Completely new.

[Velvetiine]

I got my chinchilla, Azalea, a few weeks ago. She's 2 years old and has amazing temperament (I think) and I LOVE her! I just have a few questions because I'm a brand new Chin owner.

1. Well I've heard you can litter train chins, and I wanna know if they HAVE to be caged. I've heard that they like to chew on wires, and I was wondering if there's a way I could eliminate this threat, could I keep my chin out of a cage?

2. I bought a wooden cage with 4 levels for her. I've heard that wood is not optimal for chins, but she seems to be fine with it. I'm keeping aspen shavings in the bottom along with her little cooling tile and Timothy hay.

3. She is chewing on EVERYTHING. Is this gonna continue, or is it just because she's adjusting to her new owner?

4. I've been working on a bond with her, but she still drops hair and squeaks at me when she doesn't wanna be touched. I love her, and I want to build a super strong bond. What are the best ways to get the most fun out of building a bond with her?

5. I have 2 kitties, and they are VERY VERY curious! Would my little kitties frighten her or make her uncomfortable? I haven't really introduced them, and I'm kinda nervous for their reactions.


Also, my baby Azalea has little red bumps/sores on the tops of her feet. I read online that being in a wire cage does this to them (her previous owner didn't properly care for her). Can anyone confirm or disagree what these bumps are? I'll leave an image attached! Than you soooooo much!!!

 

[Godofgods]

1. I would be against letting them roam free on a daily basis. They can get injured to easily. If the cage bars are that rly rly thin wire then you might need to change cages. Something to thin and the chins could chew right through it.

2. 'wood not optimal' thats a new one. Actually, wood is great for them. As long as the specific type of wood is chin safe. Certain kinds, like ceder, are dangerous for them. Its usually plastic that we hear about the most. Plastic is not idea for chins because they can chew and ingest it which can cause a number of medical problems. Safe wood is great for them to chew.

3. Will continue for ever. Or at least i hope it does. Chins teeth continue to grow. Then need safe things to chew on to naturally grind them down. If they are not chewing anything then something could be quite wrong and a vet visit may be in order.

4. Give her time. Chins don't like change all to much. It takes them time to adjust to new cages, new environment, new ppl, new sounds, everything. You can do a search on these forums for Bonding. There should be plenty of info on it.

5. They could scare your chins. Even if they don't, i am highly against letting cats or dogs near chins. No matter how nice and loving they may be, they are both born predators. Chinchillas are prey animals. They likely would be scared. Even if they arnt, it only takes a single swipe of a paw to cause SERIOUS damage to a chin. Some have even died from it. Some owner will say theirs are fine together, but i would never put my chins in that kind of potential danger.

The red bumps we would have to see to be more clear. I have noticed them on my chins feet occasionally as well, assuming im thinking of the same thing. You do not really want chins walking on wire. Not only is it bad for there feet but a chin can get a leg or a limb caught in the openings. While they sometimes can get out fine, other times they might gnaw there foot off to escape. Which can lead to a chin without a foot, or if it gets bad enough, they could die from it.

 

[MNChinLover]

1. Do not let the chin free roam a room or your house, unless you want it destroyed. They CAN be potty trained, but not always-depends on the chin, and this is only in regards to pee. Chins do not have control over their poo.. And they poo A LOT.

2. Certain wood is great for chins, others are harmful. What kind of wood cage? Is the wood treated? What type of wood? Most wire cages are acceptable as far as being big enough wire. You have to make sure bar spacing is correct, and ideally not have them on a wire bottom. So some simple modifications and those types of cages can be great.

3. Yes chins are suppose to chew and will chew their whole lifetime of 10-20 years unless something is medically wrong, which you would need to see an exotic vet.

4. What are you doing when she fur slips? Don't suddenly grab her if she is not comfortable with you. Chins typically are never like dogs and are not very affectionate in that kind of way, so don't be too hopeful to have a chin that likes to be held or snuggled, it's probably not going to happen.

To bond you can sit by her cage and read aloud, or if she is more comfortable bring her to the bathroom (toilet seat down) or another enclosed space and sit still, letting her smell and hop on you, putting your hands in the cage and letting her jump into your hands, giving her twigs/sticks you can buy from vendors when you get home, etc.

5. Don't ever let your cats interact with the chins out, and preferably lock them out of that room (if the cats paws could get in the cage), especially if you are opening the cage (incase the chin jumps out).

I don't think there would be red bumps on top of feet from wire cage floors, but I could be wrong. I couldn't see your pic.

 

[Shenanigans]

First off, Congrats on your chin! and welcome to the forum
1. I think not caging your chin is a very bad idea. Even if you protect the wires, theres so much they can get into and so much space. Any plastic is unsafe for them to chew. Many other things are as well. Think about how people baby-proof a house. electrical socket covers and all that. Well, chins also cant be left alone with the plastic a lot of those protections are made of. If you let your chin roam the house there's bound to be an unsafe thing they chew (furniture, cabinets, walls). Think about it, have you ever dropped a Tylenol and not noticed right away? That could be deadly to a chin. Look around your floor and think how each abject could effect the chin and what the chin could do to it. Safety pins, your carpet, a candy wrapper. That's why chins are caged. It allows owners to provide a safe, controlled environment. Many chins love their cages, especially if they get a ton of ledges and a wheel.
HOWEVER, it's nice if you can chin-proof a room that your chin can come out in for FULLY SUPERVISED playtime. My chin gets at least an hour a day out. Search the forums and read up on chin proofing.

2. A wood cage shouldn't be an issue as long as it's a chin safe wood and not treated. There's a list of safe woods on the forum if you search. My biggest thought on a wood cage after that is watching to make sure she doesn't chew through it. Chins are chewers and many enjoy being escape artists, so monitor that and replace the cage if she's close to chewing a hole or something. Chins can squeeze, so I'd seriously watch anything bigger than 3/4 of an inch.

3. Chins chew. It's a sign of a healthy chin. I make my own chews because I have plenty of safe trees of the proper kinds of wood that have never been sprayed with pesticide. You may want to look into either doing your own or looking at vendors on here. I'm one but I know many people love Whimsey for anything wood and Rhonda for even more stuff. Be careful looking at the vendors-your pocket may lighten considerably. It's a lot nicer to get a box of wood instead of buying eight tiny twigs at a pet store.

4. Some chins never like being picked up, but you should still be able to in case of emergency. When picking her up be careful to scoop her up without squishing her-her ribs are fragile. And lets face it, would you rather be scooped up or grabbed? As for bonding, the most helpful thing is time. Sit next to the cage doing a quiet activity, press against the cage so your chin can check you out. They need to learn you aren't a threat just like any other prey animal. See if you can sit low so they can check you out from above, you're much less imposing that way. Also, you can bribe in moderation with chin-safe treats like rose hip or Post unsweetened shredded wheat (nothing sugary!) when she gets extra close or comes onto you on her own. Be careful you aren't giving a ton of treats and make sure they're safe ones.

5. Since she's a prey animal and they're predators she'll likely be frightened. I've seen a story where a cat was locked out of a chin room during playtime, but still swiped a paw under the door and landed a blow that killed a chin. Be very careful.

I can't see the pic either. he bumps could be from wire, but it seems very odd they'd be on the tops of her feet. I'd take a bunch of pics and try to get them posted in the health section. There are quite a few members who've seen almost everything with chins who could help. Chins go south fast, so watch the situation.

 

[tunes]

Something no one mentioned in regards to letting your chin free range - she will get stepped on eventually. My dog is 160 pounds and there are times I actually don't see him and end up tripping over him. Again, he's 160 pounds. You're talking about a 1 pound animal that zips and flies all over the place. All you would need to do is turn your back to do something, turn around again, and she's squashed. Escape is also an issue. Open the front door for any reason and they will be gone. You will not catch your chin if she gets loose outside. A predator most likely will or she will get hit by a car or die from exposure. Cages keep chins safe. They aren't torturing them.

Domesticated chinchillas are born in cages, weaned in cages, live in cages, and sometimes die in cages. They are domesticated, not wild.

Cats, aside from being prey animals, carry nasty diseases that can kill your chin. Bordatella and pasteurella can be passed through a sneeze, a lick, or a bite. Your cat can survive it, your chin most likely won't.