New Chin owner....

ChinchillanHedgieJoy · Aug 30, 2010

We are currently planning on getting Chins but we still aren't for sure.

We do have a few basic questions though

1) Do Chinchillas do well with having other Small pets in the house(Not together at the same time but just having them in the house)?

2) Do Chinchillas do well with Dogs and Cats in the house?

3) Do I need to safety Proof my house?

4) Is it better to buy from a Breeder then to Rescue or the other way around?

And those are questions for right now

alli713 · Aug 30, 2010

1) Do Chinchillas do well with having other Small pets in the house(Not together at the same time but just having them in the house)?

Chins do fine but precautions must be taken. If you have a rabbit, hands must be washed and they must stay in different rooms as rabbits can carry a pathogen that makes chinchillas sick.
And they must remain separate from all other small animals, no shared playtimes.

2) Do Chinchillas do well with Dogs and Cats in the house?

They can do fine so long as you take precautions again. Cats should not be able to reach inside the cage and claw the chinchilla. Dogs and cats should not be allowed in the room when chins are out running as they can try to play with them and kill them. It has also been known to happen that a cat will claw a chin from under the door, so you need to be smart about the interactions they can have.

3) Do I need to safety Proof my house?

If you are allowing them to run around in a room yes. Chins can and will chew anything and everything including electrical wires which can obviously kill them. Any plastic they may chew too. They're like any rodent that will want to taste test everything.

4) Is it better to buy from a Breeder then to Rescue or the other way around?

A rescue or reputable breeder is fine. A rescue you're helping an older animal and the temperament is kind of known. However with a breeder you may be able to see the parents and know their background.

caiti · Aug 30, 2010

I can't answer all of your questions (others here can though) but I can tell you what I know so far!!

1) Some other animals pose more of a health threat than others. The big one that is talked about a lot on here is rabbits. Rabbits have a pasturella bacteria that is naturally occuring and can make a chin ill and be fatal, I believe. There may be other illnesses that can pass between the two but I am not certain. Other than that, I don't know specifics of any other inter-species risks within small animals but if the animals are in different rooms and you wash your hands in between interactions with each, I'd think the risk would be small. After all, many people have multiple species living under one roof.

2) They may learn to tolerate them. Generally, at first meeting at least, they seem a bit scared of them but I know some people say their chins couldn't care less or even like their dog/cat. I do not know about dogs but cats can carry a bordetella bacteria, at times asymptomatically, (some cats are vaccinated but I don't know if this lessens the risk for the chin) that can make chins sick and I believe have other transferable diseases.

3) You should chin-proof any room your chin is let loose in (at the time it is loose). This includes picking up anything they can chew and isn't safe for them off the floor, tucking away wires so they can't get to them and supervising them at all times when they are out.

4) Personal choice. Breeders can give you a genealogical background so you will know if the chin is predisposed to some diseases in that regard (is not a guarantee of a disease-free life of course, no one can do that). Saving a rescue has it's own rewards and pros with it you'd need to consider as well.

ticklechin · Aug 31, 2010

I personally chin proofed my entire house even though they have a gate on their bedroom and it would be almost impossible to escape, better safe than sorry.

ChinchillanHedgieJoy · Aug 31, 2010

Thank you. The house we are currently look at was actually bigger then we though. They said 4br , 4 bath but its actually a 6 bedroom 4 bath house

They said the homeowners weren't selling it until later this fall because a house next door(That was abandoned) was being added on(Making it an 8 bedroom, 6 bath house).

So we are considering making two separate rooms(One for the Chinchillas) and one for the Ferrets.

alli713 · Aug 31, 2010

Oh ferrets. I guess I didn't even consider them when thinking other small animals. Ferrets and chinchillas must be kept in separate rooms with doors shut. Ferrets can and will kill a chinchilla. It's happened before and it's really really sad. Ferrets are a predator and chins are a prey. With having both you have to be 100% sure that they cannot gain access to each other.