New Chin Owner Mistakes

[GuinChin]

There is a reason that some sources say that the lifespan of a chin is 5-8 years- with lots of sugary treats and less than optimal care, that might be the max lifespan.

Have you tried unfrosted shredded wheats instead of the occasional raisin? I took my boys off raisins and they took to the shredded wheats just as quickly. It takes them a little longer to eat and is a good fiber source.

I give him rolled oats as his main treat and he loves those but i figure 1 raisin every 3-4 weeks can't be too harmful. I did have rose hips too but they are impossible to find around here.

 

[danilinn]

bedding and timothy?

can anyone give some advice on good v. bad brands of bedding?
also, are there any good timothy hays at a petco or petsmart, or should that be bought online also?
our little girl is moving in this saturday, and i want to be as well-prepared as possible!

 

[TheLittlestNinjaChin]

I am so glad this is here. No more raisins for us!
Guess I should ditch the Kaytee hay now.

 

[TheLittlestNinjaChin]

I had the death ball... and kaytee products... and raisins...
NO MORE! Only safe wood, hay, Oxbow pellets, and the occasional wheatie treat!
Also, the Snak Shacks... avoid. At all costs.

 

[ashley00]

So happy to learn so much on this forum! I really like to research things before I do them, and I am so happy I've learned all these do's/do not's. I had NO idea chinchillas needed a certain temperature, or any of those other things! Thank goodness we have a place to find this info!

 

[ylrebmik]

I love this site. Thankful, I have been researching and lurking on forums for monthssss trying to do it all right.

I've had my chins for 3 days now. The only mistakes so far was buying a plastic water bottle (replaced before the chins arrived) and buying bad dust from the pet store, I have no idea what brand it was, but it was also replaced before they arrived.

Right now I'm struggling with keeping the temperature below 70. (We can't control the heat in our apartment and it's been stuck between 70 and 75. And I'm having trouble NOT interacting with them. Whoops..

 

[VolunteerChin22]

On the raisin tip, why feed them when there are better alternatives? Just dont get it. I was once told the sugar in one raisin for a chin was the equivilent of a human consuming an entire sheet cake in one setting. Not sure if that's completely accurate, but still...

 

[wranglersarah]

I had the plastic bottom cage with the plastic shelves, fed Kaytee food, and Kaytee Timmy Hay and gave raisens and other dried fruit as treats. I have learned so much since joining the forum. I now have the boys in Ferret nation cages that I built wood shelves for and they get wood treats to chew on and PNR to eat! I think they are much happier. I still have a ways to go tho - I want to get the big pan bottoms for the ferret nations and a play pen to play in!

 

[Nikkiszoo]

This has taught me so much!
Not looking forward to having to purchase everything online, but kind of used to it. You can't believe anything in a pet store.
Those "death balls" really aren't safe for any animals. Their nails and toes get caught in them leading to broken toes. Plus I can't imagine any animal wanting to run around in urine or poop. I love the idea of turning it into a fleece covered cuddle toy- I have one from my hedgie that I obviously never used.

I've gotten in little fights with petstore employees for giving out completely dangerous information.