Thinking about getting a chin

[Rebecca1122]

I was just replying to people's comments. I didn't think I was repeating things that much.

Sorry.

But can I ask a question of mine that I asked but has not been answered?

 

[lauralynne]

No I will answer - I'm 14. I've said it before. At least I thought I did.

Not that I saw, but thanks for letting us know. It really helps us give better advice in this kind of situation.

 

[Rebecca1122]

What treats are good for chins?
I have heard carrots, raisins, shredded wheat.

Also rosehips. What are rosehips?

 

[Laurie]

Absolutely NO fruits or vegetables or any kind for chinchillas. Several books and even vets say fruits and vegetables are ok and they are not. There is to much sugar in fruits both fresh and dried and this is deadly to chinchillas.

Acceptable treats are dried rose hips both whole and crushed, 1/2 of a bite size plain shredded wheat, a small pinch (no more than 5) of old fashioned cooking oats aka oatmeal--DO NOT use the quick cook kind, plain cheerio, I also occassionally give small pieces of uncooked pasta.

Chins should also have hay often as well as acceptable wood chew toys or sticks.

Again ABSOLUTELY NO FRUIT OR VEGETABLES OF ANY KIND

 

[ticklechin]

Who will take care of the chin when the family goes on vacation? Have you called local vet offices and found a chichilla vet? Who will pay the vet bills and how will the chin get to the vet? Who pays for the feed, hay, toys, cage, bedding, water bottles? Can you buy things off the internet since pet stores are not a great choice for chinchilla products? Are your parents willing to pay 100s of dollars in vet bills if the chin gets sick or injured? Does your house have a/c and do you keep it at 70 deg all summer? If you have other pets can the chin be kept away from them? Do you have a chin proof area the chin can play in? Are your parents OK with poo and hay and dust all over the house?

 

[lauralynne]

What treats are good for chins?
I have heard carrots, raisins, shredded wheat.

Also rosehips. What are rosehips?

Again, all of this is answered in the FAQs. C'mon, we're all trying to help, but you are going to have to do some research on your own, too.

 

[Andrea]

~I don't see how you can say your parents are on board when before they needed "convincing.". I think it'd be a good idea for you to find out more about caring for a chin, especially the financial aspects since that would fall on your parents. Find a vet, and perhaps find someone who has chins and visit to see what ownership looks like (the cage, the supplies, the mess!). I love my chins but they are a lot of work and remember that they can be a 15-20 year commitment. Do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions while giving yourself a lot of time to think about if you really want a chin.

~I would recommend an adult as I already said. They are generally calmer with established personalities. Maybe they are not "cute babies" but that stage is short and is followed by the teen stage which can be really tough. I have three girls because I don't want to deal with hair ring checks...I'm lucky in that none of them spray.

~Everybody has a different "care schedule.". In fact I do not have a "schedule" at all. When I can spend time with them, I do. If they need something, I give it to them. I think you would make it harder on yoursf trying to follow a schedule.

~Do not give supervised playtime to a chin under six months of age. Remember, playtime is not a necessity and it often opens opportunities up for injury, so it's something you should be careful with and not overdo, especially with a young chin.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

another question to ask yourself - what happens to the chin(s) when you go to college??

 

[Rebecca1122]

By convincing, I didn't mean like tricking them into buying me a pet.
I showed them everything I learned. I made a presentation. I showed them a list of things I would need.

By doing so, they realized that I am committed to getting a chinchilla.

When I go to college, my parents agreed to take care of the chinchilla. If I live off campus, I can also find a place that allows pets and after college, I can go back to taking care of my chin.

 

[Rebecca1122]

Who will take care of the chin when the family goes on vacation? Have you called local vet offices and found a chichilla vet? Who will pay the vet bills and how will the chin get to the vet? Who pays for the feed, hay, toys, cage, bedding, water bottles? Can you buy things off the internet since pet stores are not a great choice for chinchilla products? Are your parents willing to pay 100s of dollars in vet bills if the chin gets sick or injured? Does your house have a/c and do you keep it at 70 deg all summer? If you have other pets can the chin be kept away from them? Do you have a chin proof area the chin can play in? Are your parents OK with poo and hay and dust all over the house?

To answer your questions,
My family is looking to find someone in our area who has experience with chins and wouldn't mind watching them for us. If that does not work out, there is someone we know who is willing to learn to care for chins.

I have a list of vets for exotic pets (i.e. chinchillas).

I am going to pay for the necessities such as food, water, hay, toys, etc. I have found things online that were recommended to me by someone who owns three chins. I have the prices. I have saved up money, and I am going to purchase those things.

I understand that chins overheat easily and need to live in a cool space. I have air conditioning and my room is aways cool, as I like it that way anyway. It is normally set to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

I do have a dog. I am planning on keeping the chin in a room where my dog never goes.

I have my room set up for the chin to play in. I have chin-proofed it by moving valuables, hiding wires, unplugging electronics, etc.

My parents trust that I will clean up the messes of my chin. She is not going to roam around the whole house, so that is not much of a problem.

 

[lauralynne]

I showed them everything I learned. I made a presentation. I showed them a list of things I would need.

By doing so, they realized that I am committed to getting a chinchilla.

Sorry, this made me giggle. I have 3 kiddos (age 9, 8, and 6) and this sooooo reminded me of the latest Disney thing, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.

 

[Rebecca1122]

How does my showing my parents that I am responsible make you think of a disney channel movie?
It was not very necessary to tell me that my work was funny and was like a Disney movie..

 

[Gabby88]

How does my showing my parents that I am responsible make you think of a disney channel movie?
It was not very necessary to tell me that my work was funny and was like a Disney movie..

I really don't think she meant any offense by that. Just that it reminded her of other things she's seen of kids trying to convince their parents to get pets.

 

[RDZCRanch]

If you are 100% going to get a chinchilla, please support responsible breeders and rescues and don't buy from a pet store. If you post your state, we can give you a list of breeders that you can get in touch with. Most breeders require a contract to be signed by an adult, so your parents would actually be buying/responsible for the chinchilla. It would be good for you to go to a breeder so that the breeder can educate you and especially your parents more on chinchillas before you purchase one.

 

[Rebecca1122]

If you are 100% going to get a chinchilla, please support responsible breeders and rescues and don't buy from a pet store. If you post your state, we can give you a list of breeders that you can get in touch with. Most breeders require a contract to be signed by an adult, so your parents would actually be buying/responsible for the chinchilla. It would be good for you to go to a breeder so that the breeder can educate you and especially your parents more on chinchillas before you purchase one.

I wasn't thinking of buying a chin from my local pet store anyway. The pets in there always seem sad and mistreated.
It is good to rescue too.

I live in New York.
It would be great if you could give me a list of breeders! It would be great to talk with the breeder and learn more from them.

Thanks!

 

[lauralynne]

How does my showing my parents that I am responsible make you think of a disney channel movie?
It was not very necessary to tell me that my work was funny and was like a Disney movie..

Relax.

I wasn't saying anything about you or what you did to show your parents that you're ready for a chinchilla.

In the movie, Sharpay wants to move to New York, but her dad doesn't think she's ready. So, she puts on a demonstration including where she'll live, what she'll do etc. Right down to the poster board and pointer.

 

[Rebecca1122]

Okay.

Do you recommend getting chews for the chin? If so, what chews do you recommend?

 

[Gabby88]

You're going to NEED things for them to chew on. They need to chew constantly. This means no plastic shelves in the cage you purchase because they can and will chew them. You will need wood shelves.

There's tons of threads on safe chew toys for chins. There's also a few people here who make chew toys. Use the "search" and you'll see tons of different options.

 

[Rebecca1122]

Thanks. Also, what hay do you use and where do you get it from?

 

[lauralynne]

Thanks. Also, what hay do you use and where do you get it from?

Rebecca, we have all been very nice answering your questions, but this is getting ridiculous.

You just asked about what kind of chews and what kind of hay. You said you've done your research, (which we can dismiss the books because they're worthless), but why have you obviously not read the FAQs that you've been pointed to umpteen times today?

This is laziness on your part.