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Jadebf700

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
178
Location
Middle of Nowhere, ME
I just bought my first chin. He is my buddy to keep me company since we are now stuck in the middle of nowhere for another five months. I still have not decided on a definate name for him but we have been calling him Buddy and I think it has stuck...





 
Welcome! :)

The first thing I'm going to suggest is you get rid of the food you have behind his cage. Pet store food is not healthy for chinchillas, especially treat filled food. If the pet store told you it was, they are wrong.

Nutrena Nature Wise 16%
PANR
Tradition
Oxbow
APD
Mazuri

Those are excellent feeds. You can check the classifieds here for people who sell them, but Petco and Petsmart sell the Oxbow and/or Mazuri.

The second suggestion would be to get rid of the sherpa fleece. It's generally not considered safe for a chin, especially if they ingest it. Polar fleece is what is generally used.

Your little guy is a cutie and I think Buddy is a fine name. People will try and guide you as they can when they see things. It isn't meant to critize, just to inform.

Again - welcome!
 
The bag of food I got from the person I got him from is a mostly pellet food. He usually eats more hay than food. I am glad we got him from the home we did because when they can't get to the pet store, he got guinea pig food which I heard is dangerous because it has corn in it. The stuff we feed him has little to no treats in it. Is it normal for them to almost bark at you when they are new to you? He does it any time we try to pick him up or when it seems he doesn't want to be bothered. Also when my husband was petting his tummy but he kept crawling up his arm...
 
Welcome to CnH, Buddy is a fine name for a Chin and darn cute at that.

Maybe Buddy eats more hay than pellets because he does not like them. So if you can, try and get feeds that Tunes has mentionned. He may appreciate and eat more. Hay is excellent for them, but does not have all the nutrients needed to keep healthy.;)
 
Thank you all! I can't wait till he is warmed up enough for me to hold. I blocked off a room and "chin proofed" it. I sit in their with him and he climbs all over me which I am assuming is a good thing. I feel bad for him at night because he seems to get lonely but I read that turning on the TV would help. Would leaving some music on for him help just as much?
 
Lots of people play music constantly for their chins. Some use country, some rock, some classical. Though people will swear that chins like one type of music, I think the choice of music depends on the owner's tastes. I don't think the chins really care. :)
 
Welcome! I am always leaving music on for my chin! :)
 
Welcome! Your Buddy is very beautiful!
The foods that Tunes suggested are essential to a long and healthy chin-life. I fed my chin food with treats for almost a year before I found this forum. When everyone told me to get different food, I thought they were attacking me, but I bought some Mazuri and it totally changed my chin. She used to just pick at her food and throw most of the pellets out. She devours the Mazuri and she seems much happier with it. It is a little expensive if you buy it from a pet store, but you can find lots of people here that sell it online by the pound for a great price.

The barking is normal. My chin (we've had her for 1.5 years) barks every time I pick her up from the cage. Some chins just do not like being held. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you or the chin.

Feel free to post any and all questions you may have! This forum is the best thing that ever happened to my chinchilla and it's wonderful for new owners.
 
welcome. just give buddy some time to trust you, maybe be weeks or months and then he will come around. in the meantime, read around the forum, make sure he is on good pellet & hay, filtered water & give lots of wood to help his teeth from over growing. make sure if there is any plastic in the cage he isnt chewing it and he gets "healthy" treats like the occasional rosehip, or shredded wheat square, or steel cut oats, etc...
there are several very good people here that make cookies for chins and also sell food and/or wood.
Since I found this forum I rarely go to the petstore. Good luck. I love buddy's coloring.
 
Thank you all. I am definately going to look into getting him some new food. I know he needs some new toys because the ones he has he doesn't chew on but there are times that all he wants to do is chew. Last night it was my arm... :)
 
Congrats on Buddy, he is adorable! And it does take a chin awhile to get used to his new surroundings and to warm up to you. But it is definitely worth the wait! And welcome to the forum. You'll meet a lot of new friends here and you'll get so much good info and great advice!
 
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