OH boy..(literally!)

[Laurie]

Just wanted to say if you don't have a cage with baby safe dimensions you can go to the hardware or craft store and buy mesh wire to wire onto the cage--the same mesh for screen windows. Surround the entrie cage with it, cut around the doors so you can still open them to feed the chins, but this will work until the kit is older and too big to slip through the bars--AND with the screen mesh you can still see through it to see momma and baby.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Sounds like you might want to consider getting a kit safe cage for mom and kit. Then put the dad in the old cage.

 

[Rickman]

He called me at about 8:30 last night, but was afraid I'd be mad if he called late! [no]
He's currently trying to find a baby-safe cage someone posted on CnH, but they haven't called him back yet! He's currently going to buy a new one, as he doesn't have time to wait, along with other supplies.
Any one know if Ferret Nation cages are baby-safe? There's one on craigslist, but I'm not sure - doesn't look like it!

 

[wombat]

I'm going out right now to get a ferret nation cage, or something of the sort for the secondary cage. The mother and kit are doing very well. she is attending to him a lot better than I expected her to. She now has two water bottles in her cage, one water, one half apple juice (unsweetened) half water. Dad is sad, and seems not himself...but who would be after being taken from their hump buddy and their kid? :laughitup: Other than that, everything is going okay.

 

[wombat]

The ramp spacing according to the specs on the Ferret Nation 142 cage is 1/2", but it seems as if the bar spacing is more...I'm hesitant to buy it because it's not baby safe.

 

[wombat]

So I took another look, and I think the kit might be a girl...I don't know, it's hard to tell! and I can't really get pictures of it because he/she won't stay still when I hold it.

 

[Sugarmama]

Ferret Nations are not baby safe If you need to, you can get hardware cloth (it is a wire mesh) at Home Depot or Lowes to modify a cage. It needs to be no bigger than 1/2" x 1", or the kits can squeeze through.

With girls, the cone is very close to the anus--barely any space between them. Boys have a space between the cone and the anus. Male and females look very similar until you are familiar with them.

It's not that important to know the sex right away, but it will be in several weeks when the kit weans, so you know whether to put it in with mom or dad.

 

[alli713]

I agree, Ferret Nations are not baby safe. And you don't want ramps in the cage, especially with a baby involved. Chins can get their feet/legs caught in ramps and they can get hurt and need their leg/foot amputated.
For when you have a baby chin and momma, it's best to have a smaller, one level cage so that the mom can't jump off a shelf and land on baby or get away from the baby and not tend to it. So you don't need such a large cage. Like stated, for while the baby is small you can just wrap the cage as a quick fix.

Here is a page that shows pics of how to sex chins
http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/sexing.shtml

I agree it isn't important right this minute but in a couple weeks it will be important to know.

 

[wombat]

There is a hidey house inside the single level cage I have right now. Mom has been, every so often, going on top of the hidey house and jumping off close to the kit. I don't know if I should take the hidey house out though because that's where Mom and kit spend all their time.

Dad has been moved into the ferret nation cage. He LOVES it!

 

[Rickman]

Yes, remove it - the kit needs a lot of 1 0n 1 time for about 2-3 weeks!

 

[Sugarmama]

Yes, not only does the kit need all the time he can get with mom, momma can jump off the hidey house and land on the kit, accidentally injuring or even killing the lil one.

Ferret nations are awesome! I have a few...lol.

Keep an eye on the baby's weight; try to weigh him at the same time every day. He's very small, so he may need to be supplemented if he loses at all.

 

[wombat]

Thanks for all the help guys, really...I couldn't do this without all the information/help

 

[tunes]

Tip the house upside down. That way mom can still feel like she's "hiding" even though the top is all open. I do it all the time.

 

[wombat]

I took the house out and put it into the dads cage for now.

 

[Chinniechantel]

Keep an eye on the mom though, I have had moms freak out when they don't have a house, so sometimes you need to have something in there, we have made special "baby houses" that are very short and have lots of openings for the babies to get to mama. They work very well. Flipping the house upside down works great too, likes Peggy suggested. I wouldn't leave her without anything though as a first time mom. Does the babies belly feel warm and full?

 

[wombat]

Flipped the house over in the moms cage, however she likes to be acrobatic...she's hoping onto the sides, and inside of it, then jumping out, it's like it's more dangerous than it being upright...what should I do?

 

[Chinniechantel]

Then I would take it out. Just keep an eye on her.

 

[wombat]

Two random videos, first one is of mom, second one of dad. (videos just uploaded, might not be viewable for about 10-15mins.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_123XXWers4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNLGh65naw

Edit: The mom seems to not want the kit to nurse as much...it's not necessaraly being "rejected" because mom is still keeping the kit warm, but it just won't let it nurse...she's kind of pushing it away...I don't know if she's cleaning it, but she's like nudging him...

I hope it doesn't come down to this but is there anyone near the chicagoland area that has hand feeders/supplement supplies that I can pick up in an emergency?

 

[IslandDreamer322]

WOW! Best of luck with the new baby! I have never had any babies so I can not give you any good advice but I do give you a lot of credit for handling this surprise so well!!

 

[tunes]

All you need to do is go to Wal-Mart. They have the canned goat's milk, baby rice cereal, and eye droppers.

Part of the reason mom may be spazzing is because you keep messing/checking on her. Give her a little while on her own and let her settle in. This is all new to her. The more you fuss and stare and mess, the less she's going to accept her new role.

Walk away and let her be. The kit isn't going to die within the next couple hours from lack of feed.