ChinChillers

[xBetterBeSocialx]

Has anyone had any experiences with their chins not liking their chin chillers? Templeton has one, but he never sits on it. He'll walk over it and stuff, but he just doesn't sit on it. Is he just weird () or are there other chins like this?

 

[Cola89]

My Ebony just pees on it!! Lol so i dont think your alone

 

[Rickman]

I'd expect them to be used more in the summer, when the heat and humidity are uncomfortable.
I know you're not supposed to leave your chins in the sun, but I've caught mine laying in a little patch of bright sunlight when the drapes weren't closed all the way, even though they had a house to go into!
Anyone know if that extra vitamin D is good or bad?

 

[MyFuzzies]

Good question Rickman! I'd also like to know if it's good for them. My chins use their chillers more in the summer time.

 

[minrex]

You're not going to experience Vitamin D toxicity from being exposed to the sun, even if you're outside all day on a clear day in summer. A chinchilla that lies in a sunny patch for 20 minutes a day? There's absolutely no chance that the vitamin D is going to have negative effects (now, there are obviously other risks associated with leaving a chin in the sun, such as the possibility of heat stroke). Pretty much the only way you can overload on Vitamin D to the point where it has negative effects is if you take mega-doses of Vitamin D supplements.

I imagine that the exposure to a little extra Vit. D through the sunshine is probably beneficial, if anything. However, this doesn't mean you should let your chin's cage sit in the sun, as it would be easy for the chin to overheat. I would strongly recommend NOT putting your chin's cage in a sunny spot, even for short periods of time.

 

[iayla]

I have 2 girls who see their chillers as potty tiles *shrug* What can ya do? I just wipe them daily, and wash them once or twice a week. I dont want to take them out & have the chance of someone getting alil over heated.

I also have one boy who thinks his tile is a magic dust-bath-producing Alladin's Lamp or something... he digs & digs & digs at it all the time, then rubs his face on it, and digs again. I thought maybe I was the only one with the weirdo chin collection.
~Barb~

 

[Jenn]

Tinkerbell's chillers just seem to be poop magnets. I don't even think Tink used it much last summer but our summers aren't too bad in this area. But they are present if she decides she does want to sit on it to cool off.

 

[Twilight_Tails]

I also have one boy who thinks his tile is a magic dust-bath-producing Alladin's Lamp or something... he digs & digs & digs at it all the time, then rubs his face on it, and digs again. I thought maybe I was the only one with the weirdo chin collection.

:rofl: You've got one of those too??! One of my girls does the same thing! I get such a kick out of it.

 

[shaeway]

My standard does it mostly when one of the babies are out having play time and are having bath time. Its so cute!!! Hmmm...now that I think about it...if I put new ones from the freeze/fridge in the cage they all do it.:rofl:

 

[Virus]

Our previous home was on the top floor of the building and the heat got intolerable in the summer. Odelma spent all her days sitting on her chiller, but Nana had absolutely no interest in it.

The chiller I made up is a metal box which can hold a large chunk of ice frozen in a plastic box (one of those meant for freezing food). It's extremely effective but never too cold because the ice don't touch the metal box itself. This prevents water concentrating, too, making the surface cool and dry.

Here's Odelma who's happy to get her box back after I changed the ice inside:

A source of contentness:

Nowdays there's no need for the chiller anymore: in our new house the chin room stays nice and cool year round: the room is partly underground and the floor is tiled. That's a relief!

 

[Tagna]

That is a neat idea! I have chin chillers and marlbe 12"x12" tiles in my cages. Sometimes after a long playtime I'll catch one of my chins on the chiller or tile but not often.

My youngest does like to pee on hers.

 

[Jenn]

I also like that idea. I think I'll try out something similar and see if it works for my chin!

 

[Essentia]

I get mine from a granite company down the road. They have no problem giving me scrap, plus I get to choose pretty colors. They know me so well now that they will even cut scrap pieces for me if the scraps are too large. Free stuff makes me happy.

 

[Stakie]

Hehe, mine is just a round slab of marble for my chins. They seem to like it because they will sit on it or lay their front paws and head ontop of it. Though, for some reason they just can't stop themselves from moving it around the cage. So weird!