Chinchilla from pet store

[Amethyst]

The drive is about an hour and a half

Yeah a cat/dog carrier should be fine for an hour and a half, just keep an eye on the chin to make sure they aren't chewing on the plastic.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Yeah a cat/dog carrier should be fine for an hour and a half, just keep an eye on the chin to make sure they aren't chewing on the plastic.

I will! Thank you!

 

[ChinsForLife]

To @Amethyst

 

[ChinsForLife]

And this

 

[Amethyst]

Not sure if you wanted me to respond in the PM or here, but since it's useful to others I'll post here...

Once it's moldy it's unfortunately pretty much garbage, mold spores get into the wood so there is not way to clean them. I'm not sure what instructions you read said, but to prep wood sticks you want to

~scrub them clean

~then boil them for about 10-30 minutes (long enough to kill anything living inside and to get at least some of the tannin and natural sugars out depending on the wood)

~Then bake at a low temp, about 150-200 (as low as your oven will go), you are basically just using the oven to dry them out, so you don't need really high heat, and you don't want to burn them. I normally bake them for a couple hours depending on the thickness, looking at the sticks in the photos, they probably needed at least a hour. Exactly how long really depends on the humidity in the house, how wet the sticks were going into the oven (like if you dried them off first of stuck them right in the oven), and how thick the sticks are. It can some times take a few hours to fully dry out sticks. The easiest way to check if they are done yet is by breaking one in half, if it bends it's definitely not ready yet, also when you break it in half you can normally see a color difference on most wood (I don't know about magnolia I've never had it) between wet and dry wood.

Once fully dried and cooled the best thing to use to store them is a paper bag or cardboard box.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Not sure if you wanted me to respond in the PM or here, but since it's useful to others I'll post here...

Once it's moldy it's unfortunately pretty much garbage, mold spores get into the wood so there is not way to clean them. I'm not sure what instructions you read said, but to prep wood sticks you want to

~scrub them clean

~then boil them for about 10-30 minutes (long enough to kill anything living inside and to get at least some of the tannin and natural sugars out depending on the wood)

~Then bake at a low temp, about 150-200 (as low as your oven will go), you are basically just using the oven to dry them out, so you don't need really high heat, and you don't want to burn them. I normally bake them for a couple hours depending on the thickness, looking at the sticks in the photos, they probably needed at least a hour. Exactly how long really depends on the humidity in the house, how wet the sticks were going into the oven (like if you dried them off first of stuck them right in the oven), and how thick the sticks are. It can some times take a few hours to fully dry out sticks. The easiest way to check if they are done yet is by breaking one in half, if it bends it's definitely not ready yet, also when you break it in half you can normally see a color difference on most wood (I don't know about magnolia I've never had it) between wet and dry wood.

Once fully dried and cooled the best thing to use to store them is a paper bag or cardboard box.

Oh, I didn't care where you posted. I will do that next time, Thank you! Also, is it OK to get wood branches from an apple tree? I mean, even if it's not producing apples at that time of the year?

 

[Amethyst]

Oh, I didn't care where you posted. I will do that next time, Thank you! Also, is it OK to get wood branches from an apple tree? I mean, even if it's not producing apples at that time of the year?

Yes, time of year doesn't matter, what matter is you make sure that any tree you get wood from has never ever been sprayed or had chemicals sprayed around it though. Some chemicals can stay in the wood for decades.

 

[Amethyst]

Also you only want to cut live wood from the tree, nothing dead or been sitting on the ground for awhile.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Also you only want to cut live wood from the tree, nothing dead or been sitting on the ground for awhile.

Got it! Is there a certain color it should be? Green? Brown?

 

[ChinsForLife]

Also, this is random but does the fleece has to be no pill?

 

[ChinsForLife]

I'm looking at fleece right now and was wondering.

 

[ChinsForLife]

May get this one...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/David-Textiles-Oh-My-Pugness-Anti-Pill-Fleece-60-Fabric/627705334My room is dog themed. Lol.

 

[Amethyst]

Got it! Is there a certain color it should be? Green? Brown?

It can be green or brown, green is just new growth, so it will take longer to dry, the apple wood with brown bark should be green in the center when you cut it though.

Also, this is random but does the fleece has to be no pill?

Yes you want anti pill or no pill fleece, it doesn't pill up when washed (or at least not as badly if it's cheap). Other types of fleece are not safe since they are textured, which can encourage chewing.

May get this one...
https://www.walmart.com/ip/David-Textiles-Oh-My-Pugness-Anti-Pill-Fleece-60-Fabric/627705334My room is dog themed. Lol.

that looks fine, and cute if you are making cage liners you will want at least 2 sets so you can have one in the cage while the other is being washed.

 

[ChinsForLife]

that looks fine, and cute if you are making cage liners you will want at least 2 sets so you can have one in the cage while the other is being washed.

Thanks! I thought so too! How many yards will i need per liner do you think?

 

[Amethyst]

Thanks! I thought so too! How many yards will i need per liner do you think?

When I make liners I buy 2 yards and that is enough for the bottom pan, one shelf pan and two small hammocks.

 

[ChinsForLife]

When I make liners I buy 2 yards and that is enough for the bottom pan, one shelf pan and two small hammocks.

What type of hammocks do your chins like? I've seen many kinds for small pets but don't know which patterns to use.

 

[Amethyst]

What type of hammocks do your chins like? I've seen many kinds for small pets but don't know which patterns to use.

I just make a square about 12" wide/long and put a grommet in each corner and a metal clip. Those are the only kind I've ever made for them. It does seem to depend on the chin what they like though, some like tight hammocks others like more slacked hammocks.

 

[Amethyst]

 

[ChinsForLife]

I just make a square about 12" wide/long and put a grommet in each corner and a metal clip. Those are the only kind I've ever made for them. It does seem to depend on the chin what they like though, some like tight hammocks others like more slacked hammocks.

Ok thank you! Your chins are absolutely adorable!!! Where do you get the grommets?

 

[Amethyst]

Ok thank you! Your chins are absolutely adorable!!! Where do you get the grommets?

I got them at the hardware store, along with a cheap grommet tool (the tool you use to crimp the grommets together). Craft stores and amazon sell them too.