So here's a question

[beccajean220]

I told my friend that im getting a chin in a few months, and I told her all about them(cause I'm just sooo excited it's all I talk about) lol. So she says if chins are such great pets why do I see them all over CL all the time. To which I have no answer. Do people get rid of the chins cause they just don't know how to care for them properly( a reason that I joined this board is to find out everything I can about being a good chin mommy) Why do u guys think so many chinnies need rehoming? I have seen some people give thier chins up do to allergies from the hayand dust. I hope this doesn't happen to me. I have been around horses before with no problem but the hay has never been in my house before. I'm think i'm just having a meltdown cause I want to do everything right for my chinnie and I don't even have it yet lol. I'm looking at all the pros and cons.

 

[cintistatern2005]

I honestly think people just buy them on a whim and then get tired of them. So they get rid of them. They are not one of the easiest pets to take care of also, which some people think they are.

 

[AZChins]

People get tired of having to actually clean up after the chins and the magic wears off. They get sick of having to feed them or care for them. Mostly they buy them on impulse and then when it isn't fun anymore they dump them on Craig's list, which I think is a disgusting place to "sell" an animal.

It isn't even because the chins live so long. Most people get rid of them in a few weeks to a few months. Honestly, I have no idea of what they are expecting the chin to be when they get it. I'm pretty sick of hearing about how the kids lost interest in the animals. Is that the fault of the chins? No. It's the fault of the spoiled little brat kids and the parents that allow them to skip out on their obligations to a little leaving creature that they were supposed to love.

Most of the allergies to the chins can be resolved, but most people don't even want to try. That tells me a few things, 1) People like to lay the blame on anything but themselves, 2) People love to come up with excuses, 3) People are fine with lying instead of having to face facts.

Please remember before you adopt a chin that you are adopting a very smart little animal. This is not a stupid rodent that you can give a toilet paper tube to every couple weeks and that's it. They need stimulation, they need to be kept in a place where they can see what's going on and be a part of the action. It's more like having a dog or a cat than having a hamster around.

I've taken in hundreds and hundreds of rescue chins and the reasons are always the same...it ranges from people having a new baby to allergies to not having time to just flat out not wanting the chinchilla anymore. A few times people would get another pet like a kitten and dump the chin right away. How is that fair?

 

[aznmexaggie]

There are tons of reasons why chins get rehomed. Here are the ones I hear or see most often:

• A breeding pair was bought but they are not breeding as quickly as they'd like...
• Their breeding got out of hand since they didn't have enough cages and brothers and sisters and parents were breeding with one another until they were extremely overcrowded and the owner finally decided to rehome them...
• They realize they can't make money breeding chins...
• They were an impulse purchase and the owner realizes that they aren't calm cuddly lap pets
• They are "allergic" to the chins or the dust...
• they didn't realize how messy they can be...
• they were bought because they were a fad pet, especially amongst teenagers and college students, and eventually got tired of them
• they have to move to an apartment or rental and can't take the chins with them
• they are going away to college
• they brought the chins to a new home/apartment/dorm without landlord/school official approval and now have to rehome them because their landlord/school official has found out
• they can't afford them anymore...
• they had a child and cannot give their chinchilla attention anymore
• they got a new pet and the chinchilla is "old news"

 

[beccajean220]

Well I don't have to worry about the new baby thing or the cat thing lol I will say I'm a fairly neat person and I like a clean house but I have seen posts from people with way more than one chin and thier chin rooms always look really neat. So I don't think that's gonna be a problem. I have been doing quite a bit of research so I think I understand what I getting into,but it's always good to hear advice from people who know what they are talking about

 

[AZChins]

If you sweep up the mess around the cage every day, you will not have a problem. With chins the issue with cleanliness is with people letting it go for too long. Keeping up with it is easy and you won't ever have a problem with mess if you take the three minutes a day it takes to pick up the poops!

This may sound really mean but I cannot feel sorry for someone with one cage having an issue with keeping it clean for any reason. One cage will be a snap. Basically every day you need to clean up in and around the cage, just spot cleaning along with feeding and making sure the waterbottle has fresh water. On a weekly basis you need to clean up all the litter, shavings, etc so that the cage is clean and won't smell. Every month you need to take the cage out for a good scrub down and rinse. It isn't that hard...actually it's about 1/10th the amount of work that it takes to own a dog!

 

[Chibigirl]

I agree with AZ, I'm relatively new and have one cage with a single chinchilla. The clean up really isn't bad at all. I sweep up the mess that gets outside of the cage every day and i brush off shelves and spot clean any pee on the shelves as well everyday. Then all you need to do is make a complete cage clean once a week and give them new hay/water/pellets every day. Really on a daily basis the cleaning only takes about 10-15 minutes. Good luck with your new friend, I'm sure they'll have a great home with all the research you're doing. Plus everyone on here I've talked to is super helpful and knows their stuff. :thumbsup:

 

[Carol~Anne]

I think Susan and Sumiko have pretty much summed it up as to all the reasons why people decide to rehome their chinchilla(s). The only other thing I can think of to add to the list is maybe the fact that chinchillas if cared for well and are happy do like to have interaction and stimulation from their owner and when people stop giving the chin attention b/c they've suddenly become too busy or have lost interest or for whatever reason, then the chin can become depressed and then the owner feels guilty and starts looking for a new home for the chin where it will get more attention again.

I actually don't think it's a bad thing at all to rehome your chin if you're just not into it anymore. I'd much rather someone was honest like that and made the effort to find the animal a home where it will be spoiled and will bring someone else joy than to just hold onto it and let it live a lonely and boring existence for years on end. That is just cruel imo.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

The same reason you see a lot of dogs and cats on CL and in the pounds. There are a lot of irresponsible people who get an animal and then decide they don't want it. Many people treat animals as things and not living, loving creatures that one should be responsible for the rest of the animal's life

 

[3CsMommy]

People think "Oh, how cute!", buy it, and never bother to find out that they live as long as a dog or cat, that they need a specialized diet and environment, that they (like all rodents) chew on things and don't discriminate between safe wood and game controllers, and that they're active at night. They're an exotic pet, and a lot of people don't realize that exotic = extra care and special needs. The number of people I've scared out of buying a pet store chinchilla (and in some cases steered toward a hamster or mouse for a child's first pet) is almost frightening. I honestly think that chins as just too cute for their own good sometimes.

 

[Carol~Anne]

^^ They are definitely too cute for their own good for sure. When people see my chins they just get so excited and immediately want one and then I explain to them how much care and attention that I provide for them and then they're not so keen on wanting one anymore. I figure that if I tell them the cons they will think more seriously about whether they are up for it or not.

I am very fortunate to have my chins in their own room where everyone who comes to see them can see the damage they have done to the walls, baseboards etc. and how it is always a challenge for me to keep one step ahead of the little chew monsters.

 

[Mookie]

People don't understand the responsibility and time that is needed to care for these marvolous animals. They just look at the chinchillas and decide they want them because they look cute. People who spend more time cleaning up then playing with their chinchillas usually give them up because they say, "its too much work to handle." This also means that they are not able to enjoy the chin. Chins are GREAT animals, but you need to be prepared to get one. you need to ask yourslef these questions:
-Am i going to have the time to care for this animal on a daily basis, including play time.
-How many do i want?
-If your breeding, Where do I find a vet that specializes in chinchillas?
-How long do they live?
-Am I really prepared to take on this responsibility?
-Am I going to treat this animal how I would want to be treated and not just keep it in a cage all day with the same old toys?
-there are many more questions to ask yourself, these are just a few.
People need to understand this and not just buy them because they are cute or breed them becasue they are cute, breeding chinchillas is very risky, and your mommy could end up in a life or death situation. People need to take the time and think about their commitment, they are making, then they will either have their new BEST FRRIEND or not.

 

[aznmexaggie]

-If your breeding, Where do I find a vet that specializes in chinchillas?

I just want to point out that EVERY chin owner, not just breeders should have a chinchilla vet (multiple backup vets are a good idea too) they can contact if an emergency arises. Breeding chins aren't the only ones that may need vet care.

 

[Chub_Chub]

Both of my sweeties came to me as CL rescues. The first person gave the chin up because she "didn't have time for it", and the second one said they were moving out of state and couldn't take it (which was obviously a lie, their house wasn't packed AT ALL and the poor chin was chewing his fur from stress and bad care!). A lot of people on the forum (myself included) have some sort of allergies related to the chins or caring for them, but we all deal with it as we can because we love our sweet little furballs! I think all the other reasons people above listed are very common from what they are hearing from surrenders.

 

[AZChins]

I know...you are awesome! You are the minority when it comes to responsible people buying chins off of Craig's list...but you know that!

I picked up six chins from a couple a few years back, they told me that they had to get rid of them because they were moving and NO ONE would buy the chins when they listed them. So, I asked them where they were moving to and they said that they weren't moving. That was bizarre. People dump the chins way too quickly and it drives me crazy...

 

[arf2184]

Frankly, I find that my 20 chins are easier to care for, cheaper, and less time consuming than my two dogs. I don't buy most of the excuses I see on craigslist. What it comes down to really is they don't want the animal anymore and are trying to get rid of it.

The excuses I see most often are moving (which may be true, but if you really want the animal, you'll find a way to make it work), don't have time (which translates into 'I have other things I'd rather be doing than taking care of this animal'), and can no longer afford the pet (may be true, but after initial costs, a single chin doesn't really cost a lot so more likely, the person lost interest or didn't do their research).

To your friend, I'd point out that not many people dispute that dogs and cats make good pets, yet there are way more of them on craigslist than any other species. Sometimes it just simply doesn't work out or the person is really not able (physically or financially) to take care of the animal. Mostly though, there are just a lot of irresponsible people out there that get a pet and then aren't willing to train or care for the animal.

 

[AZChins]

I agree, Alison. I've heard every single excuse in the book. To me moving isn't an excuse. When we moved I brought everyone with me...that wasn't easy with 40 chins, but I would never have just dumped them just because I was moving 1700 miles away.

I live in my happy little world of just taking in chins. The amount of dogs and cats that aren't loved is just so scary and sad. Our little dogs are our children! I could never let them go unless I was rendered unconscious or dead. The same goes with the chins, as long as I am able to take care of them, I will. If no one ever finds a new home, I will make it work and keep everyone happy and healthy...I won't be begging for anyone to take my animals because I can't care for them again. I'd work four jobs and get no sleep ever again if it meant that all of them are fed and loved. Hopefully I won't have to do that...