Starter Chinchillas!

[Megan]

I brought home my boys 10 years ago, and the age of 13. I had a friend who wanted a chinchilla(I was about 11 at that time)-- We went to countless petstores with her parents so she could hold them, but she never got them---I constantly asked her why the heck would she want a chinchilla?? They were "ugly"...

I joined the chins-n-quills when I was 13 back in 2001... I came here because I wanted a hedgehog, and at that point they were still legal in PA. I began chating in chat, and quickly fell in love thanks to an old member named Mary_C. and her chin "Casper" (Pink white).... I met two other members- Marla(PA chinchillas) and Weng(Wktam) who quickly forced (yeah, maybe thats a little lie) me into adopting a boy from each of them. "Jasper" a standard grey from Marla, and Digit a white mosaic from Weng.

10 years later, I still have Jasper. I lost Digit when he was a year and a half to unknown causes. Jasper lives with a rescue male that after I adopted him out he was returned to me twice, and i finally said if Jasper gets along with him (Jasper was very picky) he'd stay...they hit it off and he's been here as a pet for 6 years now.

and as they say, the rest is history....over the years I started adding in breeders, and quickly expanded my herd. I no longer count how many I have, I don't want to know what I am up to these days!


Oh and by the way, my friend never did get her chinchilla...

 

[Akunaferret]

I've never found a chinchilla "ugly", I'm sure her parents got tired of carting her butt around if she wasn't going to get one.

 

[momenteller]

Two years ago, my 8-year-old's hamster passed. After a few months, she felt ready to try again, and I talked her into trying something new. We considered guinea pigs and chinchillas. I pushed for the chinchilla, since I had always wanted one. They were so pricey in pet stores, so I browsed CL and came across a white chin for $40. On a whim, I piled both kids in the car and drove 45 minutes to an hour to a town I had never been to. We brought along our small plastic carrying cage. The chinnie was darling, but I was surprised at her size! She barely fit in our carrying cage. The breeder threw in a small bag of feed, some scented dust, and a book full of misinformation for $10 more. He tossed a small handful of hay into the plastic carrier.

We brought Chelsea home and placed her into the aquarium with topper we'd had for the hamster. I knew it wasn't enough room for her once I put her in there, so we went out and bought a death ball so she could run around some more! She didn't seem to enjoy it, so-- finally-- I looked online to find out more info about chins. That info led me to return the death ball to PetSmart. An employee there gave me the name of this forum.

I have tried to make up for Chelsea's first months with us ever since. With the help of the forum, I moved her into her own FN142 with Leo Braun wheel, tons of fleece, etc. etc. Only the best of everything. She may be a CL chin from a backyard breeder, but she is my largest and in some ways, tamest. She will always be special to me for opening my eyes to the joys of owning a chin! :heart:

 

[3CsMommy]

The one pet store up here, That Pet Place, had a shop chinchilla named Chi-Chi.

That chin (which passed on a couple years ago at about 15 years old) was actually part of what got me into them too. My Ex is from York, and when I went on our first visit to his family, his "crazy pet lady" mother had to run to TPP for stuff for the birds/lizards/snakes/fish/dogs... anyway, we went along and saw Chi Chi when the store was actually doing everything right by him. I thought he was adorable and fascinating and said as much to my Ex, who then said, "Oh [Friend from York] has a chinchilla. He'll probably let you pet him when we visit."

A couple days later, we visited that friend's house and got the other side of chin keeping: too small cage full of plastic, 3 chins, bad food, no hay, nasty water... So I went researching which one was right, the pet store (which I couldn't believe b/c I already know how bad most pet stores are with small animals) or the friend with the bird seed and yogurt drops. It didn't take long to realize the Friend was a total screw up with his animals, and then when we visited again at the holidays, there were 4 little standard babies in that horrible plastic cage with the mother on the floor and the other two adults (both males) hunkered down on upper shelves trying not to set her off again.

Cervantes the Dread Pirate Chinchilla came home with us after he was weaned that February. His family's situation, last I heard, was disgusting enough that I tried to call the Humane Society, but at least the Ex and I saved him. Cervantes is with my Ex in PA now, spoiled rotten in a QC Mansion all his own. But seeing Chi Chi being kept well by a pet store when a private owner wouldn't do the same made me mad enough that I had to do something, and in the process I fell in love with chins.

 

[Del-Lynn]

My 12 yr old son started my addiction.. He started begging me for one, and I'd just blow him off.. Then it seemed everywhere we went, it had something to remind him, and me of chinchillas. Last June, my little sister had my nephews birthday at our local zoo, and what do the bring out as one of the animals to interact with, but a huge black chin..after that I told my son ok , we look.. Well we are looking at the ones at petco but of course I'm scared of getting a pet that expensive and being clueless.. I keep fish, and know how clueless petco / petsmart people are,so I new better to listen to their advice. One morning I see an ad on cl for a cute little tan chin.. But he was grown.. I was nervous about a grown one.. So I pass..a few days later I see an ad for a baby.. I text and inquire about him.. Some one had beat me to him, but she had a grown tan( same one I passed on).. After my son begging me I agree and make plans to get him and cage weekend..before I can get there the girl calls and says person getting the baby backed out did I want both.for days I debated getting the older one..i finally decided on both..

Nugget is my tan
Reece is black veiled ( I have yet to learn colors)

Getting nugget was the best things i ever did, and to think i almost didnt get him!! He is my man, he makes me happy when I'm sad..he gives chinny kisses.
I now have a small chin army, and it all started with a 12 yr old, cl and a goggly eyed chin named nugget!! I LOVE U NUGGET!!!


And the awesome young lady I got him from has helped learn all I have to be a good mom.. She has become one of my very BEST FRIENDS !!! I so love her like a little sister!!!

 

[GuinChin]

I was visiting my friend who worked at a Petco and someone had just left a chinchilla at the store because they couldn't take care of it...he was missing most of his hair and looked extremely skinny. I had no idea what a chinchilla was or how to take care of one but i knew i wanted to make him better. I took him home that night and have had him for 7 years now. Im trying to find another chinchilla to adopt/rescue now and i'll probably have at least one for the rest of my life.

 

[kendra]

I had been introduced to chinchillas when I was in high school- a family friend had a chinchilla who lived outside (bad bad idea I know) but thought it was the cutest thing ever. I had read about them, and gained an interest but hadn't got one.
About 4 years ago I moved out of my parents house, and although my roommates had birds, they weren't my pets. I'd grown up with animals and really missed having my own critter. A short time later, I had walked down to the local petco and they had two chinchillas that they just got in- I fell in love. I called my roommate and asked if she could come pick me up because I was going to get a new pet and couldn't get him plus cage and other supplies on foot Luckily my roommates are pet animal lovers and were cool with me bringing a new fuzzy friend home
Then I guess about two years ago now, another member here was needing to downsize. I took in Chimney, hoping he and Ferdinand would get along but knowing the possibility of them not. Of course they didn't (or I was too nervous after seeing some dominance during shared playtime so didn't try intros after 2 tries).
here's ferdinand with his new favorite thing, hiding in his shelf liner! And Chimney exploring a new arrangement of the play area.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Three weeks ago I away at a journalism workshop and my friend texted me and asked if I would watch her chinchilla. I said of course as I had loved them since the first time I went into the envirenmental ed lab at school. I would sneak in on yearbook worknights just to watch them. Turns out this chin was one of their babies. I fell in love with her and luckily so did my brother and parents. Now there's a month and a half left until Anabelle (white mosaic girl) and Shadow (standard girl) come home from the breeder. Annie is six months and was going to be used for shows but now she's just gonna be loved and Shadow was just born two weeks ago so we are just waiting with an empty ferret nation cage until she's weened and they are introduced . But while we're waiting we have Lily until their house sells.