions are is it alright to get from a shelter? and is it okay to get 2 rather than one especially at 2 years old? The second question just reefers all the mixed emotions I have found about getting two and also getting a chinchilla when they are older because of the lack of bonding that may be possible. Sorry about that long text wall. Just figured I should be in depth.

 

[javachin]

A lot of people adopt from shelters/rescues. You can bond with a chinchilla at any age and 2 years old is very young still. It really depends if you only want one chin, if so, then the pair wouldn't be a good idea. I've taken in chins that are 5+ years old and they've bonded with me just fine.

 

[Pikaia]

I agree with javachin. Getting a chinchilla from a shelter is a great idea! There are so many chins that need homes. Age doesn't mean much, because you can still bond with any age chinchilla. It all takes time and patience. Getting two is a wonderful idea. I think chinchillas are better in pairs honestly-only because they will have a friend, but it can go either way. Chins can be happy alone or in multiples!

If you don't have a lot of time to spend with a chinchilla one on one, you might want to consider getting two. I have both actually. My girls are together and Tribble is alone. I will say honestly Tribble is more friendlier and interacts with me more, but every chin is different! Taking care of 1 vs 2 isn't a big deal either. The amount of care required is about the same.

 

[mercynursie]

Just wanted to add make sure you have an exotic vet who is experienced with chinchillas before doing either. Chin vets are hard to find and with the breeder 5 hours away I wonder where the nearest chin vet would be?

 

[misplacedsanity]

It isn't the nearest breeder just the only one that has enough information for me to be comfortable. Like medical records and what not more so of the parents. Like from what I have heard shelters never have that information and I can understand why but I feel as if it is necessary. But yeah that isn't a problem the closest chinchilla vet is 32 minutes. Oh and even if it is probably obvious I should probably state first time chinchilla owner. The only pets I have ever had are dogs and cats.

 

[akane]

We got pedigreed chins but not as babies. The female is 3 and her twins are 1 year old with the female in the bottom of a divided ferret nation and the brothers together in the top. We've had no trouble bonding with them. The female is rather lazy so she doesn't come out to see us and beg for treats like the boys but you can scoop her up and hold her easier than them. The boys have become oatmeal junkies and wait on top of their house for someone to walk by so they can beg. If you open the door they'll lean out and reach for your fingers.

There's no reason not to get older chins and there's no reason not to get 2 bonded chins. Now if they insisted you buy 2 chins that you have to house separately that would be silly because they obviously don't need each other if they have to be kept apart.

However I much prefer to support responsible breeders who's animals are unlikely to end up in shelters over adopting because I think it attacks the root of the problem instead of just making room for another irresponsibly bred or owned animal to go in to the shelter. I've helped out when big time breeders suddenly say "we are going to put these animals difficult to home down if you don't take them" and everyone scrambles around to find foster homes and space in rescues or shelters. Driving hundreds of miles sometimes. While I sit there wondering about the fact that by taking these animals we just made space for the breeder to breed more for sale to pet stores or without making sure the home is knowledgeable so they are likely to end up in the shelters or breed too many, get backed up again, and make the same demand in 5 years. I also did local guinea pig rescue and took all guinea pigs from shelters in the area to find good homes for them but every time I emptied the shelter they'd get in more guinea pigs because they had space. It solved nothing no matter how many I rehomed because people kept buying them on impulse from petstores or getting pregnant ones from petstores and filling the shelter back up rather than from quality breeders who tried to make sure the new owners would be responsible and would take back animals they sold so they rarely went to a shelter.

 

[Dreamlite]

Rescuing or getting from a breeder is a personal choice. No one can make that for you. Just be aware if you get more than one they may not get along forever. So a 2nd cage might be needed at some point. Age really doesn't make a difference. 2 yrs is still very young. Just be careful that the pair is the same sex. Some shelters are not as familiar with chins as others.

 

[Godofgods]

I personally will always get a pet from a shelter/pound/take one in that needs to be re-homed over a breeder any day. I have a problem with breeding pets, and i know several in these forums disagree with me. I just cant condone the idea of bringing more into the world when so many are already alive and out there desperately searching for a home. And you know what happens at shelters if pets don't get adopted. So i would rather save the ones we have then bring more into the world.

As for single vs pair; that depends on what you want and what your able to handle. Chins can spend a life time together without problems, or they can one day turn on each other. Either way you have to be prepared to separate them at any given time. (Two cages or something like a Ferret Nation cage that can be split into two. It's also a good idea to have two feed bowls and water bottles in a cage to reduce any chance of fighting etc.)

I've had a lot of social type animals over the years, so i have always been partial to pairs myself. But a good example, my two ferrets that live together recently had to be separated. While they get along, one is going blind and the other has started bullying him on occasion. Stuff like that is hard to plan for, but thats why i kept an extra cage around. You never know.

As for the age of a chin being older, i wouldn't worry about that too much in terms of bonding with it. It will take a lot of time no matter what way you go. You just have to be patient. My first chin that i took in was of unknown age. He was a full grow adult that had been passed around from owner to owner for a long time, so i know he was well past 2 years old. He was so stressed out when i got him that he would freak out if you so much as walked near his cage. With patience and work tho over time he beyond mellowed out. Now, out of my 5 chins, he is the most friendly and personable guy of them all!

Finding a good vet ahead of time as others mentioned is a really good idea. It is not something you want to be running around franticly trying to find at the last minute.

And learn your sexes. On a chin they can be surprisingly hard to tell. And ppl often take in what they were told is two same sex chins, only to find a baby one morning. And take my word for it, it is not a surprise you want to find out to late. It is purely luck that my first kit survived. He escaped his cage and hid under my refrigerator before i ever new he was born. (before i even new she was pregnant.) My ferret actually found him one night when she was out to play. And to this day i still shudder to think what would have happened if she hadn't. - So don't take there word for it. Learn how to tell and check for yourself, whether its a single chin or a pair.

 

[Magyk]

In the end, it comes down to the animals. 2 years old is still very young for chins. I got my girl when she was fully grown (She was an impulse rescue, I will admit, and I have basically no history on her) and she has been a fantastic little animal. Extremely friendly and well bonded with all of us.

Why not meet them? Figure out which ones you like that way? You will hopefully have these animals for many, many years to come, I would think you would like to know what their personalities are like and if you are compatible.

However, I would go to a shelter over a breeder any day of the week. No offense to the breeders on here, I know you strive to improve your stock and I do know the risks that come with rescue, but I would rather take in an animal in true need of a break rather then one that I know, in the mean time, is well taken care of.

 

[misplacedsanity]

What about 5 years old?

 

[Magyk]

5 still isn't very old. They have a pretty good, long lifespan. It all really depends on the chins personality and how much time you put in to determine how well the chin bonds to you.

 

[Pikaia]

Five years old is still relatively young for a chin! Still plenty of good years ahead! and as Magyk said, it's not the age that matters, it's the personality of the chin and how much effort you put into it!