A not so new owner with new chinchillas!

[VolunteerChin22]

Ok seriously? I have lost patience with this thread - clearly you have an answer for everything we have to say to you so I am not sure why you came looking for advice in the first place.

We tell you to change the food and you refute us and demand an explanation.

We tell you to reduce the treats and you complain about it.

We tell you to take the log out because the materials are unsafe let alone disgusting from years of use and you refute us based on the fact nothing has happened YET.

And now we tell you to take out the ramps because they are an accident waiting to happen and AGAIN you refute us.

You have also said because of your situation you cannot afford to have more cages, and dismiss the suggestion to rehome any:

Quote: "As for the new babys, I have absolutly no room for anotehr cage (have 4 already) not to mention no money to get one. (not a lot of money to make being physicaly diabled) So im stuck with what i have."End Quote.

What happens when if one of your males turns on a cage mate? Will they just live in the same bad situation because there are no other cages? Oh right, I know. let me guess - it hasn't happened yet so that means it never will right? :wacko:

You say you want advice and better care for your chins, but all signs point to otherwise:hair:

 

[Godofgods]

We tell you to change the food and you refute us and demand an explanation.

So theirs something wrong with wanting a reason why; Not jsut 'because i said so?

We tell you to reduce the treats and you complain about it.

I never complained about it. I intend to try and get them off having many. I jsut asked if their was anyhting they could have once a day such as the apple woods that wouldnt interferre with their diet.
And i wanted to be clear on what 'treats' were truly safe for them. When i get conflicting answeres form diffrent sources, then yes.. im going to ask for a bit more in depth reason.

We tell you to take the log out because the materials are unsafe let alone disgusting from years of use and you refute us based on the fact nothing has happened YET.

I dont recall ever saying that i refuse to take it out. I simply said theyll miss it cause theyve had it for a long while. After searching for an ingreadence list, i found out it does indeed have honey and what not in it. So ill make appropreat changes.

And now we tell you to take out the ramps because they are an accident waiting to happen and AGAIN you refute us.

um.. no? I said i wanted to take all the ramps in the cage out. I jsut needed to find something to replace them. And intill i get them, im kinda stuck.

You have also said because of your situation you cannot afford to have more cages, and dismiss the suggestion to rehome any:

Quote: "As for the new babys, I have absolutly no room for anotehr cage (have 4 already) not to mention no money to get one. (not a lot of money to make being physicaly diabled) So im stuck with what i have."End Quote.

What happens when if one of your males turns on a cage mate? Will they just live in the same bad situation because there are no other cages? Oh right, I know. let me guess - it hasn't happened yet so that means it never will right? :wacko:

So let me get this straight first. Your telling me to get rid of my chin, because of something that may or may not happen. Forgive me if i dont like the idea of jsut giving my pets up for a maybe.

Both cages are two story ferret nations cages. If my two sets of males dont get along, i can always divide it into two cages. Thats why the cage was designed that way. Technicly since i have two, two story cages, they can be made into four seperate cages if i had to.

Rehomeing a pet is a LAST resort. not a first resort. Expecaly when theirs still options that can be tried.

 

[GorillaJTA]

S
um.. no? I said i wanted to take all the ramps in the cage out. I jsut needed to find something to replace them. And intill i get them, im kinda stuck.

What we are saying is that they do not NEED them. Raising the FN shelf some and putting a ledge in the middle would be safer and the chins would still have the assistance you think they need to get between levels. Since I have seen my chins jump 4 feet straight up, I don't see that they need a ramp. Their feet are narrow enough to slip between the bars on the ramps (I have a FN cage as well and have seen it happen before I took them out) and it is not a risk worth taking. Instead of the long ladder to get back in, a box or some other 8-12 inch elevation would work just as well.

Also, by virtue of 99% of behavioral experiments done in labs, if you trained your chins to return to the cage with a treat, then they should do it without the treat as long as you treat them occasionally. It is called operant conditioning.

A treat can be either something they normally wouldn't get (most people's definition) or something you give them specially. Applewood sticks are great anytime, but I also use unfrosted shredded wheats occasionally, and often, I will stick a handful of a different type of hay (orchard grass instead of timothy) as a special treat. Nothing that would mess up their nutritional balance, but something that is different than normal.
If they make noise until you give them a treat in the mornings, then it sounds like they have trained you well.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Never said there was anything wrong with asking questions - merely pointing out what others in this thread have.

I dont recall ever saying that i refuse to take it out. I simply said theyll miss it cause theyve had it for a long while. After searching for an ingreadence list, i found out it does indeed have honey and what not in it. So ill make appropreat changes.

"The edible hut is sold specificly for chinchillas. And mine have that hut for many years. Its used more as a chew toy then anything."

"heh, im sure thats going to endear with to the guy. Hes had that for many many years. Longer then iv had him."

I'm sorry but to me this says it's been in there for years, no big deal...? And you did not say you were going to take it out until after I posted my last post.

um.. no? I said i wanted to take all the ramps in the cage out. I jsut needed to find something to replace them. And intill i get them, im kinda stuck.

I told you in my other post what you should replace them with, a place where you could find them and how much she charges....

So let me get this straight first. Your telling me to get rid of my chin, because of something that may or may not happen. Forgive me if i dont like the idea of jsut giving my pets up for a maybe.

I am not telling you to "get rid of your chin" in fact what I said was:

"if it were me with what you've said, I would rehome Sophie to a home with another female chin she might get along with or a home where she could be spoiled as an only chin. Don't get in over your head. It's better to have an appropriate number of pets so you can afford vet care and be able to spoil them a little bit. That would also eliminate the possibility that fighting over her in heat would happen"

based on your statements about your financial situation and the fact that you do not have space to have enough cages if all of your chins had to live seperately AND the statement you made about feeling bad that Sophie was living alone. And yes, you do need to be prepared for a "maybe" - ask any number of members here who have had a bonded pair turn on each other - do a search - there are pictures of the injuries - and those were the chins that lived. It happens more than you think.

Both cages are two story ferret nations cages. If my two sets of males dont get along, i can always divide it into two cages. Thats why the cage was designed that way. Technicly since i have two, two story cages, they can be made into four seperate cages if i had to.

And yet you have five chins and four cages correct?...one of them a female who would have to live alone unless you wanted her to get pregnant again.

Rehomeing a pet is a LAST resort. not a first resort. Expecaly when theirs still options that can be tried.

Of course it is - but sometimes you have to think about what's best for the animals, espcially when you were not expecting to have 2 chins turn into 5. that's a big responsibility. It was merely a suggestion, based on your comments, of what I would do in the situation and something for you to think about.

 

[Godofgods]

I have conciered the posability of rehome. Iv concidered many options for several months. Im jsut trying to avoid that if possible.

As for the endearing cooment about the log, its called sarcasem. Iv been disabled since 08' so beleive me, i got a lot of it. I was jsut saying that im sure my chin will be annoyed. They love perching specificly on that. Just to day, houdinig perched up on that (some reason that alwyas choice that peice) and jsut sat their for hours. Chico does the same thing. And onyl on that peice. So im sure theyll love me for taking it out. Granteed its better then internal problems for them.

The ladders, chico needs intill i get the replacements (which i dont have on me). He can not make that jump. And is smart enough not to try thankfully. Keep in mind, chico if missing a finger on his front paw. I have no idea when in his life that happened or how. I dont have any information about his past realy. Also part of the reason chico has problems with them apple wood treats i have that are a bit to big. Trouble trying to hold them to chew. I am looking at getitng some ledge type wood peices. I was asking in one of the chin supply threads about making certin sized ones.

Yes, technicly i do have 5 chins, and four cages if need be. Which would be a concern if i were force to house each and every one alone. However the male kits were born together and grew up side by side. Granted is only been a short time, theirs still a decent chance they will continue to get along. And Chico and houdini have lived together since houdini was born back in october of 2010. Theyve spent every day together. Both with sophie living in the cage with them, and with her not living in the cage with them. And so far theyve never had any problems with each other.

If, however, everything did break down completly, and they did have to be housed seperatly, i have some extra ferret cage parts i could use to put together a cage of sorts. Its would be roughly the size on one floor of a FN cage. Just a little less wide, and the bars are horazontal instead of vertical. I would jsut have to find something i could use as a tray.

 

[GorillaJTA]

The ladders, chico needs intill i get the replacements (which i dont have on me). He can not make that jump. And is smart enough not to try thankfully. Keep in mind, chico if missing a finger on his front paw. I have no idea when in his life that happened or how. I dont have any information about his past realy. Also part of the reason chico has problems with them apple wood treats i have that are a bit to big. Trouble trying to hold them to chew. I am looking at getitng some ledge type wood peices. I was asking in one of the chin supply threads about making certin sized ones.

They...don't use their front paws to jump really... Whatever. I suggested moving that midlevel up to accommodate for not having the ladder and you feel that the ladder is a necessity. Chins are jumpers. Rats and ferrets are climbers.

 

[Paws4Chins]

Chins will adjust to jumping to ledges if they have not had a chance to do so. My first 2 boys were in cage with now ledges before I got them. When I set up there FN I spaced the shelves and ledges so that they did not have to jump to high. They took to the new set up in a matter of hours. I am sure yours will adjust too if the shelves and ledges are spaced correctly.

As for the chewable hut and your chins liking to sit on it...you can invest in a Hiddie house to put in its place.

As for you chins not liking apple wood or you think it is too big...there are many different types of wood that are safe and perhaps they might like a different type...you don't know till you try. Also, Ronda, a forum member has many types of wood and sizes to choose from...she even has little bitty pieces called twiglets and wafers. My boys just adore the wafers and twiglets.
Here is her website
http://www.rondaschins.com/

 

[Godofgods]

i used to have the shelf placed higher, chico still wont attempt that jump. Houdini and sophie have no problems tryin. But chico wont

What is a Hiddie house?

 

[Laurie]

I know in time Chico would make that jump. I have a girl here who had her toes bitten off by a former cage mate--she only has 1 finger on each paw and she's a great jumper. I also have a boy here with no paws at all. He only has one complete limb--a back leg, and even he is jumping to his ledge without the the use of his ramp having no paws and only one leg--he jumps up to it and jumps off it without using hands.

 

[Godofgods]

I know in time Chico would make that jump. I have a girl here who had her toes bitten off by a former cage mate--she only has 1 finger on each paw and she's a great jumper. I also have a boy here with no paws at all. He only has one complete limb--a back leg, and even he is jumping to his ledge without the the use of his ramp having no paws and only one leg--he jumps up to it and jumps off it without using hands.

wow..

 

[Godofgods]

what about bedding? While what i have works, it has a few issues as well.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753657
Thats what iv been useing for them, jsut in a bigger bag.

However their like $20-30 a bag and dont last to long. Not to mention half of it ends up throw out of the cage when theirs runnign around.

Id like to get the fleece pads, but in this apartment, can only do the wash every 2 weeks. Which is a bit to long to go for them. And msot litter types iv seen at the pet store i cant say i would trust to be chin safe.

 

[Paws4Chins]

A Hidey (Hiddie) house is a wood house that Chins can hide in, sleep in, or sit on. There are several people who make these on the forum...check around. Also, some of the ones in pet stores are not good as they use plywood which is not a safe product. Here is a link to show you what they look like...scroll all the way to bottom. Make sure you check everyone who sells these on the forum before purchase.
http://forchinatechins.com/chincessories.htm

 

[Cuddlebug]

Pine and aspen shavings can be used as bedding. They are perfectly safe. Just steer clear of cedar, it can cause respiratory problems.

 

[Godofgods]

Just steer clear of cedar, it can cause respiratory problems.

heh, not jsut for the chinchillas'

 

[ChinnyMom]

i'd definitely switch to aspen or kiln dried pine shavings from the carefresh you are using. carefresh is a compacted paper product and if a chin were to eat it, it would expand in the stomach or intestine, causing an impaction (read: lots of pain for the chin, huge vet bill, and possible death).

shavings are much cheaper than the carefresh, and much safer.

 

[minrex]

Actually, Carefresh is usually fine as a bedding. A chin could get an impaction from ingesting wood shavings, too. The main thing about Carefresh is that it is expensive.

 

[Godofgods]

any ideas on ways to keep them from chewing the walls when their out of the cage?

 

[ticklechin]

Cover them up or make a play pen. There is no other way.

 

[ChinnyMom]

flattened carboard boxes against the wall work great, just be sure they are not going to fall over should a chin decide to wall surf against them or chew on them.

 

[Godofgods]

my ****** love to chew cardboard to. ANy time they can find some. Tho it would be better then them walls.

Courious tho, how do you keep your board on the walls?