Newbie first timers unite

[michelleideeaz1]

I've noticed a few of us on here are brand new first time chinnie parents...Just out of curiosity, I have a few questions:

1. How old is your chin and did you get a single or a couple/few?
2. Did you get from a breeder or rescue?
3. Do you have other animals?
4. Are you finding it harder, easier or about what you expected in terms of taking care of your chin?
5. Are you satisfied with the level of interaction you have with your chin?
6. Do you plan on getting another at any time in the future?
7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated?
8. Do you spend too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about your chin?

I'll go first:

1. I got a 2 month old single standard male. He is now 3 months old. I've had him for a month
2. I got him from a breeder about an hour away from my house.
3. I don't have any other animals.
4. I am finding that my expectations about caring for him were pretty spot on.
5. I am extremely satisfied with the level of interaction I have with my baby. he has come so far in only a month. BTW, he was hanging out on the top of my head last night for the first time!!!!!!!!!!
6. I do plan on getting another in the future!
7. The maintenance is more expensive than I had anticipated.
8. I definitely spend WAY too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about my Jasper, as evidenced in this quiz :crazy:

 

[turbo123]

1. I have two chins one is 6 months and the other is 4 months. They are both male. The 6 month old is called Turbo and is a hetero beige and the 4 month old is a standard grey called sparky. I've had Turbo 3 months and sparky a month and a half.
2. I got them from breeders. I tried my local rescue the second time but surprisingly she had none to be rehomed.
3. I have one dog and 3 fish. Although the dog is my partners so he looks after him.
4. I think my expectations on caring for them were about right. I didn't realise quite how much they pooped though.
5. Very satisfied with the interaction I have with them. Turbo was very confident from the day we got him and loves tummy scratches and will come to me during their playtime to hang out. Sparky is a bit more timid but is getting more confident. He always hid at playtime but this last week he has hopped around the whole time and will come to us if he thinks we have a treat now.
6. I would love to get another but I introduced these boys two weeks ago and they have got on so well and I wouldn't want to upset them and don't have room for another cage. So no more for me.
7. Maintenance is more expensive than I thought. Currently saving for more accessories for their cage.
8. Yes definitely do. I'm glad I found this website as my friends just don't share the same enthusiasm as I have.

 

[lizd2323]

1. I have a extra dark ebony male named gizmo. He is around 15 weeks old. have had him for a couple months. He is my only chin

2. I got him from a breeder

3. I have 2 Chihuahuas and a rat terrier. Gizmo doesn't mind them. He was born around dogs

4. I think it is easier. I did a lot of research and read a lot of opinions before I got him and I was prepared for a lot more but it is just like taking care of another animal with a few more rules to follow

5. I have a lot of interaction with gizmo. He is in the same room that my dogs are kenneled in so everytime I go in there I sit and talk to him and give him a chin scratch. I peek in on him a lot just to make sure he is ok...over protective mom..lol

6. At this time I don't plan on getting another chin. He is spoiled enough

7. Maintenance is a little more than I expected. He eats a lot of hay and I order oxbow off the internet since I live in a small town. And he loves to chew the bark off of apple sticks so he goes thru those pretty fast...again I order those as well so I know that they are ok for him

8. I shopped like crazy when I was getting ready for him. but my animals are my kids so I tend to obsess I little. The small farm town I live in don't really know anything about chins...so everyone thinks Im nut when I ramble on

 

[ServantofBlueberry]

Ill bite...


1. Blueberry is around three, Mela is around two. I Have had Blueberry for a year, and Mela is at her two week mark.

2. I adopted both my girls.

3. Nope, just the two girls.

4. Ive had a variety of animals in my life, they are rather easy compared to some.

5. Yes, but I am patiently waiting for Mela to come along.

6. I dont really know if I am going to get another. Ill let you know after I figure out the level of acceptance these two will have of each other.

7. I dont think the basic maintenance is expensive, its all the extra stuff I find myself wanting to buy.

8. Absolutely hahaha... it has consumed me at this point

 

[Smidgeyy]

I've had mine about 6 months now so I'm not too new, though still new enough to share. :]

1. Mine is about 11 month old, and he's my only one so far. He's a Light/med ebony. :]

2. He was a surprise birthday/Christmas present from my brother(who bought him for his kids but they were too rough with him so he gave him to me), who got him at petco.

3. Just a cat. I'd have a dog or two but my landlord will not allow it. I'm a dog person at heart.

4. I don't find him hard to care for. :]

5. Yes. He is making good progress since I got him. :]

6. I want to, yes. I'm hoping he will be okay with a friend. :]

7. Initially, yes. I was not prepared since he was just tossed at me without warning. Basic supplies were expensive but the costs have lowered now that I have what I need. Maintaining it isn't bad.

8. Always. I get more joy buying things for my pets than I do shopping for myself. I find myself buying them things weekly. XD

 

[IvoryBolt]

1. How old is your chin and did you get a single or a couple/few? I am not sure how old he is...at least a year? I only got 1

2. Did you get from a breeder or rescue? He's a rescue! someone adopted him from petsmart (he was dropped off there by people), and he got sick, so she gave him to my friend who runs a rescue.

3. Do you have other animals? *giggles* Do I have other animals...HAHAHAHAH. I have: 2 reticulated pythons, 2 bull snakes, 1 leucistic rat snake and 1 ball python. And a cat. =D

4. Are you finding it harder, easier or about what you expected in terms of taking care of your chin? I'm not sure yet, as he comes home to me on Sunday...but I imagine it'll be close to the same as I was expecting.

5. Are you satisfied with the level of interaction you have with your chin? I'll re answer this when I get him xD But so far...YES. He's a snuggle bug.

6. Do you plan on getting another at any time in the future? NOPE

7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated? He's cheap compared to the retics xD

8. Do you spend too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about your chin? About the same as I do with the snakes =3

 

[EternallyCynical]

1. My boy is around eight, although I can't be 100% certain of his age due to the circumstances by which he came to me. He's a singleton.
2. Pepper came to me through my cousin - he belonged to some friends of my cousin who, from what I understand, seem to have bought him (probably at a pet store given the crappy cage/toys/food he had) as a bit of a novelty pet, lost interest, got more animals, and the poor little guy spent the majority of his life in a dark basement in his cramped cage alone with minimal interaction. My cousin took him off their hands because clearly they didn't really want him and had him for a while, but wound up in a situation where he was moving across the country and felt it was best not to take him. He'd put up online ads but was wary of giving him to some stranger from Kijiji and knowing that I loved animals/worked at a vet clinic asked me if I wanted a free chinchilla. There is no way to say no to a free chinchilla. He's been with me since October - almost eight months now!
3. Yes! A cat, a guinea pig, and a budgie.
4. Its been about what I expected.
5. I think so. Our relationship has suffered somewhat recently because I've had to kind of fight with him a little to get him on the scale every week which he hates even though he gets his favourite treat when he's on the scale (I think he still resents me for it ^^;; ) and unfortunately I've been sick a lot the last month or two so I haven't been spending as much time with him as I'd like, both due to lack of energy and not wanting to give him anything I've got. I'm hoping I'll stop being constantly ill soon so I can spend more time with my lil' fuzzball!
6. Probably not. I don't think I'd look at getting another one until Pepper passes on (Which hopefully is still a long ways away)
7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated? I've been surprised by the high cost of some things and the low cost of others. Overall I'm not too surprised by the cost, but then I haven't had any major medical emergencies and my mom pays for a fair number of the basics, pellets and hay and the like (since I'm only 18, still in high school, have no job, and trying to keep my savings saved for university).
8. Yes. Definitely yes.

 

[michelleideeaz1]

Thanks to all the newbies!!!! Very interesting to read the back stories!!!!!

 

[tunes]

Makes me think we should do an "oldie" thread as well.

 

[michelleideeaz1]

Yeah, yeah! :dance3:

 

[ilovehome]

1. I have two females that were supposedly raised together. I just got them yesterday. They told me they are about 6 months old.
2. Local pet store--they said a family moved away and they got them last week.
3. I have an 11 year old cat, a 9 year old basset hound, an 8 year old pug, a 2 year old mixed mutt dog, lots of rabbits and chickens.
4. Don't have many expectations yet.
5. I think it's going well. The gray one seems friendlier than the black one. (I haven't named them yet.)
6. No.
7. I'll let you know...
8. Yes, but it has only been a week! I'm hoping this will get better...

 

[mscreampoof]

1. How old is your chin and did you get a single or a couple/few?
Snowball is 7 or 8 years old ish

2. Did you get from a breeder or rescue?
I adopted her from a friend who couldn't take care of her anymore! =P

3. Do you have other animals?
my sister used to have fish and hamsters in the house when i was a kid but. they all ended up in animal heaven a while ago

4. Are you finding it harder, easier or about what you expected in terms of taking care of your chin?
I'm finding it harder. Because I seem to worry about every single thing that happens with her and constantly just scared that she's sick =_=;;

5. Are you satisfied with the level of interaction you have with your chin?
Yes! for now at least. I got her about 2/3 weeks ago, so she's still getting used to me. She did, however, let me pet her and she slowly fell asleep while i was doing so...

6. Do you plan on getting another at any time in the future?
Maybe? But i think one is enough for now... i think if i get two i'd have to double my worry and stress levels haha

7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated?
its pretty much on the higher side of what I expect. But most of the things are one time fees such as cages, water bottles, fleece. Things that you wouldnt hve to expect to buy new very often.

8. Do you spend too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about your chin?
Yes. Yes. Yes. I do. I worry and obsess with everything about her. But its slowly getting better. I'm letting myself just let her play around on her own. And not overanalyze how much she poops and what her poops look like. But all in all its because I care about her greatly =P

Thank you for making this thread!! It's great to get to know other new chin owners =D

 

[michelleideeaz1]

Sure thing!!!! :bump1::bump1:

 

[Olivia]

1. I just have one ebony female named Aayla. I used to have two males named Bentley and Dexter. I went through a really rough time in my life and had to rehome my animals...regretted it ever since. I'm actually trying to get back in touch with the lady that took Bentley!
2. Craigslist, but she was originally from Spenco Chins.
3. I have a Boston terrier. Also several snakes and geckos.
4. Since I've had chins before, about what I expected. They are pretty easy in my opinion!
5. She is still getting used to me, so I'm taking it slow on handling. I do play with her every day and let her explore my basement (supervised of course). I look forward to when she will just sit on my shoulder like my other chins used to!
6. Maybe...depends on if I can convince the boyfriend. haha
7. About what I expected. They aren't too expensive to care for.
8. How much is too much? I ordered lots of stuff from tj's chins and can't wait for it to arrive! I love buying her stuff.

 

[Olivia]

1. How old is your chin and did you get a single or a couple/few?
Just my Aayla right now, she's about a year old. I used to have two male chins several year ago named Bentley and Dexter. I went through a really rough time in my life and had to rehome most of my animals...I've regretted it ever since. I'm actually trying to get back in contact with the lady that took Bentley.
2. Did you get from a breeder or rescue?
Craigslist. But she is supposedly from Spenco Chins.
3. Do you have other animals?
I have a Boston Terrier named Roxie. Also several snakes and geckos.
4. Are you finding it harder, easier or about what you expected in terms of taking care of your chin?
About what I expected, since I've had chins before. They are pretty easy to care for in my opinion!
5. Are you satisfied with the level of interaction you have with your chin?
Yes, although I would love to cuddle and play with her more. I've had her less than two weeks so she is still getting used to me. I do play with her everyday, and let her explore the basement (supervised).
6. Do you plan on getting another at any time in the future?
Maybe...if my boyfriend will warm up to the idea.
7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated?
Pretty much what I anticipated. Most of the expensive stuff is a one time deal, such as the cage and chin itself. Upkeep from then is pretty easy.
8. Do you spend too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about your chin?
How much is too much? I ordered lots of stuff from Tj's Chin supplies, and once I figure out what she likes I'm sure I'll buy her more things!

 

[lightningturtle]

1. Dessy turned 3 on Feb 19th, and she's my only chin
2. She was actually given to me by a coworker who decided she just couldn't give her the attention she needs.
3. We have two dogs, a bearded dragon, and a corn snake
4. It's more work than I was expecting, but I mind a lot less than I would have thought.
5. Not just yet, but we're still getting to know each other and she's already opened up a great deal.
6. Absolutely. That said I'm going to wait until I can afford a much larger cage and room to use her current one as a spare.
7. It's a bit more than I expected, but I'd rather spend the money and make sure she's as well cared for as I can.
8. Oh man, she's a clear and present danger to my bank account. It's SO hard to tell myself she doesn't need x toy or can wait for x upgrade. There's so much I want to give her and so much less that I can afford at once!

 

[Nerk]

1. How old is your chin and did you get a single or a couple/few?
- I got Chimi in August she's almost 8 and Lilly in November and she's about a year and a half. After a failed bonding they're two individually spoiled girls.
2. Did you get from a breeder or rescue?
- Chimi I received free from my mom's co-worker. Lilly I bought from someone on Craig's list.
3. Do you have other animals?
-A rabbit named Crow T. Rabbit. He is located in another part if the house.
4. Are you finding it harder, easier or about what you expected in terms of taking care of your chin?
-I went in completely blind so harder but worth every second.
5. Are you satisfied with the level of interaction you have with your chin?
-I wish Lilly was a little more social but I'm working with her. Other then that I get a lot of interaction from Chimi, sometimes it's not so nice .
6. Do you plan on getting another at any time in the future?
- Yes! I'm getting a little girl in a week or two.
7. Is maintenance as expensive/inexpensive as you had anticipated?
- Expensive at first but I've gotten a handle on things so it's not as bad.
8. Do you spend too much time obsessing, shopping, talking and thinking about your chin?
- If you go through my bank account 99.9% of my history is chinchilla stuff...I've been told I have an addiction

 

[michelleideeaz1]

I see everyone's obsessed like I am. My husband looks at me like I'm crazy when a I actually pay for "a box of sticks" to be delivered by FedEx :crazy: He just doesn't understand but he's coming around :tease:

 

[lightningturtle]

But you have to get the right kind treated with the right methods! Not just any stick will do.

 

[Shenanigans]

1.My chin is almost 7 (his birthday is in August and I got him right after he turned six)
2. I got him from his previous owner, a member here who had got him at a pet store
3. yes, a golden retriever
4. Probably about what I expected-I had read so much about them. But even reading about the quirks was different than experiencing them. I was sooo used to dogs that the differences did, and still do surprise me sometimes.
5. Yes. He's a sweetie and well, acts like a well-loved and spoiled chin.
6.yes, I hope to eventually get him a cage buddy-he loves new animals-he even hops up to visit dogs (dont tell him but I suspect he wouldn't have won the Darwin game in the wild-he's want to be best friends with the predators)
7. It's more inexpensive for the basics than I thought, but the luxuries I want to get/build are pricey, but that's on par with any animal I get.
8. What's too much time? According to others, yes. According to me? Don't judge my own little world.