Not an owner yet....I need to be 100% prepared.

[Dazzen]

I haven't begun making purchases yet as I am still deciding what I want/need.

I already have an exotics vet lined up.

Here is the cage I like (pre DYI fixes of course) please let me know if this is bad choice:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Parrot-Bird-Fer...259?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cf7594143

Here is my very basic checklist of things to buy and situate before bringing home a new baby, please help me add to it!

Last but not least, anyone have A chin in the same apartment as a cat? I plan to never EVER let them be around one another (supervised or not). My main worry is the cat stressing the chinchilla out at night when we're all sleeping.

Any advice or opinions is HIGHLY welcome.

 

[Dazzen]

Checklist:

Chinchilla Check List:

Cage
Wooden Shelves
pellets
hay
toys
hut
chew toy
twigs
marble cooling slab
bedding
Oats
Rose hips
treats
Dust bath stuff
Baby gate
Playpen
Water bottle

CHin proof the apartment!

Forgot to post in the original post! Silly me. I just gallbladder removal surgery and my pain meds make me loopy.

I just wanted to add that I live in Texas, but we always have our AC on. I am 27 years old, and my boyfriend (hopefully so to be fiance) is on board with the Chinchilla idea. We're very responsible adults.

 

[lauralynne]

Welcome to the forum!

The cage is ok...but probably would not be sturdy enough for wood shelves, tubes, perches, etc.

Here is a link to the FAQs that will answer many of your questions. http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=857

 

[Dazzen]

Good point! I'll go with the FN 142 instead.

 

[lauralynne]

Good point! I'll go with the FN 142 instead.

MUCH better choice! (And will be WAY easier to clean!)

 

[Dazzen]

Any idea on the best place to buy/ best price for these? The FN 142 that is.
Those also need metal pans for them as well, right?

 

[addictedtochins]

Hi and welcome! Lots of people have chins and other pets. I have 4 cats and 7 chins co-existing just fine. They pretty much ignore each other.

 

[Godofgods]

midwesthomes4pets.com are the ppl that make them i beleive. You can find them in various pet stores. Tho you might find some online, from ads, or for sale from old users a bit cheaper.

You dont NEED metal pans. I have had two FN cages for many years with out them. Tho with this aspen bedding i sure wish i had them. That stuff gets everywhere. Tho if your able to use fleece liners as a bedding, then i dont see much of a need for the metal pans. Just make sure your chin has several things to chew on. If he doesnt, then he will start eating them trays.

on a personal note, jsut be sure you actuly want chins. They are very long lived animals, and i hate to see ppl that dont think it through and deside against it after already getting one. They are great pets tho'

 

[momenteller]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! That's great that you're doing your research ahead of time. I think your checklist looks good. As far as pans for the FN, those are sold by Bass Equipment. No you don't NEED them, but trust me, they are great to have. If you search for the Ferret Nation Club on here, a huge thread will come up that can give you ideas on decorating and modifying. Not sure who has the best price on an FN right now. If you can't find one on Craigslist, I would do a price search online. Your local PetSmart may price-match that for you so you don't have to pay for shipping.

As for kitty, we have one also, and we manage okay. We lock her in the bedroom when we leave the house, and she sleeps in one of our rooms at bedtime (the chins are in the living room). It can be a pain, but just something we have to deal with!

 

[fbodgrl]

I've had my Chin for 6 days now....lol

I prepared for a long time also. I have 4 cats and a dog. None of them have even seen her. I put her cage in a separate room and closed them out. So far the cats haven't even really bothered outside the door, etc. Sometimes they through a little meowing tantrum when I am sitting in the room with the Chin.

 

[Chin_Parent]

We live in a studio apartment with a cat and chinchilla (and 3 rats), and the cat is just fine with them. She's sweet and not very predatory (though she has her moments). We've got a feisty ferret so even if she did try to bug him, he has plenty of space to get away from her. If anything, she's scared of him, otherwise she's just curious. Of course you should keep them in separate places when you take your chinchilla out to play, but other than that, it really depends on the cat. I think it's pretty easy to let cats know what is food and what is a pet. They learn the difference pretty quickly.

 

[xcdnchinx]

Im happy to see that you are fulling prepared.
I have a cat too, and a dog.

The cat is actually AFRAID of the chinchilla.. he wont go near him. I would keep your cat out of the room that the chin is in to avoid any unwanted accidents.

As for the ferret nation cages, you can check amazon.com. They usually have deals, and you might qualify for free shipping