Probably laughable question but...........

[labrescuens]

Ok so yesterday I adopted two Chins from the SPCA. One dad and his baby. I think I'm on track with taking care of them. I have the dust, I have the pellets and some wooden toys. I have a flying saucer wheel on order and a little house. I have some apple tree branches in with them. I left the radio on all night last night for them and had them both out to run around at midnight before I went to bed.
So chin noises? My Chin sounds like he's whining like a dog? Is this a sad noise? Is he unhappy am I doing something wrong????

Trish

 

[CJR]

Chinchillas are generally very shy creatures and it is best to leave them alone in a quiet room for about a week or so until they get used to their new situation. They are probably very stressed out right now, and though your intentions are good, you are probably just scaring them more.

Where did the branches come from? Did you take them from a tree outside? Wood needs to be prepared before you can give it to a chinnie - it needs to be scrubbed, boiled and baked to kill all the bacteria/viruses/fungi/parasites that may be living on it. If you gave them unprepared wood, take it out immediately. It's not your fault, you didn't know.

Where is their cage located? Do you have any dogs, cats, birds, or other potentially noisy animals?

 

[Anne-Lise]

Are you 10000% sure that the baby is indeed a boy? Generally, pet stores and SPCA are not very knowledgeable about chins and they often confuse girls and boys. Is it is a girl, you will need to separate them right away.

 

[saphire]

Trish, a question is not laughable when it is to learn.
And if one laughs at a question, it is that they have forgot they also have questioned.

Welcome by the way

Ditto to the above

 

[tunes]

Anne-Lise - I already questioned this in her intro thread, but she said they were both boys. I have to seriously wonder about this though, as she said the little one was the size of a hamster.

Trish - Are you absolutely sure that what you are seeing is male genitalia? Have you looked at pictures to be sure? I am asking this because you want to be absolutely sure they are same sex so that you don't end up with them breeding down the road and getting an "oops" litter. Here are pictures of genitalia: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16957

Also, if the kit is as small as you say it is, it should definitely not be out for run time right now. First, the chances of it getting hurt/lost are pretty high, but more importantly, a kit that small needs all it's calories to grow. Burning them off with out of cage time is not a good and could result in him not reaching his full growth potential.

The noise you are hearing is your chin being afraid. I'm going to guess that what you're describing is a bark. That means your chin is upset, afraid, worried, etc. In the wild, that noise would be used to warn the "herd" of danger. Right now, you're the danger. I agree with Ash, I would leave the chins alone in their cage for at least a week, and let them settle in. Lord only knows what the adult went through prior to coming to you. Right now, they just need to figure out they are safe and the best way to do that is to let them settle in without a lot of interference.

 

[Jenn]

My chin took about a month to settle down once we first got her. She wouldn't let me near her at all, and constantly barked at me. Be patient and give your chins time to adjust to the new sounds and smells - a whole new environment for them. I would sit quietly next to my chin's cage just so she could get used to my presence, and learn that I was no threat. Take the time for them to get to know you, it is worth the wait.

 

[labrescuens]

Anne-Lise - I already questioned this in her intro thread, but she said they were both boys. I have to seriously wonder about this though, as she said the little one was the size of a hamster.

Trish - Are you absolutely sure that what you are seeing is male genitalia? Have you looked at pictures to be sure? I am asking this because you want to be absolutely sure they are same sex so that you don't end up with them breeding down the road and getting an "oops" litter. Here are pictures of genitalia: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16957

Also, if the kit is as small as you say it is, it should definitely not be out for run time right now. First, the chances of it getting hurt/lost are pretty high, but more importantly, a kit that small needs all it's calories to grow. Burning them off with out of cage time is not a good and could result in him not reaching his full growth potential.

The noise you are hearing is your chin being afraid. I'm going to guess that what you're describing is a bark. That means your chin is upset, afraid, worried, etc. In the wild, that noise would be used to warn the "herd" of danger. Right now, you're the danger. I agree with Ash, I would leave the chins alone in their cage for at least a week, and let them settle in. Lord only knows what the adult went through prior to coming to you. Right now, they just need to figure out they are safe and the best way to do that is to let them settle in without a lot of interference.

Oh gosh my poor kids. They are in my office in my house (which is really just a spare room) in a large ferret cage. Bottom pan no wires and 3 extra levels. I won't let them out again then for a while. They are definitely both boys. They look like the pictures. There is a big space on big daddy (his temporary name until we know them better) and a much smaller space but definitely a space on the little man.

I have 3 labs but I have babygated the room and keep the door closed as well just a double precaution in case. And I have not introduced them and do not plan on it for a while. My girls don't seem to interested to go in the room.

I am feeding them chin pellets but it does have the odd dried fruit or veggie in it should I remove those or leave them? I also got their chin dust for their bath and I've ordered a flying saucer and hammock for them.

I appreciate all the advice please feel free to be frank. I've run a rescue for labs for seven years so I won't take it to heart!! But I've committed to these little creatures and they need to have a proper and safe environment so they can finally relax and enjoy their life.

Trish

 

[RDZCRanch]

Fruits and veggies, fresh or dried are not good for chinchillas. It can cause bloat and/or GI Stasis which is a very serious condition and often leads to death.

Good feeds for the boys to be on would be Oxbow or Mazuri chinchilla pellets. Both should be available at a pet store near you and I would change them over immediately. What hay are you feeding? The good chinchilla pellets are alfalfa based and it's a good idea to supplement timothy hay. Many members on here with less than 10 chins like to order Oxbow timothy hay for their chinchillas since it is very green and fresh. I wouldn't get hay from the pet store as it is often overpriced, brown, and not fresh.

If you want to give them treats of any kind don't give any fruits or veggies. A huge hit here are plain cheerios and unfrosted mini wheat cereal. They can also have rosehips and some dried herbs.

 

[labrescuens]

I'll look when I get home but I think it's sunseed chinchilla pellets but it does have some hay in it and bits of dried fruit and veggies. I read the ingredients and there was alfalfa in it. What is the best brand to feed etc?

 

[ticklechin]

At Petsmart you can buy Oxbow or Mazuri pellets and Oxbow hay. Cold turky switch them of the Sunseed since that feed is junk food for chins.

 

[labrescuens]

So much to learn. We don't have a petsmart but we do have petcetera and I think I can order oxbow at my store. I'll get some new ones asap. Timothy hay? The same oxbow? And wooden toys is JW ok for them?

 

[labrescuens]

Chinchilla Deluxe
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/animal/detail;jsessionid=77154F35ACCD515B7FB96EDE819DE2E9.vipa-01a?object=1618

is this the right stuff? Gosh I feel so helpless!!

and what about these?

 

[greychins]

Yes, that's the oxbow food (the link you provided). I don't know if those treats are safe though, someone else will have to chime in for that.

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

I don't know about those treats, but I can tell you that plain, unfrosted shredded wheat and plain cheerios (sparingly) are a nice treat for them. Also, Essentia (Crysta) makes chinnie salads (I'm pretty sure...otherwise she can tell you who to order them from). There's a specific kind of oat you can give them as a treat, but again, very sparingly--I'm sorry I don't know what kind of oat, and I'm too lazy to look up the link right now :S You can do a quick search for treats in the forum and it should provide you with multiple threads to read through.
Also, you don't want to give treats to the baby until he's older.

If you could post pictures, that would maybe help us determine the baby's age--it's definitely not recommended to age a chinchilla by pictures, but if you say he's the size of a hamster, he's far too young and should be getting hand fed. If you do take a picture, be sure to take it with something in there for scale--a pepsi can or a quarter or a ruler or something held up to the baby so we can tell how big (or small) he is.
And if you can get pictures of his little boy parts, we can help you triple check that he really is a boy! Same with Big Daddy

 

[labrescuens]

little man

big daddy

Couldn't resist the can choice :thumbsup: and I can't get a good picture of their manly parts!! I'll have to wait until my hubby is home from sea or a friend is over.

 

[greychins]

Do you have a gram scale by any chance? If you do, it'd be good to know the baby's weight. I have some 8-week-olds here and granted they are bigger than he appears, but not by a ton... but it's hard to say from pictures cause some chins are like all fur.

To get pictures of their boy parts, you can lift them up by their tail... with their front feet still touching the ground...and they shouldn't struggle too much.

 

[3CsMommy]

I'd guess 8-10 weeks too, which is about the right age to wean from mama to avoid pregnancy, but not old enough for treats or a wheel yet. What a cute little bugger though! Thanks for showing us your can.

 

[labrescuens]

He's 130grams. I just hope I'm on the right track for them. I'll go out tomorrow and get them new food and chuck the other stuff. I feel like someone told me I'm feeding my dogs puppy chow!! :embarrassed:

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

He's 130grams. I just hope I'm on the right track for them. I'll go out tomorrow and get them new food and chuck the other stuff. I feel like someone told me I'm feeding my dogs puppy chow!! :embarrassed:

Don't be upset with yourself! You are a new chinnie mom and you didn't know! But you did the right thing by coming here and asking your questions. As someone said earlier, a question is never a laughable question when it is one to learn! :thumbsup:
We have all been in your shoes once so we know what it is like to want to do what is best for your fuzz butts. And you are definitely on the right track for them, for two reasons: You asked your questions and had concern for what you were/are doing. 2: You are willing to take the advice given and change what was wrong. That in itself makes you a good chin mom! (at least in my book)

This being said, Welcome to the forum! And good luck with Big Daddy and the baby!

 

[InkedupTara]

Is that ladder still in the cage? That should probably come out, chins have been known to break legs on those things. I think since that kit is still so young, it may be better to just have a few low shelves for it?

Welcome to owning chinnies!! You are in a good place to learn! Hello and welcome