Introducing Toki and Riku

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Chin_Up_Sunshine

Chin_Up_Sunshine

Chinnie Paparazzi
Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Messages
250
Location
Seattle, WA
Hello! I have finally adopted two darlings little chins, Toki and Riku, into our family. I first fell in love with chins when I was an early teen but realized that I wouldn't be able to give them the love they needed until after I finished college and got a little more stable. To my great delight, after finally convincing my husband to allow me pets for my birthday I found these beautiful boys on Craigslist of all places, who were originally Petsmart babies, but were injured and taken in by the staff but now ready to find good homes.
I'm still pretty nervous about being a good mommy for them, but they seem a lot happier now that they actually have some chews, the "second story" of the cage I was given (will certainly need a replacement), and a good dust bath! Granted, they're not 100% comfortable with me, but I've been amazed at how quick they were to come to me and hop around on my hands in the cage or my shoulders (or head). I do have some new mommy questions, but I also know that each little guy has his own personality and I have to learn my way around them individually first.
Below I have "The Palace", then Riku, then Toki featured. Point of Clarification, Riku's surprisingly dark on top, but I don't know if he qualifies as a Black Velvet, or if that dark is still Standard. Thoughts?
 

Attachments

  • DSCF5307.jpg
    DSCF5307.jpg
    96.5 KB · Views: 50
  • 66835_525338271264_53301387_31078465_7341807_n.jpg
    66835_525338271264_53301387_31078465_7341807_n.jpg
    54.7 KB · Views: 51
  • DSCF5312.jpg
    DSCF5312.jpg
    89 KB · Views: 51
Chin_Up_Sunshine said:
I first fell in love with chins when I was an early teen but realized that I wouldn't be able to give them the love they needed until after I finished college and got a little more stable.
Click to expand...

That was me. I always wanted one too, but I had to wait until I was out of my parents' house and had the money to take care of an exotic pet. I always knew I would have one eventually.

Congrats on your new babies, they are adorable. As far as color goes, your boy is probably a dark standard, like mine. He's my avatar pic. When I first got him I thought he looked very black too.

Take some time to look through the new owner questions forum, and use the search function to find anything else you may have questions about. There is so much good info on here. When I adopted my boy and first came to this board, I was a bit dismayed that most of the stuff I got for him from a pet store was inappropriate for chinchillas. Live and learn, right?

Welcome to the forum! And we always love pics of your babies here! ;)
 
Hi and welcome! Congrats on your babies. It will take your babies a bit to become totally comfortable in their new environment, and to you, but with time and patience they will come around. They are adorable!!!
 
hey i wanted to say welcome.....


and just a hint, you may want to invest in metal wire wrap to hold the cage together vs. the cable ties. My kids chomped through those like nothing. And you dont want that cage collapsing.
 
Thank you, thank you for the warm welcome and advice!
Maia said:
That was me. I always wanted one too, but I had to wait until I was out of my parents' house and had the money to take care of an exotic pet. I always knew I would have one eventually./
Congrats on your new babies, they are adorable. As far as color goes, your boy is probably a dark standard, like mine. He's my avatar pic. When I first got him I thought he looked very black too./
Take some time to look through the new owner questions forum, and use the search function to find anything else you may have questions about. There is so much good info on here. When I adopted my boy and first came to this board, I was a bit dismayed that most of the stuff I got for him from a pet store was inappropriate for chinchillas. Live and learn, right?/
Welcome to the forum! And we always love pics of your babies here! ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, a lot of this stuff just came with them and I'm trying to trade it out as quickly as possible. I've been investigating more chew safe materials in the "bird" section of pet stores and sort of giving all "chinchilla" safe things a dirty look because I'm suspicious it will hurt them. lol. I feel like I'm a teen again, because I was avidly reading everything back then and I'm doing it all over and learning some new things, like that Alfalfa hay is really better for kits rather than adults, which is what they were eating before although mine are acting rather uninterested in their hay in general.

angels41105 said:
hey i wanted to say welcome.....
and just a hint, you may want to invest in metal wire wrap to hold the cage together vs. the cable ties. My kids chomped through those like nothing. And you dont want that cage collapsing.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I've been trying to think of more chew safe ties than the zipties. There were some to begin with and they were pretty miserable in just the original lower level, so I attached this for now with the rest but I'm still worried. They seem rather uninterested in plastic generally as it stands-maybe from being in Petsmart with the igloos and things they got used to plastic or something?- so I'm hoping this will hold until I can get them a better cage- I've been looking at ferret cages a lot and trying to make sure they have plenty of other tasty things to chew on, but I need something a little more permanent for now because it's going to be a bit before we can get a better cage. When I first got them they had NO chew toys and only 2 little shelves in the lower level alone- they were so nibbly they actually bit my friend and I, but I knew it was just a cry for something to chew on and they've not done so since I got them some toys. They're just letting me know what they need.

Thank you again for a warm welcome!
 
welcome and your chins look sooo cute! If you do a search for Ferret Nation Club, it will bring up a huge thread on people decorating their cages, just thought it may give you some great ideas as it has for me! I'm new too :)
 
Oh my word, I went there and now I'm a crazy chinchilla lady who wants to do all kinds of decorating for the boys' cage. I need a sewing machine so I (or more likely, my husband) can make all this adorable wonderful stuff! Simply Chintastic is probably going to be the bane of my bank account. The sewing machine will probably come AFTER I convince the man of the house to get a FN. I really like the big opening doors on those.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top