Chinnie myths?

[Terbear24]

I've heard a few of these. I do like the "if you cut their fur they will go blind" thats my favorite!!
I had a guy whose chin died and was looking for a new one but when he came to see mine and didnt see any HEAT lamps on them he wondered why since they were from south america and were cold blooded like lizards, so required heat!! That is what the pet store here told him!! I felt so bad to have to break the news to him.

 

[Ash]

"Chinchillas stink" um.... nope! Only if you're cleaning their cage like 1-2x a month.

 

[tkc1038]

How about this, "when you pull their fur out it doesnt hurt and that you can use it for yarn and make a nice sweater out of it" This told to me by a guy who was holding onto "him" (actually a very scared her) she was struggling and was fur slipping all over the place and he was calmly stating this I was almost hyperventalating (sp) trying to get the chinny away, far away from him. She now is snuggled as close to Snow and she will let her and hiding from everyone. He also stated he would feed him to his snake if He didnt calm down. Called him Cheap snake food, yeah right Well I got "him" for a few dollars more than cheap, I was just trying to get Sandstone away from him.

 

[DaphnesandFreddysmom]

I was told alfalfa hay makes them foam at the mouth.

 

[Sasha]

I was once told that if you got a chin wet, they would lose all their fur. I guess that stems from the idea of fungus and it causing the hair to fall out.

 

[Leowyldemi]

I was told about the tail thing too, that it was similar to a gerbil, that when they are frightened,if their tail is pinned or held in some way they will slip the skin on their tail the way a gerbil will.

 

[JennyBug]

So this isn't necessarily a myth, but I saw someone who apparently thought this was true:

5 chinchillas can happily live together in a 55 gallon aquarium.

This is what happens when pet stores have them on display in aquariums! :hair:

 

[prisskitty]

I heard the tail thing too. If you pull on it, or scare them while holding it, it will break off and they'll grow a new one. CRAZY!

They aren't geckos.

 

[prisskitty]

First thing I thought of when I read the title of the thread.

I think what irks me the most is the belief that everything a pet store says "must" be true. Seems like people are sometimes more swayed by what a 17 year old Petsmart employee who's only animal experience is their parent's dog and cat - rather than a reputable breeder.

I work in a pet store and if someone asks me a question about an animal and I don't know the answer, I tell them, I don't know. I work here and I have a strong knowledge but I don't know about everything. :hair:

 

[Riven]

Actually, if you grab the end of a chins tail you CAN end up with a partial tail in your hand, just the skin. The skin will rip off at the base, or somewhere in between. Which is why you need to grab at the base, not the tip. You can also risk breaking the tail by grabbing the tip.

The fans can and will make your chins sick. A big no no-their respiratory systems are not made for air to be blowing on them like that...

Fans are needed for air circulation, putting a fan right on a chin will make them un-comfortable, but does not mean certain death, or certain URI. Think about sticking your head out the window, it takes your breath away, can make it harder to breath. If every time a air moved quickly on them a chin got a URI or died, they would all be dead in the wild because the wind blows a lot.

 

[Cinder and Me]

Has anyone heard that chins can jump 7 feet?
I don't know whether they were referring to jumping 7 feet high, or 7 feet across/over something though.... :thinking:
I know my girl can easily clear a baby gate, and the play pen (about 3 feet high), and I've seen her jump at full speed and hop about 3-4 feet out. But not 7!!

 

[HamNCheese]

"Chinchillas are docile, mellow creatures and are less destructive than other rodent pets."

Yeahhh, tell that to my living room furniture. Ha! Plus, I've never yet known something that can popcorn for hours straight and then proceed to gnaw through a wood shelf to qualify as "docile."

 

[Lolie]

A lot of these are really funny!!! I've heard a few of them before, but luckily I don't believe everything I hear.

 

[rach-elie]

I always hear that they are mean, vicious animals. I wonder why people think that?

I've gotten that reaction quite a few times too when I tell people I have chinchillas, someone must be going around telling some pretty bad horror stories about the big bad chinchillas.

 

[Ronda]

You can actually collect the fur and spin it into yarn. There is a lady who will purchase any you have for quite a bit of money. I think she pays $8 per ounce for white. She prefers groomed fur, not plucked or slipped as they have hair folicles on the ends. I don't have her info here but can furnish it if anybody wants it.

Ronda

 

[tkc1038]

Rhonda I heard that one too!!! As the guy was squeezing the little life out of Sand trying to get "him" to settledown, hahahahahah he was fur slipping all over the place. I took Sand right out of this guys hands and "he" prceeded to snuggle up and QUIETLY explore me. LOL

 

[equusus]

"Chinchillas breathe through their skin and if you don't give them dust baths they will suffocate."

These are great!

 

[Ronda]

Ronda I heard that one too!!! As the guy was squeezing the little life out of Sand trying to get "him" to settledown, hahahahahah he was fur slipping all over the place. I took Sand right out of this guys hands and "he" prceeded to snuggle up and QUIETLY explore me. LOL

When you do your normal grooming just collect the loose fur. She likes it stored in paper bags, not plastic. Just keep collecting it. I've seen some of the wool she has spun and a couple scarves too. They are really nice. I forgot to get her card when I was at work today so will try to remember and post it here for everybody. Hum, maybe I should make a special thread for her name and address and also see if she would furnish pictures of the finished items and the spun wool.

Ronda

 

[Ronda]

The Spinner's Wheel

Here it is:

The Spinner's Wheel
Donna Nelson
www.thespinnerswheel.com
[email protected]

Contact her for information and prices on fur.

Ronda

 

[tkc1038]

Thats good to know Rhonda, I thought chin hair was too short to make a nice even yarn. I stand corrected. My sister weaves her own yarn I will ask her. I cant make that much but its worth looking into.