Our First chinchilla

fuzzysmom · Sep 26, 2012

I am new to this site and the chinchilla world. I just got a little guy from a breeder in BC , Canada. He is adorable. We decided to name him Master Fuzzy because he is so quick and agile and bouncy. The chinchilla kungfu king as we say. haha He seems to be getting along well. He came earlier then we expected so I borrowed a sort of hamster cage for now for him as my boyfriend is in the process of making a big one for him.

Any new chinchilla advice would be helpful, as far as Ive been told he is a standard grey, male but havent gotten to check yet. He sniffs at me through the cage and ive put my hand in , once he hopped on it another time he nibbled on my sleeve. He seems comfortable and like he is not nervous. He has not yelped or barked at me as some people say he may. He has been sleeping off and on but im not ready to let him out of the cage just yet as i dont want him to be scared of me and run off/have to chase him.

Any advice on when he may be ready to get out and come back, i was told not to give him treats so young so how do you get him back to the cage.

Cat75 · Sep 26, 2012

How old is Master Fuzzy? It's not recommend to give chins under 6 months of age any treats. In the bottom of the cage the orange pieces are those carrots?

Rockka · Sep 26, 2012

Aww he is very cute! Congrats on the new baby.

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Asha · Sep 26, 2012

Congrats on your new chin Master Fuzzy! Love the name! He sounds like a laid back chinny from what you describe so that's always good. Depending on his age, some people prefer not to allow baby chins (under 6 months) out for playtime because they need to use all their calories for growth and development. Other people do prefer to allow younger chins out for playtime so that they can begin to bond with their owners. I'm sure some of the other members who have more experience with baby chins than I do could give you a better idea of what to do. Listed above are just the two sides of the debate that I have read.

If you do decide to let Master Fuzzy out for playtime and are worried about having to catch him, I would recommend using his dust bath house to round him up. Chinnies love their dust baths and I know mine cannot resist when I put it out for them. When playtime is over, just set the dust bath house out in the middle of the floor and when he hops in there, just gently pick it up and bring him back to his cage. Its one of the easiest methods for catching a chin if you are not used to handling/catching them just yet. Also, be sure that his play area is chin proofed (no cords around or other things that he could chew that are not safe). Many people recommend using the bathroom as a play area (always supervise him and close the potty of course!) because there are less things for chins to get into.

Also, no treats for chins under 6 months of age. Their digestive systems are not strong enough to handle treats just yet. And, when your chin is old enough for treats, only give safe treats such as plain cheerios, plain shredded wheat cereal squares, or a few old-fashioned oats (NOT the quick cook kind, very important to remember), and of course plenty of chin safe wood to chew on. The vendors on here all have great chin safe products, its best to stick to ordering from folks on here because many pet stores carry a variety of unsafe items advertised for chins. Again, congrats on your new fur baby! Hope I didn't overwhelm you with too much info at once! Any questions come up, don't be afraid to post it! Lots of great people with extensive experience on here, I've learned alot since I became a member back in January!

ticklechin · Sep 26, 2012

Cute kid! One thing about the cage, they can chew their way loose, look at this thread and see what damage this chin did to a cage like that!

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21999&highlight=chewed+hole

Tagna · Sep 26, 2012

Congrats! It does look like that is a carrot. No fruit or veggies for chins. I don't think I have ever known anyone as north as you with chins but I do know some breeders in BC.