Do chins like those Plastic balls to Run around in?

[tunes]

Tickle - Please don't call Susan irresponsible. When you even remotely know her as a person, breeder, or rescue, then you can judge. Sometimes you get really busy and you just don't think about every little thing. I know my site hasn't been updated in 100 years, and I just don't have the time to do it.

I'm curious though, about where you got your chin. Susan has a strict rehome policy regarding her animals. She has first right of refusal on buy back and she rarely refuses.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I too know Susan and she is far from irresponsible. If she says she doesn't have the time to update the website, I believe her, knowing how busy she is each and every day.

 

[AZChins]

I've been extremely busy the last decade. I am sorry for the not up to date information. I have changed it and I would have changed it if I was told to do so. The information that I had up wasn't nearly as bad as what a lot of people had up wayyyy back then.

I wish that you'd accept my PMs, ticklechin. I really would like to know if these are my chinchillas that you have. I'm sorry to have offended you, but I thought you'd be happy that I changed the information. If I had more help around here, I'd be able to go and finish up the website like I would have liked.

 

[CTChin]

I agree with tunes.

I don't know why but I hadn't looked at my feeding your chins page in years on my website. When I did a month ago, I realized that my thoughts on certain foods had changed dramatically so I quickly changed it. I don't know...sometimes busy lives take over and you don't think to check that page you thought was all set.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I agree with Peggy as well. I had not changed my website info since I was 18 and first got my chins, and someone posted on CnQ about it. I was really upset and hurt because I had not done anything that everyone else was not doing back then as well, and I wish she would have contacted me, not post about it on an open forum. Sometimes old stuff can be posted even after you have changed it, on google searches and stuff. It is not fair to blame someone for something that happened 10 years ago and when no one knew any better.

We all try to do the best for our animals, sometimes we make mistakes, but it should not be thrown in our faces or cause people to call names. We should learn from them and help other people not make the same mistakes. This can be done in a nice way though. I don't know Susan personally but I do know how hard and time consuming being a rescue is, and I also know no decent rescue would ever purposely put out incorrect information. People who do rescue work have big hearts and are very busy, so updating a website may not be their first priority.

 

[AZChins]

That's about what I did! Eight years without really looking at old pages...I guess I should go through and check everything to make sure that it's not too old.

I wonder how many pages out there are in the same state of disrepair. It can't just be me.

Yes, the rescue work is all consuming. One day I'll have to spend a few hours with a new owner and the next day the humane society will call with another rescue or someone will need to surrender nine chinchillas. It's never ending. A supplies idea checklist won't even cross my mind.

I am sorry if it led anyone in the wrong direction. I apologize for that!

 

[chinsNdobermans]

Heck, even my pages have gotten outdated and I have only been up for two years! The site I linked to for my colors is now gone and I haven't gotten around to changing it. Sometimes it is easy to overlook pages when you're concerned with keeping just a few pages up to date.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Susan is a wonderful person who has rescued hundreds of chins from bad conditions.

 

[corneliuschins]

Ahh the wonderful invention of the internet. He he he. Although we would all love to be able to trust every single bit of information we find on the internet, we all know better than to take only one persons idea of "correct". I am happy to know that many of the people posting bad info are completely willing to change/fix any mistakes. I guess this thread should be the call now for everyone with a website to go and "update" all their information. You each have 1 hour to complete your entire website with the correct information (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha). If only life would work like that, right everyone??? Anyhow, I will say that I appreciate every single one of you out there with chin information on your webpages. I appreciate being able to send people looking for information to your websites for help and caring for their new chinnies. You all should be commended for taking the time to disseminate crucial information about our favorite animal. You all rock! - Jessica

 

[AZChins]

Awww...Thanks, Cathy!

By the way, Cathy is probably one of the most understanding, caring, nice, generous and downright kind people that I know in this world.

 

[AZChins]

I love chins, too! Off topic is fine, but you must mention now much you love chinchillas. They are my best friends and I spend the majority of my life with them. That may explain why I am slightly insane...but it's a good, happy insane, right?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

If you are insane - who wants to be sane

 

[AZChins]

EXACTLY! Fuzzy little critters are so much better than humans. I have two with me right now and they're just curled up in their little pouch snoozing. How could I ever want a real job with that?

Anyway...

Staying a little on topic. The plastic balls are a waste of money. If you need to buy something for the chins, spend the $20 on toys or wood and let them chew something up. I tell people all the time that if they want to spoil their chins they should just do it with toys. Motivating a chin with a treat is a joke because it just teaches them to be friendly as they beg for a treat.

They usually just spin in a circle in an exercise ball or get caught under a chair or something. It would be a ton better to let them have playtime outside of the cage in the bathroom or some nice enclosed room. The addition of toys to a playroom makes it even better! And, you can always give cereal boxes or other paperboard food boxes to the chins to destroy and bounce on during play time.

 

[Cola89]

Wow i didnt know you could give them colored cardbored lol i guess i was just being silly and thought only plain cardbored ...me and my over protectiveness

 

[NewMommy2Chins]

No they can overheat in them....NO PLASTIC BALLS are safe for chinnies. (

 

[AZChins]

Colored cardboard that is used for human food is safe. The inks are food safe and the paperboard is as well. Just pull the ends with the adhesive off.

Oh, and brown paper bags. Those are cheap and they go over big with the chinchillas.

 

[Cola89]

well thanks azchins!!! now they can have hannah montana box hahaha

 

[Chinniechantel]

And feed bags work really well, I cut them in half and they just love playing in them. Also, if you ever get a big flat box, cut shapes in the top and a hole in the side, and they love to climb in and out and it is so cute! I use PVC tubes at playtime too. I take two playpens and connect them so they have more room, and use boxes, pvc, and cardboard tunnels (I made out of soda boxes connected together with safe glue), plus some chew toys, and they have a blast! I think I have just as much fun watching them though and letting them jump all over me.

 

[Cola89]

good ideas pretty sad i didnt think of it before. So simple.

 

[AZChins]

Here's a paper bag house made by Tinker. She's a rescue that has been here since last month and she really loves paper bags! She loves boxes, too...but she does a lot more with the bags from the grocery store.

She loves her hay, but she wastes it, too. I have a little flower pot attached to the side of her cage to stuff her hay in and she pulls every bit of it out until it ends up in the bottom of the cage under the floor.