Hola...

[ExPatChin]

Hi all, :wave:
My name is Lindsay, and I am an American living in Argentina. I moved here from the States last year after marrying the man who I'd been in a long distance relationship for 4 years, we met while I was an exchange student down here in high school.
Anyway, I went to my pet store last weekend, and as soon as I walked in my heart completely sank.
There was this chinchilla all alone in a cage, with no toys/nests or anything, being tormented by little kids jumping and screaming around it.
I couldn't believe how visibly depressed she looked - everything about her, the eyes/ears/tail/body everything she was SO SO DEPRESSED.
I asked the guy at the counter how long she'd been there... 2 MONTHS. 2 months without toys or interaction or love!!!
I had to save her. I stayed up all night researching information about chinchillas and the next day I got her.
The fact is, even though Chinchillas are native to this region they are not common at all as pets and nobody knows a thing about them (obviously). They are far and few inbetween. There's not a single pet store in the entire city that sells anything related to chinchillas. Down here they are seen as one of three things: a good profit, a good fur coat or a good meat.

So...I am in desperate need of some guidance and support!! I do own sugar gliders as well so I am familiar with the "world" of exotic animals, and the special needs/extra time they require, but honestly I have no personal experience with chinchillas.
My biggest concern when I got her was the dust bath. I have been looking long and hard for a commercial dust down here and have yet to find one. I emailed an organization that deals with neglected chinchillas and they told me to use corn starch as a substitute.
I have been feeding her rabbit pellets and alfalfa hay... there are no chinchilla pellets and no timothy hay I'm sorry!!!! I know it's not the best food but I don't have a choice. And I have only been giving her the hay once a day, as I was told it has too much calcium for her to eat all day?
Ok I'm done. Looking forward to gathering lots more information on here and asking tons of questions...:confused3:

 

[eroomlorac]

:welcomewagon: and :thanks2: for helping out that poor chinchilla. There is a lot of information her to be gathered. Maybe you can order some food and hay from someone here. Look in the classified section. If you can't find timothy hay maybe you can find some other kind of grass hay to feed your little chinnie. Here is a link for you to help get you started. Also, feel free to ask questions here on line.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=857

 

[tunes]

Welcome! Congrats on your new chinnie!

I agree with Carol, you should check with some of the sellers here. The shipping is going to be pricey, but if you order a bunch of stuff, all from one seller, you should be able to lay in quite a few supplies for your little one.

Alli713 sells feed, hay, and dust, as well as hammocks, houses, cage liners, etc.
Barbi sells fantastic wood, and I know she ships internationally: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9468

The initial outlay will be pricey, because the shipping will be high. But the products themselves will be reasonable and you can stock up on 6 months worth of food, however much dust (it doesn't spoil), lots and lots of wood in one shipment, etc. That way you would know that everything would be safe for chins.

Did I mention the shipping will be high? I don't want you to pass out when you see the amount! I shipped 15 pounds of food to Spain and with shipping it was around $45.00l. Not sure what it will be to your neck of the woods.

 

[alli713]

Welcome to CnH! ) Good for you for taking the little girl in!

What type of pellet are you feeding? If you could find a timothy based pellet it wouldn't be as bad to be feeding the alfalfa hay, although some that feed timothy based pellets still give some timothy hay I think.

My website is in my signature if you want to take a look. I've shipped all over the world, sometimes it's cheaper than others, depends on the country and the weight of the things. My cart isn't set up properly for international orders, so if you did see something you want either send me a message on here or email me.

And good for you for doing your research! )

 

[Sandi]

Hi Lindsay! Welcome to a great forum! I hope that you are able to find the info and products you need for Gracie. Post a picture of Gracie when you can. )

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Welcome Lindsey!

 

[Sendra]

As everyone has been saying, the classifieds are a great place to find toys, feed, and other supplies for your fur-babies. And advice is free and ever abundant here as well. Welcome!

 

[saphire]

What did you name your little fur ball? It's nice that you took her in after your research.
Lots of valuable information on the forum.
So welcome and enjoy the world of Chinchilla mates

 

[Randy-Chin]

Welcome! :thumbsup:

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Howdy and WELCOME, Lindsay!!!

I, too, rescued my first chinchilla from a small pet store when I was on vacation in Evanston, Wyoming. I knew that his life was not going to be very good if I left without him. I spent a whole afternoon at the library researching chinchillas before I went back and got him. The rest is hisstory...

Good luck to you and your lucky new baby!!! :hearts:

 

[6Dusters]

Welcome to the forum. Hope your able to find everything you need for your new house beaver. lol