New mommy to neglected chin. need some adive

[Jaye]

Hello ! This is my first post. I have been lurking for a while. I have done my research and I am doing the best I can to care for a sweet little neglected chin. I need some help though and I’m so thankful to have found this site. A member here suggested it to me but I don’t know the name they use here. My Chins name is Chingy- I love him so much. My husband is getting jealous. I was not looking for a Chin, but a chin found me! This chin is a male and has been neglected for at least a year and a half that I am aware of. I tried to talk the owner into giving him to me a year ago but he wouldn’t although he wasn’t caring for him properly . I used to visit him but it got to be too sad and I couldn’t do it any more . I was finally able to get him last Wednesday. When I went to pick him up it looked as if the cage hadn’t been cleaned since the last time I did it A YEAR AGO. The bottom consisted of hay and POOP. If there became too much poop then they just added hay and that is what he was living in. He had a tunnel that went over the cage and spent A LOT of time in there and I think it was because it was the only place not covered in poop. It was very disgusting. I wanted to throw up when I tried cleaning that old cage. It was also too small for him and he had no places to jump. The bottom was about 3 inches of poop, old hay, old bath dust and pee. Just disgusting. I went out and bought him a FN 142 (put him in it on Friday)and went to home depot and made little shelves for him out of untreated pine. I also have lava leaps in there for him. I left the plastic shelving in the cage because he had plastic in his old cage and he doesn’t chew the shelves. I have a plastic wheel in his cage that he has not used. I am going to take it out and get a metal one and see if he takes to that. He never had a wheel in his old cage nor has he ever been taken out to play. No exercise. I think he is a little overweight. When I went to pick him up from his old home he was out of food and who knows for how long. All he had was yogurt drops to tie him over I guess until they could find the time to buy him food. I didn’t know how I was going to get him in his FN because I am not comfortable picking him up yet, but I just opened one of the bottom doors and rolled his old cage up next to it with that door open and it didn’t take him long to come out of his tunnel and into his new mansion without looking back ! HE LOVES HIS FN !

A little more about his history. He was kept at a business that used heavy machinery and also did engine work so he was exposed to loud noises all day , engines revved up just a few feet away from him. Also, there was heavy cigarette smoke in the area he was in . Gas fumes, cigarette smoke and loud noises is what he was exposed to on a daily basis. I am surprise that he is alive but so happy that he is and I am making sure he can enjoy his life now. I spoil him rotten. I buy him something new every day. Today it was a willow ball. He is a very friendly chin. He comes to me every time I go to the cage. I just have a few questions/concerns:

-All the pictures that I have seen in the FN club thread show no bedding on the shelves but fleece instead. Does he not need the bedding ? He sleeps outside of his house A LOT, he falls asleep at the bottom of the feece covered stairs a lot with his head laying on the stairs. When he does sleep in his house that is on the bottom shelf with bedding he kicks all the bedding out and sleeps on the plastic. If I take the bedding out, and cover with fleece then where is the pee going? Doesn’t he need the pine / bedding for that? Also, do they always pee in the same spot? I cant find his pee place and I’d like to know where it is.

-I know that bass sells a bottom pan for the FN but I would like something that is higher than the 2 or 3 inch pan they sell. Any sugguestions? My living room is a mess. Lol

-Major concern !!! My Chin humps my hand. He makes those mating sounds and If I open the door and put my hand inside the cage he humps it. He has done this more than once. It startled me and I jerked my hand out then he went over to some moving objects in the cage and humped those too ! I don’t think he had anything that moved in his old nasty cage. I have read about cuddle buddies…is this what he needs?

- and lastly I want to give him play time because I know he needs it and I want it so bad for him but I’m not sure how to transport him from the cage in the living room to my bathroom for playtime. I don’t feel comfortable picking him up yet. I am afraid he may jump when I am carrying him. I really want to let him out of the cage and I think he wants to come out but I just don’t know how to go about it. Any advice on this would be great !

 

[cindyv3737]

Welcome! I'm very happy you were able to take in your new chin.

You don't have to use fleece liners. If you want to just use bedding that is perfectly fine. Most chins will urinate in the same corner but not all. When you clean out the bedding you will notice urine spots on the pans. That will give you an idea of where he is going. I personally have liners and a litter pan on each level. To get my chin used to using her pan I leave a little bit of soiled bedding in them so she knows to go in them. My liners I wash every 2 - 3 days.

I'm not too sure about deeper pans. However, some members have fleece bumpers around the cage to help keep in the poop and bedding. I know AnnieO made some for her cage, you can always pm her about them.

If your chin is mounting your hand I would get him a few cuddle buddies. It will hopefully keep him from mounting you as much.

Do you have a carrier? That can help with transporting from cage to play area. With time you will both fall into a routine and transporting will get easier.

 

[Chubi32]

If you don't have a carrier but have a dust bath house you can put that in his cage and when he hops in just cover it with your hand and use it to transport him to the bathroom as well.

 

[Pikaia]

Hi Jaye! So glad you are taking care of this chin. He is so very lucky to have you!!

Cindy gave some great advice. There is just one thing I would like to add. Whimsy, here on the board, sells some wooden bumpers to keep in bedding and poop. They are higher than the 2-3 inch bass equipment pans. Here is her site: http://whimsys-menagerie.webs.com/ I have ordered from her before and she is very helpful.

Good luck with your new friend!!!

 

[Jaye]

thanks !

I was wondering if i could transport him in the dust bath thingy. I just dont want him to freak out thinking he is trapped or something. Would any type of carrier work? I have a cat carrier, it's made of nylon and cloth, would that be ok since we are only walking to the bathroom?

Thanks for the website for the wood bumpers ! I will check that out right now ! I was wondering if I could make my own, but it took me long enough with the shelves, not sure if i wanna tackle the bumpers too. I will check out her website.

Thank you all !

Here is a pic of Chingy.

 

[Pikaia]

Awww. Hi Chingy! He is definitely a sweetie.

I would think the cat carrier would be alright just to transport him to the bathroom and back.

 

[fireflycafe]

Hi Jaye,

so glad that you have Chingy now, and Chingy have you ^.^
just wanted to comment on the dust house. I use it to transport my girls from their cage to the bathroom, and from bathroom back. There is usually no dust in the dust house unless its time for them to take their bath. Or if they refuse to go back home, than I throw a little in and they go crazy in there silly girls

 

[Airyn]

I use the dust house to capture my guys when they're being stubborn but I think you could use the cat carrier just as easily. Once he gets the hang of the routine and realizes that you're letting him out to play, he'll launch into whatever you're using faster than you can blink.

He really is lucky to have you! Best of luck!

 

[Chub_Chub]

Great advice so far. I just wanted to add that cuddle buddies are an absolute necessity in our house with 5 boy chins. They can be just shapes made out of fleece or you can look at buying a small stuffed animal but make sure there are no loose strings/parts or any plastic eyes, noses, etc. The first one we ever got was a Carters (baby brand) stuffed bear. I did surgery on it, taking out the bean bags in the arms and legs and then replaced with more stuffing and sewed back up.

As for deeper-than-Bass pans, you could try putting up an ad on CL and get some people to give you quotes on what you want . I did that and got several responses with reasonable quotes, right around what Bass is charging, the bonus is not having to pay shipping.

 

[Dusty Foot Prints]

Aw! I love a happy ending! :kiss: Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

Honestly, if you have even a box or tube it will work well. With mine, I know anytime I put any kind of container right outside the cage, they are just too curious to NOT know what's inside the new thing. So they run in on their own (how I tricked them into going to the vet).
So glad you have your baby.

 

[JodiO]

I use a big glass pickle jar (Wal-Mart bulk section - under $5) for the dust bath. When inside, our chins can easily be transported to another room. Also, since you said you don't feel comfortable holding him yet, always remember to have a firm hold on the base of his tail when you do hold him and he won't be able to get away from you.
Congrats on your new little guy!! He is very lucky to be given a second chance!! He must feel like he won the chinny lottery!!!!

 

[xcdnchinx]

Aw the poor guy. How can people even treat animals that way.
I am SO HAPPY to hear you have him.
Every animal deserves a happy home
congrats on finding him, and him finding you

 

[Ash]

Just wanted to throw out there that the tunnel you have in his cage looks like it's one of the "Snak-Shak" products sold in the pet stores. These really aren't safe for chins due to the sugar used to hold them together. There's many more safe alternatives that you can make or buy from members on here for your new buddy! Good luck with him.

 

[Jaye]

Thanks for all the advice ! I am going to get one of the glass pickle jars ! i've been looking for something different cause the bath house he has is old and plastic and the previous owner left it in the cage for long time periods and I can see where he has chewed on it.

I ordered the wooden bumpers from whimsys that Pikaia suggested..thank you !!! Cant wait to get them in !

I didnt know that the "snack shak" was a bad thing. I havent taken it out of the cage yet because all he does with it is uses it to jump on. I have never seen him chew it and I took it out to look at it and there are no chew marks. I will probably take it out anyway and get something else. I'm glad that was pointed out to me because I had wanted to go back and get the large house they make with the hay roof. I have learned though from researching that most of the pet store supplies are not good and that I should order my supplies on line. I have found several places through this website. HOWEVER, I placed a fairly larger order from someone BEFORE reading some things on this website that were negative about the supplier. So far the transaction seems to be going smoothly - one of the items i ordered was a lb of muzuri pellets. I kinda need these ASAP. Right now he has kaytee mix from the pet store. I picked all the treats out of it but he isnt eating it. He has always had food left in his cage - the previous owner filled his bowl up and refilled once it was empty- however long that would take. I know now that he should be given food twice a day and measured out. I dont know if he is not eating his food because he was given so many treats (that's all that was in the cage when i got him)- that he is just picky or what but I want to get him on a schedule and supply him with quality pellets. I'm in Florida and I am wondering where I could purchase a lb of pellets and have them the fastest? I did email the Jacksonville chinchilla rescue website last night. Jax is only 3 hours from me. I am thinking this would be the closest supplier to me ? I am just thinking that my order I placed with the other supplier may take a little longer and that's fine except i need the pellets asap !

 

[peachydays]

Thanks for all the advice ! I am going to get one of the glass pickle jars ! i've been looking for something different cause the bath house he has is old and plastic and the previous owner left it in the cage for long time periods and I can see where he has chewed on it.

I ordered the wooden bumpers from whimsys that Pikaia suggested..thank you !!! Cant wait to get them in !

I didnt know that the "snack shak" was a bad thing. I havent taken it out of the cage yet because all he does with it is uses it to jump on. I have never seen him chew it and I took it out to look at it and there are no chew marks. I will probably take it out anyway and get something else. I'm glad that was pointed out to me because I had wanted to go back and get the large house they make with the hay roof. I have learned though from researching that most of the pet store supplies are not good and that I should order my supplies on line. I have found several places through this website. HOWEVER, I placed a fairly larger order from someone BEFORE reading some things on this website that were negative about the supplier. So far the transaction seems to be going smoothly - one of the items i ordered was a lb of muzuri pellets. I kinda need these ASAP. Right now he has kaytee mix from the pet store. I picked all the treats out of it but he isnt eating it. He has always had food left in his cage - the previous owner filled his bowl up and refilled once it was empty- however long that would take. I know now that he should be given food twice a day and measured out. I dont know if he is not eating his food because he was given so many treats (that's all that was in the cage when i got him)- that he is just picky or what but I want to get him on a schedule and supply him with quality pellets. I'm in Florida and I am wondering where I could purchase a lb of pellets and have them the fastest? I did email the Jacksonville chinchilla rescue website last night. Jax is only 3 hours from me. I am thinking this would be the closest supplier to me ? I am just thinking that my order I placed with the other supplier may take a little longer and that's fine except i need the pellets asap !

Jaye, welcome to the forum! I'm so glad you and Chingy "found" each other. He is SUPER cute!

You actually don't have to give him pellets twice per day, measured. Hay and pellets should be "free fed". Fill a bowl of pellets up for him, and he will be fine. If he scatters any of the pellets, I would pick those up. One of my guys is VERY messy and will throw pellets all over the place. I pick/vacuum up the ones he throws on his liner, since that's where he goes to the bathroom. My other guy is a little piggy and never wastes ANY of his food! The same goes for the hay. Just put a handful in his cage. I use a wooden hay holder, and again, I pick up any that falls onto the liner.

As far as a quick place to get Mazuri, Petsmart carries it. When I first started out with chinchillas, I fed Mazuri (after I learned that Kaytee was bad!), and if I was in a bind, I would get it at Petsmart. The downside to buying it from Petsmart is that you don't know how long it's been sitting on the shelf, so it might not be very fresh. Still, it's better than nothing if you're in a tight spot. Also, it's wayyyy more expensive to buy it from Petsmart. I don't know of any reputable dealers that sell Mazuri online (not saying they don't exist, just saying I don't know who they are!). If it's difficult for you to obtain Mazuri, you might want to try one of the other quality chinchilla pellets. Here's a thread with some good information on the different kinds of pellets: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22645&highlight=pellets I currently feed Oxbow, and buy it from a very reliable user here on the forum (Sandi).

 

[6Dusters]

I wouldn't worry about the feed not coming in. Just buy another bag of pet store feed and then do a transition when the new arrives. And offer hay. Hay makes the front and back teeth work hard. And chins love it. When you have a picky chin who has been given treats at a different home, you can con them into hay and changing the feed. Toys and other wood chews help too.
Sounds like he's in good hands. Very lucky chin.

And don't be afraid when your chin starts grooming your hands, face etc. Its normal and a wonderful show of affection.Sometimes they do a soft job and other times they bite too hard. I have found that when introducing yourself they seem to like to hop on top your hand and start grooming. Others like clothing. Watch out for zippers, buttons, glasses and your finger nails.
You should see my glasses. :laughitup:

I use Mazuri and keep a few 25lb bags on hand all the time due to my numbers. Your welcome to contact me in a pinch or post a thread that you need a reliable source and see how many post to it.

 

[Godofgods]

so glad you were able to get him away from that life. It sickens me to hear about stuff like that.

Most of your concerns are the same ones i had when i first resqued my chin as well.
Generaly litters arnt to comfortable to lay on. If you actuly take a peices out and feel it, a lot can be a bit rough or hard depending on what type u use. So my chin would also claw away any litter where he wanted to lay down. Now tho, i have a large hut on a shelf on the second floorl with a fleece lineing for the shelf. I also eventuly got him a fleece type pellow as well, so he always has somewhere nice to lay.

Them throwing the litter out of the very shallow edges of the tray, is soemthing i still need to solve myself. Living in this apartment, only get to do wash once every other week, so fleece lineings are currently out of the picture for me. Sadly if jsut gotten use to sweeping it up every day.

My male would also try to hump my hand after he was comfortable enough around me. (or maybe jsut horny enough) I ended up getting him a female companion, but id advise coution on that if you dont want 30 kits runnign around. And if you do let me be the first to tell you... baby ***** can fit through the bars of a FN cage EASY. very very easy.

As for play time, id suggest trying to get him used to a carrier in your situation. I was fourtionit enough to have my cage right next to the play area. So over a month or three he got used to climbing out onto my leg and running down right to the play area. And one he became used to to the idea he didnt even try to make a detore off my leg to parts unknown. Hed jsut run straight down and to the play area. Now i hhave the cages actuly in that play area so that helped as well lol. But i doubt you have room to put a FN cage in your bathroom so id suggest getting a carrier or some form of transportation, and trying to get him used to it.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

I am about 4 hours away from you, in Georgia. If you need Mazuri, I have about 10 pounds of it I can share with you and would be glad to over night it to you, if necessary.
If you are talking about Spoiled Rotten Chinchillas, in Jax than you hit a wonderful supplier. I order all of my feed from Crysta and have even gotten two of my chins from her. She is Essentia on here and you can PM her if needed and she is very prompt about getting back to you.
Chingy is very lucky to have found you and you him! Good luck with him!

 

[Jaye]

Thank you guys. I actually did receive the pellets yesterday and I ordered more from Crysta as well. I was hand feeding him the new pellets and he LOVES THEM !!! YAY ! Then I tried to feed him one of his old ones and he turned his nose up to it. I'm so glad he likes the new ones cause I know they are so much better for him.