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yellnpsych

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
47
Location
Dayton
Friday is the big day to bring home my first chin, Monk, and I want to get everything right. A few things..

I can't decide if I should ask the breeder to let me arrange the carrier, since I'm in favor of the all fleece concept (less mess), or if it would be better for him to go in the all shaving bedding he's acclimated to. If I could arrange it I would put down some extra fleece with towels instead of shavings. However, I want to try to get him to use the litter pan and would want some of his used shavings in a separate Ziploc. I don't want to burden the breeder with my preferences though. So any advice would be welcomed. How would you prefer someone to act if you sold them a chin?

Also, in setting up the carrier, I planned on having his water bottle, a frozen water bottle covered in fleece, his food coop, chiller pad, and a hidey hut with fleece pillows. I plan on taking a cooler to keep everything nice and cold on the way home. Have I forgotten anything?

Thanks everyone!
 
Are you going to pick up the chin directly from the breeder or meet them in a meeting spot?

If you're picking it up, bring your own carrier and set it up the way you want. I wouldn't use towels, just fleece will work fine and you can deal with the shavings when you get home.

If the breeder is meeting you somewhere, I think asking the breeder to put them in a carrier a certain way is a bit much, but that's just me. All of my chins are delivered on shavings, but many pick up chins from me on fleece - I don't care as long as it's safe. I don't let chins go home on towels though.

I think you're really over thinking the carrier. Does your a/c work in the car? They don't need a frozen water bottle or chiller as long as the car is cool. Many chins travel 10+ hours with a water bottle and some hay and a couple pellets of feed. They don't need the special treatment on the way home - anything extra is up to you.
 
A/C works in the car and reads the temp. I am having him picked up. It's about a two hour drive. I asked her about carriers and she said she sends them home in one. As far as towels, I was going to cover them in fleece and tuck them under. Now, where to find a chin appropriate cage on short notice?
 
I'm sooo excited for you! How far is the trip home going to be? I'm sure the breeders on here can help with your questions! Good luck!
 
Thanks! I just want to be prepared for Murphy's Law. If for some reason there is a traffic jam, better to have frozen things that could last a while. Maybe not to the excess I was thinking though lol. It will be a two hour drive from the breeders back home.
 
I thought you already had a cage? And if she sends them home in a carrier, then you wont need one, right? And even if you dont like the one he comes with, you can get a good one later. And two hours is a short ride. My boys came home in a box and slept the whole way just fine.
 

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Yea, the cage is set up and ready, sorry about that confusion. I meant where to find a carrier on short notice. Lol definitely seems like I'm over thinking it now. Her carrier is nice and will be very useful for when I clean his cage. So I won't hassle her over any of the fleece stuff, but I may still put a hidey hut in there for him. So excited!!!!
 
I'm sure with all of your prep, Mr. Monk will be over the moon. I ended up buying a carrier from here, and they were awesome, if you want to look into getting another one for him down the line.
 
I second the cat carrier. Most water bottles will leak on the car ride. My chins do the 5 hour trip from Cincinnati to Chicago a couple times a year and they only get hay in the carrier. They sleep most of the ride. When I get to where I'm going they're always my first priority to unpack.

Congrats on your new baby!
 
we're picking up our first chin on saturday, and the breeder (who also shows chins) suggested just getting a soft carrier (the duffel-type) from a petsmart or petco. we'll have her in the car for about an hour.
back in the day, my three degus (the other caviomorph) had an hour and a half ride to the vet, and all three of them did fine in a plastic (i know, plastic is evil!) carrier. i was so worried about them on our two and a half hour ride home the night we got them that i made the mistake of opening the carrier in the car to check on them.
needless to say, we spent ten minutes on the side of the road getting them cornered under the seats one by one and back into the carrier. it's a hilarious memory now, but my point is: don't let the new baby nerves get the better of you!
you've got good resources and you're obviously going to be a very conscientious pet parent. congrats!
 
yell, happy "Animal Christmas" morning! (my boss declared Saturday my Animal Christmas in trying to explain to my fiance why i'm acting like a giddy two-year old one minute and a stressed-out mom the next all this week, and i thought it was the perfect way to say it.)
wishing you and your baby all the best! :)
 
Good luck today in picking up your baby! I really hope the trip goes smoothly for you. Remember, it will take Monk a bit to settle into his new home...a lot of changes for him. Can't wait to see pics!
 
Me too! I hope the transition goes smoothly, and once he's warmed up then pics would be great. With my boys, whenever they hear the camera lens opening they want to come over and check it out. Doesnt make for great pictures, so I have to sneak up on them!
 
Hey everyone! Thanks for all the warm wishes. Mr.Monk made it home just fine in the carrier the breeder provided. He ate a wee bit along the way, but refused water. Aside from the turns in the road, he slept most the way. So far I am shocked by his sociability with me.

Before I put him in his cage I handed him the Oxbow pellet I plan on switching him to and he didn't hesitate to try it or the next offering. He's been eating constantly and drinking here and there. I get worried the water bottles may not be working, but it's hard to tell. I have put a marker on both bottles to watch closely. I've had to make some ledge adjustments and intend to get a few more for safe measure. A few moments ago I hand fed him a few more pellets of Oxbow to make sure he wasn't picky. He felt safe enough to use me as a ledge to crawl on my arms to my chest then back to his cage. Whisker kisses!!!

He's had a few falls adjusting to the cage, but is getting braver. He can go from the bottom half to the top, but has yet to do the reverse. Hope to see him make the big leap sometime tonight!
 
Awwww! I wasn't as lucky to land with a social chin. sure, my boys are comfy around me now, but when I first got them I didn't see them at all for the first week! I saw poops in the cage, and they were eating/drinking, but not while any of us were around!!
 
we're picking up our first chin on saturday, and the breeder (who also shows chins) suggested just getting a soft carrier (the duffel-type) from a petsmart or petco. we'll have her in the car for about an hour.
back in the day, my three degus (the other caviomorph) had an hour and a half ride to the vet, and all three of them did fine in a plastic (i know, plastic is evil!) carrier. i was so worried about them on our two and a half hour ride home the night we got them that i made the mistake of opening the carrier in the car to check on them.
needless to say, we spent ten minutes on the side of the road getting them cornered under the seats one by one and back into the carrier. it's a hilarious memory now, but my point is: don't let the new baby nerves get the better of you!
you've got good resources and you're obviously going to be a very conscientious pet parent. congrats!


Don't make the mistake of a soft carrier! I bought one for my first chins and in 20 min car ride the first day to work they chewed through the mesh windows and got out into the car-Meegus got up under the dash and it took over a hour to get her out.

The plastic cat carriers work well in a pinch, at least you have a clue they are chewing on it behind you unlike the mesh.
 
Thanks for the warning! We had to change our pickup date for Dusty--I couldn't find a cage I was satisfied with for her, so my super-dad is building one to my specs.
I am trying to picture the type of carrier you mean, though, and won't the front bars leave space for a baby to squeeze out? (she's about 2 1/2 months.)
 
The Petmate Cabin Kennel seems pretty good. I just got one. I do have cat carriers, which are probably fine, but I wanted something that was top-loading. It opens in half like a clam shell and has a wire top so that you can see in. The wire top has a little door that you can reach into, but I don't think you can comfortably fit the chin in and out of that door. (Unless he's still a baby.)

Anyway, any small cat/dog carrier is adequate. The plastic kind with the wire door. The crate-style carriers are not fine. The bar spacing IS too big.

Check Craigslist for used carriers. You'll probably run across the kennel carrier I'm talking about because it's airline-approved to stow under your seat, so I imagine that there are a lot of them out there. I found mine on CL for $10! :D
 
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