I need some educated help, please!

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melissamosh

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I tried doing research around the internet and I get mixed results every single time. I just got a chin Saturday, and the pet store couldn't tell me how old she was, so I'm at a loss there. I'm pretty sure she can't be over 6 months though. Her name is Kiwi.

So anyways, I realized that most websites are telling me it takes a few weeks for a chin to warm up to you. It has been not even a week, and my chin jumps right into my hands and rides on my shoulder. When I stick my hand in her cage, she nibbles on my fingers and hands and also licks them, EVERY SINGLE TIME. Is this normal? What does this mean?

Also, I feed her 1-2 raisins daily as a treat. What is the best treat for a chin, providing optimal health and also tastes good?

I also only have one chin and don't plan on getting more.
 
The same happened to me. Within a week of me bringing my chin home, he started jumping up into my hands, and even nibbles on me once in a while. I don't see any reason why you should be concerned, it just sounds like you just have a very active chin(which is good.) While raisins may taste very good to chins, they are dried fruit, which contain lots of sugar. The best treat for a chins health is shreaded wheat(the cereal.) My chin LOVES his shreaded wheat! The shreaded wheat MUST BE SUGAR FREE! If not, then it could hurt the chin. If you do decide to feed your chin shreaded wheat, keep it to 1 or 2 peices a day. I hope this helps!
 
Each chin has it's own personality, so it sounds like yours is not at all shy; it sounds like she was handled frequently and treated well. Just consider that you have an outgoing and friendly addition to your family :)

That sounds like too many raisins to me. Think of a raisin as being the equivalent of an entire chocolate cake. You wouldn't eat two chocolate cakes in a day, despite how good it tasted; it wouldn't be good for you in the long run.

Rose hips are a popular chin treat; so are apple twigs. The chins I care for love apple twigs: they chew off the bark and are in heaven. There are many sources of healthy treats sold by members of this forum.

The nibbling on your fingers is probably her grooming you. That is a sign of chinchilla friendship and affection. Consider it a compliment and indication of trust.
 
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Yay that she is warming up to you!!! That is awesome that she feels that comfortable with you. I agree there is a lot of bad/incorrect info out there, and it is very confusing to get through all of it, and not come out with your head spinning:hair:

If it were me I would nix the raisins.


You can give a plain cheerio or rose hip. No more then one per day. Raisins are found to be toxic in many animals, so I would not give them. ( I was guilty of reading they were ok when I got my first chin too)

Some will say they can have them, but I feel better safe then sorry.

1) chins don't need treats. It is a peoples perspective that we are making them happy with treats. 2) There are just many other healthier treats to give them.

I will give mine rolled or whole oats. You can get a container of Rolled OLD FASHIONED oats. Not the "quick" kind from most grocery stores. You can give her a pinch of those once or twice a week.
 
Treats I give my boys:
-plain shredded wheat
-crushed rosehips
-hibiscus flowers
-plain cherrios
-goji berries (sparingly)
-pinch old fashioned oats
-pinch organic herbal mix
-chin cookies (made only by members here)
-loofah slices
-pumice stones
-bitty bagels (cardboard cirlces)
-And their favorite Apple twigs!!!!!!

You are lucky to have a friendly chin, sometimes it takes months for them to trust you like that. Have a look around the forum, I am sure you will find ALL the info you need to keep your chin loved, well fed, and safe
 
I'm new to chinchillas too and Edgar adjusted really quick with us as well. It's made this a really wonderful experience to be lucky enough to have a chinchillla that has a clean slate so to speak so we can just enjoy Edgar.

With Edgar testing things with his mouth is just his nature. He has to taste everything it seems to see if it's edible or could be destroyed. Edgar will also groom me and that is the sweetest thing. However Edgar started to learn if he gave me a harder nip when I was holding him he could go back to the cage to play. I find it interesting how he is communicating this way or maybe he's just training me.

I have to admit I have started giving Edgar treats but only a pellet sized one a day and they are all from his breeder. I've found he loves his sticks so those are very often his treat as well and they are safe for him to always have.

Congratulation on your new baby and I'd love to see pictures.
 
thank you guys SO MUCH! :)
i just went by petsmart and got her a huge wheel and a 2 story hammock haha. i love her :D and i'm also really thankful that there is a website like this one.
 
Congrats on your new baby!!! As a side note I've read on the forum that you shouldn't give babies who are under 6 months treats (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). If you aren't sure of the age you may want to wait a month or two. To add to the list of treats I also give 1/2 a tablet of Oxbow Vitamin C about once a month.
 
Im curious as to what wheel you bought. Most people will not recommend a petstore wheel as they are not big enough for an adult chin.

The wheels I see recommended a lot, and use myself are the chin spin from Quality Cage and the Flying Saucer.

If the hammock you bought is not made of fleece keep a very close eye on it. The reason we use fleece is if a chin is so inclined to chew it, it wont "thread apart".

Most store bought ones are nylon and string and are not very safe if your chin chews it.
 
I'm glad you got a HUGE wheel. My chin spends sooooo much of his time running in his wheel, when he's not playing with me. Chins also love hammocks, but they will chew on them sometimes.
 
Definitely no treats under 6 months. :)

After that, treats should really be given sparingly. Safe wood is one of the best treats you can give, and they can have a lot of it.

Shreddies are a great, healthy treat--but they should not have it often. Maybe once a week. The same with whole wheat pasta and rose hips. I know it's hard not to spoil them, because they love treats and will beg for them. But they are healthiest when treats are kept to a minimum.
 
Keep your chins diet simple,good feed,water,& hay.If you are feeding a quality feed you should not supplement with treats.Just keep it simple & your chin will live a long happy life.
Bob
 
I got a 14 inch wheel for her, and I also got a fleece hammock.
 
Completely enclosed wheels are the safest. Ones that have mesh or holes are dangerous because their little feet can get caught. The "Super Pet Silent Spinner" (which isn't really silent) is ok. I currently have one of those and one chin spin. The down side is they are made out of plastic, so if your chin acquires taste for chewing it then it will have to be removed. Also one of my chins broke their's by using it so much that it came off it's mounting. That chin now has a chin spin (which truly is silent!!) I will be upgrading my other chin eventually, but for now his "silent spinner" is holding up ok.
 
yeah, i have the super pet silent spinner for her, but she hasn't figured it out yet i don't think. she just sits it in like a fatty, haha. she'll probably use it when i'm sleeping, sigh. and the next 2 things i am wanting to get is a chin spin and a giant ball to put her in so she can roll around the house.
 
here's a picture of her, finally:
kwifood.png

soooo cute!​
 
I'm sure as i'm writing this others are doing the same thing. NEVER use balls like you would with hamsters. Chins can over heat and die.
 
Yah, as long as she doesn't chew or break that wheel it should be ok. Please reconsider the giant ball. This is one of those pet store misinformation things. Chins are VERY sensitive to temperature. Being enclosed in those balls (even for short periods) causes them to overheat. They can get heatstroke which is fatal for chins. Additionally chins are much more intelligent then other critters who use those balls and they would get bored and agitated at the confinement quickly.

A better alternative is to make a room chin-proof (bathrooms are the easiest) and use this room for play time. If you are worried about the floor boards getting chewed I have had HUGE success with covering them with fleece. Since you only have one chin and they are intelligent they will probably want to interact with you during playtime. If I'm sitting in the room but reading a book or something they will run up and demand my attention. :) Enjoy your new baby!
 
I also have another question: I am going to sound silly but the super pet spinner wheel, how does it attach onto the cage? I can't figure out how if the stand comes off of it or what?
 
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