Is owning a chin really what you expected?

[Laurie]

In light of the many posts I've seen on people dropping off chins to the HS or the many questions from new owners, and the laments of some rescues, I wonder if owning a chinchilla is really what we all have expected.
When I first saw a chinchilla it was at a petstore--a large petstore but not a chain, the chinchilla they brought into the birthday party for show and tell was very tame and was used to being held. The petstore employeee explained to all the children and adults it was not the norm.
I heard that but still wanted a sweet cuddly chin. What I got was Bobo the biggest b*tch to grace this planet (although I know several members who have satan chins as well)
So chins weren't what I initially expected. Some aren't loving and cuddly. So don't like to be held, they don't like scritches and they all don't leave together in peace and harmony. They make noise at at night, lots of noise on their wheels, chasing each other and kacking.
But even though they aren't what I initally expected, they are what I've come to love so much.
They are fun to watch interact with each other and interact with me. I love how the snuggle with each other, how they sleep squished in their tube or house, or funnier yet sleep standing up. I love watching them run on their wheel like they think they are actually getting somewhere. I love watching them hold their food or hay to eat or munch on a yummy snack or apple stick.
So what do we think happens? What makes someone spend usually a great deal of money on a chin and then give them away or surrender them, or worse yet offer them up to Craigslist?
I just wondered if anyone has thoughts on this like myself?

 

[mishellyshel]

I didnt expect anything because my 1st chin was given to my then 5 year old son. At first I didnt even want him and had him stay with my X but he needed me to watch him when he went away and "richie" has never left. He stole my heart.
My 2nd boy was from CL.
Now that I have them I must admit they are a lot of work and I spend a good hour or more every night tending to their needs. While that is not much time, it is every day......whether I get home from work late, have to cook dinner, go to son's baseball game, get him ready for bed..........my furry boys still need me. And guess what I like it! I love to spend play time with them and see how happy they are to bounce off me and run around free.
So for me once I "accepted" them, these fun loving creatures are more than I ever expected!

 

[tunes]

I think they are mislead by appearances. Soft and fuzzy equals squishy, huggy pet.

I also wonder if they are expecting a pet with a hamster lifespan who doesn't die after a couple years.

Lastly, I think they are impulse buys and they get bored with them. No, it isn't any big deal to clean A cage or feed AN animal - but some people have the attention span of a gnat, and for them it's just more than they can handle.

For me? I didn't really go into chins with any expectations, other than that I had always wanted one. So it's been great.

 

[Tillygizmo]

I didn't know anything about chinchillas except their needs like hay, food, chew stuff. When I got Tilly I realized she has the physiology of a kangaroo or something! It was such a surprise to see how far she could jump and the way she bounced...I was so impressed right away. Also, I was a new owner that didn't know what I was doing for the first 3-4 years of her life. I fed her pet store food and hay and let her run in the death ball... but now that I have learned and I realize that good care is a lot more time consuming, I realize why some people don't have the time. For me, I get a great deal of fulfillment out of taking the best of care of them without consideration of how much time it takes. I love them so much and know they deserve the best and I am also glad to have come to a point where I know what is best for them.

Pardon, I just love getting a chance to talk about how much I love my chins!

 

[TillyChinchilla]

I think they are mislead by appearances. Soft and fuzzy equals squishy, huggy pet.

Lastly, I think they are impulse buys and they get bored with them. No, it isn't any big deal to clean A cage or feed AN animal - but some people have the attention span of a gnat, and for them it's just more than they can handle.

I completely agree. People get angry or bored because chins would probably rather be in their cage than toted around in somebody's arms. Their chin gets pushed in a corner where they might only change the water when they notice it is bone dry or pellets when there is nothing but dust and poop in the bowl... very sad.

Chins are the most low maintenance animals I have ever owned. Now, I've never owned reptiles that probably need less than chins, but I appreciate them now more than ever because my life has become so hectic. Pellets, hay, water every day take 5 minutes. Cage cleaning and dusting take 20 tops for me, couldn't ask for much less.

 

[Marie5656]

Trixie is definatly not what I had expected. I love her, but I think when she leaves me to cross the bridge, I am not sure I would get another. If she lives a full life, I will be into my 60s when she passes. Not sure I'd want another then. I may want another guinea pig, who would be more of a cuddle bun.
Trixie loves her chest, neck and head scratched..but will kack and nip if we try to scratch her back. Other than those touches, she does not like being held. When she is out for play time, she will hop up onto my shoulder, knee or chest and just sit..or nip at my clothes. But if I move as if to touch her or pet her, she is gone. So I have learned to just let her sit. She will groom me a bit wen she is on my sholder..nip at my hair, eyebrows and ears.

 

[TinaM]

I researched a lot. It's better than I expected. I also like being a part of new trends like using fleece instead of shavings. It's been 3 years for me.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

I'm coming up on my fifth year anniversary of acquiring my firstborn, Mr. Whiskers, while on vacation.

When I first saw him and immediately fell in love with him (my first exclamation was "Oh, my God, you are the cutest thing I've ever seen!!! If I could take you back to Denver with me, I'd name you Mr. Whiskers and love you forever!!!"), I headed straight for the local library and sought to learn as much as I could about the delightful little creatures. After determining that he could survive the 8-hour trip home to Denver provided he was kept cool enough, I decided that he was coming home with me.

My only regret is that they are not as cuddly/snuggly as a dog or cat, but all of mine are very affectionate with me and allow me to love on them enough (almost) to keep me happy!!!

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I had done research and joined the forum when I decided I might like to get a chinchilla for my son. With all of my research, the one thing I wasn't prepared for was the mess that they make outside of their cage and how much they poo, you just don't know until you have them LOL. I love them though and can't imagine not having chinnies in my life now. It's sad that people can't follow through with their commitments but I guess handing them over to a shelter is better than being completely neglected.

 

[Sasha]

I think there's one thing that made me pause and really think about, and that's their lifespan. I see so many teenagers on here get their chins, and it's all about the chin for the first few years or even months, but once post secondary school comes or something or another, they just give them up.
Definately considered the long haul, very hard, before I bought another chin after Pookie's death. And right then I came on here when I got Scoot and researched my behind off. There's so much I didn't know.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

I did a lot of research before adopting Kingston, and I went in expecting the worst (biting, anti-social, mental problems, I don't know.). Luckily, I got a very sweet hyper-active fuzz ball with more energy than an energizer bunny.
While he is a pain in the butt when I try and clean his cage (he's either trying to hump the mini broom or escape), its nothing to bad and he makes up for it by giving me chinnie kisses.
The one thing that I didn't expect was all the chin-poo, and I've seen people post their chins on CL for that very reason. I kind of enjoy all the poo, I never thought I'd nickname an animal "the Pez Pooper".
A lot of surrendered pets are impulse buys, or people aren't responsible enough to take care of the animals. Unfortunately, many people dump these animals on the streets or inexperienced shelters with no knowledge on how to care for chinchillas. I think educating people on rescues (shelters or people) shows them there are other options (not the greatest but you can't stop people from getting rid of their pets)

I wish I could just get one of those airplanes and fly it over with a big banner with this site and many others.

Anyways, I didn't get what I expected, I got better!

 

[3CsMommy]

Yes, because I researched my tail off before we brought him home, and yet no because my first example of a chinchilla owner is made of so much fail I didn't realize it wouldn't be "too much work" or "too expensive" for me to provide my guys with the absolute best I can. (I've since discovered that Ceevee's first owner is probably too cheap and stupid to safely raise a cactus plant.) I went into chins thinking I'd be devoting all my free time to cleaning and have no 'fun money' left. Well, I am pretty broke, but that's after a years' worth of health problems and student loans, not because of the $30/month I spend on the boys. And as for cleaning... it's way easier than keeping up after the dog.

But in regards to why people give them up... why do people give up on dogs or cats or their children? Too much responsibility for the individual to handle? Bad home environment? Both? I think chinchillas, being an exotic and still rather uncommon in many areas, are prone to getting a lot of attention early on and fall victim to impulse buys, but in the States, at least, people seem far more used to a "throw it away" mentality, and I think a lot of pets suffer because of it, not just chinchillas. The answer to this, I think, is research and education. Even before I knew much about chinchillas, I thought the conditions Cervantes came from were a little dangerous; now that I know they're potentially deadly, I thank the gods every day that at least I saved one, and do the best I can to be honest about the responsibilities and work involved in keeping chins.

 

[starleomach]

I had no expectations. I went to a petstore to get a rabbit when my guinipig died. I came home with a chinchilla. I did the research after when I learned the petstore was very wrong when they said chinchillas have no vocal cords and cannot make noise. My boy Barked all night long.

 

[andymilo]

i have wanted a chinchilla for about 2 years now...ever since i saw them and learned that they could be kept as pets....so i have read quite a bit about their needs/personalities...and luckily i discovered CnH right before i brought my little baby home...and i spent the entire weekend reading as much as i could...when i saw this sweet black velvet chinchilla sitting in a tiny dirty cage, brown water, and in 32 degree celsius (89 fahrenheit) in the caribbean i knew this was my chance to give a beautiful animal a home...

even though i had read a lot about them many things surprised me...i love how independent their personalities are, i love how intelligent they are, i love how energetic and spunky they are, i love how my little girl follows me around my bedroom when she's out for playtime, i love the way they look and hop like kangaroos, i love the dexterity they have in their tiny precious hands, i love how seeing a dust bath in person is so much better than in a video, i love how truly soft her fur is, i think my baby is the cutest, smartest, best chinchilla in the world...although im sure all chin parents feel that way about their babies....

i would be lying if i said i didnt wish she would love to cuddle more, in her mind though she has more important things to do lol...there is no time to cuddle when she could be exploring and investigating lol...and i'm not lying when i say i love their poop...everytime i see it i get so happy...i dont mind cleaning at all...it doesnt bug me...although i only have one chin lol...i cant imagine those of you with more lol....owning a chinchilla has been better than i expected...i truly feel we were meant for each other...

 

[minrex]

I wasn't surprised when I got my girls, because I had thought about getting a chin for about 2 years prior to bringing them home, and had done a ton of research in that time. There are two things that have surprised me a little bit though. The first is that my chins don't enjoy being touched AT ALL. I knew chins aren't "cuddly" long before I got mine, but I've seen plenty of examples of reasonably friendly chinchillas that enjoy chin scratches. I've been trying since I got them (2 years ago) to get them used to scritches and they will not tolerate any kind of touching. I guess Kahlua will let me scratch her forehead for about 3 seconds before she kacks and runs off, but Bella doesn't stand for it at all. I had kind of thought I could get them used to scritches, especially considering how much other chins seem to love them. The other thing I'm surprised at is how much affection I feel toward them when I watch them. I'm a little surprised at the love I feel for such "stuck up" animals who don't seem to return my feelings in the slightest.

 

[Nancy S]

Our first chin from the pet store was an impulse buy. My daughter was 12 and i thought
he would be a good pet for her. We really didn't know what to expect. He was a biter
in those early months and we got busy researching books and learning. Now that he is
5 years old--he is "terrific"--but, i will say--it did cross my mine once= can't keep him
when he really bite me hard. Once we figured out how to interact with him- "how he
likes it"--biting stopped and wonderful pet. Now that my daughter is older (working and
all) i care for him and his roomie buddy. But, we definately had that feeling, in the
begining, what in the world did we get ourselves into. Took some time and patience.

 

[eroomlorac]

My chinchilla was kind of an impulse thing, too. A co-worker had some babies he wanted to give away. He had just one breeding pair. He said to me....."Do you want a chinchilla?" I thought for about three minutes and said "Sure". The chinnie (who I was told is was a boy but turned out to be a girl) was not weaned and I had a couple weeks to research. I brought the chinnie home and kept her in a guinea pig cage. I eventually found this website a couple weeks after getting her, learned a lot, bought a QC mansion, acquired another chin from the same co-worker's next litter of chins, bought a chin from Kim O'Neil, bought a chin from Becky West and the rest is history!
I didn't expect anything from the chinchillas. I usually love pretty much any animal for exactly what they are. I have a cat I almost never can pet. He was a stray who came to stay. I had him neutered, he eats my cat food, enjoys the warmth of my home in the winter and all the other amenities I provide him, but he rarely interacts with us. Once a month I snag him to put flea repellent on him. On a very rare occasion he comes upstairs by us and wants us to pet him. He is who he is and that's fine with me.
The same with the chinnies. They want to interact? That's fine. They don't? I'm okay with that, too. I think most animals are fun to observe and learn about by watching and if they cuddle and love back, isn't that just great? I can definitely love them on their own terms.

 

[Jenn]

I don't really think I had any expectations when I got Tinkerbell. I had seen my first chin at a local fair and really thought they were adorable and knew that I wanted one someday. They seemed so exotic. It was quite a few years later that I found a chin on CL. I was really excited at the idea of owning a chin but knew nothing about their care. Tink's former owner tried to explain everything to me in about 30 minutes, and I left with my new chin really confused. I eventually learned how to properly care for Tink, but I think she was more than I had expected. I don't think I thought at the time that she would be all that friendly and definitely not lovable. It took time but she and I really bonded and I fell head over heals for her. I had also thought she would be difficult to care for but they really are very easy and don't need all that much from us. People that are dumping off their chins are just trying to come up with an excuse to justify their actions.

 

[EveningChin]

Petra was an impulse buy. I had recently lost a different beloved pet and I had always liked chinchillas as I had worked in a science center that had them when I was 15. I was down at the local pet store giving them my old rodent cage because they breed rats. And there was this beautiful chinchilla girl who was so much friendlier then any chin I had ever met. I brought her home with me. She was much more fun then I expected. Then Sasha came and she was less friendly but still sweet. Now I have Nyx and she is a hoot.

The longer I own chinchillas my expectation evolve, now the only thing I expect is huge personality and fuzzy butts.

 

[tkc1038]

I did a little research before I Picked up Snowball, but was unprepared for the CUTENESS, My daughter begged and begged my for one and I was like(forgive me) NO they are rats with big ears, well now I have dicovered that I really like my "rats" . My daughter HAD to have a friend for Snow and we picked up Jose from a hobby breeder just to discover Snow wasnt a He she was a GIRL, Ha now two cages and both of them need friends.