Parents just don't understand...

[caiti]

But seriously, my parents don't.

I went home last weekend with Chloe and will have to this weekend also. My roommate is out of town both weekends and cannot watch her. I had to go home last weekend for some appointments and a baby shower. This weekend, I have to go home because I need my car fixed and no one around where I live can fix it before school starts.

While I was driving home my AC broke (I thought it had just been fixed, but alas). I freaked out but was closer to my hometown than my apartment so I tried to get there quickly. I brought bags of ice to put in her cage and her slab, thankfully. I pretty much bawled the rest of the way there, but she made it ok. I don't even want to tell you what the temp was in the car. I put a bag of ice under her fleece liner and positioned it in her hidey house so she would be sitting on it. I think that was my (or her) saving grace.

I got her to my house and set her up in my room, put the AC on to 72F. I think it was 76F when I got there. She was up and about in her cage, ears were getting back to normal quickly. I was very relieved. And exhausted.

My dad comes home almost two hours later and notices the AC is on. I'm on the phone with my mom at the time, also. He puts it up to 76F and I tell him that is not good for Chloe. My mother, listening to the conversation, says "we're not paying to keep her comfortable" and I said "I'm talking about keeping her alive". They clearly were inconvenienced by putting the AC that low in the first place, I don't believe they would put it lower...ever, even for Chloe.

Now, I am known to be hypersensitive and exaggerate but they honestly don't believe me when I tell them chins don't do well in the mid and high 70's. I think they think I am just exaggerating again. I watched her all weekend and even had to call a neighbor to turn the AC on when my dad went for a super long bike ride one morning and didn't have his phone on him (the day I was at the baby shower in another state, so I couldn't do it myself). The neighbor turns it onto 75F before it gets too warm. So Chloe was in 75-76F weather with about 45-50% humidity all weekend. Mind you, she is usually below 70F in my apartment and humidity peaks at 50% not too often.

I ended up leaving monday at 6:30am so that it would be cool and dry enough (I considered leaving in the middle of the night but the humidity really doesn't dissipate until the morning) outside so she would be ok for the approximately hour ride, again with ice and her slab.

I don't know what to do for the upcoming weekend. Is there some way I could convince them? I am leaving my apartment at 5:30/6am on friday so she can be safe again for the ride. I know she will probably not have a heat stroke if kept at 75F and if I keep her cool with other things for the time being, but I when I graduate I am moving back home and I have no idea how to deal with this. I guess I'll have to pay my share of the electric bill, that's likely what will happen, which I'm ok with as long as I can keep my room cool enough for Chloe and manage to have a job at all times. Is there something else I can do to keep her cooler, at least for the weekend?

Do any of you have similar experiences? If so, how did you handle it? Sorry for the long post, I tried to trim it, I really did...

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Do you have another friend/neighbor whom you could trust to come over and check on Chloe for the weekend while you are gone???

This would mean that:

1) She wouldn't have to travel in the car without AC and

2) That you wouldn't have to stress/fight with your parents over the cost of the AC.

That just seems like the easiest solution to me.

 

[Maia]

Just saying, I don't have any trusted friends or neighbors in the area I live in, and I would not want to take the chance of taking her in the car with no a/c. She'd be staying with my vet. My chin is staying at my vet's this week while I am on vacation, and I get daily updates on how he's doing and he stays in a small cool room by himself (in a large cage of course). But yeah I'd be sick with worry with the high temps outside!

 

[fanofdmb84]

I would just buy a small portable AC unit. Either a window one or one of the little ones that sit on the floor. You can probably find a used one this time of year for cheap. At least that way you could keep your room at your parents cool without having to argue with them or worry about one of them deciding to turn the AC up or worse yet, off. It will still cost you some money, but it will be more of a one-time purchase instead of dealing with paying for part of a bill for a few days here and there.

 

[jamanalo]

are there any animal shelters near you? Lots of times you can leave them at a shelter or vet office. You just need to bring a cage etc. Its a much safer environment, but only if you bring them somewhere where they know what theyre doing. It will be more expensive, but at least you can provide the best care for her.
I honestly don't blame your parents because if they dont see reason to leave the AC higher for this animal its their house, their money, their rules. You just have to bite your tongue and turn the other way because they wont care for the animal as much as you really do. So i suggest taking the chin elsewhere because if they want to put the temp warmer, they might forget to do other things.

 

[RDZCRanch]

You can explain to your parents why she needs to be kept cool and use facts and research to back you up. Explain that chinchillas have 80 to 120 or even more hairs per follicle and it makes for a very dense coat that locks in heat. Because of this, they are VERY prone to overheating. Tell them, it's like them walking around in a sheepskin or down jacket in the middle of summer...it gets freaking hot freaking FAST. You can also explain that a couple days of keeping the house a little cooler won't make the bill jack up $100 or even close to it.

When you move in with them, buy a window a/c. The window a/c will be a lot cheaper to run than the entire household a/c. You should also offer to pitch in for the electric bill when living with them.

 

[caiti]

Lynn--no, unfortunately I know no one here. The few people I did know graduated.

Hhhmmm, I didn't really think about the vets. I do like my vet but he mentioned when I first brought her in that chins can have a very small amount of veggies. I had forgotten that but remember it now, and it makes me think of how good the vets would treat her. But everything else he's said I completely agreed with and he seems pretty decent otherwise. And I don't know if they would do it on short notice. I wonder if it would be more stressful for her in a new place like that? Also, they'd have to have a cage.

Diana--I would have an AC in my room, but I would probably have to pay the electric bill for it. So, it wouldn't be a one time thing, unless there is one that runs on batteries but I 'd think it would take something like car batteries, ha.

Jamanalo--the cage is actually at my parents house from last weekend. I only have a small travel cage now, but her spare cage is there. I know there are some animal shelters nearby, some in Springfield, but I don't know how much they know about chins. I think one of them has some chins for adoption currently, though.

My parents wouldn't turn the AC off and probably not up, if anything for fear of me freaking out and screaming at them. They aren't horrible people, but sometimes ignorant. I am thinking about talking to them, calling them tomorrow. They will at least listen to me and we can have a good conversation. They do love me and don't want to hurt Chloe, they just honestly think I'm exaggerating. I don't blame them for wanting to save money but I don't know how much one weekend will really cost them.

Chloe is fine in the car and travelling, as that was one of my concerns before the first time or two I brought her home, but that was always in cooler weather also so this problem didn't arise. I hadn't brought her home all summer until last weekend.

I can also bring the dehumidifier we have up to my room for the weekend. I hadn't realized it was still there until I saw it before I left.

Gah, so much to think about!!

 

[arf2184]

Offer to pay part of the electric bill.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Remember that a dehumidifier will pump out heat when being operated so that isn't the best option for getting humidity out of a room that a chinchilla is in.

 

[caiti]

You can explain to your parents why she needs to be kept cool and use facts and research to back you up. Explain that chinchillas have 80 to 120 or even more hairs per follicle and it makes for a very dense coat that locks in heat. Because of this, they are VERY prone to overheating. Tell them, it's like them walking around in a sheepskin or down jacket in the middle of summer...it gets freaking hot freaking FAST. You can also explain that a couple days of keeping the house a little cooler won't make the bill jack up $100 or even close to it.

When you move in with them, buy a window a/c. The window a/c will be a lot cheaper to run than the entire household a/c. You should also offer to pitch in for the electric bill when living with them.

I think that is a good idea. I'm going to look up articles and see if I can put something together, so they know I am not exaggerating or being emotional in this instance.

I have a window AC in my room here at my apartment and will bring it with me so the whole house won't have to be cold, it wouldn't make sense to keep the house as cold as a chin's room for long periods of time. I would have no problem pitching in for the bill, I was just worried about finding a job fresh out of school to pay them. They don't need me to, they're well-off, but have always lived rather frugally for the most part. Me paying for part of the bill would purely be a principle thing, which makes sense to me.

 

[caiti]

Arf--I don't have a job. Ironically, I am completely financially dependent on my parents. They give me $700 a month and that's what I live on (minus health and car insurance). With my erm, mental issues, I cannot go to school full time and work any substantial amount at the same time (which is why I usually end up volunteering because I can never find a job for </=10hrs a week). I would like to pay part of the bill once I graduate and find a job. But for the weekend, if I paid them, I'd just be giving them their own money and they'd know it would just end up me not being able to buy groceries this month or something.

Tab--Thank you, I didn't actually know that. Very good to know.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Glad to hear you are formulating a good plan!
On a side note, I personally would never leave my chins, or any pet, at a shelter or veterinary clinic. Think of all the sick animals that go through places like that on a daily basis. Think of all the barking dogs, yowling cats, and squawking birds, 24 hours a day. Those are two very stressful (and potentially dangerous) environments. And unless you know the whole staff, you never really know who will be caring for your pets. Someone might wander back there and think its cute to give him/her a chunk of their banana or something. There's just too many unknowns in a public or semi-public facility.

 

[caiti]

Unfortunately, the person who had the shift after me at the lab I volunteer at didn't show up so I had to stay late to feed the birdies. I got home around nine, called my folks but my mom was sleeping and they didn't want to have a serious discussion at the time. I am leaving my apartment 6am at the latest tomorrow and according to the weather channel it will be 68F. I will be home alone all day while my parents are at work and my car is in the shop, so I can set the temp to something reasonable, keeping in mind my parents' opinion and I will tell them this (I feel it's better to at least tell them my plan even if we can't have a proper discussion about it at the time as opposed to them coming home and finding out).

I am going to talk to them when they come home from work. I have compiled some articles and reputable web sites (lots of you guys are on the list!!) on my computer so I can show them to the folks. I will likely offer to pay for what the bill would be increased by. At least I can pay them a bit at a time, I don't have too much extra money at the moment (car, gas, $15-20 in parking meters/week, need a bed--been on an air mattress for 3 weeks but that's a whole other thread) and I have no idea what it would be since my electricity is included in the rent so I have never paid an electric bill. Is my naivete showing? Yes--yes, I think it is. Ah, well.

I am actually a rational, logical, literal person for the most part, though I am very emotional and I do have my moments of being overwhelmed and not entirely level-headed.

Well, I've packed the majority of my stuff, and Chloe's stuff (a morning person I am NOT) so I guess I should try to go to sleep...

P.S. Diana-Yes, I thought of that as well. And really I never trust anyone with anything. I usually want to do things myself. Going to the vets or a shelter is not really an option logistically, without considering her comfort and welfare. I would worry about both aspects.

 

[Essentia]

I personally would never leave my chins, or any pet, at a shelter

Depends on what you mean when you say shelter/rescue. I take in chins all the time for people who are going out of town. They get to stay in the living room while the rest of the chins are in a totally separate room, so there is no contact- for the benefit of the chin coming in, and my chins as I have no idea what the new chin may have. Most chin specific rescues have an area, away from all the chins to house a chinchilla for a weekend while someone is out of town.

The chins coming in who are being babysat have the same care as the rest of the chins here. A nightly playtime, fresh food/water/hay daily, some stickies to chew on, etc. I'm not saying all shelters are like this, but if you find a reputable breeder/shelter they will treat your chin just like you do.

 

[caiti]

That got me thinking. The best chin rescue near me would be Forever Feisty. They are a little over an hour away and in CT. Their website seems very good. Of course, I don't know whether they watch people's chins. It never crossed my mind that a rescue would, but I didn't really think about it. Maybe I'll email them and ask, for future reference. In this case, it wouldn't help since they are as far away from me as my parent's house is so it would be the same amount of time in an AC-less car for Chloe. Plus, I still wouldn't have a cage to bring with her. I'm kind of kicking myself for not bringing it back with me, I thought I could work this out with my parents before this weekend came up. And I did not see this whole thing being an issue for them in the first place, but hopefully we can work something out. I know they will try. I have a feeling it'll be a happy ending.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Depends on what you mean when you say shelter/rescue. I take in chins all the time for people who are going out of town. They get to stay in the living room while the rest of the chins are in a totally separate room, so there is no contact- for the benefit of the chin coming in, and my chins as I have no idea what the new chin may have. Most chin specific rescues have an area, away from all the chins to house a chinchilla for a weekend while someone is out of town.

The chins coming in who are being babysat have the same care as the rest of the chins here. A nightly playtime, fresh food/water/hay daily, some stickies to chew on, etc. I'm not saying all shelters are like this, but if you find a reputable breeder/shelter they will treat your chin just like you do.

Good point Crysta, I would consider a rescue over a traditional "shelter". Rescues tend to be run by an individual, and if it was home-based where animals could be separated like you do, I would feel much better about it. I just meant I wouldn't drop by the local humane society and ask them to take my chins for a week I work with a lot of rescue folks (am a foster home myself) and that's a whole different story. I do know some people who board their pets with their vets, and that scares me since the pets stay at the clinic while everyone else goes home at night.

 

[Whimsy]

Not to dismiss your concern for your pet, but one degree above the recommended temperature level won't kill her. If you're worried about her overheating, then just don't take her out to play. Let her stay calm in her cage until you can get her back home where running around won't up her temp. This is to say, if you simply can't find alternate arrangements to ease your worry.

 

[Essentia]

Whimsy, I have seen chinchillas overheat at 76, and with her keeping her chin normally below 70 it's a valid concern. I have also seen people lose chins even lower than that (74-75) so I understand why she would absolutely not want to take that chance. My chins here start with the warm red ears at 73.

 

[caiti]

Whimsy and Crysta--I actually see both your points and believe the situation is pretty much in the middle of the spectrums of the argument you're both debating. I try to keep my room as cool as I can. On hot days, it may get to 72-73F for a little bit. It's been as low as 17C one morning (which is probably like 63F, not sure I still grew up on fahrenheit).

She has been in 75-76F with moderate humidity and not overheated, although she was slightly less energetic but no red ears or veins, still wall-surfed her cage and bounced around, no excessive sprawling etc. so I see your point, Whimsy. But, yes, like Crysta stated, she is used to cooler weather. She only showed obvious signs of overheating when my AC broke in my car (found out I was super low on freon!!) and once when she was at the vet for the first time (I have still never seen her ears that red. It was cool in there, I think she was just very very stressed). But I'd rather not enter that range of vulnerability if I can help it, which is why I keep my room as cool and dry as I can. I have a feeling her previous owners did not keep her as cool as I do (not certain, but they never mentioned she needs to be cool to me although I knew it from researching), so it may be she grew up more acclimated to warmer weather. Maybe me keeping her in cooler weather is re-sensitizing her to it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Well, my car is fixed so the drive back will not be incredibly nerve-racking (god willing I don't have a slow leak in my AC, that would just be wonderful, but should still get me back to my apartment) and my folks should be home in about an hour. I told them I wanted to talk to them about Chloe and the AC.

 

[caiti]

Talked to my parents. My mom was more annoyed, for good reason, though. I really didn't prepare them enough for this kind of thing when I got Chloe. She is now annoyed that she has to change her environment for an animal she doesn't own. I get that. I made a mistake and am aware of it, but there's nothing I can really do about it unfortunately. I offered to pay for the increase in the bill, but no one's really sure how much it will be. My dad was easier to talk to, even though he is the cheaper one. He was the only one that read all the quotes I printed out about chin care. He suggested I find others who own chins and ask them about it (haha)...and I told him about this forum. I don't know anyone personally with chins also.

My dad told me it would cost $150 a month to cool my room with a window unit. That sounds like a lot to me, although I really don't have anything to compare it to. He said their bill was over $200 in the summer...so how does using an AC in my room (totally guessing maybe 11'x12') make up half the bill for a 4 bedroom house?? Does this make sense to anyone else? I know they have had electric bills that were $90 before, but like I said they are frugal.

She was sleepy before, but I just gave her a dust bath and she's popcorning and bouncing around now. I think she's curious because she hears the rain storm (Earl) outside, too. Hahahha, I just looked over and she popcorned so hard she hit the ceiling of her cage a bit(from the top shelf)!!

So far the temp is 74F and the humidity is 40% and I know if worse comes to worse, I can bring her in my car with AC (in case the power goes out from Earl). She seems fine in this weather and I will keep watching her, but I'm going to suspend playtime until we get back to the apartment. My dad really was nice about it and told me he didn't want her to be distressed and if she was getting too warm he wanted to make sure she was ok (as in turning the AC up).