6 week old to young?

[CookieMonster]

So i have been trying to get in touch with my nearest breeder which is 2 hours away but unfortunately they seem to be to busy with other things and don't reply to my emails. If they do they are vague and not very helpful. I also tried calling and got no answer. So i started searching online for chinchillas in my area and found a private pet store who sells chinchillas and other types of animals. I was told they didn't have any right now but will be getting them on Wednesday when i asked the age she said they would be around 5 - 6 weeks. Now i cant go see them till Saturday if i do end up going to get one. But I thought that was a bit young for them to be at a petstore already. So i was wondering should i keep trying to get in contact with the breeder or just break down and save a baby from the petstore? I have to admit i am being totally impatient and wanting my chin NOW! but i am hanging in there

 

[StevieP]

Yes, 5-6 weeks is too young. I would not support that pet store or the breeder the kits come from by buying there.

Have you looked on craigslist for a chin? Or maybe Jacksonville Chinchilla Rescue has some available.

 

[AZChins]

I think six weeks is too young. Some breeders may think it's alright. Sometimes weaning age is a matter of personal preference. I like to keep my babies in with their mothers for as long as possible so that I know they are thriving and getting as much as they can from their mamas' milk for as long as they can get it.

A six week old petstore chin would make me very nervous. There's so much that can go wrong at that age just because the chins have immature immune systems...not to mention that you never know how long they've been there at the store, so what if they were weaned at 4 to 5 weeks old?

 

[CookieMonster]

The lady at the petstore said they were being delivered on Wednesday so i would have no clue when they have been weaned but when they get to the petstore they are 5-6 weeks she said.

I have been Stalking craigslist for the past 2 weeks also and all the chins are sold pretty fast plus they are all about 2 hours away as well. Jacksonville is even farther away from me. & a trip i can not make right now. Its like Chins in Miami Are non existent :/ I am gonna try to get in touch with the breeder again and see how that goes hopefully i can get in touch. if not i guess i will stalk craigslist some more. :/

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

I think most breeders don't sell babies until they are 8 weeks old.
I would check with Crysta (Essentia on here) who runs Spoiled Rotten Chinchillas located in Jacksonville. She might has some available.
If you talk with her she might be willing to meet you somewhere.

=)

Being a new chin owner (i'm assuming you are), it's untelling what you'll end up with on Craiglists. Not saying those chinnies don't deserve a home because they do. But I'd hate for you to get a sick chinchilla as your first.

 

[StevieP]

I believe there is a rescue in Orlando as well.

 

[CookieMonster]

Ok so i finally got a response back from the breeder after a little angry email lol i tried to be as nice as possible They have a few beige and whites that look like a good fit even though i wanted a standard which they told me wouldn't be ready for another 3 weeks soooo i am waiting to see if they give me the directions so i can go Saturday and see the beige chinnies or put a hold on one of the standards i will definitle stear clear of the petshop but i cant help but feel bad for those little guys

 

[starleomach]

5-6 weeks in a pet store is way to young. SOme people wean at 6 weeks (at the earliest) but even then they should not be going to a new home at that point.

I understand your frustration with the breeder, but keep in mind we have lives too. I came home to complete caous from just being in the hospital delivering my baby I was only gone a few days. Honestly the people that got nasty with me when I didn't respond the same day they wrote...I said I had nothing for them. Sometimes we have things going on. This is a Hobby for many of us and we have lives outside the chinchillas too

 

[CookieMonster]

I completely Understand that breeders have lives... What bothered me was that i emailed got one response i replied and nothing for days. So i emailed a diff email they had got a response replied then nothing again for days. Today i emailed again and finally got a response but nothing too solid...Its like i am getting nowhere with them then when i called no answer. If they have something going on i would appreciate a note hey this is happening blah blah blah but with the way they have been responding i feel like i have been left in limbo. Had they not answered at all in days i would have tried again without being nasty. I just hate being left in the unknown. Believe me i didn't not want to be mean because i know how that is i just simply told them listen let me know if you have one for me or not i feel like i am in limbo just waiting. keep in mind i have to drive 2 hours to get there and my husband is not to thrilled about that lol But i will definitely stick to the breeder the pet store was my last option if the breeder didn't respond.

 

[greychins]

I find it difficult as well when people don't respond. When I'm adopting out rescues or selling chins, I often have buyers email me and I'll email them back with my adoption forms and such... and then I won't hear from them for a week. But you know, like Kristy said, we do have other things to do. I actually will give people a week (7 days) since the last time I sent them an email, and then I will email them, saying "hey, haven't heard from you for a week, just wanted to check in"... and for me, they get two more days after that to respond to that email that I send, and if they don't, I dismiss them... but you know, when I've sent that "it's-been-a-week" email, I have several times gotten responses saying that things have come up, and that the chinchillas are not on the top of their priority list when compared to fixing their car or repairing their roof. Which I understand...

...don't get me wrong, I still hate being left waiting. In fact, I sent someone an adoption form the other day and we're going on day 5 for them to respond. I have to say, that week of waiting to email them kills me! But I also don't want to turn into the pesty "how come you haven't emailed me back yet????" person. Patience is a virtue, and so few people have it anymore.

I'm not trying to defend the breeder you are talking about - I don't know them so I would have no reason to - but I just wanted to note.. you said the thing about you wanted them to say, "hey, this is happening..." and have them let you know what's going on. I mean no offense in saying this, but a lot of people that I know feel that it's none of other people's business what's going on in their lives. I'm told that I'm a pretty open person, but if I haven't been able to respond to emails in a few days because I was stranded in a snowstorm and had to stay in a crappy motel 10 hours from home for 3 days, or was taking the bar exam and wasn't near a computer for two days... I don't feel the need to explain that to someone, especially someone I don't know. Yeah, I've got good relationships with the people who adopt/buy chins from me, but for the most part (with exception of course), they're not my best buddies, and I don't feel they need to know every aspect of my life...

Just my two cents.

 

[starleomach]

I don't mind a 2nd email but I seriously had several nasty emails from the 3 days I was in the hospital...3 days is way too soon for a major attitude

 

[CookieMonster]

Yeah that is out of control lol You guys are totally right i should have stopped to think instead of jumping the gun i just felt it was a little sketchy they answer one day then dont reply again for a week until i email back .... I tend to get antsy when emailing i think i and become an impatient loony bin I will try to stay sane until Saturday & not be a big ol' meany wish me luck

 

[AZChins]

Sometimes I can't get to all my email in a few days. Things get very hectic just with the chins, it's so much worse if anything happens in my own personal life or if I get sick or need to go to the doctor.

People are very mean to me in emails and it makes me very angry. As time goes on people get more and more impatient. No, if someone calls me at 2 pm on a Sunday afternoon, I can't let them come over that same day. I'm actually really sick of the emails I get that are sent from mobile phones. They are short, rude and give me no information whatsoever. (Not that anyone mentioned that, I'm just saying that lately it's been a whole lot of short, rude emails sent to me.)