New Owner HELP

[CapnRosco]

Hello, I'm new to the forum! It's really nice to meet you all.
I have a predicament. A coworker of mine asked me to take her chinchilla. Well the chinchilla wasn't hers to begin with, she had a roommate that moved out and left the poor thing there! She didn't want it so she was looking for a responsible owner. I've been researching and looking for a good chinchilla for a while, and she knew that so she asked me to take it and I said OK! I've been preparing and saving for a chinchilla for months now so she knew he'd be in good hands. I got him yesterday morning. Now...not going to lie...this chinchilla is very FAT. He's going to the vet after Christmas so I know he's healthy. He looks really good though (despite being overweight), but I want to make sure.
I could tell he wasn't given regular dust baths either. His diet I believe was very poor so I'm trying to get him into a strict diet of pellets and hay with one raisin at night.

Now here's my problem.
His cage is this one http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752837

Which apparently is a good cage? BUT the cage is missing a lot of the plastic parts. I only have one plastic shelf (the one with the food bowl) with the ramp at the top part. I only have one tray (the bottom one) and I have no ladder for him to get down there because it's missing. So i have him closed off on the top part and he's been walking on wire (which I would think hurts his little feet to walk on).

I want to get another cage but is it necessary? Another thing is that this cage looks HUGE in my tiny room and is honestly really dirty. The wheels don't work and the thing is stained with poops and old food. Not to mention, I see he's been chewing his food shelf platform.

I would really love some advice. Should I get him a new cage? If so, which one would you guys recommend? If not, how do I fix it so he is more comfortable and safe?

This is my baby, Rosco <3

 

[Kalandra]

I don't have any advice, as I'm from the hedgie side, but I do have a question. Are you certain that is a Ferret Nation? From the image it looks more like a Fiesty Ferret, which is a whole different cage. I ask because the ramp and the shelf he is sitting on look nothing like the ferret nation cages I have. And it may make a big difference in the response you get for cage advice.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

 

[tunes]

First, unless that is a bad picture, he does not look at all fat. He looks pretty average to smallish to me. What is his current weight in grams? You can get a gram scale pretty cheap at Wal-Mart and it's good to have one when you own chins as weight loss is often an indicator of illness.

Second, the cage you have is an excellent one, if it is a FN. It does not look like one, as Kalandra said. Many owners on here consider that the cage to have. You can do a LOT with a big cage like that, but you need to remove all the ramps, and it would be good to put in wood shelves instead of the shelves provided, as well as a metal pan ordered from Bass. You can get it with higher sides to help keep shavings in, and that would solve the issue of chewing. I would take the cage to a car wash with a hand wash/power washer and just blast that sucker, then wipe it down real well with white vinegar in warm water and let it dry. Put your little guy in a carrier while you do this. That will get the cage all nice and clean.

Three, what kind of food are you switching to? Just because it doesn't have treats, doesn't mean it's a good pellet. Tradition, Nutrena, Oxbow, APD, and Mazuri are good feeds, but only one or two can be found in pet stores. Also, nix on the raisins, especially not one every single night. Raisins are loaded with sugar and chins, being hind gund fermenters, do not process sugars really well. If you feel the need to give one, do it very sparingly, once a week or every other week. There are other safer treats to give like a pinch of old fashioned oats, the occasional cheerio, a bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheat, rose hips, organic rose buds, and lots of chin safe wood to chew on. It's great for their teeth and they think it's a treat.

Fourth, wheel wise, I'm going to guess since the general care of this guy stinks that the wheels are unsafe anyway. You want a flat running surface, solid, no spokes or mesh ever. The flying saucer, the chin spin, or the surfer wheels are all safe and highly recommended.

Fifth, YUCK. That boy's fur is in horrible condition. I don't think he's seen a bath in a long, long time. Hopefully with some good care and attention from you, he'll be a much happier guy. He sure doesn't look like he is right now, poor thing.

Congrats on the new addition and welcome to CnH.

 

[emily]

Welcome.
That is very kind of you to take in this chin. I am sure Rosco is greatful.

First of all, everynoe here will tell you no raisins, no fruits or veggies, dried of fresh EVER. I give Winston a rose hip instead. Oxbow is the food I feed him too, and plenty of hay.

It sounds like the cage is in bad condition. There should be no ramps..Chins jump. You should just make a bunch of Pine ledges yourself and put them in there. Get some fleec stuff. If the cage is not sanitary, I would invest in a nice one, or take the time to clean it WELL. I have an FN 142, Win loves it. And it is fun to decorate!

Also, plastic is a no no for chins. They will chew it and eat it...and that is not good for them....

Im hoping other members who are a bit more experienced can chime in as well.

 

[Maia]

I don't know if you're like me, but I am not the type to make shelves or really ANYTHING myself. The only thing I make myself is food, lol! It was overwhelming to me at first coming here and being told to make shelves. You can buy wooden shelves from places like http://www.camphorchins.com/ or another of our sponsors (bar under the chins-n-hedgies logo).
I believe you can get both the chin spin and flying saucer from Quality Cage's website. I got the chin spin because it takes less floor space. They are expensive, but well worth the money, these little guys live a long time and need their exercise.
Poor lil guy needs a bath badly. He probably hasn't gotten one in a looong time! Most of the members here use Blue Cloud dust bath, you can order it from many of our sponsored sites or I believe it is available at Petsmart. He doesn't look at all fat to me either, chins are naturally "fluffy" and having rolls is normal. My lil guy has lots of rolls!
Once your chinnie is set up well with a good amount of stuff to chew, wood ledges, proper feed, bath, and wheel, the price of chinchilla upkeep is very low. I just ordered my food online today and for 5 lbs of feed including shipping it was $14, which will last 3 months or more for my single chin. The only other expense is bedding, which is usually cheaper than feed for a giant bag and lasts a similarly long time.

Welcome to this wonderful forum! Congrats on your new addition! We also love pics to see his progress over time!

 

[CapnRosco]

I don't have any advice, as I'm from the hedgie side, but I do have a question. Are you certain that is a Ferret Nation? From the image it looks more like a Fiesty Ferret, which is a whole different cage. I ask because the ramp and the shelf he is sitting on look nothing like the ferret nation cages I have. And it may make a big difference in the response you get for cage advice.

Oh and welcome to the forum.

Oh it is! I didn't find any other cages that looked like the one I have but the one you mentioned is the exact one. Thanks for clarifying that up for me!

First, unless that is a bad picture, he does not look at all fat. He looks pretty average to smallish to me. What is his current weight in grams? You can get a gram scale pretty cheap at Wal-Mart and it's good to have one when you own chins as weight loss is often an indicator of illness.

Second, the cage you have is an excellent one, if it is a FN. It does not look like one, as Kalandra said. Many owners on here consider that the cage to have. You can do a LOT with a big cage like that, but you need to remove all the ramps, and it would be good to put in wood shelves instead of the shelves provided, as well as a metal pan ordered from Bass. You can get it with higher sides to help keep shavings in, and that would solve the issue of chewing. I would take the cage to a car wash with a hand wash/power washer and just blast that sucker, then wipe it down real well with white vinegar in warm water and let it dry. Put your little guy in a carrier while you do this. That will get the cage all nice and clean.

Three, what kind of food are you switching to? Just because it doesn't have treats, doesn't mean it's a good pellet. Tradition, Nutrena, Oxbow, APD, and Mazuri are good feeds, but only one or two can be found in pet stores. Also, nix on the raisins, especially not one every single night. Raisins are loaded with sugar and chins, being hind gund fermenters, do not process sugars really well. If you feel the need to give one, do it very sparingly, once a week or every other week. There are other safer treats to give like a pinch of old fashioned oats, the occasional cheerio, a bite sized, nonsugared shredded wheat, rose hips, organic rose buds, and lots of chin safe wood to chew on. It's great for their teeth and they think it's a treat.

Fourth, wheel wise, I'm going to guess since the general care of this guy stinks that the wheels are unsafe anyway. You want a flat running surface, solid, no spokes or mesh ever. The flying saucer, the chin spin, or the surfer wheels are all safe and highly recommended.

Fifth, YUCK. That boy's fur is in horrible condition. I don't think he's seen a bath in a long, long time. Hopefully with some good care and attention from you, he'll be a much happier guy. He sure doesn't look like he is right now, poor thing.

Congrats on the new addition and welcome to CnH.

I'm not sure what his weight is unfortunately. I'm going to ask for that when he visits the vet in two weeks. I only said he was overweight because compared to my friends chinchilla, he's HUGE. but then again, hers is female and I didn't even think about that!

As for the cage, its definitely a fiesty ferret cage. Is that still an ideal one to have? and that's a good idea! I never thought about the power hoses at car washes.

As for food, I'm feeding him Mazuri and feeding him timothy hay. As for the raisins, I never knew that! I was reading something that said it was good for them to have raisins. Good thing I didn't feed them to him yet.

And thank you so much! I was thinking about the flying saucer actually
Thank you!

Welcome.
That is very kind of you to take in this chin. I am sure Rosco is greatful.

First of all, everynoe here will tell you no raisins, no fruits or veggies, dried of fresh EVER. I give Winston a rose hip instead. Oxbow is the food I feed him too, and plenty of hay.

It sounds like the cage is in bad condition. There should be no ramps..Chins jump. You should just make a bunch of Pine ledges yourself and put them in there. Get some fleec stuff. If the cage is not sanitary, I would invest in a nice one, or take the time to clean it WELL. I have an FN 142, Win loves it. And it is fun to decorate!

Also, plastic is a no no for chins. They will chew it and eat it...and that is not good for them....

Im hoping other members who are a bit more experienced can chime in as well.

Thanks for the tip! I definitely will look for rose hip, what are some other treats that are good for him too?

As for the pine ledges, do you have any examples to what they exactly are?

Thanks for the information!

I don't know if you're like me, but I am not the type to make shelves or really ANYTHING myself. The only thing I make myself is food, lol! It was overwhelming to me at first coming here and being told to make shelves. You can buy wooden shelves from places like http://www.camphorchins.com/ or another of our sponsors (bar under the chins-n-hedgies logo).
I believe you can get both the chin spin and flying saucer from Quality Cage's website. I got the chin spin because it takes less floor space. They are expensive, but well worth the money, these little guys live a long time and need their exercise.
Poor lil guy needs a bath badly. He probably hasn't gotten one in a looong time! Most of the members here use Blue Cloud dust bath, you can order it from many of our sponsored sites or I believe it is available at Petsmart. He doesn't look at all fat to me either, chins are naturally "fluffy" and having rolls is normal. My lil guy has lots of rolls!
Once your chinnie is set up well with a good amount of stuff to chew, wood ledges, proper feed, bath, and wheel, the price of chinchilla upkeep is very low. I just ordered my food online today and for 5 lbs of feed including shipping it was $14, which will last 3 months or more for my single chin. The only other expense is bedding, which is usually cheaper than feed for a giant bag and lasts a similarly long time.

Welcome to this wonderful forum! Congrats on your new addition! We also love pics to see his progress over time!

Yep, I'm going to give him a dust bath first thing tomorrow! I bought him some blue cloud dust and plan on getting him a bathhouse tonight! Hopefully he'll like that very much and his fur will get better. I'm glad chinchillas are fairly easy pets to keep. I love his company as well. He's a very laid back and adorable chin, and I already love him a whole lot! What kind of bedding do you use may I ask? I was thinking of using the carefresh recycled paper shredding, is that ok?

 

[caiti]

Thanks for the tip! I definitely will look for rose hip, what are some other treats that are good for him too?

As for the pine ledges, do you have any examples to what they exactly are?

Thanks for the information!

Some good treats are old fashioned oats, rosehips, cheerios, plain shredded wheat. But all of these need to be fed sparingly (< once a day).

Emily meant pine shelves. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get some 1" thick pine boards to whatever length you want (they can usually cut it for no/small cost), drill some bolts in it, put some washers on the end and maybe some nuts (depending what bolts you use) and voila...shelves! Or you can buy them premade. I can see your boy seems to have already been chewing on the plastic shelf.

The cage you have is a big one. I would definitely try washing it before you think of buying one (they can get expensive).

Welcome!! I'm glad you are taking care of this poor chinnie!!!

 

[fanofdmb84]

Check out this thread for TONS of cage-decorating ideas. Since you have the Feisty Ferret your setup will be a little different, but you can at least get an idea of what others do with shelves and such. http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134&highlight=ferret+nation+club

 

[Jenn]

It sounds like you're off to a great start with this chin! I really can't add anything except that I think it's wonderful that you took this chin in and are prepared to make the changes necessary to give him a great life. Chins are so personable and so much fun.

 

[tunes]

I only said he was overweight because compared to my friends chinchilla, he's HUGE. but then again, hers is female and I didn't even think about that!

Actually, most of my females are much larger than my males.

 

[Jadebf700]

My male chin is bigger that some female chins. Some chins are just built bigger than others. I think Buddy weighs in at 850 grams or so...

If you do decide on a new cage, craigslist is a GREAT place to find the Ferret Nation cages and they are great cages. You can look online and some places will have some good sales every so often but they are rather expensive when you buy them new. I think I got my FN142 for 150 bucks off craigslist. As long as it is wiped down/ sanitized good then it will be a good cage. This sponsors links on the top of the page are great places to get stuff and you can search the forum for safe wood and such.

Good luck with your new little one! I would love to see a new picture after he gets cleaned up a bit!

 

[starleomach]

Some vets will tell you a chinchilla is overweight because they have only seen small wedgy animals and most often when a vet sees a chinchilla that chinchilla has been sick a while making them even smaller. He doesn't look overweight at all.

You already said you were getting the dust baths going, normally people give then 2-3 times a week for about 15 minutes. It won't hurt any to give him one daily for a while just until he is good and cleaned up.

A lot of people sell wood shelves and such that is the next thing I would change, fleece pads or pine shavings for the bottom. Make sure he has a good quality pellet, fresh water and Hay and you should be good to go. Congrats on the new addition

 

[Dolyphinm]

I have a foster in a Feisty Ferret. It definitely as a lot of room. The down side is that the bars are a little week and I had a saucer break the one wire at the top of the bottom section where that wired shelf is. Make sure you put a lot of smooth surfaces in there for paws to rest on and get a break from the wire. I actually used to have a layer of fleece on top of the center wire floor.

I know you could probably easily take out the bottom wire about the pan, but i have noticed with mine the pan doesn't hold in well and the wrong angle it will fall out and then you'd have a loose chin. I do suggest keeping that wire floor there so that the pan won't get knocked out by a zooming chinchilla. My foster hasn't managed to knock the pan out with the wire floor in place, but sometimes one touch from me as i go to clean and it falls straight down.

It definitely is a lot of room for a chin. I do prefer my Ferret Nation though as it is easier to catch chins in since both doors open. It can house 2 chins comfortably, a third it can be a bit cramped for territory. I had a trio and split them cuz of bickering and I severely wonder if its because it was just slightly too small for 3. So you have room for possible expansion if you wanted to get any male chinnie.

And Welcome to the Chin world.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Welcome! I have to say, it makes me so happy to see that this chin is in your hands now. He looks like such a mess in that picture, I can't wait to see pictures of his progress!
You sound like a great chin-parent ) If you ever have any questions at all do not hesitate to ask!

 

[missjess10475]

If the size of your cage is overbearing, you could get a Ferret Nation 141. It's just a single level cage. Many people here use Ferret Nations and decorate them awesome. I have 2 myself and really like them. They are big, and take time to clean, but they
re nice sturdy cages. I looked at the cage you have when I decided to splurge on nice cages, and many people said it was a nice cage, just not as sturdy as the FN 142. You may want to try to clean it up first.
If he's chewing on the plastic shelves, you should get ris of them. It's easy to make your own shelves. I went to Home Depot and bought an 8 foot board for less than 5 bucks and make a whole bunch of shelves! All the washers and double sided screws cost a little, but compared to buying premade ledges, it was cheap! I made more than 10 ledges for $30 or so.
I use shredded wheats as treats 2 to 3 nights a week. I've tried cheerios, but they don't like them for some reason. Only one of mine likes rosehips. You just have to find what your little guy likes.
I'm new to chinnies myself and have already learned so much! And I'm still learning. Enjoy your little guy!

 

[CapnRosco]

Some good treats are old fashioned oats, rosehips, cheerios, plain shredded wheat. But all of these need to be fed sparingly (< once a day).

Emily meant pine shelves. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get some 1" thick pine boards to whatever length you want (they can usually cut it for no/small cost), drill some bolts in it, put some washers on the end and maybe some nuts (depending what bolts you use) and voila...shelves! Or you can buy them premade. I can see your boy seems to have already been chewing on the plastic shelf.

The cage you have is a big one. I would definitely try washing it before you think of buying one (they can get expensive).

Definitely going to try getting the cheerios! I know my local PetSmart has Dandelion Drops? Are those too high in sugar?

Those shelves sound easy to make! Thanks for the info! Definitely going to go ahead and try that later this weekend! And yes, he has chewed a lot of the plastic. I can't wait to get it out of there ><

Check out this thread for TONS of cage-decorating ideas. Since you have the Feisty Ferret your setup will be a little different, but you can at least get an idea of what others do with shelves and such. http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134&highlight=ferret+nation+club

Thank you SO much! This definitely gives me an idea of what I want my cage to look like!!

It sounds like you're off to a great start with this chin! I really can't add anything except that I think it's wonderful that you took this chin in and are prepared to make the changes necessary to give him a great life. Chins are so personable and so much fun.

Thank you so much. That really means a lot! I love my new addition to the family. I can see myself becoming a chin fan forever to be honest! haha : D

Actually, most of my females are much larger than my males.

My male chin is bigger that some female chins. Some chins are just built bigger than others. I think Buddy weighs in at 850 grams or so...

If you do decide on a new cage, craigslist is a GREAT place to find the Ferret Nation cages and they are great cages. You can look online and some places will have some good sales every so often but they are rather expensive when you buy them new. I think I got my FN142 for 150 bucks off craigslist. As long as it is wiped down/ sanitized good then it will be a good cage. This sponsors links on the top of the page are great places to get stuff and you can search the forum for safe wood and such.

Good luck with your new little one! I would love to see a new picture after he gets cleaned up a bit!

Sorry about generalizing! I actually never knew that! I'll definitely try and weigh him when I get the chance! He seems pretty healthy though : D

And I definitely will post some pictures of his new and improved cage and some of him as soon as I think he's perfectly healthy : ) Thanks so much

 

[Chintastic!]

Ledges are pretty easy once youve made one for yourself. I personally like 2 by 6's. Cut them to the length you want then drill holes for hanger bolts, ad washers and a wing nut. Its that easy. You can also make bridges and lots of other stuff once you decide on what you want(thats the hardest part for me.) By far my chins favorite things are corner ledges and bridges made from chews.

Also about only having 2 chins in an FN, are you talking one level or both? I have 4 chins in an FN, both levels, and I have never had an issue, I think it depends on the chins.

 

[emily]

Some good treats are old fashioned oats, rosehips, cheerios, plain shredded wheat. But all of these need to be fed sparingly (< once a day).

Emily meant pine shelves. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot and get some 1" thick pine boards to whatever length you want (they can usually cut it for no/small cost), drill some bolts in it, put some washers on the end and maybe some nuts (depending what bolts you use) and voila...shelves! Or you can buy them premade. I can see your boy seems to have already been chewing on the plastic shelf.

The cage you have is a big one. I would definitely try washing it before you think of buying one (they can get expensive).

Welcome!! I'm glad you are taking care of this poor chinnie!!!

HEHEHEHE, I second this!

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Don't get those dandelion drops. My craigslist chin came with some and the first ingredient is sugar. It's safe to assume that every treat petsmart sells is bad.
I noticed Kaytee carries applewood chews now. They're like five bucks for four sticks which is WAY overpriced, but it's about the only good treat item they have.

 

[CrazyForChinchillas]

Congrats on your new chin!
He looks like he needs a dust bath. Do you have a dust house and dust? Blue could and blue sparkle are good ones to use. I think they may even sell one of them in the pet stores now, but you can get them online too. The plastic houses from the pet stores are ok to use as long as they don't chew up the plastic, but giving it 10 minutes around 2-3 times a week shouldn't be a problem for chewing it. Sorry if people have posted this already.

Getting a kitchen scale to keep track of weight is a good idea. I use one with a flat glass top with grams. Chinchillas can vary in weight from I think 500-1000 grams.

Good luck with him!