Going away for the weekend

[briwayjones]

I have to go away for the weekend and am not sure if I can get anybody to watch my Chins. Chins are pretty self sufficient compared to other critters. If I put enough food, hay and water in the cage for the weekend is there any reason I can't leave them on there own?

 

[Parkerspetchins]

People do it. I personally would worry too much about whether one got stuck somewhere in the cage, dumped all of the food, or emptied the water bottle and soaked the cage or themselves and now had no water, got too hot, etc...That's me though . Even if someone could just come in to do a visual on your pets and not necessarily do anything other than make sure all was well it would be a good idea IMO.

 

[Sandi]

I agree with Jean! I have been away for a few weekend getaway trips with my family. My mom would stop by once or twice a day to check on them and if their bowls with food and hay were empty, she would replenish them. At most, we were gone for 3 days and my mom told me that she had to add food & hay for them each time she came by. My boys are notorious for playing with their food. We also had a timer for a few lights, and the radio to come on softly.

 

[Jenn]

I think you could get away with being gone a couple of days and your chin will be alright if you're sure that he won't escape, won't run out of food or water, has hay, and temperature will be in check. If you can't go away knowing you can meet those conditions, or if you think you will worry the whole time, you should try to find someone who can make at least one check for you.

I was gone for 2 weeks last summer and had someone come over every other day to check on my animals.

 

[Olallie]

I can usually leave mine for a night, but any longer And I worry. But mine don't usually eat all their food in one sitting.

 

[sight]

I am at college, and sometimes i go home for a weekend, leave friday afternoon and come back sunday afternoon. Usually i leave twice what Tika would usually need for that time period in her cage. Double water double food double hay plenty of bedding. She has always managed fine over that period alone, but i have always had a friend come and do a visual check of her every day. I instruct them to look to make sure there is no blood and that she isn't caught in anything and there is enough food/water/hay left. So far no troubles and she would have been fine without the check by a friend, but... accidents happen and if you aren't there and don't know about it, there is nothing you can do to help.

 

[greychins]

I'd worry too much. I know people do it, but if I'm gonna be gone longer than an entire day, I'll have someone come check on the chins. I've had instances where I've left for work and come home to find out a water bottle fell and broke, and when I put a new one up for the chin, they're drinking like no tomorrow...and that's only being gone for ~8 hours... imagine if they were out of water for an entire weekend....

 

[starleomach]

I have to fill food bowls each moning at each night. I uo leave them for a night but if I am gone longer than that I have someone stop in.

 

[TillyChinchilla]

I've never left my chins for more than 36 hours without somebody checking on them. My pet sitter is only $15 a visit, so I'd gladly pay that to ease my mind about leaving them for the weekend.

However, it can be done. I'd put an extra water bottle and food dish in the cage. Sometimes my guys will tip their bowls or knock off their bottles, so it would be a little extra assurance. I think a weekend is absolute max though.

 

[alli713]

I don't worry so much about running out of food or water or hay, what happens if your chin gets caught on something in their cage? Say their foot gets caught on the night you leave, well then they're stuck like that for the rest of the weekend and could break their foot trying to get loose.

I think it's just easiest to pay someone to stop in and atleast check on them.

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I just have to follow the crowd and say I couldn't do it. My chins get into every type of trouble known to man kind, and the girls have to have their food refilled three times a day because Heiney digs *sigh*

You don't have anyone at all?

 

[3CsMommy]

We ask the chins' "Uncle Steve" (friend of Taller Half's from work) to stop by in the evening of every day we're not home to check bowls, bottles, hay and boys. My main concern is generally fighting or injury, though there can always be water bottle and dish spills too. I consider a check-in even more important during the summer, so someone can make sure the AC is working and to swap out chilling tiles, etc. as needed.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I agree, I always have my neighbor come and check on my zoo because she knows what to look for, how much, etc. but as a last resort I pay a pet sitting service. They are only $15 to come once a day here too and they stay at least 30 min and leave me detailed notes about what they did.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[SunshineChins]

I wouldn't leave them for a weekend, as stated before not so much with the food and water but what if they had an accident?
Jack Jack our tripod got his toe caught in the teeny tiny space between the bar and the washer on a sleeping ledge(I would have never thought that could happen). I woke up early the next morning and found him hanging(blood was all over him and the shelf) The result was $300.00 later he was a tripod. If I had been gone for two days or so he would have been dead when I came home.

 

[shaeway]

I leave for a week at a time to go home, but I always stock up on supplies, leave detailed notes and have someone stop by. I always worry though. especially since he's afraid to give them play time. He says he can't catch the little suckers. They've always been fine, but things happen. i woke up one morning with blood all over the shelves cuz Shadow cut his foot on something. He's fine and it healed nicely, but who knows. The best bet is a chin checker-upper. And make sure to have frozen water bottles and cold chinchillers so they don't over heat.

 

[Virus]

Jenie, that was an awful accident. I couldn't relax over the weekend, being afraid something like it would definitely happen to our girls.

I prefer to have my friend to come over and check on them - though it's a little bit more difficult now when we don't live so near her house anymore and I don't want to bother her to take a bus or ride a bike at this time of year with all the snow and ice (she don't drive).

We have a foldable cage, made of an old aquarium stand so I can take Ode and Nana to stay with her quite easily. If she's not home, I'll just take the girls with us. They are used to travel in a car (they fall asleep after double-checking if there's a way to escape from the carrier) and they are quite comfortable and content in their familiar travel cage. Both of them trust people and are delighted to explore around. Especially Odelma does very thorough research: she checks every bag she can find and participates in everything anyone does. At one time at my parents' house my Mom was putting spoons and forks back in their places from the dishwasher when Odelma jumped in and started to pull all wooden utensils out, dragging them all over the kitchen. I couldn't even stop her, I laughed too hard!

Of course the girls are under VERY close supervision by several persons at one time, since it's not possible to chin-proof a random home just like that. The bathroom / sauna is usually the safest option.

 

[Megan]

I do not like to leave the chins alone if I can prevent it. Normally someone is always home (parents), and I'll leave enough feed/water to last the weekend, but have them atleast pop their head in once a day to make sure everyone is ok. I won't make them feed/water but it eases my mind to have mom do a walk and make sure no one is hurt, sick or stuck somewhere.

When I go away longer for the weekend, I do have them feed/water for me.

 

[Snickers]

I only leave my chins alone for 1 night if my husband & I should go out of town. I feed them early in the morning. 1/2 hr before we leave I dump their hay out and give them fresh hay and make sure they have enough water.

If my husband is going to be home I can leave for 2 nights and still do the same thing as before.

In the summer or hot days we get through out the year I will not go out in case the a/c, electric goes out.

 

[Lolie]

I have to go with the other commenters. If it's your only option they should be okay with extra food/water for a weekend, but you never know what can happen so if you can get someone in to do a visual check that would be best. I'd be too worried to leave my chins alone more than one night. Right now I have an elderly cat who receives medication twice a day so I can't be away from home for more than 12 hours anyway, but in the past I had someone coming in twice a day to check up on the chins when I was away. A few people have mentioned a pet service. Maybe there's one in your area that could stop by even once in the middle of your visit. It may ease your mind a little.

 

[SunshineChins]

Jenie, that was an awful accident. I couldn't relax over the weekend, being afraid something like it would definitely happen to our girls.

It was horrible..I woke up and walk into the chin room and see Jack Jack hanging there. He was only 6 months old at the time (he is now 2). I had to hold him while my daughter un-did the shelf so we could get his toe free. We took him to the vet and that week he became a tripod. On the flip side, you wouldn't know he only has three legs. He runs in his chin spin and acts just like any other chinnie.